PRIMARY OVERVIEW & SCHEDULE

Overview

The Primary program at Creative Care Children’s Center serves children 3-6 years old. With 20 children and two teachers it offers a warm, enriching environment.

The Primary program prioritizes working with the children on developing strong self-esteem, social skills, independence, responsibility and a base for learning that will support their future academics.

EARLY MORNING 
Arrival time for our students is between 7:00 and 8:30am. The early morning time is spent in greetings, conversation and quiet free play. This time is of utmost importance to the flow of the rest of the day since each individual child’s importance in our community is affirmed.

MORNING SCHOOL PROGRAM 
A morning in the Primary class includes a morning breakfast/snack, group time, individualized work time and outside play. Class time is from 8:45-11:45 Monday through Friday. The classroom environment includes areas in practical life, sensorial, language, math, science and geography. Children are encouraged to follow their interests and explore new concepts.

On a whole the classroom materials help to strengthen concentration, small muscle coordination, sequence of steps in a complex activity and completion of an activity. These skills are paramount in succeeding in future academic endeavors. The activities and interactions help each child strengthen self-esteem and develop independence, responsibility and respect for the things and people around them. The specific areas of the classroom answer to the parts of a child’s development that are so strong for these ages.

Class Time

• Practical life offers practice in life skills. Pouring, sewing, scrubbing, tying, zipping and food preparation are among the activities done daily in Practical Life.
• Sensorial materials help a child recognize and become familiar with skills of the senses. Size gradation, color recognition and shade grading, shape identification, patterning and sorting all are presented to help children understand the world around them.
• Language materials include activities in pre-reading such as matching, classifying, rhyming, sequencing and sound recognition as well as reading activities from listening for beginning sounds in words and phonetic word building to whatever level of reading a child may achieve.
• Math activities help the children grasp an understanding of number concepts in their world. Presented with a hands on approach the materials are created to be manipulated as the children learn through their sense of touch as well as sight and hearing what number concepts mean.
• Science and geography lessons help children find an appreciation of and connection to the world as a whole. From learning the continents of the world to the parts of a reptile a child develops a greater respect for and connection to the world as his understanding grows. Montessori wanted children to be “world citizens” and as they gain knowledge they find it easy to live this dream.

Daily outside time
Fresh air & exercise is a part of the primary child’s routine. The outside environment offers opportunities for seeing in the world what we learn in the classroom, playful social interaction and participation in games and projects. Along with the need to release enthusiastic energy and the ever-developing gross motor skills of children of this age outside time is thoroughly enjoyed by all.

AFTERNOON 
Lunch
Catered lunches are provided for all children and the cost is included in tuition. These are hot lunches with balanced meals made with natural and organic foods containing no additives or preservatives. Our catering company also provides alternate meals for children with food restrictions due to medical (including vegetarianism) or religious reasons.

Rest
Naptime is after lunch, starting with reading to the children and quiet activities provided for children who do not require daytime sleep after a period of rest.

End of the Day Activities
After nap times is spent with supervised free play, crafts, games and additional outside time. The staff is sensitive to needs of children spending extended hours in group living, and help each child to find the blend of social and individual activities that is best for him.

Extended Evening Care
Creative Care Children’s Center includes as an extension of it’s Primary program from 5:30 to 6:00. This time is available at an additional charge for children requiring a little longer evening care.

During this period of a child’s life when they are highly sensitive to all areas of learning, we offer them the variety and richness of experiences to start their educational experience with enthusiasm and confidence.