Our environments naturally enrich and promote the young child’s language development. Through scientifically designed activities, games, and materials, the children absorb sounds and symbols, enabling the very young child to begin the process of writing, followed later by reading. At Rock Creek, the Montessori child is:

• Surrounded with advanced vocabulary in English and Spanish

• Given freedom to engage responsibly in conversation with their peers.

• Engaged in daily, purposeful techniques backed by modern concepts like Science of Reading

• Supported as children have been for over a century by authentic Montessori pedagogy.

Dr. Montessori designed scientifically and mathematically accurate, concrete materials that allow children to understand and work with otherwise abstract math concepts. Through the authentic Montessori approach of our program, each child can begin to develop a love of numbers, problem-solving strategies, computational skills and confidence in using numbers in everyday life.

At Rock Creek, the Montessori child:

• Develops a strong grounding in Numbers 0-10.

• Engages with materials which enable counting to 1,000!

• Explores the decimal system.

• Begins to work with the four operations around the age of 4-5!

• Discovers materials which represent quantities up to the millions by the age of 6!

Dr. Montessori observed through her research that children ages 0-6 are highly engaged in activities that satisfy their senses. Further, she observed that “The hand is the tool of the mind,” discovering the hand-eye-brain connection of holistic learning long before modern science could prove such theories! Through our sensorial materials, we provide children with the “keys to the universe,” helping them refine their perception of the 5 senses. At Rock Creek, the Montessori child will:

• Discover and explore size, shape, and color through engaging, scientifically-accurate materials.

• Explore texture through purposeful materials that secretly prepare their hands for successful writing!

• Gain nuanced language to describe sensorial qualities of smell, taste, sound, touch, and sight, which supports their ability to communicate and express their observations, feelings, and experiences throughout their day.

Children from 0-6 are on a mission to adapt and learn what it means to be a part of their world. They have a deep desire for “functional independence,” the ability to do things for themselves. As Dr. Montessori observed, providing the children with the skills to care for themselves, their environment, learn how to coexist in a group, and control their movements are essential skills for helping the children experience independence, freedom, and a joyful childhood! At Rock Creek, children:

• Gain foundational skills like pouring, scooping, opening and closing boxes, and using a sponge.

• Practice clothing independence through dressing frames, learning to use zippers, buttons, snaps, laces, safety pins, and tie bows.

• Engage in complex activities like washing tables, windows, arranging flowers, sweeping and dusting, and caring for plants.

• Experience dramatic play activities to learn positive social skills such as greeting, apologizing, offering comfort, and asking for/granting consent for hugs and sharing.

Dr. Montessori and modern scientists agree: the ages of 0-6 are the period of absorbing language, and children who are exposed to more than one language experience heightened brain capacity, neurological connections, and also experience a more global mindset later in life. At Rock Creek, children:

• Engage in rich dialogue with adults in both English and Spanish

• Language lessons provided to children are complemented by our Spanish-speaking Assistants, allowing children to learn vocabulary in two languages.

• Experience written Spanish as well as English as they advance into writing and reading later in their time at Rock Creek

• Gain cultural appreciation for diversity through experiencing a bilingual environment.

Through our art, music, language, and sensorial expression activities, children develop their creative imagination free from an adult’s critique, approval, or praise. Children are given the tools to decide how and what they wish to express. The Montessori pedagogy believes this is an essential aspect of a child’s development into an independent, free-thinking, self-confident, and empowered adult. At Rock Creek, the Montessori child will:

• Be free to create multi-media art that expresses their unique perspective and exploration.

• Hear the sound of beautiful music they create using our state of the art “Bells,” which provide a sensorial foundation to fundamentals of music theory such as pitch, notes, the musical staff, and playing of melodies.

• Gain the words necessary to express their needs, wants, feelings, and imagination through writing exercises as young as 3-4 years of age, Grace and Courtesy lessons, and hearing and telling True Stories!

• Create and discover patterns and designs using sensorial materials, further supporting their development of their artistic sense and taste.

In the artwork, music, pictorial materials, books, and stories curated in our environments and hallways, Rock Creek Montessori centers the creation of an environment which serves as both a “Mirror” and a “Window” for the children we serve. The environments we prepare feature materials and representations which support each and every child being seen and represented, while also revealing to children the richly diverse and beautiful mosaic of our Human family. At Rock Creek, the Montessori child will:

• Hear and read stories about a variety of people, places, and experiences suited to their age level.

• See images which depict joy, beauty, and love between and for all people, in hopes that they will develop those same feelings for the world in their adult life.

• Feel the assurance of a school community committed to supporting each child and family in finding a sense of Belonging and Inclusion when they arrive in our environments.

Dr. Montessori believed it essential that children develop and appreciate a global awareness that includes plants, animals, human life, and the non-living environment. Living a life framed by wars, intolerance, injustice, and fascism, Dr. Montessori created beautiful, inviting materials such as the Montessori globes, puzzle maps, and geography folders to show children lovely images of the Earth and all things which dwell upon it, in hopes that the children of today would become the Peacemakers of tomorrow. In this spirit, at Rock Creek, the Montessori child will:

• experience beautiful maps of the world to explore and learn the names of continents, countries, and oceans.

• explore curated images of human cultures from around the world, tracing common themes which unite various people groups together and how those groups satisfy their needs.

• Explore activities such as the botany cabinet and flower arranging to develop a love for the plant kindom.

• Observe and learn about animals in their outdoor environments to appreciate the unique life which surrounds our homes and school.