Primary Program
Ages: 3 - 6 years
Ages: 3 - 6 years
The Primary years (ages 3-6) represent the pinnacle of Dr. Montessori's work and the heart of Montessori education. During this period, children possess what Dr. Montessori called "the absorbent mind" - an extraordinary ability to effortlessly absorb information from their environment, much like a sponge absorbs water.
Our Primary Program provides a carefully prepared environment filled with beautiful, scientifically designed materials that allow children to explore mathematics, language, cultural studies, and practical life activities. This is not just preschool or kindergarten - it is a comprehensive educational program that lays the foundation for all future learning.
With a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio, our certified Montessori teachers observe each child carefully, present lessons at the right developmental moment, and allow children to work independently at their own pace. The mixed-age classroom (3-6 years together) creates a family-like community where younger children learn from older peers and older children reinforce their knowledge by helping younger ones.
The Primary program is designed as a three-year cycle, with children ideally remaining in the same classroom with the same teacher from age 3 through age 6 (kindergarten year). This continuity allows for:
The kindergarten year (age 5-6) is especially important in Montessori, as this is when children synthesize everything they've learned and achieve remarkable academic and social milestones.
Our daily schedule includes the extended work period that is essential to deep concentration and meaningful learning.
Early arrivers engage in quiet activities. Children greet teachers and friends, store their belongings, and transition peacefully into the classroom environment.
Three-hour uninterrupted work period - the heart of the Montessori day. Children freely choose materials, receive individual or small group lessons, work independently or collaboratively. Teachers observe and present lessons based on each child's readiness. Snack is self-serve and available throughout the morning.
Circle time with songs, movement, games, and group lessons. Grace and courtesy presentations. Music appreciation, poetry, and cultural celebrations. Community-building activities.
Family-style lunch with conversation and social interaction. Children set the table, serve themselves, and clean up together. Grace and courtesy practiced in a real context.
Outdoor time in our primary garden and playground. Gross motor development, nature study, gardening, and free play. Children care for plants, observe insects and birds, and experience the seasons.
Younger children (ages 3-4) have quiet rest time. Older children continue their work cycle with focus on special projects, art, science experiments, and advanced materials.
Mixed-age group time with various activities: art projects, outdoor play, cooking, storytelling, and free choice activities. Children picked up at family convenience with daily communication.
Care of Self: Advanced dressing frames, shoe polishing, sewing, food preparation (chopping, peeling, spreading)
Care of Environment: Window washing, plant care, flower arranging, table setting, silver polishing
Grace and Courtesy: Introducing people, interrupting politely, offering help, table manners, conflict resolution
Control of Movement: Walking on the line, carrying objects carefully, silence game, mindfulness activities
Practical life activities develop concentration, coordination, independence, and order - the foundation for all learning.
Visual Discrimination: Pink tower, brown stair, red rods, color tablets (gradations), geometric cabinet
Tactile Refinement: Touch boards, fabrics, thermic tablets, baric tablets (weight)
Auditory Development: Sound cylinders, bells (musical scales)
Olfactory & Gustatory: Smelling bottles, tasting activities
Stereognostic Sense: Mystery bag, geometric solids
Sensorial materials refine perception, develop discrimination skills, and provide the foundation for mathematics and language.
Number Concepts: Number rods, spindle boxes, cards and counters, memory games
Decimal System: Golden beads (units, tens, hundreds, thousands), formation of large numbers
Operations: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division using concrete materials
Memorization: Math facts using bead bars, strip boards, snake game
Advanced Concepts: Fractions, measurement, money, time, skip counting, squaring and cubing
Concrete materials make abstract math concepts tangible, building deep understanding and love of mathematics.
Oral Language: Conversations, storytelling, vocabulary enrichment, classified cards
Writing: Metal insets, sandpaper letters, moveable alphabet, writing on paper
Reading: Phonetic awareness, object boxes, phonetic readers, puzzle words, function of words
Grammar: Parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) using concrete materials
Literature: Poetry, stories, plays, author studies, book making
Children typically learn to write before they read, and most are reading fluently by the end of kindergarten.
Geography: Puzzle maps (world, continents, countries), land and water forms, flags, cultural studies of different countries
Science: Botany (plant parts, leaf shapes, trees), zoology (animal classification, habitats), physical science, experiments
History: Timeline of life, personal timeline, calendar work, cultural celebrations
Art: Various media, famous artists, art appreciation, creative expression
Music: Instruments, composers, music appreciation, rhythm, singing
Our Primary classrooms contain hundreds of materials organized by curriculum area. Each material is carefully chosen to:
Isolate One Concept
Each material teaches one concept at a time for clarity
Control of Error
Children can recognize and correct their own mistakes
Hands-On Learning
Concrete manipulation leads to abstract understanding
Beautiful & Inviting
Natural materials attract children and invite repetition
In Montessori education, the kindergarten year (age 5-6) is not a transition year, but the culmination of the three-year Primary cycle. This is when children achieve remarkable academic and personal milestones as the oldest, most experienced members of their classroom community.
During the kindergarten year, children:
While our program goes far beyond traditional kindergarten readiness checklists, children who complete our Primary program are exceptionally well-prepared for elementary school, whether they continue in Montessori or transition to traditional education.
Our graduates enter first grade (or Lower Elementary) with:
Children learn to read and write through a phonetic approach that makes sense to them. They write their own stories, create books, and become enthusiastic readers who love literature.
Through concrete materials, children develop deep understanding of mathematical concepts. They work with four operations, fractions, geometry, and problem-solving with confidence.
Children develop observation skills, conduct experiments, classify living things, study the natural world, and learn to ask "why" and "how" - the foundation of scientific thinking.
Through geography, cultural studies, and celebrations, children develop appreciation for diversity, understanding of their place in the world, and respect for all peoples and cultures.
In our mixed-age community, children learn cooperation, negotiation, conflict resolution, empathy, and how to work effectively with others toward common goals.
Children develop self-motivation, time management, responsibility for their own learning, and the ability to work independently without constant adult direction.
Research shows that children who complete the full three-year Primary cycle experience significantly greater benefits than those who attend for shorter periods.
Children absorb classroom routines, learn basic materials, develop independence, and build relationships. They are the "learners" observing older children.
Children work through academic materials with increasing independence, begin reading and writing, tackle complex math, and start mentoring younger children.
As the oldest, children synthesize everything learned, achieve academic mastery, become confident leaders, and prepare emotionally and intellectually for elementary school.
The kindergarten year in a Montessori Primary classroom offers unique benefits that cannot be replicated in a traditional kindergarten setting:
Enroll in our comprehensive Primary program today