At this stage, toddlers learn through sensorial exploration. They want to see, touch, hear, taste and smell everything! We provide learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. Villa Montessori’s Toddler classrooms offer extensive outlets for exploration in varied media such as painting, sculpting, light table discovery opportunities, music and movement, gardening and yoga. The Toddler environment is set up in such a way as to promote investigation, creativity and experimentation. At this stage, toddlers are just acknowledging there are others in their environment and they begin to learn how to cooperate through play.

At this age, children are challenged with trying to communicate their ideas and emotions. We give them the tools they need to navigate through this stage. Each child is treated as an individual, with their own ideas, expressions, and opinions. We provide outlets that represent the child’s many “languages.” These can include drawing, painting, sculpture, shadow play, dramatic play, scientific observations, gardening and music. We strive to know the child and develop the emergent curriculum to support their personalities.

Our program recognizes that children learn best by their own experiences. We offer a hands-on learning environment, rich with materials designed to engage their imaginations. It is important to us that our students focus on the process of learning, not the product. With this philosophy at the forefront of everything we do; education is not a rote memory exercise, it is a creative process. Often, we see true joy in learning from the child’s perspective. Our Montessori preschool programs emphasize critical thinking, problem solving and productivity, along with social and emotional growth.

Villa Montessori accredited full-day kindergarten curriculum includes units that combine language, math, art, science, geography, history and cultural studies. A low student/teacher ratio allows for highly personalized teaching. Because we are a Private Kindergarten accredited by AdvancED / Cognia, we are not bound by arbitrary ‘cut off’ dates. Any child at least 4.5 years old is eligible for our Private Kindergarten Program as long as they are able to meet our readiness criteria.

Villa Montessori offers a variety of after school care programs (ages 6-12). These programs include a carefully calculated balance of education, creative arts, and recreation – all of which takes place within a safe, nurturing environment. We call our program Young Leaders as we strive to develop independence and self confidence in each student. Students are presented with opportunities for learning, socializing and fun. Our integrated curriculum includes, among other things reading, cooking, music, foreign language, and art. Additionally, our programs include semi-monthly study themes, including current events, the environment, science (including experiments) world cultures, physical fitness and more. While doing homework, students have one-on-one teacher assistance, focusing on any subject that may require extra emphasis and/or reinforcement. Our private fleet of busses provides transportation to and from local elementary schools, which enables teachers and students to quickly establish a schedule and routine. We currently serve the following elementary schools: Goshen Post; Buffalo Trail; Liberty; Pinebrook