|
|
Kingsley Montessori’s Preschool focuses on children ages
3 to 6. The learning environment provides children with the necessary
skills for academic and personal growth. Each Preschool classroom
is multi-aged and the equipment, materials and furniture are child-focused
and -sized. Caring for the classroom and overall school environment
is an integral goal for each child. Children learn early that Kingsley
is “their school!”
Our educational program is rooted in the philosophy of Maria Montessori.
A cornerstone of this theory is that each child is an individual
with an innate desire to learn and grow. Our teams of Montessori-trained
teachers provide each child with individualized curriculum in a
small group classroom environment. The Montessori method is widely
lauded for its ability to inspire children to develop a love of
learning and curiosity about the world.
The Preschool curriculum celebrates children’s interaction
with the world. Our teachers honor what is unique in each child,
and encourage and guide them to develop the skills they will need
for later academic success. Our Preschool program supports the developmental
stages of early childhood in a variety of ways:
Practical Life: Kingsley’s practical life lessons use child-sized
tools to teach everyday skills that build motor skills and hand-eye
coordination. Independent and focused, children learn to tie shoes,
comb their hair, sweep, pour, polish and take responsibility for
the care of their environment. They also learn social skills, including
how to greet one another, how to discuss and resolve differences
and how to show appreciation. We refer to these essential life skills
as “grace and courtesy.”
Sensorial Learning: The classroom environment includes a
wonderful mix of bells, rods, geometric shapes, color tablets and
sound boxes, which appeal to the child’s natural curiosity
and sense of exploration — and help hone the skills of sight,
touch, sound, taste and smell. The snack preparation area provides
another venue for order, skill mastery and delight.
Language Arts: Our preschoolers begin to develop vital skills
by learning the sounds of the alphabet and how letters combined
to form words, sentences and stories. They also begin basic grammar
and vocabulary lessons, as well as reading and writing exercises.
Learning to write, they practice proper pencil grip, letter formation
and penmanship using developmentally appropriate instruments and
paper. Kinesthetic tools such as sand paper letters, metal insets
and a moveable alphabet introduce children to phonetic reading.
Mathematics: Students explore mathematical principles through
the use of rods, spindles, beads, cards, cubes, counters and other
manipulatives that excite them about math. Using these hands-on
materials, children gain a concrete understanding of basic mathematical
operations. These materials also help lay the foundation for geometry
and algebra.
Science and Culture: Why is the ocean salty? How do clouds
move? Why do butterflies have so many colors? Can you really make
a house out of mud? These questions fill Kingsley Preschool classrooms
as children are introduced to history, geography, and the sciences.
With the help of microscopes, telescopes, globes and natural artifacts,
children investigate the world, using the scientific process of
inquiry.They question, predict, hypothesize, observe, experiment
and document their findings. Whether putting together a puzzle of
one of the continents, observing where countries are in relation
to one another, or mixing vinegar and baking soda to emulate an
erupting volcano, Kingsley children are fully immersed in discovering
how culture and science impact their lives. Kindergarten students
host a Science Fair each spring. In response to a question of their
choosing, each child explores a topic and presents the findings
to a captive audience of friends, teachers, parents and fellow Kingsley
students.
Visual Arts: Using clay, pastels, paint, pencils, chalk,
glue and other materials, children express their creativity and
imagination — and experience pride in seeing their works of
art displayed throughout the school. As they design and create,
they gain an understanding of colors, textures, space and shape.
They also learn about various art forms, including still life, watercolor,
Cubism, Impressionism and portraiture.
Each year, Kingsley mounts an Art Extravaganza, featuring work from
each child in the school, toddler through sixth grade.
Performing Arts: Music and drama at the Preschool level
focus on helping students build a basic understanding and enjoyment
of self-expression. Children learn the elements of music, including,
melody, harmony and rhythm through voice, instruments, dance and
listening exercises. Children bring their favorite stories to life
in theatre games that teach them ways of communicating with and
without words. Preschool students begin their hands-on music education
by exploring and using a set of exquisite, perfectly tuned bells
in the C major scale. While they are focusing on sound and rhythm,
they learn to decipher pitch and tone. Our collective experiences
in the performing arts are showcased several times a year at school-wide
assemblies. Performances by outside artists through our Cultural
Enrichment Program also offer children opportunities to discover
a variety of artistic mediums.
Technology: Technology skills begin in Preschool and build
throughout the Elementary years. There are computers in each classroom,
equipped with age-appropriate software. In the Preschool, computers
are used to teach keyboard and mouse skills and to reinforce math,
logic and language lessons.
Movement: For Preschool children, movement is as natural
as breathing. They can make a walk to their cubbies as exciting
as a tumble on the gymnastics mat. Add to that a rich understanding
of cooperation, teamwork, body and space awareness, as well as the
importance of living a healthy life. Our students learn how to control
their motion with basic gymnastics, throwing and catching, and to
work with each other in our unique cooperative games curriculum.
Spanish: We view language as a pathway toward cultivating
connections. Spanish lessons begin in the Early Childhood years
and continue through the Upper Elementary grades.
Studies show that children who begin a second language at an early
age achieve a high degree of proficiency, gain a better understanding
of the English language, improve their overall performance, become
more flexible thinkers, use critical thinking skills effectively
and display a better understanding and appreciation of cultural
differences and social interactions.
Puppets, songs, rhymes, stories, dances and games capture the children’s
imagination and help bring the language to life each day. We also
explore the culture, art and music of Spanish-speaking people around
the world.
|
