Curriculum

The Village Montessori Pre-School, Chapel Hill, Lucan.

Village Montessori Pre-School,

Chapel Hill,

Lucan,

Co. Dublin

M - 0872212213

villagemontessori10@gmail.com

Opening times - Mon - Fri

Class times - 8:50am - 11:50am

9:05am - 12:05pm

9:20am - 12:20pm

Stay and play commences immediately after classes finish until 2:20pm.

All Staff are -

Fully Montessori qualified

First Aid trained

Garda Vetted

There are three basic elements of the Montessori approach to education -

The Structured Environment

It is the teacher's role to prepare and maintain the environment. This is called a "Prepared Environment". The physical appearance and the arrangement of the learning materials adheres to certain principles which focus on making the needs of the whole child.

The Montessori Curriculum

Following are the 5 key subjects areas covered

during the year (Click on coloured dots to see)

Additional Activities

In addition to the core Montessori areas we also have arts and crafts, music, dancing, PE. baking, gardening and lots of fun. At Christmas the children will perform a Christmas Concert for all the Mums and Dads and a visit from Santa afterwards. We will also have a Sports Day and Graduation Ceremony in June.

All of these events are great fun for all and encourages confidence and highlights the children’s many talents.

Practical Life

This will help in everyday practical life e.g. closing buttons, pouring water, cutting with scissors, washing hands, setting tables, and many more.

These activities will encourage a child to develop in self confidence, control and concentration.

The practical life activities are the first activities introduced and allow your child to try to do what adults around them are seen to do every day.

The practical life area of a classroom is an extension of your child’s own home environment. It aims to develop your child's independence, intelligence, concentration, co-ordination control, motor skills social skills and self discipline.

The practical life exercises are broken down in to four elements -

Elementary Movements – develops the child’s manipulative skills and body coordination e.g. pouring, cutting, folding and threading.

Care of the Person – teaches the child how to look after himself and his property e.g. putting on his coat, putting on his shoes, folding his clothes.

Care of the Environment – teaches the child tasks he will need and use within his environment e.g. dusting, sweeping, tidying up, setting a table, cooking skills.

Social Skills, Grace and Courtesy – teaches the child to understand his role in society and what kind of conduct is acceptable e.g. how to speak in a group, polite greetings, disposing of litter.

Sensorial

Sensorial exercises are for the development and refreshment of the child’s five senses, thereby sharpening his intellect and control preparing him in advanced exercises in maths, language, and geometry. The exercises give each child the vocabulary they need to start out with, such as height, width etc.

Exercises include the Colour Boxes, the touch tablets and the sound boxes.

Language

Language is involved in every aspect of Montessori environment from practical life to sensorial but it is introduced through a step by step programme starting with the sandpaper letters. Each child will be introduced to sounds and word developing their reading and writing. Exercises include the large moveable alphabet, object and word boxes.

Culture

Culture is made up of History Geography, Science, Nature and Fine arts.

The subjects develop each child’s individual skills, increases their vocabulary and reading skills, teaches them changes and life cycles in life and nature, and teaches them ecology and aspects of different cultures.

Culture helps the child understand where he is in the World and the important contribution he has to offer. Exercises include the sandpaper globe, the jigsaw of the continents and the world.

Maths

Montessori Materials enable even a very young child to achieve a natural appreciation for mathematical concepts through his/her own efforts. Specially designed equipment that help children to grasp concrete ideas along with sensorial of numbers, quantities and mathematical operations. Gradually children can complete abstract mathematical problems.

The Village Montessori follows the guidelines of Siolta the National Framework for Early Childhood Education in Ireland and Aistear The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework in Ireland. Both Siolta and Aistear work hand in hand to provide the best possible care and education for your child.