LEADING MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL IN ANCASTER
At The Ancaster Montessori School, we understand the critical importance of early childhood education in fostering holistic development. Our Montessori preschool in Ancaster offers a comprehensive Child Development Program tailored to maximize a child's potential in key areas like language acquisition, orderliness, sensory perception, and motor coordination. We recognize that before the age of 7, children possess a remarkable ability to absorb knowledge and skills in these domains. This window of opportunity gradually diminishes after the age of 6, both in terms of quantity and quality of learning. Specialized Montessori educational materials for activities in various curriculum areas are created with this in mind to enhance learning.
In our Montessori classrooms, every activity is thoughtfully designed to align with a child's developmental needs, focusing on enhancing their abilities in the specified areas. By immersing our young learners in stimulating and engaging experiences, we facilitate their natural curiosity and eagerness to explore, laying a strong foundation for their future academic and social success. Our dedicated educators and accredited Montessori teachers at the Ancaster Montessori School are committed to nurturing a supportive learning environment where children thrive, ensuring they reach their fullest potential during this critical stage of growth and development.
Join us in providing your child with the leading Montessori preschool experience in Ancaster, where education meets personalized care and guidance. Call us now!
Practical Life Activities
Activities in Practical Life teach children how to be independent. Independence is very important for the young child to learn. Small children can learn how to tie their own shoes, pour their own milk, and tidy up when they make a spill. There are many activities of Practical Life. Through these activities in Montessori preschool, children learn to care for themselves, for their environment, and for each other. As in other curriculum areas, many Practical Life activities isolate one particular skill. This allows children to master the necessary skills to progress, beginning one step at a time.
Sensorial Activities
Sensorial activities teach children to focus their awareness, discriminate fine differences, and learn how to observe. Some exercises are for matching and grading colours, textures, and sounds, while others are for sorting by one aspect, such as height, width, or length.
Mathematics Activities
Montessori Mathematics in our Montessori Preschool includes activities in numbers 1-9999, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. These involve hands-on learning materials that make abstract concepts clear and concrete.
Activities in Cultural Studies
Cultural Studies include the subjects of history, geography, and science. Children use many puzzles for activities in geography and science long before they do any written work. Puzzles are a very important part of the Montessori approach. Young children experience things that they can touch and manipulate with much greater interest than a two-dimensional picture on paper. By assembling a complex whole from many parts, children can develop a real sense of discovery about the world they live in while building their concentration.
The activities in our Montessori preschool classrooms involve the use of specialized Montessori material. These are all child-sized, multi-sensory, self-correcting, sequentially organized, and are designed to enhance the child’s focused attention.
Language Activities
Language activities develop children’s skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar. Considering that the optimal developmental time frame for learning language is before the age of 6, this is an important time for vocabulary enrichment. Materials in every area of the classroom can teach the names of geometric shapes and solids, continents and countries within continents, flags, types and parts of trees, flowers and animals, etc.
Toddler Class
Children can benefit from a preschool Montessori education starting at 15 months. We have had a great Montessori program for over 30 years for children 2.5 to 6 years old, and now toddlers can explore, discover, and learn with us, too. Find more information about our toddler class here.
The Role of Preschool in Child Development
Preschool education plays a pivotal role in shaping the developmental trajectory of young children, offering a foundational experience that significantly influences their academic, social, and emotional growth. The Ancaster Montessori School recognizes the critical importance of this early stage and is committed to providing an enriching preschool environment in Ancaster. Here, we delve into the multifaceted role of preschool in child development.
Early Exposure to Structured Learning
Preschool serves as a child's first exposure to structured learning environments. The Montessori curriculum at The Ancaster Montessori School is thoughtfully designed to introduce young minds to Montessori educational activities in a manner that stimulates curiosity and fosters a positive attitude towards learning. This early exposure lays the groundwork for cognitive development, language acquisition, and the acquisition of essential skills. Contact us to get your child enrolled in our Montessori preschool classes this year.
Holistic Development Through Creative Expression
Preschool education at The Ancaster Montessori School emphasizes the role of creative expression in fostering holistic development in young children. Beyond the structured academic curriculum, our approach recognizes the profound impact of artistic and creative activities on a child's cognitive, emotional, and social well-being.
Artistic Exploration for Cognitive Growth
Engaging in creative activities, such as drawing, painting, and crafting, provides children with opportunities to explore and express their thoughts and emotions. The process of creating art stimulates cognitive functions, enhancing problem-solving skills, spatial awareness, and fine motor coordination. Through many activities, including open-ended artistic tasks, preschoolers at our Montessori school develop the ability to think critically and make decisions, laying the foundation for future academic success.
Emotional Expression and Regulation
Artistic expression serves as a valuable outlet for emotional expression and regulation in preschoolers. Children often encounter complex emotions that they may find challenging to articulate verbally. Through art, they can communicate feelings, fears, and joys, promoting emotional intelligence. Our educators encourage a supportive environment where children feel free to express themselves, fostering emotional well-being and self-awareness.
Social Development Through Collaborative Projects
At the Montessori Casa level, preschoolers engage in collaborative projects that promote teamwork, communication, and social skills. Sharing materials, exchanging ideas, and working on group projects contribute to the development of cooperation and empathy. These shared creative experiences build a sense of community and belonging among children, fostering positive social interactions and laying the groundwork for healthy relationships.
Cultural Integration
Our preschool Casa curriculum integrates subjects such as cultural and expressive arts, exposing children to a diverse range of artistic expressions from different cultures. Exploring various curriculum areas and integrating these provides a rich tapestry of experiences that expands their worldview. The infusion of cultural elements into other curriculums and large group activities enhances cultural awareness, appreciation, and respect, nurturing well-rounded individuals.
Encouraging Individuality and Self-Expression
Preschoolers at The Ancaster Montessori School are encouraged to embrace their individuality through creative expression within the practical life activities of the classroom and in programming beyond the Montessori curriculums, such as on non-Montessori childcare days and after-school programming. Art activities are designed to celebrate each child's unique perspective, fostering a sense of identity and self-worth. From step-by-step to imaginative drawings, children gain confidence in expressing their ideas, contributing to the development of a positive self-image.
Incorporating Nature-inspired Art and Science
Nature-inspired activities connect children with the natural world, promoting environmental awareness and appreciation. Drawing inspiration from the outdoor environment, preschoolers engage in activities such as leaf tracing and pasting, nature collages, exploration of the botany cabinet and zoology activities, and observe objects found in nature such as during weekly nature walk outings. This integration of nature into scientific investigation and artistic expression, instills a sense of environmental stewardship from an early age.
The emphasis on creative expression within our preschool-level Montessori curriculum goes beyond aesthetics; it nurtures essential skills and qualities that contribute to a child's overall development. The Ancaster Montessori School believes in the transformative power of exploration and discovery and values self-expression and the arts, encouraging parents to witness the joy and growth that emanate from the creative endeavors of their preschoolers.
Our schools show that children of different ages help one another. There are many things that no teacher can convey to a child of three, but a child of five can do it with ease .
– Dr. Maria Montessori