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Come Grow With Us

Est. in 2002, our small Montessori school offers an individualized program that provides a natural learning environment.

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About Us

Our Program

StoryBook Hollow Montessori School offers an individualized program that "follows the child". Our Montessori preschool and kindergarten was established in 2002 to provide a natural and stimulating learning environment guided by the educational philosophy of Maria Montessori. She developed many special materials that help children teach themselves in a very concrete, hands-on manner. They are specially designed to hold the interest of children between the ages of 2 and 6. The Montessori teacher uses these materials to present engaging lessons at the appropriate time to satisfy the unique developmental needs of each child.

StoryBook Hollow Montessori School accepts children from 2 through kindergarten for full day and extended day schedules. Tours of the Montessori school are offered by appointment, Monday through Thursday. Registration is available year-round based on availability. Feel free to call or send us an email if we can provide you with additional information. We hope you find StoryBook Hollow Montessori School the perfect place for your child's most important early years.

Our Mission

The mission at StoryBook Hollow Montessori School is for children to discover a passion for learning and a joy for newly discovered independence as they work with others in the family-like community of a Montessori environment. The thoughtful, child-centered curriculum fosters self-motivation, confidence and empathy for one another. We instill tolerance, thoughtfulness, consideration, responsibility and celebrate the differences in others as we encourage each child to express themselves with purpose, passion, and vision.

Environment

Intimate classrooms are overflowing with stimulating activities that encourage learning. Qualified and loving staff members facilitate both social as well as academic growth.

Large leafy trees shade a spacious playground. Play structures and a bike path provide plenty of opportunity for outdoor exploration. Socialization is encouraged and easily achieved in this friendly environment. At our park-like setting on 2.4 acres, StoryBook Hollow offers the perfect alternative to traditional preschool, daycare, and before/after school childcare. We are conveniently located between Billings and Laurel off of South Frontage Road.

Montessori Method

10 Benefits of a Montessori Preschool

1. Focuses on Key Developmental Stages

2. Encourages Cooperative Play

3. Learning is Child-Centered

4. Children Naturally Learn Self-Discipline

5. Classroom Environment Teaches Order

6. Teachers Facilitate the Learning Experience

7. Learning Method Inspires Creativity

8. May be More Effective in Developing Certain Skills

9. System is Highly Individualized to Each Student

10. Curriculum is Focused on Hands-On Learning

Why should you send your child to a Montessori school?

Montessori is education, not nursery school. The best time to start your child's education is during the early years, 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 years is when most of a child's intelligence and social characteristics are formed. 50% of a child's mental development occurs before 4 years of age. In a Montessori school, your child will learn to think in logical patterns and to deal with reality. Children with a Montessori background become better prepared to cope with the complex challenges of tomorrow's world.

Language:

In the language area of the classroom, we have a wide range of activities. For children who have not yet learned their phonics, we start with beginning sounds. These help the children to recognize the letter and the sound associated with it, to prepare them for reading. We use Early Mastery which associates the sound of the letter to a picture. The students have fun while learning their phonic sounds.

Once students recognize sounds, they begin putting three letter words together. Later, they move into long vowel sounds, blends, digraphs and longer words. The students begin reading small books and are exposed to writing as well. For more information on our reading program please visit Randall Klein's website at http://earlyreadingmastery.com.

Mathematics:

We use the Shiller Math curriculum to teach mathematics. This program is taught by giving the students objects to hold, count and manipulate. In small sequential steps, each child develops a mathematical mind at his or her own pace. These activities help the student learn the fundamentals of simple addition and subtraction to ensure a good mathematical foundation before he or she enters elementary school. The math curriculum moves from concrete, to increasingly abstract concepts. For more information on our math program, please visit Shiller Math at www.shillermath.com.

Sensorial

In the sensorial area of the classroom, we have jobs that focus on the physical senses. By using their visual sense the students will work on sizing and matching different materials. Once again this helps to develop the eye muscles for reading and discriminating between letters and words. The students will use their sense of touch to grade various materials from rough to smooth, light to heavy, and hot to cold. Most of the touch activities are done blind folded so that their sense of touch is isolated and they don't use their sense of sight. This will help to develop their fingers for holding a pencil and using lightness of touch for writing. The sound jars help to develop their sense of hearing for listening to directions.

Practical Life

Learning the basic skills of caring for ones self is the study of practical life. Zipping, buttoning, buckling, bow tying, hand washing, and polishing are some of the skills the student will learn.

Many practical life activities challenge the children to control their small hand muscles to complete delicate tasks such as spooning beans from one container to another.

Caring for the environment is the responsibility of every child. Learning to sweep and use a dust pan, wash a table and water plants are all common practical life activities. Nurturing independence is at the core of the practical life curriculum. If they need help, they are given only the assistance they need to complete the task on their own.

Science

The science program covers topics in life, earth, and physical sciences. Included are the studies of: living things and how they are affected by the environment, plant and animal life, the human body, health education, health practices, and nutrition.

In order to stimulate their minds and curiosity as well as prove the basic concept of various disciplines in science, the students are given the opportunity to conduct experiments and utilize many hands on materials.

Social Studies

The social studies curriculum includes geography and history. In geography, students learn about land and water formations, globes, maps, flags and multicultural awareness. In history they will learn time, calendars, seasons and personal family information.

The children gain an awareness of the world around them by exploring other countries, their customs, food, music, climate, language, and animals. This helps to raise their consciousness about other people, to gain an understanding and tolerance, and therefore, compassion for all the people in the world. The children use puzzles, maps, and globes to learn the names of the continents and gradually the names of countries.