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Programs

Click on the images or program titles below to jump to a specific section:

Infant Toddler Program

The Infant Toddler program is designed to allow a child to explore the environment as the parent or caregiver interacts and observes their child.

Two's

Emphasis in the Two's program is placed on helping the young child develop coordination, body image and awareness, a sense of order and concentration.

Primary
The Primary Program is for children aged 3-6 years.

Kindergarten
The Kindergarten Program is part of the Primary program for children ages 5-6 years.

Infant Toddler Program

Children must be between the ages of 3 months and 23 months old.

2 days a week 1 hour 45 minutes

9 week sessions (Fall, Winter, Spring)

The Infant Toddler Program is designed to allow the child to explore the environment while the parent or caregiver observes. The program was created to help parents share in the joy of their child's discoveries as they watch them develop.

The program is made up of two components: class time for the parent and child, and a parent education series.

Parents will have an opportunity to learn more about the Montessori approach, discuss common parenting topics, determine their role in the classroom, and have questions from class time answered. Parent Education Series dates are determined by the teacher at the beginning of the year. Parents attend without their children.

The goals of the Infant Toddler Program program are:

To foster the child’s development through his/her self-expression within the classroom environment.
To support independence and to provide opportunities for positive separation.
To give parents a better understanding of Montessori as a way of life for their children.

The Montessori prepared environment for the young child promotes the child’s growth in the following areas:

Motor development (large and small)
Language development (receptive and expressive)
Socio-emotional development

The parent’s understanding of the children’s development will be cultivated as they observe the children in the environment, participate in discussion groups, and use other RKMS resources. Areas of focus may include:

Understanding developmental stages and appropriate activities to encourage such development.
Practicing and refining observation skills.
Developing a Montessori “way of life”.

Two's Program

Children must be 2 years old by September 1st. Parents may choose between our half day and full day programming.

Half Day Two's Program

5 days a week 8:30am – 11:30am (children go home for lunch)

Full Day Two's Program

5 days a week 8:30am – 3:00pm

The emphasis in the Two's program is placed on helping the young child develop coordination, body image and awareness, and a sense of order and concentration. Children in the program gain independence and confidence as they learn how to take care of themselves and their environment. The classroom encourages large and small motor development, supports language skills, and engages children in social and emotional growth.

In addition, the program provides nurturing support during a gradual separation from home to school. The child begins to develop inner discipline in relation to their peers, adults, and environment. They also gain a sense of belonging and contributing to a community that includes, and is greater than, their own loving family.

Children have opportunities to learn pre-math and language skills such as sounds, counting, and sequencing. Along with preliminary academics, toddler children also practice daily life skills such as preparing their own snacks, using the toilet, and navigating peer relationships outside of family members.

The Full Day Program includes snacks and a hot catered lunch. Following lunch the children will nap or rest on low cots.

Primary

Children must be 3 years old by September 1. Parents may choose between our half day and full day programming.

Primary Half Day + Lunch

5 days a week 8:15am – 12:30pm

Primary Full Day

5 days a week 8:15am – 3:00pm

The Primary Program is for children ages 3-6 years. Students in the program are developing a stable and secure relationship with their teachers and peers.

Children gain confidence in their abilities through repeated successes, build independence as they practice and master life-skills, fine-tune their small and large motor muscles to refine their coordination, and learn order and sequencing to later complete complex math problems or write a story.

Language, Math, Science, and Geography are the academic areas of the classroom that children work in each day. Additionally, children form and shape their social-emotional skills as they practice working both independently and in small groups, learn how to problem-solve with their peers, and lend a hand when others need help.

One of the goals of the Primary program is to help the child develop a positive and respectful attitude toward self, others, and the process of learning. Our well prepared physical, social, and cognitive environments are key to helping each child in the task of building themself.

Through skilled observation, trained teachers discover each child’s unique needs and design the environment to meet them, as well as guide them appropriately. Each child is viewed as an individual who has their own way of learning.

