LE PETIT PARADIS

                              I know happiness does not come with things. 
                            It can come from work and pride in what you do. —Gandhi

                          MONTESSORI PRACTICALITY AND INDEPENDENCE

Trial and error: Children experiment, instead of being shown how to do everything.

Freedom: Children sometimes like to do the same thing repeatedly for weeks, until they have mastered it. Teachers will not stand in their way

Care and respect for materials: Some are made from porcelain or ceramic to teach them how to handle fragile materials. Some breakage is expected in a preschool

Practical life: This aspect of Montessori is very relaxing, almost like meditation, because the focus is on a very specific activity or a task, such as pouring liquids.

Hand-Eye Coordination development is naturally enhanced in this way.

Snack table: Children prepare their own snacks and learn to squeeze tangerines and make juice themselves!

Language: Children learn to write the alphabet with the special sand letters material.Teachers speak to children in French, in order for them to increase their vocabulary.

                           BANK STREET IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY

Pretend play: Various fabrics are provided so the children can use their imagination to create their own costumes.

Art: Children tell the teacher what they are painting or drawing from their own imagination rather than seeking the teacher's approval or a reality-based description.

Blocks : The children learn how to build in 3 dimensional spaces.

Cooking: This activity increases the child's awareness of the senses and teaches them about taste, smell and measurement.

Music & Movement: Children learn the difference in sounds with various instruments, and how the body moves with those sounds.

Reading: The classroom has a very comfortable, cozy reading area that encourages them to want to get completely engrossed in a book, either on their own or during ReadingCircle with the teacher.

Both philosophies encourage community living. The children learn to help each other and to be of service to their school community, and, eventually, to the outside world.