{"id":401,"date":"2017-01-24T13:59:46","date_gmt":"2017-01-24T13:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/?p=401"},"modified":"2017-01-24T13:59:46","modified_gmt":"2017-01-24T13:59:46","slug":"preschool-profiles-mcas-2%c2%bd-3%c2%bd-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/24\/preschool-profiles-mcas-2%c2%bd-3%c2%bd-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Preschool Profiles: MCA\u2019s 2\u00bd – 3\u00bd Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

To ring in the new year at The Montessori Children\u2019s Academy (MCA), we welcomed five new families to our 2\u00bd – 3\u00bd class at our Morristown campus. Despite their tender age, our seasoned MCA students gently welcomed these new friends, showing them around the classroom and modeling the manners and classroom guidelines that they have been learning and practicing since September.<\/p>\n

The 2\u00bd – 3\u00bd Program at MCA is designed for curious toddlers. Their classroom provides a miniature version of a full 3-6 Montessori prepared environment<\/a>. The tables, chairs, and shelves are scaled down for use by younger children and are just the right size for the students that use them! The majority of the lessons presented to students in this classroom focus on the Practical Life<\/a> and Sensorial curriculum areas, which Dr. Montessori considered to be the foundation for all of the traditional, academic subject areas.<\/p>\n

This post will give you a peek into one of MCA\u2019s 2\u00bd – 3\u00bd classrooms. To enter the 2\u00bd class, students must be 30 months old by September or January, depending upon campus availability. This program is available at all three of MCA\u2019s campuses, in Chatham, Morristown, and Short Hills.<\/p>\n

A Day in the Life of a 2\u00bd-Year-Old at MCA<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Structure of the day<\/em><\/h2>\n

As in a typical Montessori primary classroom, the school day is organized around the \u201cwork cycle\u201d. A work cycle is characterized by children using classroom materials independently and\/or receiving individual or small group lessons from a teacher. The work cycle is completed after the children have had ample time to explore the environment and work meaningfully with the materials. When all materials are put away on the shelves, the work cycle ends, and it is usually followed by free playtime on the playground. The work cycle in the 2\u00bd – 3\u00bd classroom is shorter than that in the 3-6-year-old classroom. Typically, the 2\u00bd-year-olds work for 1 to 1\u00bd hours, depending on their abilities and the larger school schedule.<\/p>\n

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Materials used<\/em><\/h2>\n

During the work cycle in a 2\u00bd – 3\u00bd Montessori classroom, you will observe children working with traditional Montessori materials and participating in many developmentally appropriate activities. In the Practical Life area of the classroom, you might find children learning how to button, zip, and snap by using the Montessori Dressing Boards. Or, they might be practicing setting a table or preparing themselves snack. In the Sensorial area, children are busy using the Montessori Knobbed Cylinders, Sound Cylinders, and Color Tablets, just to give a few examples.<\/p>\n

Basic Montessori Mathematics and Language materials, like Spindle Boxes and Sandpaper Letters and Numbers, are also a staple of the 2\u00bd classroom. As children master the materials available in the Practical Life and Sensorial areas, they progress into exploration of the more traditional academic subject areas. New materials are added as skills are gained, and the work changes and grows with the students.<\/p>\n

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Skills learned<\/em><\/h2>\n

Important non-academic skills are gleaned through the children\u2019s work in the 2\u00bd – 3\u00bd Montessori classroom. Toddlers exposed to this unique environment gain skills in the following areas of early childhood development:<\/p>\n