Preschool & Kindergarten
A Montessori program that fosters a lifetime love of learning.
Our Little Sprouts preschool and kindergarten program provides children with individual choices of play and work, allowing solo exploration as well as peer learning. Through projects, learning centers, and group activities, children develop social, academic, visual, and motor skills as they explore math, science, literacy, social studies, and the arts.
Groups come together in a nurturing, collaborative environment, with teachers who design learning experiences that are responsive to student interests and involve exploration and expression. Our flexible program enables families to choose which days and times work best for their child. Families choose from two to four days per week (Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday or all four days), with either half or full days.
A nurturing, collaborative environment
Little Sprouts Kindergarten
Typically, there is a different set of expectations for children who are enrolled in Little Sprouts as kindergartners. Children enrolled in our kindergarten program are encouraged to focus on reading, math, creative writing, and handwriting more regularly than preschoolers. Although all of the children in our program have exposure to these academic concepts, the kindergartners typically have more small group or individual lessons from a teacher on a daily basis.
Little Sprouts offers part time schedules for kindergarten students, which allows our teachers to work in tandem with families who prefer to offer their child partial home schooling and a warm and personal school experience with other children.
First Grade Readiness
For kindergarten, we like to have the children with us as much as possible. Students will be doing one or more reading, one or more writing & one or more math work each morning and/or afternoon that they are with us at school, part of which will be included in the daily Kindergarten meetings. Consistency & repetition are key, so depending on the student’s schedule, if not with us full-time for kindergarten, we recommend that students do reading, writing and math consistently on the days that they are not at Leaves, in order to ensure readiness for first grade. The more time in class, the more they will experience the full curriculum. 2 half days are great for socialization, but more time is needed for the academic side and preparation for first grade. Kindergarteners have a strong need for socialization, and when they are with us for less time, they spend a good deal of that time socializing to fulfill that need, before they settle and are ready for academic learning. So the more they are with us, the more it evens out between socialization and academics.
Options for kindergarten scheduling are:
- 2 half days (with or without lunch), this would provide socialization time, but most academic work would need to be done at home on a regular basis.
- 4 half days (with or without lunch), some work at home would likely be needed to ensure readiness for first grade.
- 2 full days, some work at home would likely be needed to ensure readiness for first grade.
- 2 full days and 2 half days, depending on the child, a little work may need to be done at home.
- 4 full days, we are able to fulfill a complete kindergarten curriculum
Students grow as individuals, at their own pace, in an environment that accepts them for who they are.
Multi-age classrooms
Little Sprouts offers preschool and kindergarten within the same classroom. The children in our classroom range from 3 to 6 years old. Having a wide range of ages in the classroom allows for children to learn through peer observation, and also reinforces their own learning through modeling to younger children. Older children develop a strong sense of accomplishment from helping and teaching younger children, while younger children benefit from the modeling and guidance of their older classmates. A multi-age classroom also allows for a broad scope of materials in the classroom that meet a child according to their particular needs, as opposed to just their age.
Our approach follows the Montessori philosophy that children work best in an environment with a range of ages.
A typical day at Little Sprouts.
Children are greeted by their peers and teachers in the morning and are able to choose from the Montessori materials on the shelves. This quiet transition into the classroom allows children to ease into the school environment, deciding for themselves if they would like to work independently, with friends, or with a teacher.
Children and teachers come together for a meeting in which they can participate in a variety of activities. A typical group meeting may include learning about new materials, reading stories, singing songs, or learning sign language.
The daily schedule at Little Sprouts is flexible enough to provide adaptability when necessary, but structured enough to provide predictability for the children. We want them to view their school as a safe and comforting place, where they know what to expect and when to expect it.
The Montessori approach allows for child-directed learning opportunities. As such, the daily schedule may periodically shift to accommodate the learning desires of the children.
Children also participate in morning and afternoon snacks. Play and movement are a crucial part of our program, and children enjoy daily gross motor activities.