What to Expect in Montessori Programs

If Montessori is new to you and your family, or even if you need a refresh, it's helpful to understand what your child can expect to experience in each program at Apple! Our approach to early education empowers young children to reach their full potential through a strong academic foundation as well as enrichment opportunities beyond the traditional educational experience. Apple Montessori Schools is not just school—it's a place where children develop their best self in preparation for their best life.

Infant Program (6 weeks - 18 months)

Experience a warm and loving environment for your little one with Apple Montessori Schools’ infant program, beginning as early as six weeks of age. Our caregivers foster milestones for self-confidence, independence, coordination, focus, and concentration. We accommodate each child to eat, sleep, or play according to their own natural timetable and schedule. We provide separate, quiet sleeping areas to help promote healthy sleep habits, and our entire team is trained to keep your baby safe as we develop trusting bonds between child and caregiver.

Our modern Montessori philosophy begins in our infant classrooms, with one-on-one lessons focusing on special developmental areas while encouraging exploration and self-awareness and incorporating enrichment activities and playtime. Our program includes baby signing, so the little ones learn to communicate their needs, feelings, and desires on their path to independence; baby yoga, to strengthen muscles and work on balance, flexibility, and coordination; and floor time and tummy time to build physical and cognitive skills.

For your peace of mind, we offer video camera access and our staff keeps communication lines open with daily feedback and sharing of accomplishments.

Toddler Program (18 months - 2.5 years)

Apple's toddler program, for children ages 18 months to 2-and-a-half years of age, guides children to develop new skills and explore new experiences in various developmental areas at their own pace. One of the difficult things about being a toddler in a grown-up world is that even when they want to do things by themselves, they often can't. The chairs are too big to climb into, the toys are out of reach, and the jackets are hung too high. Montessori classrooms make everything accessible, even for toddlers! The furniture is the perfect size and height for them to sit in a chair, work at a table, or reach materials without having to ask for help. Students move about the classroom freely and in an orderly manner. It is specifically designed to provide a beautiful, nurturing environment, as the toddler classroom is a home away from home.

The daily toddler schedule is intentionally unobtrusive and provides plenty of opportunities for learning, cuddling, napping, or socializing. Children spend their day in a mix of individual and group activities. Each day includes time for games, activities, songs, stories, sound cards, art, music, and more. Movement is built into the day to enhance large and small motor skills, body awareness, and self-control both indoors and outdoors.

In our toddler program, every child is respected and understood as an individual, guided to develop new skills and explore new experiences at their own pace.

Preschool/Kindergarten (2 - 6 years)

Apple Montessori Schools' preschool & kindergarten programs, for children ages 2 through 6, maintain structure and order within the classroom environment to ensure our students have a well-balanced school day that includes academics and social time. A typical school day is divided into thirds, with lunch and nap time also included in the schedule. One-third of the day is spent engrossed in individualized learning (using unique hands-on Montessori materials) covering core curriculum topics such as: Math, Science, Language Arts, History, & Geography; one-third of the day is spent in a group setting participating in enrichment activities such as Art, Music, and FasTracKids; and one-third of the day involves outdoor and gross-motor play, mostly performed in our outdoor play area.

Preschool is an exciting (and crucial) time for a child's academic and social growth. This age sets the stage for the future. That is why we meet the needs of each child. Our classrooms provide a welcoming environment for discovery and exploration that will spark your child’s natural curiosity. Standout features within our classrooms include students learning from peers as well as the teachers, a unique reading program, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) curriculum, character education, and social development. Through hands-on, multi-sensory materials we foster a lifelong appreciation for learning. Additionally, students in these programs are exposed to enrichment activities like art, music & drama, foreign language, and more.

The Kindergarten program at Apple caps off the three-year cycle of Montessori education and is essential for leadership skills and solidifying your child’s educational foundation with special emphasis on building independence and confidence, solving interpersonal problems, developing a sense of discovery, collaborating with peers, and building on knowledge in the core curriculum areas.

Elementary (6 - 12 years, grades 1 through 6)

At our Wayne location, Apple students have the opportunity to continue their Montessori education through the sixth grade (age 12) with our prestigious Elementary program, which offers an unparalleled experience that prepares your child for happiness and success beyond their years in the classroom.

The Elementary years are a critical stage in your child's self-discovery and exploration of the world around them, and at Apple, we make learning intuitive and fun all the way through the Elementary program. The curriculum, classroom, faculty, and materials foster confidence, independence, passion, and a lifelong love of learning that sets students on the path to success in whatever comes next.

Previous research has shown that students who attend Montessori schools foster high levels of executive functioning skills like self-discipline, autonomy with learning, deep focus, critical reasoning, and problem-solving. The benefits are more than academic: by nurturing the whole child, we prepare them to be global citizens, leaders, and lifelong learners, not just better students.

Apple's Elementary program is based on the "Great Lessons" of Montessori: The Story of the Universe, The Coming of Life, The Coming of Humans, The Story of Language, and The Story of Mathematics. Through the Great Lessons, children gain an appreciation for the contributions of past generations in all that has been handed down to them in literature, math, the arts, science, and history. Students gain an understanding that the subjects they study in school are living bodies of knowledge. They come to realize that they, too, will someday contribute their skills and talents to this ongoing saga of human endeavor.

Lessons are active and hands-on, delivered in a supportive, respectful, and fun environment, addressing each child’s own needs. Children work to satisfy their own innate curiosity and passion for learning.

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Do you have questions? Reach out to our team or schedule a tour to learn more about our programs and what may be the best fit for your child!