Kindergarten at Little City
Montessori Kindergarten is the final year of your child's three year learning community (for ages 3-6). Each year is purposeful and is often compared to building a house. In their first year, the three-year-old lays a foundation. At age four, they start to build the walls. By age five, the child is ready to secure the roof. The child keeps progressing by deepening their knowledge with new layers and each year is uniquely different.
Mixed Age Format
Being the oldest gives the child a sense of responsibility; kindergarteners serve as role models for younger students.
This inspires peer interactions to unfold naturally and opens their hearts to the needs of others.
Kindergarteners demonstrate leadership and citizenship skills by giving lessons and assisting with maintaining the classroom environment.
This consolidates their own learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered to their peers.
Kindergarten Student Led Conferences
Students present a student led conference to their parents in order to display all that they have learned and accomplished over the year.
Continued Access to More Advanced Materials
Kindergarteners have more time to take a “deep dive” in areas that interest them or in areas where they crave more support.
There are new learning materials since progression is sequential.
The students’ previous learning from working with concrete Montessori materials begins to become permanent knowledge.
Seasonal Hikes
Students explore Philadelphia’s natural surroundings through seasonal hikes in the Wissahickon.
Family Testimonials
We joined the Little City community the year it opened, which was our daughter's second year in the three-year Montessori cycle. We specifically sought out a Montessori education for her, so it was an easy choice to remain at Little City for kindergarten and have her complete the cycle. It really is amazing getting to watch your child go from learning a skill, to mastering a skill, to teaching a skill. She took great pride in her role as a kindergartner to lead and teach her younger peers. We saw this leadership at home with the patience and kindness she showed toward her younger sister. We were consistently blown away by the knowledge and skills she learned in kindergarten, too. She entered first grade with a basic understanding of all four math operations, writing sentences, and independently reading short books. She also carried with her practical life skills including sewing, tying her shoes, and preparing food. She was beyond prepared academically and emotionally to start first grade and made the transition to her new school with confidence and pride. When I asked her what she liked most about her kindergarten year, she answered emphatically, “everything!” -- Katie F.
Our daughter loved the kindergarten program at Little City. She liked all the special activities, outings, and lessons created especially for her and the other kindergarteners, which led to a close bond among the kids her age. She also enjoyed helping the teachers prepare the classroom and demonstrate lessons for the younger students. She has always liked responsibilities that challenge her and allow her to act more grown-up, and the teachers really encouraged that in her. By the end of the year she was making her own scrambled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches. She also took to needlepoint, sewing complicated and beautiful patterns she designed herself. As parents, we noticed a greater emphasis on traditional schooling during the kindergarten year. She began doing math and really enjoyed it. Her reading and writing skills improved a lot too. She now likes to write notes on her own that she leaves for us or gives to friends. So much of our daughter's success and happiness at Little City was thanks to her amazing teachers, who were always kind, patient, knowledgeable, and of course fun. Overall, the kindergarten year at Little City was a great time for our daughter, filled with lots of positive memories and valuable experiences that will stick with her for a while. —- John V.
We are so glad to have found Little City. They have been welcoming and supportive to our whole family. My child has loved this school from the first day and never looked back. They really know her and have given her the tools and skills to grow and learn with thoughtfulness and care. My child loves their recreational activities as well. The kindergarten program is thorough and excellent. My child is learning so much every day and always thinks of it as fun and not work. They include “work” and responsibilities and the kids feel important and think of chores and duties as pleasant and fun. The administration is very well organized and runs smoothly nearly all the time. They are just really on top of things and it makes a mom’s life so much easier. Everyone who works there seems happy to and to genuinely love their work. They always have a welcoming word and smile for everyone who walks through their doors. I really can’t say enough good things about this “Little” school! I wish it went past Kindergarten. -- Lhianna B.
When my child started Montessori preschool at age 2, we were not considering continuing through kindergarten given the option for free public education at that age. But ultimately, our experience at Little City was so great that we did not want to leave. It was impossible to walk away from the commitment, love and expertise we received from staff. The kindergarten year gave my child the chance to mature emotionally, focus on academic skills at a comfortable pace, and to build his confidence in a small supportive community. –-- Kristin S.
Our son loved his kindergarten year at Little City Montessori. He learned the value of being kind and respectful to others, in addition to advanced math, reading, and writing. The teachers and staff are not only the best at what they do, but are also fun and caring. The school works as a community to really develop responsibility and sensitivity in the students. —- Dimitrios M.
As parents, sending our daughter Little City was one of the best decisions we could have made for her. She truly found herself, her voice, her confidence, and so much more while attending this amazing school. All these things she's carried with her into primary school, and we were so thrilled (and relieved!) to see how prepared she was for her next chapter. A true testament to the level of care and attention the teachers and staff at Little City put into everything they do for their students. We always felt like a part of the Little City family, and despite Luna having "graduated", we will always feel the same way. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Little City to any parent looking for a school for their child to grow and flourish. Thank you Little City!. —- Justin C.
Like all parents, our Montessori experience started with Camille, a precocious two-year-old for whom we wanted the best. We didn't know much about Montessori at the time. However, It led to a paradigm shift in our thinking of what we thought a child is capable of regarding life skills, empathy, and love of learning. It also changed our style and word choices when we encouraged our daughter and validated her feelings, encouraging her to value her experiences and self-worth over external validation.
As an only child, the three-year Montessori cycle allowed our only child to learn from older children and teach her younger classmates as she became a more senior student. As a result, we have a strong reader who shared her love for books, and she fine-tuned those skills with her younger classmates by reading to them. In addition, we continue to see her express her Montessori experience through pretend play; she's the lead teacher in the pink room, which heavily imitates her class in the green room.
LCM exceeded our expectations. It impacted us as parents in the best possible way, giving us the tools to raise an active learner and an empathetic child with a kind heart. The teachers are true experts in all things Montessori. We are in touch and continue to get together with the friends we made, both former and current LCM families. —- Michele M.
