Programs

Curriculum

Our curriculum builds upon the foundation areas of the Montessori philosophy - practical life, sensory, language arts, mathematics and cultural studies. Beyond these Montessori areas, at PMC we also focus on social-emotional learning, art, music, Spanish, public speaking and sports.

Practical Life

The Practical Life section of our curriculum is devoted to teaching the child how to master everyday, self-reliance skills such as dressing one’s self, preparing one’s own snack, pouring one’s drink, cleaning up after one’s self, etc. These activities encourage a sense of independence and self-confidence and also help to build concentration skills, fine motor coordination, a sense of order, and an attention to detail that will be used in language arts and mathematics learning.

Sensorial

Children at this age learn best through direct contact with their environment, and the Montessori philosophy capitalizes on this. The Sensorial exercises help to teach children to use their senses as a pathway to discovery. By using their sense of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing, imaginations are built, knowledge is acquired and an understanding of reality begins to be achieved. We expose children to specific materials intended to teach through the use of different textures, multiple shapes and sizes, and varying sounds and smells. Sensory exploration also provides a time for children to explore their creativity and have fun!

Language

Here at PMC, we have a strong focus on language arts skills. We start by understanding the individualized learning style of each child - visual, auditory, tactile, etc. and use that to guide our introduction of language concepts. Using our specialized Montessori materials, children are introduced to letters, phonetic sounds and sentence structure. By the time children are in their third year of our program, reading and writing are integral components. Children learn about more complex words like those with silent "e" or blended sounds and are beginning to read books out loud at home and in class.

We also incorporate language development into other aspects of our curriculum through games, music, art, stories, science, public speaking and sports. We take each opportunity to reinforce these language skills in fun ways, so that children become more familiar with these concepts in everyday life.

Mathematics

With specially designed Montessori materials, the Math section of the program provides an opportunity for children to visualize the structure of our number system in a very concrete way. They learn mathematics with a hands-on approach so as to internalize mathematical concepts rather than simply memorizing factual information without a firm understanding. Children in Montessori environments tend to be able to grasp more advanced math concepts more easily, given their ability to manipulate the materials independently. As with language arts, mathematics concepts are also woven into the other parts of curriculum through stories, science projects, games, and art activities.

Cultural Studies

The Cultural Studies dimension of the curriculum includes exposure to geography (maps, globes, land forms, ecology, etc.) biology (care and study of plants and animals) and social studies (exposure to different countries, cultures, customs, holidays, etc.). Each classroom dives deep into a particular country, giving children a way to understand all of the various aspects of culture. This culminates in performances throughout the year in which the children share the songs, dance, food, basic words and other cultural aspects of the country about which they have learned. These performances are big celebrations for the entire classroom community, bringing together parents, students and teachers to enjoy the heritage of others.

Social & Emotional Learning

At PMC, we believe that children will only be successful if they are given the love and care they need to feel comfortable and secure. That is why our curriculum focuses on helping children hone their self-esteem and teaching them the tools they need to thrive socially and emotionally. We start by helping our little ones adjust to a school setting - learning to listen to directions, play well with others, express their needs, use the bathroom and navigate a classroom setting. As our children grow, we start introducing more in-depth concepts taught through our Peaceworks program. This curriculum allows our children to develop important problem solving skills, such as empathy, respect for others, critical thinking and effective communication.