Although we are sad to see 2024 go, we have plenty of memories and knowledge to look back on and cherish. This year was packed with fun hands-on activities that truly grasped the attention of our students and planted the seed for the love of learning. From January 2024 to now, there has been visible growth among all our students –and we don’t just mean height!
Learn And Play Montessori School’s curriculum focuses on five areas of learning: mathematics, practical life, cultural, sensorial, and language development. By entwining our Montessori philosophy with a focus on STEM, our students can master these five areas through hands-on activities.
Our preschoolers enjoyed different subjects and lessons throughout the year. Within their cultural studies curriculum, they were able to discover different animals during zoology sessions. They became familiarized with different types of vertebrates and mammals and even explored creepy-crawly spiders where they learned about their body parts and lifecycles. Lake Tahoe and Alcatraz were also fun topics for our students as they learned about land and water forms during geography lessons.
Preschool classrooms learned social-emotional skills such as the concept that feelings can change and are part of daily life. Emotions were also explored such as fear, happiness, surprise, and worry. Through activities such as matching cards and tools such as the emotion mirror -where students mirror the expression of an emotion- getting familiarized with different emotions was a fun learning experience.
Our “Music and movement” sessions were a favorite for our students this year. It allowed them to have fun dancing and listening to music while perfecting their coordination and gross motor skills. In fact, many artists and composers were introduced to our LAPMS students this year like Frida Kahlo and Wolfgang Mozart.
Throughout all our LAPMS campuses, our STEM experiments were highly favored and were an exciting part of the school day. Our students explored how moon craters are developed by doing a hands-on experiment, and saw a chemical reaction live when they dissolved jellybeans during another experiment. Eyes opened wide during the LED with Play-Doh experiment, as our students discovered that combining these materials creates a circuit—a circular path through which electricity can flow.
Our toddler classes excelled in 2024 in various academic areas including math, language development, gross and fine motor skills, and practical life Montessori skills. Combining these critical learning areas with our Montessori teaching methods allows our young learners to absorb multiple concepts simultaneously.
Fine and gross motor skills are the foundation of a child’s success inside and outside the classroom. Our activities develop these skills while having fun through play! Painting with watercolors during art time is a hands-on way for our students to practice grasping pencil-like objects while using their hand-eye coordination when painting within the lines of a picture. Using Play-Doh is another exciting craft our students enjoy, creating various creatures or shapes while strengthening the small muscles in their hands and fingers. Similarly, gross motor skills are habitually practiced throughout the school day. Through activities such as “pass the ball” and using our rainbow parachute our students use their gross motor skills to lift, pull, and throw.
Learn And Play Montessori School helps guide our students by providing the necessary tools to be successful in multiple aspects –including tasks they will face in everyday life. Practical life helps build a sense of responsibility. LAPMS makes sure to show our students how to properly put on a sweater, sit cross-legged, and have suitable hygienic habits including hand washing. These practices give children the confidence to perform everyday tasks on their own, taking bigger responsibility to care for themselves as time progresses. Learning about emotions is substantial for toddlers. Our social-emotional curriculum teaches our toddlers about emotions such as excitement and anger. Knowing how to identify emotions will benefit them in understanding themselves and others plus allow them to regulate their responses to strong emotions.
Our math curriculum for 2024 included going over numbers one through ten with the usage of Montessori instruments including sandpaper numerals, number rods, and cards and counters. Within this form of teaching, our students are introduced to various mathematical concepts such as measurement, quantity, and identifying correct number symbols.
The progress of each child was astronomical for our 2024 school year! We are proud to see our students dive into a world of discovery as they learn and play on campus. LAPMS is ready to conquer 2025 and fulfill new accomplishments! Book a school tour at one of our locations from Milpitas to Danville, Dublin to Pleasant Hill, San Carlos to Palo Alto and everywhere in between!
