According to Piaget (1962), play is critical to a child's development especially in cognitive development. Drama nurtures imagination, language proficiency, confidence, creative expression, and social skills such as cooperation. Introduce pantomime exercises where children use gestures, facial expressions, and body language to convey a story without speaking. This enhances their non-verbal communication skills. In addition, storytelling aids child in preparing for literacy skills, laying the foundation for reading and writing.Teachers will choose a simple story or fairy tale and have the children act out different roles. This helps them understand storytelling elements and improves their ability to express emotions.

Creative arts encompass a wide range of artistic expressions that encourage imaginative thinking, self-expression, and the development of various skills.

Here are some examples of creative arts activities for children.

Visual Arts
Painting with different mediums (watercolor, acrylics, finger paints)
Collage making with paper, fabric, and found objects.
Sculpting with clay or playdough.

Crafts
DIY crafts using recycled materials.
Origami and paper folding.
Beading and jewelry making.
Sewing and fabric crafts.

Nature Arts
Outdoor activities such as leaf and flower pressing.
Nature-inspired crafts using found objects.

Natura Montessori Academy understands that children are stimulated to learn through music and movement. Music and movement activities are excellent for promoting holistic development in preschoolers.

Here are some examples of music and movement for children.

Music/Songs
Play songs and have the children sing along and dance. This activity promotes hand and eye coordination and rhythm.

Introduce simple yoga poses accompanied by calming music. This activity promotes flexibility, balance, and a sense of calm.

Our 3 and 4-year-old students eagerly explore the world of gardening as they explore the wonders of nature. In the spring and summer, they actively participate in planting and nurturing our garden, they take care of the plants and crops. These activities instill a genuine sense of ownership and responsibility in them. This immersive experience allows the children to witness the captivating journey of a plant, from a tiny seedling to the flourishing stages of a vegetable, flower, or fruit. The entire process becomes a source of immense fulfillment and excitement for our young learners, sparking curiosity and a lifelong appreciation for the natural world.

Phonics is the method of teaching that emphasizes the relationship between the way letters and words look and how they sound. It prepares children for reading in the future.

Starting with recognition of phonemic parts in early childhood helps create an understanding that words are made of pieces. Focus more on the sounds associated with letters rather than learning the names of letters individually to make speaking, reading, and writing more organic.

We will be incorporating Montessori materials and method to teach phonics, Use Montessori materials like introduce the sounds of each letter using Sandpaper Letters and movable alphabets. Children can trace the textured letters with their fingers while saying the corresponding sounds, they can also practice writing on chalkboard and paper.