- De La Fontaine Trilingual Montessori School - St Petersburg & Seminole | 2 months to 6 years old
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Under the careful guidance of experienced and trained teachers, the children engage in practical life pursuits as well as sensorial activities, puzzles, art, music and conversation. Independence is fostered by allowing the child to choose from a variety of activities that he or she can accomplish with success. The daily practice of these activities enhances the child’s ability to communicate with confidence, move with grace, and develop self-reliance.
The Infant community is introduced to foreign languages with a full immersion in English, French and Spanish. Learning another language or two, can be as easy for young children as learning their first language. They are in the period of the “absorbent mind”; they are starting to learn to speak, no matter in which language!
Under the careful guidance of Montessori-trained teachers, the children engage in practical life pursuits as well as sensorial activities, puzzles, art, music and conversation. Independence is fostered by allowing the child to choose from a variety of activities that he or she can accomplish with success. The daily practice of these activities enhances the child’s ability to communicate with confidence, move with grace, and develop self-reliance.
The young toddler community is introduced to foreign languages with a full immersion in English, French and Spanish. Learning another language or two, can be as easy for young children as learning their first language. They are still in the period of the “absorbent mind”; they are still starting to learn to speak, no matter in which language!
Under the careful guidance of Montessori-trained toddler teachers, our children engage in practical life pursuits, such as dressing, hand washing and gardening, as well as pre-reading activities, puzzles, art, music and conversation. Independence is fostered by allowing the child to choose from a variety of activities that he or she can accomplish with success. The daily practice of these activities enhances the child’s ability to communicate with confidence, move with grace, and develop self-reliance.
The Toddler community is introduced to foreign languages with a full immersion. Learning another language or two, can be as easy for toddlers as learning their first language. They are still in the period of the “absorbent mind”; they are still starting to learn to speak, no matter in which language! Throughout the day our native speaking (American / French / Spanish) teachers stand with the child during his activities.
Our early childhood classrooms are designed to meet the ever changing needs of the three to six year old child. Beauty and order play important roles in creating the child size atmosphere which is carefully designed to encourage curiosity and a love for learning. De La Fontaine Trilingual Montessori School offers each child the opportunity:
Some enrichment programs as gardening, cooking , animal care., arts, music, yoga … are included in our flexible curriculum , as a great way to teach children to be responsible and caring, to explore with their senses, to learn how to relieve any stress they might have, to teach about teamwork, learning cooperation and communication with others , to develop creativity and manipulative ability …
At age 3, the child is in the sensitive period for language, and can acquire it with an absorbent mind, in a way that won’t be accessible to him once he enters the elementary years. Our trilingual immersion Montessori program is the ideal environment to help your child reach his full potential. Children do not learn three languages but in three languages. We propose 3 classrooms (1 English / 1 Spanish / 1 French ) , which will be connected together allowing children to move around in the 3 full equipped Montessori environments with 3 native speaking ( English / Spanish / French ) lead teachers . Lead teachers speak only the target language, and children are expected, over time, to speak to teachers and peers only in those languages. Throughout the day , even if the child is free to move among the 3 classrooms, children will be guided by the teachers to discover the 3 languages.
The Kindergarten year in Montessori early childhood education, is an incredibly important one, as it is the third and final year of the 3-6 cycle. The Kindergarteners are the oldest, most experienced students. This final year of their 3-year cycle provides them with many advantages, from having the opportunity to be classroom leaders and mentors, to stretching their learning with the Montessori materials in the most complex of ways, all while remaining in the warm, familiar, nurturing classroom community they have grown to be a part of over the course of three years. This capstone year provides the Kindergarteners with great benefits in their academic, as well as their social-emotional development.
