Walnut Montessori-Preschool Academy

Our environment is designed for the children to joyfully explore, learn at their own pace, and maximize their potential to be independent and thrive as individuals

We welcome you to one of the area's premier private schools. Our school offers Montessori Education as the foundation, along with the Common Core State Standard and the STEAM program.

Our curriculum offers daily, weekly, and monthly lesson plans to enrich each individual child's learning experience. We focus on all core learning areas, including language-based phonics, math concepts, and cultural arts. STEAM program is integrated to ensure and monitor the continued progress of your child.

We look forward to guiding your child through this crucial and critical period of development with love, care, and dedication within our safe and secure facility. We are confident that Walnut Montessori - Preschool Academy is where every child succeeds!

WHAT IS MONTESSORI EDUCATION?

Montessori is a scientific method of education developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, aimed towards educating children through self-directed activities in their prepared environment. It focuses on the whole child's physical, spiritual, social, mental, and emotional development and instills mindfulness, kindness, peace, and freedom within a prepared environment.

The Montessori classroom is orderly and organized to help the child develop a sense of order, explore, learn independently, stay calm, and be respectful and peaceful.

The Montessori curriculum includes areas of Practical Life which consist of exercises to enhance motor skills used in everyday life; Sensorial Education to explore the child's senses; Cultural Arts to learn about the world around them; Math to understand mathematical functions in concrete form; and Language to teach vocabulary, writing, and reading skills.

INFANT PROGRAM ( 6 weeks to 24 Months )

COGNITIVE

• Focusing on an object
• Remembering object's location
• Matching lids to pots
• Making a simple toy
• Identifying & finding specific objects
• Finding covered objects
• Matching shoes
• Tracking objects being moved
• Fitting nesting cups
• Putting on a glove

LANGUAGE

• Focusing on names of objects
• Naming parts of the face
• Naming parts of the body
• Identifying pictures of familiar objects in a book
• Adding sound effects to favorite stories
• Naming categories of objects
• Retrieving a hidden object
• Providing specific objects when requested
• Identifying objects from their description Introducing numbers

MOTOR

• Rolling over
• Grasping objects
• Developing the pincer grasp
• Introducing "in" & "out"
• Dropping object into a container
• Putting shapes in holes
• Practicing "in" & "out"
• Stacking assorted objects
• Pouring dry material from one container to another
• Pulling a hidden object out of a cylinder

SOCIAL

• Imitating facial expressions
• Anticipating
• Reaching out & touching
• Learning quiet-time exercises
• Recognizing simple songs
• Pulling an object back & forth
• Joining a rhythm
• Filling in words to a song
• Trying on hats
• Sharing treasure basket

SENSORY

• Following movement with the eyes
• Experiencing different food textures
• Experiencing different sounds
• Hearing different levels of sound
• Recognizing patterns
• Making different sounds with utensils
• Experiencing different fabric textures
• Gathering objects in nature
• Identifying containers with objects inside
• Experiencing "warm" & "cold"

PRACTICAL LIFE

• Introducing eating utensils
• Handling eating utensils
• Squeezing a sponge or cloth
• Crushing paper
• Ripping paper into strips
• Nose-wiping
• Using a spoon
• Pouring water
• Drinking out of a cup

TODDLER ( 12 weeks to 24 Months )

COGNITIVE

• Matching a cut-out piece and its outline
• Assembling a simple puzzle
• Matching geometric shapes
• Distinguishing same from different
• Tracing & matching shapes
• Matching numbers
• Identifying objects belonging to a specific group
• Looking at a sequence of events
• Focusing on a moving object
• Matching objects & pictures by concept

LANGUAGE

• Naming ten basic parts of the body
• Retrieving a named object
• Naming pictures in a book
• Naming colors in a color booklet
• Beginning basic counting
• Naming objects starting with the same phoentic sounds
• Naming & matching objects and cords
• Acting & taking away identical objects
• Practicing like phonetic sounds

