Primary – PreK 3, PreK 4 and Kindergarten
where curiosity and independence rule the day
The Primary classroom, for children ages 3-6 years old, is a joyful place where children move around freely, speak when they wish, work beside friends and observe others working. This classroom’s prepared environment is carefully created and maintained to encourage exploration by the children.
In mixed age classes, younger students are constantly exposed to and motivated by older children in the class. The older students build and reinforce their skills while developing positive self-esteem as the models for the younger students.
Learning activities begin with a concrete representation of a skill through use of specific hands-on materials. A remarkably wide range of materials in the classroom support learning at the individual child’s own pace, and extend through and beyond the kindergarten level.
In this class, the goals are to:
- Foster a positive attitude toward school and learning
- Nurture a child’s natural curiosity and spontaneous interest to learn and explore
- Develop concentration, focus and persistence in all endeavors
- Build the foundation for a sense of responsibility and independence that becomes innate self-discipline
Children play outside daily on the school playground. They may choose to work outside with teachers on the covered patio adjacent to their classrooms and in the school garden.
The classroom is divided into centers for:
Practical life – where the aims are:
- task organizing and understanding of order
- development of motor skills and coordination
- care of self, others and the environment
- exercises in grace and courtesy
Sensorial activities – that enable the child to classify and learn language related to length, width, color, size, weight, order and other properties of the physical world
Language development – reading, writing, grammar and dramatic expression, using specialized materials such as sandpaper letters and a movable alphabet
Mathematics – with a variety of materials and lessons about numbers, symbols, sequence and operations
Cultural studies – life sciences, geography and history
Music, Art and Spanish