Providing Learning Programs to Infants and Toddlers
INFANTS
The Spell Well Montessori Infant program is located in a separate building that accommodates children of ages 6 weeks to 18 months. The safety, health, and happiness of our students are our top priorities. Each classroom is equipped with age-appropriate materials to enhance the growth and development of our students. Teachers sit on the floor to interact with the children at eye level.
Young children are learning all the time, and our teachers help the children as they learn to walk, talk, feed themselves, and interact with others. The teachers observe and listen to each child, so they can respond to the child's needs. By communicating and interacting, the teacher can help the child develop early language skills.
TODDLERS
At Spell Well Montessori School toddler class typically includes children of ages 18 months through 2 years old. Often children of this age are attending school for the first time, and their safety and happiness are our top priorities.
The curriculum includes practical life, sensorial, language, math concepts, and music. Children learn letters and letter sounds, numbers, shapes, colors, sizes, and more. Practical life and sensorial work help the children refine their fine-motor skills, and they learn by exploring the materials.
Children at this age with the help of their teachers are shown by example how to do things for themselves, such as getting a rug to work on, choosing their own work from shelves, using the bathroom, washing hands, and feeding themselves. Teachers work closely with parents to support toilet-training when the child is ready.
Teachers help students feel safe and loved so that they can devote their energy to learning and socialization.
DISCOVERERS
The Discoverers is a Pre-Primary Montessori class. The curriculum covers math, science, language, and sensorial learning with a key focus on practical life lessons. Practical life lessons are designed to help students develop and care for themselves, the environment, and each other.
The Discoverers program at Spell Well Montessori School fosters the fulfillment of our students' highest intellectual potential. The Montessori method is effective because it enables the teachers to work with the children on an individual and group level. The lesson plans are continual and specific to the academic needs of each child.
Dr. Maria Montessori developed what she called “the prepared environment”, among its features is an ordered arrangement of learning materials in a non- competitive atmosphere that helps each child develop at his /her own pace, while acquiring good work habits. Although the teacher prepares the environment and creates stimulating activities and is a reference model for the child, but it is the child who learns through the work itself, and is free to learn because s/he has acquired an “inner discipline”.
These habits of concentration and perseverance established in early childhood produces a confident child eager to explore and learn.
PIONEERS
This Primary Montessori program's curriculum covers sensorial, practical life, math, language, science, and geography. In math, students learn geometry, addition, and subtraction. The language curriculum is a phonics-based system. Students learn to read phonetically by beginning with the sensory-based phonetic reading program. In science, we cover life sciences, physical science, botany, and anatomy. Science is taught with hands-on experiments and activities.
In Geography, we introduce not only the location on the map, but also the people, culture, food, music, and other information about the continents.
We provide and emotionally safe and nurturing, developmentally appropriate environment guided by basic tenets of Montessori philosophy.
EXPLORERS
This is Spell Well Montessori School's Primary Montessori program. The curriculum covers sensorial, practical life, language, math, science, and geography. We emphasize a great deal on reading and math because these are the basis of all learning later in life.
The language curriculum is a phonics-based system. Students learn to read phonetically by beginning with the sensory-based phonetic reading program. The math curriculum includes geometry, addition, and subtraction. In science, we cover life sciences, physical science, botany, and anatomy. Science is taught with hands-on experiments and activities. When teaching geography, we introduce not only the location on the map, but also the people, culture, food, music, and other information about the continents.
We are dedicated to help a child build a solid foundation for learning so that the child can reach to the best of his/her potential and achieve their personal best.
ELEMENTARY
The Spell Well Elementary program is accredited from first through sixth grade with mixed age groups in the Adventurers and Innovators classrooms.
Areas of study include language arts, reading, a weekly spelling test, grammar, mathematics, geometry, pre-algebra, botany, astronomy, zoology, history, geography, art, and physical education. The elementary curriculum is the bridge from the concrete to the abstract. Children experience all areas of study using hands-on materials and individualized lessons.
The elementary child is learning to be inquisitive and learns the answers to questions through investigation and research while enhancing technological skills, which incorporate each student's personal interests.
Technology and computer skills are taught using laptops and having access to our computer lab.
Interactive workbooks are used, allowing textbook content and homework access over the internet. Technology is taught without losing the art of handwriting and cursive writing.
Spell Well Montessori school offers enrichment lessons included in the curriculum with a certified Spanish teacher, physical education teacher, and dance, ballet, and music program.
We have the standardized Iowa testing in place for our students annually. The Montessori method stresses on gaining mastery of academic subjects, and comprehensive progress reports are given. National testing can also help parents get information about percentage rates of other students in the same grade across the nation. The majority of our students score one to two grade levels ahead.
SUMMER
The summer program at Spell Well Montessori school continues the Montessori program while adding special summer activities and outings.
The Navigators, Adventurers, and the Innovators enjoy field trips, gymnastics, arts & crafts, and other fun activities. Our summer program includes hands-on educational camps.
Pioneers and Explorers enjoy on-campus field trips, recreational activities, arts & crafts, and many other fun activities.
Toddlers and younger children enjoy arts & crafts as well as many other on-site activities, including Splash Day.
Summer-camp registration for 2023 begins, May 2023.
COLLABORATORS
We have grown since our inception in 1984. Ms. Jehan’s (the founder) vision has been to provide the children best education with love. Her Motto has been “We give children knowledge with love”. No matter the age of the child, at our school our kindhearted teachers, patiently guide each child to learn, explore and enjoy gaining knowledge. Basic values such as responsibility, integrity, peacefulness, compassion, and an appreciation of the value of work are modeled at our campus. These habits of concentration and perseverance established in early childhood produce a confident learner later in later years. We value diversity in our student population and respect each child’s religious, racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic background.
ADVENTURERS
At our school, we have a school culture that emphasizes cooperation and caring, rather than competition and favoritism Our educators solve problems by collaborating and learning together. Through elementary and middle school years , children in an environment based on Montessori philosophy and principles acquire a strong academic and emotional base, allowing the children to grown to become adults who value work ethics, integrity, honesty and respect for self and for their community, and world around them.
Innovators
In the Innovators children have freedom of choice and movement, independence, and repetition, as repetition creates new neural pathways. Our students use technology to do research and write report. They write journals, putting their thoughts on paper. Routines and rituals of a Montessori classroom builds trust, predictability, consistency, and order.
Intellectuals
Through elementary and middle school years , children in an environment based on Montessori philosophy and principles acquire a strong academic and emotional base, allowing the children to grow and become adults who value work ethics, integrity, honesty and respect for self and for their community, and world around them.
We are dedicated to the Montessori philosophy of education and to the importance of continuing to integrate new technology. Finally, we strive to provide a holistic experience to our students that educate them cognitively, morally, socially, and emotionally. Our goal is to create lifelong learners in increasingly complex information-based society. Our Intellectuals program prepares children to face the challenges they will encounter in their high school year, and successfully achieve their dreams.