Our Nido (Italian for nest) program is for infants from 6 weeks to 6 years of age. We create a home away home environment at our community and offers a peaceful, loving community for our infants to explore and feel safe and secure. Our teachers speak to infants in a gentle manner, the daily peace is unhurried and each child in our care is an individual to be nurtured with affection and respect.
We are aware that the infant is absorbing everything which is seen and heard into his psyche. It is of utmost importance to us that we continuously provide positive circumstances for our infants to experience. Infants are learning about their world on social, emotional, and cognitive levels. By having their physical and psychological needs met with care and love each child experiences a true feeling of safety in which he or she can thrive.
The children in the Nido program are assisted in their development by stimulation of the 5 senses, encouragement of gross and fine motor control, and introduction of self-help skills at an individual pace. The guides and families work together to provide the smoothest transition possible for each child by building trust and secure attachments with our infants.
At Montessori of North Park, our toddler program is designed to nurture your child’s natural curiosity and independence. We believe that even the youngest learners are capable of remarkable growth when given the right environment. Our carefully crafted classrooms are filled with age-appropriate materials that encourage exploration and hands-on learning.
The students are also given the opportunity to master the skill of independent toileting while following the child’s needs and readiness. The natural ability of the child to learn is cultivated with a consistent routine within a secure and orderly setting.
We focus on fostering a sense of community and respect for others, laying the foundation for future social success. The Montessori method’s emphasis on self-directed learning allows each child to progress at their own pace, building confidence and a love for learning that will last a lifetime.
Our Primary community serves children ages 2.5 to 6 years old. The Casas are carefully designed to meet the needs of students this age, who are described by Dr. Montessori as possessing “absorbent minds.” The teacher acts as a nurturing guide and facilitator.
Our primary program is built on the time-tested Montessori philosophy, which recognizes each child’s unique potential and fosters their natural curiosity. We create an environment that encourages independence, self-discipline, and a love for learning.
By the time children have completed their time in Primary they have become poised, proud, and compassionate leaders for the younger children.
The culmination of the first two years in an Early Childhood classroom is that Kindergartners are ready to step into a larger role. They become teachers, reinforcing their own knowledge, and inspiring their younger peers
The Kindergarten year of the cycle in our primary community is a time of intense pride, a sense of completion. Kindergartners work in these mixed-age classrooms in the morning. They take the skills of letter sounds and shapes and build words and stories. They build and carry numbers in the thousands! In the afternoon, Kindergartners join for Writer’s Workshop, Foundations (a structured reading, spelling, and handwriting curriculum), and other enrichment projects.