Blue Heron and Snowy Egret Curriculum

Blue Heron (2.5-3.5/4 years old) and Snowy Egret (3.5/4-6 years old) Curriculum

The age ranges in the Blue Heron classroom and the Snowy Egret classroom allows the younger children to have role models and gives the older children an opportunity to reinforce their own knowledge by helping the younger children.

A wide variety of art techniques and mediums are introduced to the children so that they can develop their own artistic expressions. Projects are developed to coordinate with the subjects being studied each month.

Small motor coordination activities such as spooning, pouring, washing and polishing are highly attractive to this age group. These activities allow children to imitate adult activities that they see every day. As children become absorbed in such activities, their attention spans lengthen, they pay attention to details, and they learn good work habits.

The sensorial materials used in our programs help children to become aware of details by isolating qualities such as smell, color, weight, shape, texture, size, and sound. These materials help children focus their awareness and learn how to observe.

Keystone students use hands-on materials so they can visualize what happens during mathematical operations. Children first learn simple counting and number recognition in the Blue Heron classroom. In the Snowy Egret classroom they then learn addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using bead materials. We also introduce the decimal system by presenting concrete representations of units, tens, hundreds, and thousands. In this way, children participate in exciting games while learning mathematical concepts.

The study of the world’s cultures is the basis for this curriculum. Every month we emphasize a specific continent or area of the world. Children are exposed to the names of continents and countries. They are introduced to a culture’s food, music, dances, art, money, alphabet, numerical system and holidays. In this way, our children come to enjoy and respect the diversity of the other people in their classroom and community.

Our goal is to cultivate a child’s fascination with the universe and develop a life-long interest in observing the world around them. Every month’s focus includes subjects in zoology, botany, physics, geology, and astronomy.

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See Cultural Studies/Science Units curriculum calendar by clicking on the "Blue Heron Curriculum" and "Snowy Egret Curriculum" links at the top of the page.

According to the Montessori philosophy, learning to read and write should be as natural as learning to speak. Children are exposed to a simple phonics program in the Blue Heron classroom. In the Snowy Egret classroom, the younger members of the class naturally want to learn from the older children as they read. Reading skills develop so smoothly that our children seem to “explode into reading”. Children also learn to compose their own stories and write them using the Montessori Moveable Alphabet.

We provide a cozy corner with a well-stocked library of age-appropriate books for either reading alone, with friends, or with a teacher. Teachers are careful to select books with appropriate subject matter, text, and length.