The Preschool/Transitional/Kindergarten-Aged Child
Maria Montessori observed that the first three years of a child’s education were the most essential, more so than that which the adult experiences at the university level. She describes the child’s “absorbent mind” during this period as a time when the child learns, through the use of his senses, to take in everything around him to construct himself. The child does this easily and naturally, without thought.
The Preschool/Transitional/Kindergarten classrooms at Sundance are specifically designed after Dr. Montessori’s mixed-age model of children. Children ages 3-6 in a classroom together is ideal in modeling peer mentoring. Older children act as role models, working with and helping younger children. Younger children look to the older children as leaders, whose work is something they aspire towards.
A visit to our school presents the observer an overview of a Montessori classroom experience as a serene learning environment where children can be seen happily working, either individually or in small groups. Because children learn and progress at their own pace, unhealthy competition is eliminated, and is instead replaced with healthy, joyful collaboration. All furniture and shelves are exactly the right size for the children, and the room is filled with a variety of beautiful didactic (self-correcting) equipment. Through our curriculum and the Montessori method, we create a self-motivating classroom where children learn through trial and error, exploration and activity.
In Sundance’s Preschool/Transitional/Kindergarten Program, we offer your child a full curriculum in:
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Language Development and Writing
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Mathematics
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Geography
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Science
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History
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Music and Art
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Practical Life and Sensorial Activities