The Prepared Environment

To assist the child in their natural development our programs offer well-maintained, orderly "prepared environments" which invite a child to move and investigate.  The child has free choice in the selection and length of tasks, which are structured for independent and successful activity.  The Montessori materials are designed to isolate a single new concept to be grasped by the child and are self-correcting.  They also follow a sequential progression permitting the child to master one task and then proceed to a further challenge.

Our program focuses on the whole child -- the physical, spiritual, socio-emotional, and cognitive growth.  Daily observation of children by teachers is a vital feature of our classrooms.  Development of social skills, physical skills, character development and academics is noted.  We hope to foster a positive attitude toward learning by providing a variety of interesting activities that challenge and pique the young child's curiosity and intellect.  A child's self-esteem is being supported by his success with the materials and encouragement by peers and staff.  With progress toward more challenging activities, a child's concentration span increases and she is able to focus on a chosen task for a longer time and with more depth.  A child is encouraged to choose activities independently according to his interests.  Cooperative learning is encouraged in our mixed-age groups with children working together on various projects.  Respect for others and the classroom, as a place of learning is our basic ground rule.

Our programs serve mixed age groups.  This grouping of children aged three through six provides an opportunity for children to learn from each other.  Older children model activities and behavior which younger children observe and internalize.  Cooperation, compassion, patience, a feeling of accomplishment develops for the teaching child.  Joy of learning, acceptance by peers, intellectual stimulation, cooperation, self-confidence develops for the learning child.
     
All of our programs provide activities in the following areas: 
Art -- 1) exploration of artistic media—play dough, tempera, glue, etc.,
 2) acquisition of basic skills, presented in graduated steps, e.g., the skill of cutting begins with tearing strips of paper, cutting strips of paper, cutting strips of paper on the line, cutting strips of paper on a diagonal line, cutting on a curved line, cutting out a shape on the line and
 3) creative expression; activities are child-oriented; process is important not product;

Practical Life -- tasks for caring for oneself, others and our surroundings; these activities foster independence, concentration, order and coordination;
     
Sensorial -- opportunities for observation, comparison and classification of impressions of the physical world around us (dimensions, colors, shapes, textures, sounds, smells, and tastes);

Large and Small Muscle Development -- Children are free to move in our classrooms whenever they need to; the playground equipment outside, balance beams, ladder, trampoline and gross motor activities inside help children develop control and coordination in movement. All the Montessori materials and other manipulative materials, such as stringing beads, parquetry, peg boards, puzzles, help children develop fine motor control and coordination as well as strength in hand muscles;

Mathematics -- activities for counting quantities, developing one-to-one correspondence, recognizing numerical symbols, sequencing, place values,  mathematical operations;

Language -- opportunities for development of oral and written communication, utilizing both phonetic and whole language approaches, depending on the learning style of the individual learner;

Socialization -- The interplay between children and adults in the classroom community provides many opportunities to learn how to get along with others; the basis of the Montessori philosophy is respect for others. Teachers model respectful language and social responses. Children are encouraged to express their feelings in appropriate ways. Problem solving by the children is fostered using peaceful, positive communicative means;