Early Childhood Curriculum

The Early Childhood Classrooms at Love of Learning Montessori are mixed-age groupings of children aged 3 to 6, preschool and kindergarten together. The preschool program runs from 9am to noon, the kindergarten program from 9am to 3pm. They spend their time working in what is called the Prepared Environment – a place equipped with special activities designed to address the needs of the child who is discovering with each passing day who they are and what it means to be happy, constructive members of their community.

The activities of the classroom are grouped into four basic areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language and Math. The activities in these areas foster development of their physical, emotional and intellectual capabilities. The children are free to move about and to pick and choose activities that interest them. The youngest members of the class are eager to model what they see the older children doing. For the older children, there is nothing that helps to build their self-esteem like being able to help a younger child with something they have already mastered.

There is a great deal of freedom in a Montessori environment. But with that freedom there are responsibilities. Through movement and activity they learn to take good care of materials, to be kind to each other, to respect the teacher. Having respect for their environment and for those within it – and in turn having that respect being reciprocated back to themselves – they feel safe and secure. From that perspective of safety they are able to take on the ever more academically challenging activities available to them with confidence and assurance that they can master them. Through their work they discover that learning is not something they get carried through. It is something they do when they work constructively, exercising their intelligence and love.  

During the child’s kindergarten year, most are reading and writing, doing math and geography – and having great sense of love and joy with the learning they are accomplishing. By the conclusion of their kindergarten year they are ready to move on to the challenges found in their their elementary years (second plane of development) with confidence.

Words can paint beautiful pictures.  At Love of Learning Montessori we encourage parents considering enrollment to make an appointment to come and observe a class in action – to see for themselves how the children, the prepared environment and the teacher all come together to make for a very satisfying learning experience for your child.

Early Childhood Program Special Events:

• Parent-Teacher Conferences in January

• Preschool artwork on display at Harborfields Library 

• Past (and potentially future!) events have included:

  • Sweetbriar Animal interviews

  • Kindergarten class trip to Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank