OUR CHiLdren’S House: PRE-KINDERGARTEN

The Children’s House is designed to be a three-year program, in which preschoolers and kindergarteners are grouped together. Teachers act as guides, presenting the materials during individual, small group, and large group lessons. As you may well agree, children tend to learn best from one another, and our elders take great pride in helping their younger friends become acclimated to our classroom. Our curriculum is sequenced so that the children seamlessly build upon previously acquired skills. Children flourish in practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics, cultural geography, and the sciences. The following is a sampling of the qualities, developmental milestones, and academic achievements we foster in the Montessori Children’s House:

Prekindergarten Goals (First-Year Children)

Independence

1. Walks into the classroom independently.

2. Cares for personal needs (hand washing, wiping spills, getting tissues, etc.)

3. Uses bathroom independently or with minimal assistance.

4. Follows simple safety rules.

Self-Discipline

1. Understands and works within classroom ground rules (using a quiet voice, walking in the classroom, how to interrupt, etc.).

2. Demonstrates care in the handling of materials.

3. Chooses a variety of tasks independent of the adults.

4. Concentrates on one activity for an adequate amount of time.

5. Works independently without disturbing others.

Self-Confidence

1. Begins morning with confident separation from parent.

2. Shows eagerness to try new things (work, art, media, food, etc.).

3. Adjusts easily to changes and transitions within the classroom (circle time, art, outside time, etc.).

Prekindergarten Academic Goals (Second-Year Children)

Language Skills

1. Shows an interest in books, handles them with respect and understands that a book conveys meaning.

2. Demonstrates well-developed listening skills.

3. Shows an interest in learning new vocabulary; wants to know the meaning of words and incorporates these into their conversation.

4. Demonstrates a developing recognition of letters by their sound and their name.

5. Shows an ability to isolate the initial sound of a word.

6. “Writes” his or her name and recognizes the letters in their name. Recognizes the oral spelling of their name.

7. Shows a familiarity with a variety of writing instruments.

8. Shows a tendency to work left to right and top to bottom.

Mathematical Skills

1. Demonstrates an understanding of quantities 1, 10, 100, and 1000.

2. Demonstrates recognition of symbols 1, 10, 100, and 1000.

3. Demonstrates an understanding of categories for the decimal system.

4. Demonstrates a basic understanding of the operation of static addition.

5. Demonstrates a basic understanding of the exchange process.

6. Demonstrates counting skills and number recognition of numbers 1-100.

Work Habits

1. Moves easily from one task to another independently.

2. Concentrates on a task and follow through to completion.

3. Works in partnership with others.

4. Demonstrates independence and confidence.

5. Works within the classroom ground rules.

6. Demonstrates care in the handling of the materials.

Social Skills

1. Understands how to be a friend to others (lends a hand without direction, shows care, kindness, and consideration etc.).

2. Expresses feelings appropriately and begins to resolve conflicts independently.

3. Communicates with peers and adults freely and clearly.

4. Continues to gain confidence in self and own abilities.

5. Cooperates at circle time: Waits for turn, gives attention to person speaking, and contributes to discussions etc.