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Programs

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

Parent Child
The Parent Child program is designed to allow a child to explore the environment as the parent or caregiver observes.

Toddler
Emphasis in the Toddler 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 a three-year program inclusive of the Kindergarten year and for children ages 3-6 years.

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

Parent Child

Children must be between the ages of 6 and 23 months old.

2 days a week 1.5 hour class

Wednesday & Thursday 8:30am-10:00am

The Parent Child (PC) 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 Parent Child program are:

To foster the child’s development through his/her self-expression within the classroom environment.
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”.

Toddler

Children must be 2 years old by September 1st. Parents may choose between a longer or shorter day.

Toddler Half Day

5 days a week 8:15am – 11:30am

Toddler Half Day + Lunch

5 days a week 8:15am – 12:30pm

Toddler Full Day

5 days a week 8:15am – 3:00pm (children stay for lunch class and have an opportunity to nap)

The emphasis in the Toddler 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.

Children enrolled in our lunch program may bring their own lunch from home or purchase a catered lunch option for an additional fee. For more information on the lunch program, click here.

Toddlers enrolled in the Full Day Program will have an opportunity to nap following lunch.

Primary

Children must be 3 years old by September 1. Parents may choose between a longer or shorter day.

Primary Half Day

5 days a week 8:30am – 11:30am

Primary Half Day + Lunch

5 days a week 8:30am – 12:30pm

Primary Full Day

5 days a week 8:3oam – 3:00pm

The Primary Program is a three-year program inclusive of the kindergarten year and for children ages 3-6 years. Students in the program stay in the same Primary classroom for all three years, developing a stable and secure relationship with their teachers and peers.

In the Primary Half Day program, 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.

Children enrolled in our Primary Half Day + Lunch program may bring their own lunch from home or purchase a catered lunch option for an additional fee. For more information on the lunch program, click here.

The Primary Full Day program is available for 1st and 2nd year students in the Primary program.

After a morning spent with the children in their core program, the Primary Full Day children will gather together for lunch. Following lunch, they will spend the afternoon together. The program provides children 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. Children under 4 years of age are given an opportunity to rest.

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 8:30am - 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 for the past couple of years) (began in the Primary Program). 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.

At 11:30, the Kindergarten children gather to have lunch and begin the second half of their day. They spend the remainder of their day with their peers and a teacher guiding their Kindergarten learning. Students will receive advanced presentations in language, mathematics, geography, science, and handwriting. Additionally, enrichment programs such as Art, Spanish, and Drama will be introduced throughout the year.

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 Lunch program is available for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students enrolled in the Half Day Primary Program.

5 days a week 11:30 – 12:30pm

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

Since the children who stay for our Lunch Program are re-entering the classroom, they are expected to change their shoes as well as to hang their own backpacks and coats in their cubbies. To promote self-care, all children must wash their hands before setting up. Next, children are responsible for helping prepare the environment 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. First, children bring their placemat and napkin to the table they have chosen, as a way to define their individual lunch spot. They return to the shelf to gather the remaining necessary lunch ware.

Children who bring lunch from home are welcome to unpack their lunchboxes and prepare their plate at the table. Those who receive lunch from school return to the shelf to serve themselves. Teachers invite the children to make healthy and balanced food choices.

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?” After the teacher has excused the child, they first scrape their plates into the garbage, and are expected to wash their plate in the dish washing station. 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.

Once the dishes are done, children are responsible for sweeping their individual space. They check their spot at the table as well as the floor under their chairs. As the school year goes on, children begin to develop an awareness of their immediate and community surroundings. This prompts them to sweep the classroom, empty the garbage cans 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. This includes sharing a story, etiquette reminders or a fun activity.

2031 Elmwood Avenue

Wilmette IL 60091

847-256-2922

We are fully accredited by the American Montessori Society.