We study 6 sub-areas of math:
- numeration
- the base ten system
- linear counting
- the four operations
- materials leading to abstraction
- memorization
Normalization is a process, which eventually leads the child to a state of being comfortable with themselves and their own abilities.
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.
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.
The 4 main abilities that Everyday Living curriculum helps develop in a child are:
Through the repetition and refinement of language skills, children discover the world of written language through the written and printed word.
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.
Using a variety of activities, each area integrates into the next to give the child a clear understanding of mathematical concepts.
Ultimately, Everyday Living curriculum helps the child gain independence & normalizes the child to their society.
Children feel eager & empowered to master skills they see in their everyday routines.
Children develop concentration, coordination, fine motor skills, problem solving skills, & independence as they enjoy the process of making art.
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.
World Cultures & Geography
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!
Everyday Living | Math | Sensorial | Science | Art | Language | Spanish | World Cultures & Geography
The preschool years are a sensitive and important period for language development. North Star Montessori students are given many opportunities to use and experiment with language in the classroom. Our Montessori classrooms include sensory materials, such as sandpaper letters and the "Moveable Alphabet," that allow children to learn their letters by sight, feel, and texture.
At NSM, children learn math concepts quickly using ourhands-on materials.
The preschool years are a period of rapid physical development and a time whereby much is assimilated through sensory activity.
Coordination develops through using one’s body to complete the work. Grasping, spooning, pouring, and manipulating scissors & tweezers are all activities that enhance children's fine motor skills.
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.
Preschool & Kindergarten Curriculum
The placement of materials on our rugs beginning at the top left of the rug introduces the child to the left-to–right sequence used in reading.
- The life cycles of frogs, plants, and butterflies
- The Botany Cabinet
- Insects
- Ocean life
- Woodland animals
- The human body
- Weights & measurements
- Liquids & solids
- The planets
- Magnetism
- Living & non-living
Just like no two children are exactly alike, each piece of art they create is a unique expression of themselves.
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.
North Star Montessori
Preschool & Kindergarten
North Star's high quality preschool math program builds the best foundation for your child's future learning.
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.
Let's count to ten in Spanish, Italian, French, Hindi, Chinese, or Swahili. Depending on what country we are studying, your children will!
Sorting exercises help to refine the fine motor skills necessary to hold and write with a pencil. Sorting also helps the child differentiate between likenesses and differences - a skill necessary for the recognition of letters and words.
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.
North Star Montessori's extensive Science Curriculum includes:
In addition, classroom activities incorporate early reading & writing skills.
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.
Phone: (517) 787-3026 | Hours: 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Objectives include: a sense of order, concentration, predictability, exactness, concreteness, logic and reasoning, problem solving, decision-making, and the development of a mathematical mind.
Our daily art curriculum focuses on cultivating children's creativity and imaginative spirit.
Studying geography and foreign languages allows children to understand their own culture as well as many others.
The Montessori early childhood education, for children ages 2 ½ – 6, encourages children to explore and discover, to collaborate with classmates, and to take ownership of their education. Below are descriptions of our curriculum areas.
Concentration develops as the child must decide an activity to pursue, and focus on completing each step before moving on to the next.
Some art is done in large groups and some is done as an independent choice.
For example: Children learn how much a symbolic number stands for by counting the correct number of concrete objects to make the number.
When children master one concept in our curriculum they can move to the next more advanced lesson. Children progress at their own pace and are thus able to challenge themselves.
"The senses, being the explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge."
-Dr. Maria Montessori