At Little Wonders Montessori Preschool, we know two things for certain.
One: children learn through their senses.
Two: a positive learning environment fosters a positive attitude toward education.
With these verities in mind, we have created a classroom that is equal parts hands-on education and family-like comfort. Through compliments and encouragement, we give our students the confidence to try and to master activities, tasks and exercises. In short, our goal is to send each student on his or her educational journey with a life-long love of learning.
Since the vast majority of our students move on to non-Montessori schools, our program is geared toward success in a standard kindergarten class. Our program offers all the benefits of a progressive Montessori education (i.e. hands-on learning, an individual rate of progress, plenty of positive reinforcement) along with a kindergarten prep curriculum featuring lessons in reading, writing and math and sections on culture and science.
Another facet to our approach is the belief that preschool-age children benefit from being spoken to and treated as little citizens in a community. Being an effective citizen requires respect for oneself, one's fellow citizens and one's environment, so we teach and value politeness, responsibility, compassion and general awareness. Our teachers, all experienced and dedicated individuals, address the children in a gentle but mature manner, with the expectation of being addressed similarly in reply. Our year-long exploration of other countries and cultures, our frequent science experiments (which include sections in biology, geography, weather, chemistry, physiology and more) and our weekly yoga, music and aerobics classes all aim to cultivate these important qualities.