As we grow and develop, our bodies go through sensitive periods where we are more open to learning types of things than at others. The role of the Montessori teacher is to recognize these sensitive periods in each child. When we are born we have a sensitive period for movement until we’ve mastered most of those skills by age 3 (rolling, walking, running, etc.). As toddlers, though we are still in a sensitive period for movement, our minds are increasingly open to becoming verbal.

Between the ages of 3 and 6, our minds are open to learning the basics of the world around us. We want numbers, names, words, and of course, responsibilities like those of our parents (cooking, cleaning, and caring for our own bodies), and we want to acquire this knowledge through our senses (touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell). We want to do for ourselves. This is what the children in ABC-Stewart Preschool-Kindergarten are ready for.

At ABC-Stewart Preschool-Kindergarten, we follow each child in the curriculum as described below. Materials are prepared that help each child gradually refine their motor skills and move through concrete experiences to understanding abstract concepts in math, language, science, and culture.