Curriculum

The Montessori Method

The Montessori Method of teaching fosters a natural desire for the enjoyment of learning and allows each child to follow his or her own intrinsic curiosity. This method was developed a century ago by a young Italian physician named Maria Montessori. Her notion that children learn through hands on activity that the preschool years are a time of critical brain development and that parents should be partners in their children's education, are now widely accepted.

The Montessori Method enhances social skills. The children learn kindness, courtesy and respect for the rights of others, they learn independence and responsibility. The Method allows the child to learn the way she learns best by doing things herself.

In a Montessori classroom the material is specially designed. It is simple, attractive and self correcting. The child can choose his own work and work at his own pace in a non competitive environment.

Infants

In the infant classroom there is a low student teacher ratio. Our staff, well versed in the Montessori Method, realizes that even a pre-verbal child can communicate through the use of movements. The prepared environment and sensorial training, which Dr. Montessori developed, is consistent with developmental needs and capabilities of a very young child. The infant room at Warren Montessori is a piece of art. The toys and other objects in the room are carefully selected. The room is calm and quiet so that an infant can concentrate on what he is doing. Too much noise and over stimulation can make an infant drowsy and sleepy, blocking out all possibility of learning.

Pre-Primary (Toddler) Program

The toddler program is geared to the development of motor skills. The children at this age love to work on practical life and sensorial exercises. Since the material is attractive and placed on low shelves it is easily accessible to the children.

There are many activities for the development of language. Vocabulary building rhyming words, sequencing and opposites are just a few ways in which a child's language is developed.

Social skills are taught. Sharing and taking turns and care and concern for each other are included in the daily lessons plan. The teacher or caregiver sets the tone of a child's day. She provides a wealth of opportunity in which he can educate his mind. Due to their limited attention span the toddlers work in half hour sessions. Toilet training takes place in this classroom.

Primary Program

The children in the primary classroom range from 3-6 years. Between 3-4 years, the child shows an interest in exercises preparing him/her for writing. Objects like knobbed cylinders, geometric cabinets, sand paper letters and metal insets all help in the refinement of the eye hand co-ordination. He can handle a pencil and is interested in reproducing the letters of the alphabet. The equipment the child uses at this stage will help him/her to develop the concentration and working habits necessary for more advanced exercises to be performed at the ages of 5 to 6 years. It is the intent of the Teacher to provide guidance and a positive experience allowing them to make choices within set limits. All this creates a viable atmosphere.

Each classroom is divided in 5 major areas:

Practical life

Practical life exercises involve taking care of the "self" and the environment. These exercises improve the coordination, working habits, concentration and attention span of a child.

Sensorial

The sensorial material in the classroom helps the child to become aware of details by offering him strongly contrasted sensations. The Montessori Sensorial materials help the child to distinguish and categorize all the new lessons she is taught.

Language Arts

Children are taught phonics with the help of picture cards, object boxes and sand paper letters. They form words with movable alphabet. A child as young as 4 years of age gets started on reading and writing.

Mathematics

Pre-math starts at the age of 2 when the cognitive curriculum activities are presented in practical life and sensorial curriculum. The children learn sequence, recognition, quality of numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Some children who excel are capable of doing decimal system and fractions at 5 years of age.

Cultural

In this class the children learn about history, geography including various land and water forms. They perform science experiments. Reading and writing skills are used extensively in these activities.Enrichment Program Every week we offer music, Spanish and Computer classes, gardening and nature study is also a part of the curriculum. Children do cooking and Art projects on regular basis.

Enrichment Program

Every week we offer Music, Spanish and Computer classes. Gardening and Nature Study are also a part of the curriculum. Children do cooking and art projects on a regular basis.

Extra-curricular Activities

After school activities are Dance, Gymnastics and Art.