PROGRAMS OFFERED
Family Age Group Program-(10 MTHS TO 3 YRS)
Our Family Age Group program provides a warm and loving environment for your precious little one allowing them to be in an environment where they can learn from one another. Our teachers are dedicated to providing a nurturing environment that is tailored to the individual needs of each child .
Our program is designed to maximize learning and engagement for children of all developmental levels and allows children to develop necessary life skills at their own pace, while learning in a mixed- age group setting which allows them to form communication and social skills.
We take pride in designing a program that is a safe, caring and nurturing place and designed specifically to meet the unique and growing needs of your child.
Our Montessori /E.C.E. teachers are nurturing and caring so your child is able to easily adjust with their surroundings.
Maria Montessori identified the ages of 18 months to 6 years to be the most crucial period for cognitive development, and recognized the need for a rich, well-prepared environment just for children.
At FYM, we believe in the importance of starting even earlier than 18 mths for children to receive a stimulating learning experience. We believe that children need to feel secure in a relaxed atmosphere, so our curriculum focuses on many hands on manipulative and learning aids. Our classroom is child-sized where the learning materials are displayed on low shelves within easy reach.
We provide many opportunities for children with indoor and outdoor activities such as nature walks (weather permitting) so they can explore the world around them.
Our aim is to teach independence through practical life skills, sensorial learning, foster cognitive development, speech and language development, an appreciation for the arts- music, dance ,to develop fine and gross motor skills and have an overall happiness with their own ability to develop confidence in what they can do.
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C.A.S.A Program- (3 TO 6 YRS)
At First Years Montessori School, the Montessori materials within the classroom environment are a starting block. The materials give each child the vocabulary needed to start out life. They are the tools to get the child started with the environment as the building blocks. The Montessori work is taught to the children on a one to one basis at their own pace with our M.A.C.T.E. certified teachers.
During the hours a child spends at FYM, the child receives direct, one – on -one instruction using the Montessori materials. The five essential areas are Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Culture, and Math.
At FYM, your child will enjoy an enriched learning environment, which is void of stress and affords every opportunity for your child to become self-motivated, creative and to nurture self-respect.
We believe that a class of mixed ages is advantageous to both younger and older children as the younger children learn by observing the older children and the older children reinforce what they have already mastered when helping the younger children.
At FYM each of the following areas will be covered on a daily basis:
Language
Language is involved in every aspect of the Montessori environment from Practical Life to Sensorial but it is also introduced through a step-by-step program starting with the Sandpaper Letters. Each child will be introduced to sounds and words developing their reading and writing skills. A few exercises include the Moveable Alphabet, Object and Word Boxes, Sentence Strips and Short Story booklets.
Maths
Maths is introduced to the child from the first day. It teaches them the study of form, quantity, numbers and relations. It allows them to understand analysis and clear reasoning. It teaches them to sort events into classes and categories and introduces awareness of relationships.
Sensorial
Sensorial exercises are for the development of the child’s five senses. The child will sharpen their intellect and control, therefore preparing them for more advanced exercises in math, language and geometry. The exercises give each child the vocabulary they need to start out with such as length, width. The child then takes these words and uses them in their environment. The child finishes each material one step at a time, progressively moving from simple to complex tasks. The five senses are further isolated to provide an intense experience a few exercises include the Colour Boxes, the Touch Tablets and the Sound Boxes.
Practical Life
The Practical Life activities are the first activities introduced and allow your child to try to do what adults around are seen to do every day. The Practical Life area of a classroom is an extension of your child’s own home environment. The aim is to develop independence, intelligence, concentration, co-ordination, control, motor skills, social skills and self-discipline. These exercises are broken down into four key areas:
1. Elementary Movements – develops the child’s manipulative skills and body co-ordination e.g. pouring, cutting, folding, threading.
2. Care of the Person – teaches the child how to look after themselves and their property e.g. putting on a coat, tying their shoelaces, folding their clothes.
3. Care of the Environment – teaches the child tasks they will need and use within their environment e.g. sweeping, dusting, tidying up, setting a table, cooking skills.
4. Social Skills, Grace and Courtesy – teaches the child to understand their role in society and what kind of conduct is acceptable e.g. how to speak in a group, polite greetings, disposing of litter properly.
Culture
Culture is made up of History, Geography, Science, Nature and Fine Arts. These subjects develop each child’s individual skills to increase their vocabulary and reading skills. They also increase their knowledge and develop their physical skills. They will learn about the changes and life cycles in nature and learn about the ecology and aspects of different cultures. The Culture unit helps the child understand where they are in the world and the important contribution they have to offer. A few exercises include the Sandpaper Globe, the Jigsaw Map of the Continents, and Sandpaper Landforms.
At First Years Montessori we also offer other enriching subjects such as
Physical Education – Children will develop an appreciation for healthy living and nutrition. The child will make proper choices with meal planning and also engage in a variety of gross motor skill activities such as soccer and frisbee.
Music/Dance/Drama – Children will develop gross motor skills and convey emotions by moving around to music through dance. Drama will also teach emotions i.e. courage, empathy and problem-solving skills.
Art – Children will recognize the importance of self-expression and creativity through the art process and the child will use a variety of mediums such as paint, pastels and watercolour for different themes.
Nature Exploration – Children will develop an appreciation of ecological awareness and how to care for our environment. They will go on nature walks on the school grounds, build a compost, grow flowers and vegetable gardens.