Curriculum & Program

Our Curriculum

121 Alphabet Montessori applies an emergent and play-based approach while incorporating the Montessori method in its curriculum. Our curriculum focuses on the four core areas of early learning from the B.C. Ministry of Education’s Early Learning Framework:

1. Well-being and Belonging
2. Exploration and Creativity
3. Language and Literacies
4. Social responsibility and Diversity

Our emergent approach to curriculum is based on the premise that children learn best when the materials and activities offered are based on their interests, strengths, needs, and experiences. During play, educators intentionally observe and listen to children to identify meaningful topics to explore further in our programs. Once an interest is identified, educators plan small group experiences and discussions to inspire and extend children’s learning. Our physical environments continually adapts to reflect the interests the children are exploring.

This cycle of observation, reflection and program planning continues through the year with no timeline or boundaries. To make this cycle of learning visible, the educators and children collaborate on “documentation” which is displayed in programs and may include: photographs, displayed projects, artistic endeavors, words, stories and reflections.

Our Program

Childcare Program
Days: Mondays to Fridays
Time: 7:30am – 6:00pm
Type of Care Program: Group Childcare (30 Months to School Age)
Maximum Capacity: 24 Children

What is the Montessori Method?
It is a unique approach to education wherein an environment to meet the specific needs of children and is designed to stimulate the child’s interest and facilitate self-directed learning. The teacher doesn’t “teach” the children by giving class lectures but rather offer age-appropriate activities, which ensures the child progression and development. Children work in groups and individually to discover and explore knowledge of the world and to develop their maximum potential.

Who is Maria Montessori?
Maria Montessori lived from 1870 to 1952. She was the first woman to attend medical school and the first female Doctor of Medicine in Italy. Through her work with handicapped and socially deprived children, she developed her unique educational method, known as the Montessori Method. Because of her further study, observation, and experimentation, she found the principles of her method to be applicable to all children. She has had an impact on the field of education in general and the way we understand and teach children today. The Montessori Environment Inspire children to learn by themselves. Many activities would require them to move about inside the classroom for maximum independent learning and exploration.

“Education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the individual and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment.”   – Dr. Maria Montessori

Our Montessori Program
Both our indoor-work and outdoor-play opportunity and experiences that promote independence and self-confidence of children. We also incorporate several age appropriate learning concepts as children progress, develop and show curiosity. The specific learning goals are listed below. Our rooms are well equipped and organized with different type of materials such as primarily natural materials or Montessori based materials that enhances the Reggio Emilia Philosophy in early childhood learning. The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It is a pedagogy described as student-centered and based on constructivism that uses self-directed, experiential learning in relationship-driven environments.

Our program activity room is eye-catching to explore, child friendly and orderly. It provides opportunities for children to develop independent work habits, and to feel free to respond to their natural tendencies and construct their spiritual and physical lives. Gross motor and fine motor activities are incorporated into daily routine. Age appropriate materials allow children to develop language, cognitive and motor skills.

Two Important Developmental Needs of Children:

1. The Principle of Freedom Within Limits
   Freedom within limits is an empowering concept. It embraces the notion of the child as an explorer who is capable of learning and doing for themselves. Montessori encourages freedom within limits through the design of the prepared environment. Especially relevant is the low open shelves, logically ordered activities, and child-friendly work spaces of the Montessori classroom. In effect, this encourages the child to move freely around the classroom, and choose their own work within limits of appropriate behaviour. These limits are the ground rules of the Montessori classroom.
2. The Prepared Environment
   A prepared environment gives every child the freedom to fully develop their unique potential through developmentally appropriate sensorial materials. The materials range from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract, catering toward every child’s age and ability. Montessori classrooms are designed to offer lessons, activities, and tools that match the developmental needs and interests of each individual child. It is important to note that not every child will be interested in every available lesson. This is why children are allowed to choose the lessons they gravitate toward naturally.

Our Program Has Four Main Curriculum Areas

1. Practical Life Area
   • Helps children develop self-sufficiency skills as well as day-to-day life independency
   • Helps developmental stages of childhood
   • Helps development of logic and moral reasoning
   • Helps children in continuing development of independence and “controls from within
   • Encourages imagination and creativity
   • Helps increase concentration and helps develop fine motor skills
2. Sensorial Area
   • Helps children develop, explore, refine and broaden sense perceptions
   • Helps children with hand-eye coordination, and provides a concept of size, sound, colors, texture and shapes for later learning
   • Helps children’s mind to develop the intellectual skills
   • Children learn the language associated with concepts and learn how to make sense of their environment
3. Language Arts Area
   • Encourages communication with others and this could motivate the emergence of language
   • Builds upon children’s oral language to help them discover the
   relationship between sound and symbol
   • Prepares children’s hands for writing (metal insets) if they are noticed to be ready
   • Helps children learn the phonetic sounds of the alphabet letters
   • Helps children gain self-expression skills
   • Helps children develop reading and writing skills and builds vocabulary
   • Encourages expression of opinions and needs
4. Mathematics Area
   • Encourages children to obtain concrete experience with concepts of numbers, sequence, and symbols through materials and manipulative
   • Helps children develop the “mathematical mind”
   • Helps children understand the role of the concrete materials
   • Helps children develop capability to reason, calculate and estimate
   • Helps children be intensely conscious of quantity