Practical LifeStudents are introduced to practical life exercise in the first two years. These exercises satisfy the child's need to imitate adult behavior and achieve increasing levels of independence. They serve to lengthen attention span and aid in the development of fine motor coordination. As time goes by, practical life exercises evolve from care of self into care of others and care of the environment, which lead to activities such as science experimentation and discoveries.
Examples of Practical Life Activities: pouring, sorting, polishing, sewing exercises, hand washing, fruit slicing, vegetables slicing, tracing, magnets, pairing, buttoning tying, snapping, zipping, table scrubbing, sweeping, cutting/pasting, folding, shell grading, social graces, perceptual motor activities. |
SensorialSensorial exercises involve innovative educational materials that assist the child in the development and refinement of his sensory organs. The child learns to grade and sequence objects according to various attributes, giving the student a clear, deep understanding of sequences, groups and sets. These activities prepare the child for the more advanced math and geometry activities of the kindergarten year. The student also meets a rich vocabulary in the process and learns to discriminate perceptually, using the senses.
Examples of Sensorial Activities: pink tower, knobbed cylinders, red rods, geometric cabinet, geometric solids, binomial cube, baric tablets, smell bottles, broad stair, knobless cylinders, color tablets, constructive triangles, trinomial cube, fabric matching, thermic bottles, sound cylinders, rough and smooth boards. |
MathematicsMathematics is introduced individually as the child demonstrates interest and readiness. We match each child's ability to the appropriate materials so that your child's learning experiences are positive, rewarding and provide optimum learning at each stage of development.
Introduction to mathematics begins with a clear, sensorial impression derived from manipulation of objects, movement and activity on the part of the child. As each math concept is internalized, your child weans himself naturally from concrete objects and progresses to the abstract level that is required for advanced math curriculum. This method of instruction, devised by the genius of Dr. Montessori, has proven to be successful in teaching math skills while enabling the child to enjoy working in this subject. Each child benefits from this concrete introduction to abstract concepts such as decimal system identity, commutative and associative properties, and cube vs. square concepts. Kindergarten students work with the math operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using Montessori Golden Bead material. The success that the child meets here inspires confidence and a desire to seek out future learning experiences. |
LanguageThe language program begins with readiness activities. It is imperative that each child be allowed to progress to a state of physical and mental readiness before formal language exercises are introduced. The child experiences matching cards, stories, poetry, listening games and other preparatory activities.
As the teacher ascertains your child's readiness, your child is introduced to language through our phonetic approach. Language is taught through a variety of multi-sensory activities: visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic. This ensures success by providing the appropriate experience for each child's individual learning patterns. As your child differentiates and recognizes sounds, he or she begins the process of word building and then blending sounds into meaningful reading. During the kindergarten year, student reading skills typically range from the early stage of phonetic reading to the study of the functions of the parts of speech. To guarantee success and pleasure, the reading child is guided carefully through the Montessori curriculum. |
Cultural EnrichmentIn addition to the core curriculum, your child will be engaged in delightful activities that instill a lifelong love of sciences, history, cultures and the arts. Sikora Montessori is infused with music of many varieties and peoples. Foreign language of French curriculum is presented through songs, stories, games and activities that introduce students to other cultures.
Each year, geography is studied in depth. Students learn about physical and political geography, people and flags of distant countries, and the cultural similarities that unite all people. Music, art, architecture, and food are a part of this experience. Examples of Cultural Enrichment Activities: geography, globes, maps, art, food, clothing, music and movement (instruments, theory), botany (parts of a plant, needs of plants, flower dissection, leaf shapes, seasons), zoology (living vs. non living, vertebrates/invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, |
Educational ThemesCore areas are tied together by our educational themes. Learning spans from the arts to sciences with depth of teachings in various themes. A theme engages your child in a new subject to broaden his or her sense of person. Experiencing the theme, your child will experiment with a concept from science, hear and read about an author, listen and study a composer, get artistic, and experience world cultures through geography and social studies.
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Sikora Montessori preschool in Wheeling, WV is dedicated to the Montessori philosophy and the Montessori method of education. Sikora Montessori offers a variety of programming and scheduling options, depending on the age and needs of children. The Montessori method at Sikora Montessori facilitates the growth of inner discipline and eventually complex reasoning by allowing the free choices and organized use of didactic materials. | |
Sikora Montessori | |