MOTOR

• Sliding clothespins onto a rim
• Placing objects "in" & "out"
• Putting objects in & out of a pocket booklet.
• Placing & removing lids
• Unwrapping objects
• Picking up objects with magnet
• Putting pieces in & out of a puzzle
• Stringing objects
• Transferring objects using the pincer grasp
• Transferring from one container to another

SOCIAL

• Exploring treasure bags in a group
• Imitating facial expressions
• Passing on object back & forth
• Watching & imitating body movement
• Listening to & following directions
• Identifying & naming others
• Making music as a group
• Matching photos to people
• Sharing materials
• Recognizing feelings

SENSORY

• Identifying colors in color booklets
• Matching pairs of objects by color
• Identifying the 10 basic of the body
• Identifying objects by feel
• Taking a theme walk
• Matching objects by pattern and texture
• Working with modeling dough
• Identifying "loud" and "soft" sounds
• Identifying sources of sounds
• Identifying smells

PRACTICAL LIFE

• Unrolling & rolling op a work mat
• Wiping up spills
• Sorting & matching utensils
• Using cookie cutters to cut bread into shapes
• Sweeping up
• Self core
• Cutting soft food into pieces
• Serving food
• Pouring beverages into another container
• Setting place mats for meals

PRE-PRIMARY KINDERGARTEN ( 2 - 3 )

PRACTICAL LIFE

• Introduction to Classroom Environment
• Grace & Courtesy
• Control of Movement - Whole Hand Grasp
• Care of Person/Self

SENSORIAL

• Pink Tower
• Broad Stairs
• Long Rods
• Knobbed/Knobless Cylinders Combination
• Color Tablets I II III
• Touch Boards I II III
• Constructive Triangles
• Geometric Cabinet

LANGUAGE ARTS

• Sequencing Cards
• Matching Cards
• Pre-Writing Pencil Control
• Sandpaper Letters a - z
• Letter Tracing
• Name Tracing

MATHEMATICS

• Rote Counting
• Sandpaper Numbers
• Number Recognition
• Number Rods
• Number Tracing
• Pattern: Color, Size and Shape
• Classify: Same and Different

CULTURAL

• Botany
• Zoology
• Geography
• History

SCIENCE

• Heavy & Light
• Sinking & Floating
• Magnetic & Non-Magnetic
• Living & Non-Living

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

Walnut Montessori - Preschool Academy recognizes that the Fine Arts and physical fitness programs contribute to a healthier and stronger mind and body! Enrichment classes are included in our weekly curriculum at NO extra charge!

MUSIC: Our weekly music class is uplifting for children as well as calming, soothing, and comforting. Children learn rhythm, melody, and harmony while developing listening and memory skills. The children extend their vocabulary, which helps them to learn new languages and the meaning of words.

HIP HOP: Hip Hop dance is a fun and high energy class that gets the children grooving to upbeat music. This class introduces them to basic and advanced Hip Hop and other dance moves and techniques. Hip Hop is one of the most popular dance styles around the world. Dance inspires creativity & free expression while uniting cultures and generations.

BALLET: Children are introduced to ballet techniques and exercises, and they learn how to follow directions. The children learn basic vocabulary and ways of improving alignment & posture through ballet exercises to build balance, strength, coordination, and poise in a nurturing environment.

FITNESS: All students begin their day with yoga or a fitness class. Yoga teaches the children calming techniques for self-health, relaxation, and focus and develops self-confidence and fitness to promote growth and development. Both yoga and fitness classes help children with their flexibility.

SOCCER: Our weekly fun classes not only teach the ABCs of soccer - Agility, Balance, and Coordination but also teach teamwork and perseverance. Children are introduced to basic soccer skills, such as dribbling and kicking, and games that will lead them to skills and not "drills."

CONTACT US

Walnut Montessori-Preschool Academy

3457 South Nogales Street, West Covina, CA 91792

Phone: (626) 965-9060

Fax: (626) 965-9020

Open Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 6:30 pm

Email: [email protected]