Winfield’s Preschool classrooms offer a relaxed and stimulating environment where children may learn at their own pace in a non-competitive fashion.

The results are a love of learning, a positive self-image, and a sense of
self-direction that forms a strong foundation for future growth. Basic Montessori curriculum areas around which the classroom is organized include Practical Life, Art, Sensorial, Language, Geography, Cultural Studies, Mathematics, Science, and Peace. In addition, the program includes a variety of enrichment activities that change throughout the year. The daily routine includes a minimum two-hour work time, group meeting time, snack, outdoor play, and lunch.

In the Children's House, the four classrooms are all mixed-age with 3-6 year olds in each room spanning all three years of the Early Childhood program.
The mixed-age arrangement is a hallmark of an authentic Montessori program, as it allows younger children to learn from the activities of older children, and providing the older children the opportunity to teach and nurture the younger child. Children remain in the same classroom for the entire time they are in the Children’s House, compounding their growth year over year in a familiar environment. Each age group provides an essential element to the classroom:

The 1st year students experience a classroom thoughtfully designed for them to embrace and develop their independence. They receive the benefit of close-age teaching from their older peers, and provide the 3rd years the opportunity to practice their leadership, as they help to guide their newest classmates through the lessons and routines of the classroom.

The 2nd years are provided an environment where they can practice being a role model, taking on a bit more responsibility, and building upon all of the work of the previous year. This is often a year where we observe tremendous growth, as they synthesize all of the things they have been absorbing, use their rapidly-developing skills to explore the classroom in great depth.

The 3rd years have a very important role as the leaders and role models of the classroom. The opportunity to teach their younger peers allows them to solidify the mastery of their learning - the depth of knowledge needed to teach something is even greater than what is needed to complete a task for themselves. A 3rd year Montessori child leaves the classroom confident in their knowledge, feels ownership of their own learning, and has formed a foundation that will serve them well in first grade and beyond.