The Prepared Environment- A Closer Look:

Practical Life - Materials are provided to children to experience activities such as caring for plants, washing dishes, and cleaning after themselves. Parents provide a plant at the beginning of the school year and the children learn to water and care for it. Child size brooms and mops are available for the children to use to clean up spills.

Sensorial - A variety of materials are provided to enhance the five senses (sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste).

Geography/Culture - Children are provided the opportunity to learn the flag of many countries and to learn the continents of the world. Children are exposed to different names of water masses and music from different cultures.

Music - The enriching music curriculum provides the children with opportunities to make music, respond to music and understand dynamics, tone, color, harmony and form. Beginning competency in these basic elements of music is achieved through listening, moving, playing instruments, visualizing, verbalizing and creating. A variety of teaching materials are used, including Carl Orff's philosophy and uniquely designed instruments.

Art - Many materials are provided to children to promote creativity in the children. Rolls of large paper is provided as the canvas for many creative moments. The classroom has easels setup for children that have a burst of creativity waiting to be released. Construction paper, children's scissors, crayons, water paints, color pencils, glue sticks, tape and many other art materials are set out for easy access at anytime.

Language - Many books are provided for children to use and to be read from by the teachers and parents. Books are exchanged in the bookcase for variety as well as to provide seasonal topics throughout the year. Reading readiness materials and activities that help children become aware of letters and their sounds are provided. The D'Nealian set of alphabet characters are used in the Montessori method. Tracing paper is provided for children to begin understanding how to write the form of letters and numbers.

Mathematics - Materials in this area are extremely attractive and intrigues the children almost immediately. Colorful beads (individual and strands) are used to develop the counting aspect of numbers as well as the concept of quantity. The use of beads helps children conceptualize an abstract number as a concrete entity. Some children leaving preschool are capable of counting and understanding the quantity of very large numbers.

Science - From using a battery to complete a circuit to a miniature replica of the human skeleton, science materials are provided throughout the classroom. Many illustrated books on various science topics are available for the children.