Bristow Montessori School. Bristow, VA 20136

Admissions of students without regard to race, color, gender, or religion

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Contact Us

703 468 1191

9050 Devlin Rd

Bristow, VA 20136

7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Monday to Friday

logo

Contact Us

703 468 1191

9050 Devlin Rd

Bristow, VA 20136

6:30 am - 6:30 pm

Monday to Friday

Pre-Primary Program

Respect

“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2016-03-14T15:19:08+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the […]

Concentration

“The first essential for the child’s development is concentration. The child who concentrates is immensely happy.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T14:52:19+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“The first essential for the child’s development is concentration. The child who concentrates is immensely happy.”

Natural Process

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T14:53:57+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by […]

Living Environment

“Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T14:55:43+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared […]

Education

“Education should no longer be mostly imparting knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentials.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T15:07:19+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“Education should no longer be mostly imparting knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentials.”

Growth

“Growth is not merely a harmonious increase in size, but a transformation.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T15:05:35+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“Growth is not merely a harmonious increase in size, but a transformation.”

Family

“BMS has been wonderful. BMS isn't just a school, they've also become like family. The staff genuinely cares about the children and we couldn't be happier with their services.”

- Parent of 4-year-old

2017-02-16T22:54:25+00:00

- Parent of 4-year-old

“BMS has been wonderful. BMS isn’t just a school, they’ve also become like family. The staff genuinely cares about the […]

Needs

“These words reveal the child’s inner needs; ‘Help me to do it alone’.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T15:04:43+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“These words reveal the child’s inner needs; ‘Help me to do it alone’.”

Love

“Of all things love is the most potent.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T15:02:42+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“Of all things love is the most potent.”

Smile

“We have two kids attending BMS and we all love it! We have been part of the BMS family for 3 years now. The staff is always available to answer questions and greet you at the door with a smile. Our kids are excelling in all categories, and way ahead of County school standards for their age. I highly recommend BMS to any parent who wants the best for their child.”

- Parent of 3 and 4 year-old

2017-02-16T23:00:52+00:00

- Parent of 3 and 4 year-old

“We have two kids attending BMS and we all love it! We have been part of the BMS family for […]

Work

“Such experiences is not just play…. It is work he must do in order to grow up.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T15:01:56+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“Such experiences is not just play…. It is work he must do in order to grow up.”

Guidance

“But an adult if he is to provide proper guidance, must always be calm and act slowly so that the child who is watching him can clearly see his actions in all their particulars.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T15:00:55+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“But an adult if he is to provide proper guidance, must always be calm and act slowly so that the […]

Kind

“My 2.5 year old started at BMS when she was only 4 months old, and I couldn't be happier with our decision to enroll her here. With every room my daughter transitions to the teachers are kind and truly care for her well-being. I would recommend this school to any parent without hesitation.”

- Parent of 5-year-old

2017-02-16T23:01:37+00:00

- Parent of 5-year-old

“My 2.5 year old started at BMS when she was only 4 months old, and I couldn’t be happier with […]

Independance

“Little children, from the moment they are weaned, are making their way toward independence.”
photo of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori

2017-01-27T14:58:13+00:00

Dr. Maria Montessori

photo of Dr. Maria Montessori
“Little children, from the moment they are weaned, are making their way toward independence.”

Pre-Primary Program

Children 2-3 years

In the Pre-primary Program at BMS, we aim to turn your child’s natural curiosity into positive learning experiences. This program takes advantage of the child’s natural drive to act independently. We utilize exercises and activities so children can learn by doing. It is during these first few years of life that the roots for a love of learning are established. Dr. Montessori recognized the sensitivities of this age in the areas of independence, order, movement and language as the key elements in the child’s growth and development during this period.

For many children this is their first experience separated from their primary care giver. Care is given to assist the young child and parent in handling separation and in making this a positive and healthy experience. A typical day for your child would consist of individual indoor work time, snack time (a favorite of most), outdoor playtime, music, reading stories, lunchtime, nap time and other enrichment activities.

In this language-rich environment, teachers support and guide children as they explore order and disorder, and refine their emerging motor skills.

