The curriculum at Little LEXplorers focuses on educational challenges appropriate to children’s individual ages and levels of skill. By incorporating spatial learning, math, music, art and language, we encourage children to explore and discover in a hands-on, stimulating environment. Our goal is to teach respect & reverence by developing the head, heart & hands of children from all backgrounds & cultures.
Our curriculum components interact dynamically to allow children to continue building on skills learned in other classroom areas. Connections between curriculum areas strengthen children’s natural zest for learning and interest in the world around them. Because we allow children to learn at their own individual pace, they successfully navigate challenges that help develop proficiencies appropriate to their needs and development level.
The curriculum includes guided choices for learning activities during uninterrupted working periods. Peer learning plays a central role as children access a variety of learning materials — which are carefully arranged in a comfortable environment and are unique to the our program.
I have designed my home classroom to encourage maximum levels of choice and freedom within limits and while adhering to a comforting level of structure. Children make individual decisions within the environment to enhance their own learning and work with me when they want guidance or support.
Birth-2 Years Old:
At this age, I work to introduce my youngest children to the self-directed and independent learning skills they’ll rely on in the coming years. I strive to serve a program that strikes the perfect balance between support and comfort for those with emerging skills and challenges to keep your child growing and learning.
Some activities and areas covered include:
- Practical Life Skills: Self-care and home care skills that will last a lifetime.
- Sensory Activities: Exploring the world with all of the senses, and developing fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities. Fun games and activities help your child hone her fine and gross motor skills through play and exploration.
- Language and Communication Builders: Stories, songs, and games designed to build strong communication skills in a fun social setting.
- Early Math and Critical Thinking Skills: Counting, matching, sorting and other skills designed to help even small preschoolers learn about math concepts and build a foundation.
- Science and Nature Exploration: Exploring the natural world is at the heart of the Montessori method; your child will learn about the seasons, plants and animals via time spent outdoors and our innovative play materials.
- Hands on Art Experiences: The process, not the end product, is at the heart of our creative and flexible art program.
Ages 3-6:
Through collaborative learning, children will learn skills for practical life, refinement of their senses, language, and mathematics, and hands-on opportunities in areas ranging from physical science to history. This unique approach allows your child to develop skills that will foster incredible success throughout their lifetime. At this stage, we will add the following:
- Sensorial material that helps to provide your child with the ability to order, classify and describe sense experiences.
- Mathematics taught with manipulative materials to ensure your child grasps key concepts of numbers and symbols.
- Music and art are some of the best vehicles for self-expression and aids in communication development.
- Practical life activities include the development of control and movement, concentration and purposeful work.
Ages 6-9:
In contrast to a grade-level classroom where a child has one year to cover certain learning objectives, the curriculum provides flexibility over several years.
Our elementary classroom is divided into four subjects: Mathematics, Language, Culture (which includes history, geography, and science), and Computers. Each child is supplied with journals to record his daily work. These serve as organizational tools for the children, fostering his independent learning. In addition to core subjects offered, our curriculum includes Physical Education, Computer class, Spanish, Art, Music and Movement, Chorus, pre-band, and band instrument instruction.
- Language:
- Emphasis is put on fluency, comprehension, correct grammar, creative writing, and the use of references both in the school and the community. The children write and perform plays for their own amusement. All of this is interrelated with the other “core” subjects.
- Mathematics:
- Continuing from the preschool foundation, all concepts are introduced with concrete materials-from basic operations through squaring, cubing, prime factors, square roots, geometry, and algebra. All concepts are given when the child is ready and not at a given chronological age. Our children consistently work above expected grade level.
- Culture:
- The Culture area is one of the favorites. There is always an air of excitement and anticipation. The children actually participate in their learning and link all cultural aspects together. They look at earth in geography and link social and economic development with the physical geography that affects it. Science may be enhanced by a specialist doing experiments with the children-again, hand-on involvement is used with the children. The classroom may contain a wide variety of temporary animals for the children to study and take care of.
Art, music, and physical education vitalize the already integrated Montessori elementary prepared environment. Art projects are natural extensions of classroom work. For example, a child may make a tapestry of geometric figures, a three-dimensional salt map of a continent, or a mural of Colonial life. All of these projects reinforce and expand academic skills and artistic sensitivities. We may have annual art shows and musical performances.
Music activities complement the child’s work. National anthems, folk songs, and historical ballads key into the social studies areas, for instance. Writing music and plays provides occasion for dramatic integration of the arts-drama, speech, painting, and literature.
Little LEXplorers 