Practical Life introduces a young child to the real world and allows him/her to learn everyday activities, such as personal hygiene, eye-hand co-ordination, graceful movement of motor skills and self-care. It builds the “I can do it” attitude - the confidence he/she will need in facing the most difficult stage of life: adulthood.

The following is sample of the Practical Life curriculum.

Objectives of Practical Life:

• Orderliness
• Organization
• Coordination
• Concentration
• Grace and Courtesy

Practical Life is part of our curriculum that meets every child’s deep and inner needs. It also provides for such vital skills as self-mastery, problem solving, critical thinking, and an “I can do it” attitude. It is also often soothing and therapeutic for the child.

Practical Life is used to introduce a young child to the real world and allows him/her to learn how they should carry themselves in the real world. It builds the foundation he/she will need in facing the most difficult stage of life: adulthood.

Birth to the age six is very important in the development of language in a child. Children learn differently and can grasp multiple languages simultaneously. Our objective, here at Park Point, is to introduce child to at least two or three languages, with greater emphasis on English. In language, students learning activities include words matching, sorting, categorizing, and patterning exercises to master reading, writing, and communication skills.

Birth to the age six is very important in the development of language in a child. At the age of one, the child wants everyone to hear and know his/her feelings. At 18 months, he/she discovers that everything has a name. At age two a significant explosion occurs, in which sounds start to become words, and suddenly the child’s vocabulary increases. After two, those words start to form into sentences. Maria Montessori says that if two languages were to be introduced during this time period, for example if both parents speak different languages, then the child would most effectively absorb both of the languages, and be able to speak them correctly.

Our objective, here at Park Point, is to introduce child to at least two or three languages, and greater emphasis on English as:

• Spoken language
• Writing
• Association of sounds and symbols
• Reading
• Function of words
• Creating writing

In math, students use multi-sensory approach to learn and master mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They also learn basics of geometry, fractions, measurement, and logic.

The Montessori approach to mathematics is a logical, clear, and effective one. The Pre-school child works on developing their skills in numbers, symbols, sequences, place-value, arithmetic, operations, etc… through the use of concrete materials at first, then through memorization of the basic math facts. Rods, spindles, cards, beads, and cubes are just some of the tools used to symbolize the different math concepts.

When using these such tools to perform the different math operations by themselves, the child experiences the thrill of discovery. The Montessori mathematics materials, allow pre-school children to begin their mathematical journey from concrete to abstract through manipulation, experimentation, and invention.

Our science curriculum introduces children to plants, animals, physical and earth science. Children learn and grow plans and flowers in our school garden. Field trips are organized to farms, zoo and museum to enhance class room learning.

The following is sample of the Science curriculum.

Life Science Living & Non-Living

Plants:

• Leaves
• Stems
• Roots
• Flowers
• Seeds

Physical Science:

• States Of Matter
• Water
• Magnetism
• Electricity
• Chemistry
• Simple Machines

Animals:

• Birds
• Mammals
• Fish
• Amphibians
• Reptiles
• Arthropods
• Mollusks

Earth Science:

• Solar System
• Parts of the Earth
• Rocks
• Volcanoes
• Crystals
• Weather
• Clouds
• Astronomy Constellations
• Day & Night

If a child can imagine a fairy and fairyland, it should not be difficult for him/her to imagine Earth, the Continents or America. With the help of the Montessori/class room materials, children learn about Earth and solar system; oceans and seas; plants and animals, calendar and time; and various concepts of physical forms.

As we all know, children love to imagine. Why do we then give only fairy tales and toys to practice this imagination on? If a child can imagine a fairy and fairyland, it will not be difficult for him/her to imagine Earth, the Continents or America. At Park Point Montessori, the Areas of Cultural Studies include:

Earth Science:

• Solar System
• Parts of the Earth
• Introduction to rocks
• Volcanoes
• Astronomy (day/night)
• Weather clouds

Geography:

• Oceans and seas
• Map making
• Land & water forms
• Continents & countries
• Globe

History:

• Calendar
• Days of the week
• Months of the year
• Seasons
• Clock, time lines
• Holidays

Life Science:

• Living/Non-Living
• Plants and animals
• Vertebrate/Invertebrate

Physical Science:

• How to observe things
• Classifying
• Various science experiments (gas takes space, air pressure, measuring length, solids, liquids, weight of liquids, measuring gas, float and sink, magnetic and non-magnetic.)

The sensorial materials are designed to attract children's attention, "education the senses", and allow manipulation by children. When one "educates the senses", he is not trying to make the children see, hear, or touch "better", but rather help them understand what it is that they are seeing, hearing or touching. The Montessori materials are grouped according to sense: auditory, visual, tactile, baric (weight), gustatory, olfactory and stereo-gnostic.

Birth to the age of six is very important for children, because it is the time period in which they learn the most with their five senses. Maria Montessori utilized a variety of materials for sensory-motor training. The sensorial materials are designed to attract children's attention, "education the senses", and allow manipulation by children.

The goal is to assist the children in creating order and sequence in their sensory input of the experiences, that proceed very slowly from concrete to abstract. The materials are grouped according to sense: auditory, visual, tactile, baric (weight), gustatory, olfactory and stereo-gnostic.

When one "educates the senses", he is not trying to make the children see, hear, or touch "better", but rather help them understand what it is that they are seeing, hearing or touching.

Who does not love week-ends? Children learn Saturday and Sunday are 2 of the 7 seven days in a week. They learn months, year, seasons, calendar and clock time.

The following is sample of the Time curriculum.

• Calendar
• Days Of The Week
• Months
• Seasons
• Clock
• Timelines
• Personal Timeline
• Holidays
• Day & Night

Physical movement is very important to break monotony and maintain focus and high energy levels. Here children learn splits, hand stands, cartwheels and gymnastics rolls. They also learn line etiquette and setting up circles.

The following is sample of the Movement curriculum.

• Setting Up In Circle
• Line Etiquette
• Line Activities Rainy Days
• Small Groups
• Large Groups
• Gymnastics Activities Rolls
• Tripod
• Tip Up
• Cartwheels
• Heastands
• Handstands
• Backbends
• Splits
• Jumps
• Mule Kicks
• Locomotor Movements
• Obstacle Course

Here children learn about earth, continents, regions and flags. They learn to see Globe and draw maps.

The following is sample of the Geography curriculum.

• Preparation Body Image
• Directionality
• Introduction Land - Lithosphere
• Air / Atmosphere
• Water / Hydrosphere
• Earth Sandpaper Globe
• Land & Water Forms
• Colored Globe
• Introduction To Mapping
• Continent Maps
• State Maps
• Flags
• Regions

A picture is worth 1000 words. Children are exposed to various types of painting, singing, reading and writing music, and instruments playing.

The following is sample of the Fine Arts curriculum.

• Music Listening
• Moving Expressively
• Exploring Sounds Vocally
• Instruments Playing & Exploring
• Ensembles
• Writing & Reading Music
• Social Interaction & Music
• Art Cutting Skills
• Glueing
• Modeling
• Crayons
• Paintings