Our primary classrooms are designed to meet the ever changing needs of the three to six year old child. Beauty and order play important roles in creating the child size atmosphere which is carefully designed to encourage curiosity and a love for learning. Valley Montessori offers each child the opportunity:
Some enrichment programs as gardening, cooking , animal care., arts, music, yoga … are included in our flexible curriculum , as a great way to teach children to be responsible and caring, to explore with their senses, to learn how to relieve any stress they might have, to teach about teamwork, learning cooperation and communication with others , to develop creativity and manipulative ability …
The Kindergarteners will be offered our trilingual immersion. Children do not learn three languages but in three languages. We propose 3 classrooms (1 English / 1 Spanish / 1 French ) , which will be connected together allowing children to move around in the 3 full equipped Montessori environments with 3 native speaking ( American / Spanish / French ) lead teachers . Lead teachers speak only the target language, and children are expected, over time, to speak to teachers and peers only in those languages. Throughout the day , even if the child is free to move among the 3 classrooms, children will be guided by the teachers to discover the 3 languages.
In addition to the school hours, an extended care program before and after school is available. Extended Care program is designed to a be a fun and playful extension of the school day for children who need to arrive early or stay later. Students transition smoothly to and from school into extended care because behavior expectations, safely guidelines and procedures are the same as the students experience daily in the classroom.
This program is open to children who are currently enrolled , but also for non-enrolled children who would like to enjoy this unique Montessori learning experience with a trilingual full immersion. You can join for a week or for the entire summer !
Washing, sweeping, dusting, slicing apples, preparing lemon water, window washing, buttoning, tying shoe laces… household activities are familiar to children through everyday life. In our environment, children practice these activities using materials tailored to their size so they are able to manipulate each piece comfortably. By working in this area, children gain essential life skills, which helps build their independence and self-esteem. In addition, these activities help children refine their movement coordination and develop powers of concentration, abilities essential for their future learning.
Among the interests of the child from age two to six are experiences that involve his senses in his exploration of his environment. The child is able to exercise, discriminate, and learn the vocabulary which corresponds to his sensorial experiences. These tools of life afford the child the ability to form his frame of reference with which he can classify those inputs to his senses and allow greater opportunity to be successful in all other fields.
The young child is receptive to language in all forms: spoken, written, music, art, as well as mathematics. Our first emphasis is on spoken language development. We provide a rich language environment by modeling proper, precise, and grammatically correct spoken languages in English, French and Spanish , and providing daily opportunities of telling stories, reading books, as well as having day-to-day conversations. In such an environment, children’s love for language is cultivated. Writing and reading then come very naturally as pleasant experiences for children.
Every child’s innate mathematical potential is fostered by the unique approach of Montessori education. Mathematical concepts are first introduced in a concrete form. Working with the concrete materials builds a solid foundation of children’s understanding and prepares them to gradually understand abstract concepts. Children of this age are able to carry out the basic numerical operations with understanding. They work happily with large quantities, fractions, geometry, and powers of and roots of numbers, concepts conventionally considered too advanced for the young mind.
We use simple science experiences to introduce and illustrate the phenomenas that are observed in nature. For example, experiments dealing with evaporation and condensation lead to an understanding of the rain cycle. Other scientific experiments form the basis for the study of biology, botany, geography and geology as well as physics and chemistry. These sciences are not taught simply for their implicit value; they are taught to give the child knowledge and thereby respect for the life around him.
Our approach to art starts with the understanding that art is a way of self-expression. Therefore, we do not directly “teach” art. Rather, we prepare children physically as well as intellectually to freely express themselves. Practical Life activities as well as certain Sensorial materials help prepare the hand so that the child acquires the fine motor skills necessary for artistic expression. We provide quality artistic tools and introduce the materials with a focus on the techniques and not on the final product. The goal is to offer keys to exploration and discovery, rather than to impress others.
Music is very much alive in our environment, from singing and listening to songs, playing rhythm activities, to experiencing various musical instruments. The most captivating of all, the bells, is a set of elegant material in the Montessori environment. As children work with the bells, which produce beautiful and precise sounds, their auditory sense in terms of discriminating pitch is refined. They also learn the order and pattern of music, which aides their mathematical minds. Gradually, children learn the names of the notes, and start to creatively express themselves.
Seminole Campus
8351 Bayou Boardwalk
Seminole, FL 33777
St Petersburg Campus
300 58th St. N
St Petersburg, FL 33710
Seminole 813-278-2262
St Petersburg 727-358-4358