Our Curriculum
Montessori curriculum emphasizes learning as a process that cannot be determined by a child’s age. Instead, learning is a process that is determined by the rate and speed at which a child can acquire one skill before moving on to another skill. The Montessori curriculum is based on Dr. Montessori’s philosophy of peace. We believe in sensory learning: Children learn better by touching, seeing, smelling, testing and exploring than just listening.
We promote and develop Spanish language skills through music and songs that allow for long periods of listening and developing comprehension along with responses to commands that require physical movement (TPR – Total Physical Response), poetry, games and stories every child will love.
Our curricula addresses:
Emotional Intelligence: Identifying, understanding and mimicking a whole range of emotions. Building self-awareness and self-control. Developing empathy and abilities to relate to others.
Music and Creative Movement: Building physical coordination and confi dence. We also celebrate beautiful rhythms and dances from diverse Spanish-speaking lands. Instrument playing. Spanish Music and Movement.
Dramatic Play: Allowing children to t the reality of the world into their own interests and knowledge. Creating a natural and playful space for drama that needs no written lines to memorize. Role Play. Puppets. Stimulating imagination.
Reading: Fostering a love for reading in a new language and word comprehension through illustration and story. Comprehension: Observation, listening, and following directions through simple commands, and making predictions.
Science: Exploration of nature, animals and ecosystems. The purpose of a science curriculum for this age group (2.9 – 5 years) is not to teach scientifi c principles but to encourage scienti fic thought. It is about developing positive attitudes and enthusiasm for science and exploration. Study of science will foster an appreciation of and responsibility for the Earth in which we live.
Social and Cultural Diversity: Developing an interest and respect for other cultures and promoting global awareness.
Math: Pattern recognition, sequences, numbers, shapes, numeration, linear counting, the decimal system, and moving toward abstraction.
Sign Language: American Sign Language recognition and association with words and ideas that were already learned in early stages of life.
Language: The interest and ability of children at early age in language is the best example of what Dr. Montessori meant by “sensitive periods for language”. Children three to six years of age are fascinated by language and their ability to learn language is remarkable.
Games: Improve critical thinking skills and reading comprehension. Developing positive, therapeutic eff ects on children of all ages. Allowing space for individualized learning, teaching children basic coding principles. Promoting spatial thinking, reasoning, memory, perception, team building and problem-solving.
Geography: Making children aware of the world. Introducing children to two main geography pieces within the Montessori Early Childhood classroom: physical geography & political geography (also known as culture).
Food Testing – Nutrition: Teaching children about food with a multicultural approach. Experimenting, making children aware of fl avors from around the world. Learning where our food comes from and how to live a healthy lifestyle. Help children make connections between a culture and its food! Foods embody cultures. Sampling and savoring world foods. Encouraging children to learn about and tasting what their peers eat in their homes.
Art: It will help children to develop their creative thinking skills and joy in the freedom of expression through the visual art. They will experiment with art materials, forms and elements of art, and principles of design. Art helps children to understand themselves, which leads to better self-esteem, con fidence and individuality.
Practical Life: Children are given opportunities to address daily tasks with independence, coordination and concentration. Care of the person, Care of the Environment (indoor and outdoor), Grace and Courtesy.
Sensorial: Dr. Montessori characterized the young child by her “absorbent mind”. That is to say that the child absorbs impressions through all senses, like a sponge absorbing water.