Our students thrive at the Brooksfield Montessori Pre-School. When parents enroll their pre-school students at the Brooksfield School, they are placing their children in a safe and nurturing environment that will foster a love of learning for the rest of their lives. Our school emphasizes learning and creativity by combining play and social interactions. This focus is attributable to the Montessori Method, and our main goal is to set all of our students on the right path to transition into higher grades. We achieve this goal by introducing our students to new concepts and ensuring they have the skills to discover and understand new ideas on their own. We know our successes with our students are based on a methodology that creates not only good students, but great people. Read for more information about the Montessori Method, and how we use it to great success in our pre-school environment at the Brooksfield Montessori School.
The Montessori Method Forms Well-Rounded Pre-Schoolers
At the Brooksfield Montessori School, we take pride in the Montessori Method. It is the proven basis of success for our children. This success extends to both the classroom and the environments outside of it. Our method’s emphasis on cultivating adaptable and well-rounded people begins as early as the pre-school level.
The following are the basic focus areas of Montessori education. It all starts at an early age. The emphasis in these areas gifts our students the right tools to thrive, not just in a Montessori environment, but in any situation:
Academics: Pre-schools that employ the Montessori Method, research proves, have better academic outcomes than their peers later in life. One of the real strengths of Montessori education is the way that it prepares students for environments, including academic ones, outside of the Montessori classroom.
Social Awareness: The Montessori method equips students with social skills. The emphasis on traditional classroom metrics is decreased, and students are pushed to collaborate rather than compete. Montessori students are taught sensitivity and social maturity.
Maturity “Executive functions,” which are essential skills such as paying attention, shifting easily between tasks, and using self-control are emphasized in Montessori classrooms, and they create more mature students who excel later in life.
Autonomy The Brooksfield School fosters a child-directed method. Children are free to tailor their education to their interests. Engaging in self-directed learning provides our students, even at pre-school age, the chance to take ownership over their education.
Community At our school, children have the opportunity to make lifelong friends. Enrolling your child at the Brooksfield School gives students and parents alike access to an extensive and supportive network of like-minded people.
The Toddler Program Prepares Your Child for Kindergarten
After two years at the Brooksfield School, our younger students are primed to enter kindergarten, and we urge that they finish out their third year to complete the three-year cycle. Generally, the kindergarten year includes a significant social preparation element. We think it best to stick with the Montessori Method until our students are ready to enter the first or second-grade level. The third year of the pre-school cycle is when Brooksfield students are beginning to thrive in our system, and it is when they begin to share time and space with their younger classmates which we believe is highly beneficial to preparing them for entry into primary school and beyond. Along with this vital aspect of our toddler program, we open up their instruction to include many important aspects of our curriculum.
During the early school experience, we emphasize routine, care of self, care of the environment, and care of each other. We cover language, math, sensorial, manipulatives and gross motor skills, practical life skills, and creative lessons. Toddler have critical social and educational experiences at this age. Lessons include kind words, manners, sharing and expressing their emotions everyday. The age difference among fellow classmates allows them to use their imagination, creativity, and help one another for various tasks.
Take a look at our Toddler Program Schedule to get a better sense of how your young child’s day is structured by our program:
8:45-9:00 Arrival/Greeting
9:00-10:30 Montessori Work Time**, Snack Time
10:30-11:00 Outdoor Time
11:00-11:15 Circle Time
11:15-11:30 Transition for lunch (wash hands, bathroom, diapering)
11:30-12:00 Lunch Time
12:00-12:30 Outdoor Time
12:30-2:30 Naptime
2:45-3:00 Dismissal
3:00-5:55 Extended Day
Organic Gardening Nurtures Your Toddler
At Brooksfield School, we understand the connection between outdoor play and healthy physical and emotional development. Children who spend time outdoors, such as in organic gardens benefit from positive psychological and physical benefits. This important mind/body/nature connection provides vital physical and mental health because it leads to movement, sensory learning, and social growth. Gardening fosters a sense of teamwork and ownership in students, requiring children to work together to delegate tasks, problem solve, and share their harvest. In this way, children learn from each other’s experiences and develop social skills while working in the garden. This helps them develop confidence in themselves and their classmates as they work together toward a common goal.
The organic gardening program connects children to their food. Along the way, they learn about the importance of nutrition and how individual foods both positively or negatively affect their bodies. Because they have contributed to the garden and grown nutritious vegetables, children are likely to eat with a focus on nutrition. This is a big part of why our Organic Gardening program is an essential part of our curriculum. Not only are our students growing food, they are growing their futures.
Reach Out and Learn More About Our Pre-School Program!
You can visit our admissions page here to learn more about tuition costs for all of our programs. We would also love to hear from you to field any and all questions about these programs. We are proud of our standing in the McLean community, and we love working with parents, children, and the community for a bright future. We are located on five acres at 1830 Kirby Road, McLean VA, 22101. Please contact the admissions director for more information by calling 703-356-KIDS (5437). We look forward to being in touch!