The multi-age classroom contains an abundance of concrete, manipulative Montessori materials maintained in an orderly, clean and attractive manner. These materials, which reflect reality and nature, enable the child to organize their perceptions of the world. The materials are available for all children in the classroom to explore at their own pace. The materials are structured and presented to enable independent or group activity and to allow freedom of choice and movement based on each child’s interest.

The Full Day Program includes snacks and a hot catered lunch. Following lunch the children who are in their 1st year in the primary program will nap or rest on low cots. All other children in the full day program will be provided with opportunities for extended learning and exposure to the materials.

The children enrolled in the program will hone their problem-solving skills, explore their intellectual curiosity, and further develop their social-emotional skills.

Kindergarten

Children must be 5 years old by September 1st to enroll; faculty and administration review and decide upon exceptions.

Full Day Kindergarten Program

5 days a week 8:15 am - 3:00pm

The Kindergarten program is the culmination of the multiyear Primary Program. At Ronald Knox, we firmly believe the kindergarten year of the Primary Program is of the utmost importance. This year completes the cycle of learning and development that the child has been working towards during their whole time at RKMS. Being one of the oldest in the room, the child experiences a year of tremendous growth in self-confidence and self-esteem.

Students enrolled in the Kindergarten Program begin their day in their Primary classroom. In Montessori, children traditionally spend the morning in the same classroom for all years in the Primary Program, developing a stable and secure relationship with their peers and teachers.

They will gain confidence in their abilities through repeated successes, build independence as they practice and master life skills, fine-tune their small and large motor muscles to refine their coordination, and learn order and sequencing to later complete complex math problems or write a story.

Children form and shape their social-emotional skills as they practice working in small groups, learn how to problem-solve with their peers, and lend a hand when others need help.

Children enrolled in Kindergarten will have additional enrichment programs. Students will collaborate on group projects, learn to work as a team, and explore individual areas of interest in-depth with the support of a teacher, which will further develop their confidence and independence. Field trips and special presentations will further enhance kindergarten learning.

Students will benefit from an uninterrupted flow of learning that lasts the whole day at Ronald Knox, combining both the benefits of the multi-age Montessori classroom in the morning with the peer-intensive directed learning of a tailored Kindergarten program in the afternoon.

Lunch Program

The purpose is to provide children with an opportunity to extend the Montessori experience to mealtime. Each child works toward grace and courtesy, as well as increases their awareness of good nutrition and practice healthy lifestyle.

Setup

The children are responsible for helping prepare the environment for mealtime, by replacing clean placemats, napkins, as well as the silverware onto the lunch shelf. Once our community lunchroom is setup, children are invited to prepare their own space. This is a process which promotes order and routine.

Children have the choice to bring lunch from home or they can have the hot catered lunch. There is no prorated tuition or additional cost for this time of day. There will be more details provided after you enroll for the year.

Community Lunch

Once all the children have prepared their spots and their meals, we sing the “Community Song” as a way to foster social etiquette and unity:

Look around and you will see
Community, a family,
We are brothers and sisters too.
Thank you for our lunch and enjoy!

During this time, children are encouraged to converse with their peers in a peaceful manner.

Clean Up

When children have finished eating, they place their napkin onto their plate to indicate that they are ready to clean up, and ask, “May I please be excused?” As a way to further develop community and consideration for others, the older children are sometimes asked to help their younger peers with clean up.

As the school year goes on, children begin to develop an awareness of their immediate and community surroundings. This prompts them to become aware when the classroom needs to be swept, garbage cans emptied and deliver laundry so that it can be washed.

Gathering at the Rug

Once the classroom has been cleaned and is prepared for the next part of the day, the children gather for a group activity if they are in full day, and half day students prepare to go home at 12:30pm.

2031 Elmwood Avenue

Wilmette IL 60091

847-256-2922

We are fully accredited by the American Montessori Society.