Programs

Two-Year-Old Program

The Two-Year-Old room is is home to our pre-Montessori program; it prepares the child for the Primary Program. This pre-Montessori program serves not only as a transition from in-home child care to a group setting, it also provides an introduction to basic Montessori classroom behavior. Children in this program learn many things including:

  • Sharing and taking turns
  • Sitting on the circle for Line Time
  • Eating independently
  • Putting on one’s own shoes, coat, etc.
  • Choosing work, cleaning it up and putting it away
  • Colors, shapes and counting
  • Use of the potty, once interest and ability are demonstrated

Like the primary rooms, each activity is called a piece of work and develops a specific skill: visual, tactile, language, fine or gross motor, all the while developing focus, concentration and independence. Also like the primary rooms, the teacher of the Two-Year-Old Program presents simple units each month that include colors, shapes, farm animals, seasons and community helpers. Children in this class also have music instruction weekly.

The Two-Year-Old Program offers 2, 3 or 5 days per week options. Once a child is fully potty trained, she may be eligible to move up to a Primary classroom, providing she shows adequate maturity and her parents agree she is ready. Children in Primary classes attend 5 days per week.

Primary Program

While many people think of outstanding academic programs when they think of a Montessori environment, that is only part of the picture at Village Montessori School. We at VMS understand that we are helping to develop the whole person. Teaching and modeling respect for each other, adult and child alike, as well as respect for our classroom environment and the world at large are our primary goals. Grace and courtesy are cornerstones of our programs.

Through the use of techniques and materials developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, VMS teachers and their assistants guide the child as he explores all that the Primary classroom has to offer. Children are introduced to work, so named to instill a respect for work in general, and are free to choose that work whenever they like. All work is accomplished using manipulatives that allow the child to explore them and learn by doing. The teacher observes each child’s use of the materials and determines when the child is ready to move on to the next concept. This same process is repeated throughout all areas of the curriculum, enabling each child to move at his own pace.

  • Practical Life: the development of focus, fine motor skills, independence and organization
  • Sensorial: the development of a child’s senses, including geometric awareness
  • Math: counting, number recognition and operations from 0 to 9,999, as well as time, money and fraction concepts
  • Language: the formal development of reading and writing skills
  • Geography: educating the child about the broader world, both geographically and culturally
  • Science & Nature: a large range of topics connect the child with the world outside our doors

To provide a richer experience still, monthly units explore topics involving science, culture, geography and the arts. Field trips and knowledgeable visitors expand upon these experiences.

Summer Program

As a service to our parents, Village Montessori School offers a summer program. This camp-type program provides location and staff familiarity at a slower, summer-oriented pace. Knowing many of our families enjoy taking summer vacations, our program is offered on a week-to-week basis.