Our schools show that children of different ages help one another. There are many things which no teacher can convey to a child of three, but a child of five can do it with ease.
Maria Montessori
The work and activities designed specifically for the Montessori kindergarten child exemplify the spiraling curriculum set forth by Maria Montessori. Students revisit concepts and build upon prior skills to deepen their knowledge and broaden their understanding. The kindergarten year is the culmination of the primary three-year cycle which provides opportunities for children to be leaders in their environment, explore materials in advanced ways, approach new challenges and develop complex relationships. The past years in the Montessori environment have helped them to gain the self-confidence to be resilient as they face challenges. The relationships they have developed with their teachers assure them support will be available when necessary.
The kindergarten year is a time when children gain greater responsibility and independence in the environment. This can be seen as they navigate their work plans and take initiative to care for themselves, each other, and their surroundings. Many times, they share their knowledge with their younger peers which is not only a way for them to demonstrate their understanding, but also a chance for them to act as mentors in the environment. The social-emotional experiences and connections formed during the kindergarten year are an integral part of the Montessori curriculum.
Through Maria Montessori’s many observations of children, she identified “learning explosions,” defined as the sudden outward manifestation of a long process of internal growth. It is during these times that the children synthesize their prior knowledge and apply this knowledge to all facets of learning.
The kindergarten curriculum at Montessori Academy of Chambersburg follows individual children as they progress from concrete to abstract understanding at their own pace and provides them tools and strategies for problem solving and conflict resolution.
Although children ideally will have been part of a Children’s House community prior to kindergarten, some parents choose Montessori Academy for their child’s kindergarten year as a way to start their child’s formal schooling in a smaller class environment where they have the chance to learn to read using balanced approach to literacy instruction, with an important emphasis on phonics. By learning letter sounds, rather than letter names, children are able to decode and encode simple words and apply their knowledge of letter sounds to reading texts that use the phonics patterns they have worked with using Montessori materials.
Parents have shared that during the kindergarten year at Montessori Academy they see tremendous strides in children’s self-confidence and motivation as well as in their social-emotional growth as they develop empathy and form closer peer relationships. These skills have implications far beyond the walls of the classroom and are an integral part of child development alongside academics.
The Kindergarten Program is available for children who are 5 years old by September 1st.
The school day is from 8:30 – 3:00.
Bus transportation is provided by the school district of residence for Pennsylvania kindergarten students whose home school district is within 10 miles of Montessori Academy.
Before and After School Care
Montessori Academy offers before school childcare from 7:00 AM and after school childcare until 5:30 PM for an additional charge.
Learn More About Montessori Kindergarten
Reference: Tough, P. 2013. How Children Succeed; Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Mariner Books