Buena Vista Montessori Preschool

At Buena Vista Montessori Preschool, we work hard to create an environment where learning comes to life and each child is worked with according to their own unique needs and abilities. We respond to each child differently and encourage them to focus their attention on learning materials of their own choice, that will enable them to work at their own optimum level. Our environment is one in which beauty and order is appreciated and respect and courtesy abounds! Buena Vista Montessori preschool is committed to providing an environment that includes all aspects of learning in a variety of curriculum areas:

Practical Life:

The Practical Life area is one of the most popular areas of the classroom. It is the area where children learn how to mix colors, sort objects, polish a mirror, tie a shoe, wash a table, sweep the floor, set a table and so much more. The Practical Life activities are intended to instill in children a sense of order, a feeling of independence and a respect for themselves, each other, and the surrounding environment. The materials and lessons teach important self help skills and provide a calming outlet for children who may be feeling a little anxious and uneasy. The Practical Life activities work wonders for helping children refine their fine motor skills, improve their co-ordination and learn to concentrate for an extended period of time. In essence, the activities provide the framework for every other area of the classroom……amazing!

Math:

The Montessori math materials are like no other! They provide a concrete understanding of the various Math concepts and give children an incredible foundation and confidence to tackle any Math challenge that might come their way! Through activities that incorporate the use of concrete materials (beads, blocks, rods, cards), children learn to count, master the concept of one to one correspondence and then systematically progress to solving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division questions using the Golden Bead Material. Each child progresses according to their own unique needs and abilities and will be challenged accordingly.

Culture and Science:

The Cultural area introduces the child to the world beyond the classroom. Global awareness, geography, science, botany, and zoology activities are all available to the child on a daily basis. In Geography, children are given the opportunity to explore the continents and often a specific continent will be highlighted. The children also enjoy working with flags, puzzle maps, photos from around the world, as well as the various land and water forms. History is taught by allowing the children to examine their own timeline from birth to present and the concept of time is explained through clocks, calendars, seasons, and family trees. The botany activities are child-centered and children are given plenty of opportunities to explore live plants, seedlings, flowers, and fruits. The children enjoy gardening and raking outside which in turn help them develop an appreciation for the delicate balance of nature. In Zoology, we strive to spark each child’s interest in animals and teach them to respect animals’ needs and habits. Science is interwoven into all of the curriculum areas and there are always opportunities for the children to predict, analyze, explore and experiment.

French:

It is a known fact that introducing preschoolers to a second language greatly enhances brain development and cognitive abilities, so we have created a program that incorporates French through songs, games, individual lessons as well as a variety of group activities. It is truly amazing to observe each child become more proficient with the French language and to see their confidence soar! We focus on teaching the children words that they are already familiar with in English so that the vocabulary has meaning and makes sense to them. Most of the French lessons focus on words that are used on an everyday basis, for example; the parts of the body, colours, fruit, numbers, basic greetings, days of the week etc. The lessons are interactive to get the children moving, playing and singing, which again makes learning a new language fun and meaningful! It’s an exciting experience for children to realize that they can learn a “different language” and I am continually amazed with how quickly they learn the vocabulary words and master the songs.......a true testament of the power of the “absorbent mind”.

Sensorial:

The purpose of the Sensorial materials are to awaken a child’s senses! Maria Montessori believed that nothing exists in the intellect that was not first experienced in the senses. The materials in the sensorial area are designed to help children sharpen their senses by isolating particular qualities such as color, size, flavor, smell, pitch, texture and weight. The materials enable a child to work at their own pace and learn to classify their sensorial impressions in an organized, orderly, and scientific manner. Children take great enjoyment in working with the Sensorial materials over and over again and often develop their own variations of the standard lesson.

Language Arts:

Young children develop language and vocabulary skills at a rate faster than any other time of their life. For this reason, we have created a Language rich environment that is intended to instill in each child a love for reading and writing! Children first acquire written language skills by learning the phonetic sound of each letter. Using inviting, hands-on materials the children progress by classifying objects based on their sounds and then begin putting these sounds together to create words. Once they have learned to create their own words, reading follows quickly. The children work with increasingly more challenging materials and as they progress with their reading, the focus turns to comprehension and grammar. With the development of language, children develop a greater ability to organize their thoughts and express their unique personalities. We also work on public speaking, learning songs and poems, creating stories and so much more!

Art and Music:

Art activities in the classroom are individual, and encourage experimentation. The children enjoy learning about famous artists and are given the opportunity to explore a wide variety of art mediums. Individual expression is always encouraged and each child’s creativity is honored and respected. Many seasonal art activities are implemented throughout the year and special art projects monopolize our days around special holidays! Music is a big part of our daily routine and is expressed through songs, dancing, listening to different types of music, learning about famous composers and playing a variety of different instruments. The children gather in a group everyday to listen to stories, sing, and play special games. Art and music is an integral aspect of each and everyday! 

Physical Development:

Physical Development is an extremely important aspect of our program. The activities in the classroom are carefully prepared to refine a child’s fine motor skills as well as gross motor skills. Daily emphasis is placed on physical development through activities such as yoga, basic exercises, freeze dancing, and outdoor recreation. We are very fortunate to have such a large outdoor space where the children can run, play tag, balance, explore the garden, make a sand creation, rake the leaves, pull a friend in a wagon, blow bubbles and play hopscotch on our brick path. We do our best to take the children outside on a daily basis and it is a great way to end each day!