Academics

A Montessori classroom is a highly structured and esthetically pleasing environment. This structure enables children to become engaged in productive work and play at a very independent level. Children are given the opportunity to choose the activity that is most appealing to them and thus maintain high levels of interest and concentration with many different works throughout their school day. This “freedom within limits” is a hallmark of Montessori Philosophy. Giving children choices at an early age makes them better decision makers later in life when the stakes become higher.

A Montessori classroom is a peaceful but busy hub of activity. With hundreds of activities to choose from, and but a few basic ground rules of behavior to adhere to, children learn the art of self-discipline, concentration, coordination and orderly management of their time in a beautiful environment that is rich with opportunity for cognitive and social/emotional growth and development. Because the classroom is a mixed-age group of children from 3 to 6 years old, children learn from their peers and develop empathy and leadership qualities not as easily gained in a single-age grouping.

The Montessori curriculum is extensive and at NKMC includes the areas of:

PRACTICAL LIFE – exercises aimed at developing coordination, concentration, independence and order
SENSORIAL – exercises that refine the senses and set the stage for more abstract mathematical concepts by satisfying a child’s need for order, precision, touch, motor control and repetition
MATH – exercises that allow the child to gain a true insight into the meaning of quantity, symbols, sequence, magnitude, time, shape and form
LANGUAGE – exercises that expand vocabulary and develop reading and writing skills
ART – exercises that inspire creativity and develop a beginning appreciation of artistic values and art history
CULTURAL – exercises that inspire interest in the human culture of other countries
GEOGRAPHY – exercises that expand knowledge of the diversity of the earth; its plants, animals, land forms and bodies of water
SCIENCE – exercises that inspire interest in physical science, botany, biological science and astronomy
MUSIC – exercises that develop listening skills, sound matching skills, rhythm skills and an appreciation for all types of music
SPANISH – exercises that incite an interest and a beginning understanding of the Spanish language and culture

The Montessori teacher is the preparer and keeper of the environment as well as the guide for each child in the classroom. He/she is the protector of every child’s rights and is a role model of grace, courtesy and respect. Observation and record keeping is an essential duty of every Montessori teacher.

Detailed observation enables the teacher to work with each child as an individual, meeting that child wherever they may be cognitively, socially, emotionally and physically. This “meeting of the minds” enables each child to continue on their individual and optimal course of growth and development. The child sets his own pace by working for as long as he wishes with his chosen activity without interruption by his peers or unnecessary teacher intervention. The self-correcting facets of the materials test understanding while teaching the child to correct his own errors. The flexibility inherent in a Montessori, mixed-age-group setting allows children to work at their cognitive level, not just their chronological level.

“One of the most interesting and unexpected discoveries in our schools was the love and diligence with which children, who acted on their own, carried out their tasks.” Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

We now offer
Full-Day Kindergarten