The Montessori Preschool Program is a structured academics and wellbeing program that prepares children for their transition to school. It expands on the foundational knowledge fostered by previous programs and assists in developing confidence, independence, problem-solving, creativity, and real-life skills.
The Montessori Preschool Program offers children a dynamic learning environment where they are empowered to choose their work, follow their interests, and progress at their own pace. Within this space, children develop their independence, refine their concentration, and explode into learning as they develop their intelligence and higher-level brain processes.
Between the ages of three and six, preschoolers move through sensitive periods for language, order, grace and courtesy, the senses, writing, small objects, music, reading, spatial relationships, and mathematics.
During this stage of development, the Preschool Curriculum introduces children to a range of advanced Montessori materials that expand on their knowledge of Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language and Culture.
The design of the preschool classroom, and the educational materials within in, reflect these interests and provide rich opportunities for learning that nurture children’s complete development while preparing them for school and life.
Practical life activities focus on care of self, care of others, and care of the environment. In addition to teaching daily life skills, practical life activities promote independence, social skills, grace and courtesy, concentration, and coordination.
Sensorial activities are designed to help children develop and refine the senses of sight, touch, taste, smell and sound. These skills assist with classifying, sorting and discriminating between objects to interpret their sensory impressions. These skills are necessary foundations for language and mathematics.
Montessori mathematics materials assist children in developing an understanding of abstract mathematical concepts through hands-on experiences. Through the mathematics materials, students learn to identify and quantify numerals, count and sequence numbers, add and subtract, identify patterns, and learn about number systems.
Montessori language materials assist children in learning literacy skills and developing their vocabulary. Through conversation, singing, and hands-on materials, children learn letter recognition, phonics, vowels and consonants, and the early stages of writing and reading.
The Montessori Culture Curriculum covers the study of the arts, geography, science, environment, national culture, music, and history. Through cultural activities, children learn about their community and the world. They discover similarities, differences, and develop an understanding, appreciation and respect for diversity and all living things.
In addition the Montessori Curriculum, all Montessori Academy childcare centres also teach the Australian Government’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF): Belonging, Being & Becoming. The EYLF incorporates five learning outcomes that work hand-in-hand with the Montessori Curriculum to support children’s learning from birth to age five.
The preschool routine outlines the typical daily flow for children aged three to six years in the Montessori preschool community. The preschool daily routine provides a consistent pattern of activities for learning time, meals, rest, and outdoor play. The predictability of the routine helps children to feel secure and positively influences their emotional, cognitive, and social development.
The Sandpaper Letters are used to teach children the sound for each letter through muscular and visual memory. Children trace the symbol until the shape of the letter becomes part of their muscle memory.
Numbers and Counters reinforce children's understanding of numbers, sequencing, and quantities. This material teaches children that each number is made up of seperate quantities.
The Parts of the World Puzzle visually introduces children to the forms and names of the continents, oceans, and hemispheres and their relationship to each other.
Mirror polishing teaches children how to clean items in their environment. The process of polishing develops hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, concentration and independence.
The Constructive Triangles are used to show that all plane geometric figures can be constructed from triangles. There are five boxes. Each box contains triangles of different sizes, shapes, and colours.
Montessori Academy’s School Readiness Preparatory Program prepares children with the knowledge, skills, and behaviours they need to make a successful transition to any primary school setting. The program focuses on social and emotional intelligence, independence skills, literacy, numeracy, problem-solving skills, and further developing a love of learning. Children complete the School Readiness and Preparatory Program during their final year of preschool.