The aim of the pre-primary program is to accomplish the following:

  • Evolving from 2-year old children playing and working next to one another other to 3-year old children playing and working with one another
  • Facilitating drivers to catalyze a natural sense of exploration and curiosity
  • Sewing the seeds for self confidence and greater independence
  • Aiding in the potty training process
  • Focusing on fundamental language and communication skills
  • Introducing the root elements of the 3-6 year old Primary Program
  • Learning the skills that will develop independence and preschool readiness

“The development of the child during the first three years after birth is unequaled in intensity and importance by any period that precedes or follows in the whole life of the child.”

– Maria Montessori

Pre-Primary Specialist Teaching Tools & Concepts

The Pre-Primary curriculum introduces several elements that will later be a focus in the 3-6 year Primary program:

Practical life: Precise movements and sequences developed doing practical activities and daily living objectives to help strengthen motor skills and concentration. In practical life they will experience real life situations and activities including: learning to zip, button, mix, and pour liquids. The practical life area includes assisting toddlers in the following as well: eating by themselves, drinking from a cup, grooming and toilet learning, cleaning, caring for plants and animals, food preparation and grace and courtesy.

Sensory: The sensory area allows children to use their senses to learn about the world. Identifying and putting names to the senses of sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell, help children develop formative knowledge of the real which is the basis for understanding abstraction later. Many of these materials are building blocks for further analysis and reasoning in the pre-primary program. In this classroom, a child can learn to distinguish different heights, lengths, weights, colors, sounds, smells, shapes, and textures.

Mathematics: Mathematical abstraction is mastered by manipulating the concrete, building, sequencing, and puzzling.

Language: From a solid basis in spoken language, reading and writing are developed using a variety of tactile materials. Language activities and materials increase vocabulary and conversational skills. Language Enrichment is another important area of learning for the children. These lessons give children the words they need to express themselves. They also associate names to all they see in their environment. The language skills are practiced through a variety of fun and engaging activities such as stories, poems, songs, picture cards, and even daily conversation.

Cultural Studies: World geography and peoples are explored through such materials as maps, flags, water and land forms, presentations and books.

Integrated Art and Music: Visual, audible and expressive arts are incorporated into daily classroom activities. Art and music are approached from a skills based perspective. Children can freely choose cutting, gluing, painting, magic markers, or clay. Listening to music of all varieties helps children develop an ear for music as well as more formal instruction on rhymes, moving to music and practicing duplicating rhythms. These fundamental concepts are introduced to children in the pre-primary program as building blocks to nurture curiosity and instill self confidence in each child.

Pre-Primary Classroom Environment

A child, in early development, first needs love, nurturing, comfort, understanding and empathy to respond. He then needs information, logical limits, degrees of freedom and fundamental support from his teachers and school caretakers.

This is what Bristow Montessori School strives to achieve for all its children, but the balance is most crucial in the pre-primary environment. Children of this age need a human and adaptable environment that responds to the individual child’s needs. The BMS pre-primary environment will include the following:

  • Classroom materials are always accessible, attractive, safe, and geared for a child’s success
  • Activities are changed regularly in response to children’s need for variety and challenge as they grow and learn
  • A safe, loving and gentle atmosphere that puts children and parents at ease and makes for a trusting, spontaneous transition to school
  • Teachers who work with children that have knowledge of how to nurture and to assist and distinguish between the assisting and the need to withdraw and stand back with confidence in the child’s abilities
  • Furniture and materials are custom-sized to allow for the maximum exploration and development of the senses. The environment is modified as the child grows emotionally, physically, and intellectually
  • Various multi-sensory, sequential, and self-correcting Montessori materials to facilitate learning. Materials for eye-hand coordination such as threading, bead stringing, cubes on pegs, spheres on horizontal pegs, puzzles, gluing, folding; and various practical life exercises, coloring, painting and cooking projects
  • Space for movement, space for individual work, and space for group activities
  • Access to a variety of opportunities for children to jump, climb, balance, or skip, through song and dance movement or outdoor activity