The purpose of Everyday Living activities is to help the child gain control in the coordination of their movements through multi-step processes that are visibly part of the human world. Children feel eager & empowered to master skills they see in their everyday routines. Ultimately, Everyday Living curriculum helps the child gain independence & normalizes the child to their society. Normalization is a process, which eventually leads the child to a state of being comfortable with themselves and their own abilities.
The 4 main abilities that Everyday Living curriculum helps develop in a child are:
- Order is very important. Physical order in the classroom brings about a sense of order within the child. The organization of the shelves, and how each work is displayed on its tray, expresses order. This guides children to follow sequences of complex steps in order to meet their goals.
- Coordination develops through using one’s body to complete the work. Grasping, spooning, pouring, and manipulating scissors and tweezers are all activities that enhance children's fine motor skills.
- Concentration develops as the child must decide an activity to pursue, and focus on completing each step before moving on to the next.
- Independence is also encouraged in this area. Activities are prepared that allow the child to do the work himself with success, leading to greater self-confidence & a sense of personal achievement.
Math
North Star's high quality preschool math program builds the best foundation for your child's future learning.
We study 6 sub areas of math:
- numeration
- the base ten system
- linear counting
- the four operations
- materials leading to abstraction
- memorization
At NSM, children learn math concepts quickly using Montessori hands-on materials.
Using a variety of activities, children master each mathematical concept in our curriculum. Once mastered, they are able to move to the next more advanced lesson with ease. Children progress at their own pace and are thus able to challenge themselves.
Objectives include: a sense of order, concentration, predictability, exactness, concreteness, logic and reasoning, problem solving, decision-making, and the development of a mathematical mind.
Sensorial Education
The preschool years are a period of rapid physical development and a time whereby much is assimilated through sensory activity.
Children at this age have a great interest in manipulating objects, and through this manipulation they become aware of the characteristics of objects, such as textures, colors, sizes, and shapes.
"The senses, being the explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge."
-Dr. Maria Montessori
Sensory education directly prepares children for intellectual education by perfecting the organs of sense and also the nerve paths of projection and association.
Indirectly, sensory education facilitates the adaptation of the individual to his/her environment.
Overall, sensorial work helps children become more logical, aware, and perceptive.
Science
North Star Montessori's extensive Science Curriculum includes:
- The life cycles of frogs, plants, and butterflies
- Ocean life
- Woodland animals
- The human body
- Weights & measurements
- Magnetism
- Living & non-living
At North Star Montessori, we are surrounded by nature and use our play yard to explore. We have many different types of trees, birds, and a butterfly garden for the children to enjoy.
Children use hands-on materials to engage in learning. When a child becomes curious and wants to know more about the world of science, the teachers at North Star have the freedom and knowledge to individualize the child's learning to extend, expand and encourage their desire to learn.
Art
Children develop concentration, coordination, fine motor skills, problem solving skills, & independence as they enjoy the process of making art.
Our daily art curriculum focuses on cultivating children's creativity and imaginative spirit.
Some art is done in large groups and some is done as an independent choice.
Children use a variety of tools such as beans, beads, feathers, sand, colored pencils, stencils, crayons, paper, water colors, tempera paints, and much more to create original art.
Just like no two children are exactly alike, each piece of art they create is a unique expression of themselves.
Language
Children develop concentration, coordination, fine motor skills, problem solving skills, & independence as they enjoy the process of making art.
Our daily art curriculum focuses on cultivating children's creativity and imaginative spirit.
Some art is done in large groups and some is done as an independent choice.
Children use a variety of tools such as beans, beads, feathers, sand, colored pencils, stencils, crayons, paper, water colors, tempera paints, and much more to create original art.
Just like no two children are exactly alike, each piece of art they create is a unique expression of themselves.
Spanish
At North Star Montessori, children gain the experience of learning a second language. In small groups children are introduced to Spanish vocabulary such as colors, numbers, farm animals, fruits etc. using hands-on materials from the Spanish shelf.
During a Spanish lesson, a North Star teacher shows a group of 2-3 children each object and names it in Spanish and the children repeat it. Then, each child has an opportunity to hold and name the object themselves. Short phrases, picture cards, and games are added to the lessons to add to the fun!
We bring Spanish to life at North Star Montessori. Each day children have the opportunity to speak, listen, read, and write in Spanish. Starting off the day at circle, we say "Buenos Dias" to greet each other and do the calendar and weather in English and Spanish.
We listen to stories in English and Spanish, and we even have fun acting them out! Many concepts are also learned through songs, rhythm instruments, and movement games using bean bags, parachutes, scarves, cultural dances and more!
World Cultures & Geography
Let's count to ten in Spanish, Italian, French, Hindi, Chinese, or Swahili. Depending on what country we are studying, your children will!
At North Star Montessori we study a continent a month. Children work with small globes and puzzle maps to become familiar with the names and locations of the world's continents. We learn about the culture, language, animals, music, traditions and geography of different countries around the world.
Studying geography and foreign languages allows children to understand their own culture as well as many others.