What Parents are Saying Our greatest advocates are our families. "My daughter’s experience at Bright Horizons Montessori is nothing short of enriching and remarkable. She’s grown into a confident, well-rounded, self-guided learner who approaches every day with enthusiasm."
Our Curriculum Components “The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.” -Dr. Maria Montessori Practical Life Purposeful activities enhance concentration and focus through caring for the self and the environment, fine motor coordination, and practicing grace and courtesy. These appeal to the child’s need for movement and order, independence, and social relationships. Sensorial Montessori materials and hands-on activities stimulate sensory discovery and description, while maximizing the child’s natural desire to explore, classify, and order their surroundings. Children learn concepts of mass, width, length, temperature, and other physical properties. Math Using carefully prepared tools and manipulative materials, children are led through a logical mathematical thought process— from concrete to abstract – to understand concepts like linear counting, the decimal system, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Language Our implementation of the “Balanced Literacy Approach” encourages growth in oral language, written expression, reading, and grammar elements. This approach to reading instruction is phonics-based and highly sequential while taught within contexts that are whole and meaningful. Additional accommodations are made to adapt to different types of learners. Culture Multicultural studies lay a foundation of mutual understanding by exposing children to geography, history, physical, and life science basics. Children gain an awareness of the world around them by exploring other countries, their customs, foods, languages, and wildlife. Peace Peace education consists of opportunities and experiences for children to develop an ability to understand and access peace within themselves, interact peacefully with others, and eventually engage in activities that create a peaceful planet. Art The art area in a Montessori classroom provides developmentally appropriate and open-ended experiences that foster creativity and sensory development. Foreign Language Capitalizing on each child's propensity for language acquisition, foreign language is integrated into the prepared environment through individual and small group instruction utilizing hands-on materials and experiential, conversational interaction. Music From transition times to lessons, music and song is infused throughout the day. Montessori bells and other instruments are available for experimentation and formal instruction. Garden Lessons in the outdoor environment help children develop an understanding of and appreciation for the complexity and interdependence of our living world. The children develop the skills of exploration, observation, experimentation, and conservation.
Learning at Home Musical Drinking Glasses You Will Need: Glasses, water, spoons Directions: With your child, fill glasses with water from about 1 1/2 - 5 inches full. With the spoons, you and your child can gently tap the rims of the glasses to create music. Tip: Encourage your child to set up and clean up the activity with you. Explain to your child that the glasses are breakable or “fragile,” so the tapping should be gentle. More Ideas