Montessori Children's House of Valley Forge

“The first essential for the child’s development is concentration. He must find out how to concentrate and for this he needs things to concentrate upon… Indeed it is just here that the importance of our schools really lies. They are places in which the child can find the kind of work that permits him to do this.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori

Programs

Montessori Readiness

This program offers children, ages 2 to 3, their first experience in a social/educational setting away from home. We have one class of 18 children and offer a program of three mornings, from 9 - 11:30 a.m. This enlightening first school experience is run by a Montessori toddler-trained teacher and an assistant teacher with an optimum ratio of 6 children to each adult.


Morning Program (AM)

We have three classrooms of approximately 20 children in each, ranging in age from 3 to 6 years old. The mixed age group allows each child to advance at his or her own pace, and encourage the children to help each other. The classrooms are divided into different areas of activity including Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, Geography, Science, Art and the Computer station. Special subjects include Music (once a week), Spanish (once a week), and Gym (twice a week). The morning program runs from 8:45 - 11:45 a.m., five days a week.

Pre-K

Our Pre-Kindergarten program is open to children who are 4 by September 1 and who have been recommended by their teacher for inclusion in the program. The Pre-K program at the Montessori Children’s House of Valley Forge, like our morning program, is based on the teaching principles and philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori. The curriculum provides a balance between freedom and structure, in an environment prepared especially for the Pre-K age group. Consisting of three afternoons during the week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or alternately, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 12 - 2:45 p.m. (Schedule depends on availability and preference.) After their morning program, Pre-K students from all classrooms join each other for lunch and play from 12 - 1 p.m. The formal teaching period is from 1 - 2:30 p.m., then the children have a short circle time and prepare for dismissal.

While the students in our Kindergarten program concentrate on the study of countries, the Pre-K program focuses on “Ecology”, the study of how the life-forms on earth, relate to one another and their physical environment. Specifically, the students will study the Biomes of North America: The Temperate Forest, The Deserts, The Grasslands, The Tropical Forest, The Wetlands, The Mountains, and The Polar Regions. Defined as a community of life-forms inhabiting a large geographical area, having a particular climate and soil. The plants and animals making up that biome have special adaptations that allow them to thrive there. The elements of a biome include the water, the soil, the air, the flora, the fauna, and the transfer of energy. The study of biomes incorporate subject areas of biology, geography, physical science, and social studies. Math and language are also applied, and given new relevance and inspired motivation.

Children possess a keen desire to understand the world around them, and our students will learn about biomes through scientific observations, experiential activity, science experiments, math activities, music/listening activities, imaginative journeys, cultural activities, and narratives. Presented with a holistic view, in keeping with Montessori principles, the study takes into account all the living beings and the physical settings that make a “home”, how they interrelate, and affect one another. The core curriculum will be enriched by field trips, coordinated art activities, related songs and stories, play acting, short video presentations, and class presentations by local organizations and volunteers.

During the afternoon, Pre-K students will also progress through a series of whole language workbooks, and continue to work with the Montessori classroom materials, which allow for progressive learning through manipulation. The Montessori materials progress from simple to complex and concrete, to more abstract in design and usage, and continue to be important learning tools throughout our student’s Montessori education.
 The Pre-K class meets three afternoons a week (in addition to the morning program). The Pre-K are introduced to group activities and begin to prepare for Kindergarten. They spend one afternoon a week with our Art teacher.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten at the Montessori Children’s House of Valley Forge is an enriching and diverse learning experience. Children progress academically and socially, through a variety of creative and challenging learning experiences. The Kindergarten experience begins in the morning program where the children are encouraged to use their skills on challenging, concrete materials. The more structured Kindergarten experience begins at the end of the morning program. The Kindergarten children from all three 3 to 6 year old classes, come together to share lunch and a short play period, before settling down to the more structured academic challenges, at the end of the morning program.

The Kindergarten year is a crucial element of your child’s Montessori education. The majority of our children have been at our school since their Montessori readiness or Toddler year. During their Kindergarten year, they are finally the “big fish in the small pond”, and the leadership which they display during this year, is a tremendous boost to their self-confidence and self-esteem. The effort of the last three years come to fruition as the child’s language and math skills blossom, and a lifelong curiosity and love of learning is instilled. Our Graduation ceremony is eagerly anticipated by our Kindergarten students. The children learn songs and prepare speeches for the occasion, as well as make decorations for the stage. They enjoy practicing for this special day, when they receive diplomas and gifts from the school, in recognition of the hard work they have put in over the years.

Language
Our students learn to spell by sounding out words and are introduced to language skills, such as simple punctuation and capitalization. They also learn basic grammar concepts such as nouns, verbs and adjectives. They develop their writing skills through frequent journal writing, yearbook entries, reading poetry, sight words, language workbooks, the rhyming dictionary, and the “sound of the week” book. To practice their reading skills, they are divided into flexible reading groups and reading pairs.

Math
Math concepts are presented through hands-on concrete materials. The students learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, telling time, and money usage. Our Kindergarten children also learn units of measurement and are introduced to fractions, ordinal numbers and graphs, and the concept of “greater than and smaller than.” They also work on their Math workbooks.

Geography
Every year the children study approximately seven different countries of the World. The students spend one month on each country and are exposed to all aspects of the various cultures, including the language, the food and the customs. We try to invite guests from each country to speak first-hand about the particular country, and expose the children to their culture and traditions.

Science
The Kindergarten class studies topics in Science alongside the morning classes. Students are introduced to a variety of subjects such as botany, zoology, magnets, the weather, the Solar system, and the human body.

Current Events
During the year, the children discuss current events which are suitable for their age and ability. During the course of the last few years, we have followed the progress of various space missions, visited a polling station on Election Day, kept track of the Olympic medals, and learned about important historical and political figures.

Art
The Kindergarten children are split into two groups every Tuesday afternoon for Art. While one group is with the art teacher, the other concentrates on their reading groups. The Art program is integrated with the cultural curriculum through the creation of artistic projects, reinforcing what they have learned about each individual country. The class creates “Masterpieces” from a child’s perspective. The Kindergarten class explores a different artist each year and tries to replicate the art.

Music
In addition to their morning weekly music lesson, the Kindergarten children are exposed to the music of the countries which they are studying, and learn several native songs from each country during the year.

Spanish
The Kindergarten class participates in Spanish, with the morning children, once a week.

Gym
The Kindergarten class participates in the gym program two mornings and one afternoon a week.

Field Trips
The Kindergarten children take several field trips during the year. As much as possible, the field trips are related to the theme of the various countries. Parents are invited to join us.

Library
On Friday afternoons, the children visit the school library and choose two books to take home for the week. The responsibility for looking after the books and returning them, by the following week, rests with the child.

Textbooks
Houghton Mifflin: “ Mathematics” Lakeshore: Fast Facts Practice Book, Handwriting Practice Book, Rhyming Dictionary Educators Publishing Service: Explode the Code, Beyond the Code


Care Bears (afternoon program)

Our Morning Program students may stay for Care Bears until 2:45 p.m. In Care Bears, the children have the opportunity to further interact with their peers, work on various art and craft projects, and enjoy outdoor play.

Parent and Toddler Classes

Parents and children between the ages of 12 - 25 months are welcome to sign up and join the classes, which meet every Tuesday from 9 - 10:15 a.m. Each week focuses on a different topic using Montessori materials.