Toddler
Half-Day Preschool
The prepared preschool environment includes sequential learning activities in four major areas.
- Practical Life: Practical life activities are those that the child has observed being accomplished through daily living. These include all the simple tasks we engage in to establish and maintain our living and working environment. Participation in this “real-life” set-up allows children to construct themselves as total individuals through an initial successful relationship with their surroundings. Care of self and care of environment are indirect aims of the activities in this area. As the child works in the Practical Life area, he develops order, coordination, concentration, and independence.
- Sensorial: Sensorial materials assist the child in the mental organization of past experiences. Sensorial materials also lead the child to new discoveries and new sensations. This sensory education is undertaken not only to sharpen the senses but also to assist the child in the development of his intellect, which is dependent upon organizing and categorizing his sense perceptions into an inner mental order.
- Math: The Montessori environment provides the necessary stimulation and exploration for preparing the child’s mathematical mind. The child explores and discovers mathematical concepts and relationships through manipulation of concrete materials. These materials are sequenced from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract. The child is aided in discovering relationships by dealing with the math materials sensorially.
- Language: The Montessori approach is one of indirect preparation, and this preparation begins at birth. Indirect preparation refers to the preparation of the environment including opportunities for attainment of skills to be used later in life. The progression through spoken language, writing, and reading is a long process. The sequence of materials and activities made available to the child in the Montessori classroom is designed so that when the child is ready to read, his skills are at hand. By this time the child has absorbed and practiced the skills that allow the reading experience to come to him/her in totality.
The classroom environment offers additional activities and materials in the areas of geography, art, science, music, movement, and dramatic play.
Full Day Preschool
This multi-age class for children 3-6 is designed to incorporate the young child’s attraction to language, order, and movement. The curriculum and environment reflect the child’s natural sense of self-motivation and inner direction. Students have a personalized educational experience based on a combination of their own initiative and the nurturing guidance of their teacher. The three-year span within the class allows children to develop social skills in a family-like setting.
Throughout the day, a broad variety of materials are available for hands-on exploration, allowing children time to self-pace their intellectual, social, and physical activities. There is time and space for music, drama and the relaxed social interactions that provide a home-like atmosphere during the parents’ workday. Spanish is offered twice a week. Older children in the class benefit from helping the younger ones, thus reinforcing their knowledge; younger children initiate and internalize skills modeled by the older ones. Kindermusik is a part of the full day preschool program each week during the academic school year (September through May).
After eating a lunch brought from home, younger children nap giving older children a chance for further exploration of materials and special projects in a small group setting. The third year is the crucial last year of the three-year cycle in the preschool class. If space is available, the full day children who are eligible will be placed in the separate kindergarten classroom. If no space is available, the kindergarten curriculum will take place in their full day classroom.
All children in the full day program will be offered a time to rest after lunch. Please discuss your child’s rest and sleeping habits with the teacher, and update as necessary. A child who appears to need a rest will be invited to lie down even if not routinely scheduled for napping.
Mats are provided for every child. Each child may bring soft animals/blankets to put in his nap bag. The bags are used by the same child all year, and are sent home every Friday for laundering.
Toddler and Preschool Summer Camp
Anchorage Montessori School offers three and four-week camp sessions for toddlers (age 19 months to 3 years) and preschoolers (age 3-6 years). The sessions are held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and include time for eating lunch on daily outings. Toddler camp activities include outdoor activity, language, and self-care skills. The preschool program adopts a particular subject or theme for concentration during each session, and emphasizes outdoor activities.