Kindergarten Entry Program

AGES 4–6
KEP is a one or two-year program that prepares students for success in our Lower Elementary. All lead teachers are Montessori-certified at the 3-6 age level.The KEP curriculum covers five broad areas—the traditional Montessori areas of Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, Science, and Cultural. KEP students also participate in weekly classes in Visual Art, Performing Art, and Science. Once a week, all Kindergarten students attend gym classes at Boston University’s Fitness and Recreation Center. Through Montessori activities and projects, students gain experience working in longer uninterrupted blocks, asking their own questions and developing their own interests. Students take pleasure in their work. By the end of the year, KEP students are ready to take on the challenges of our Lower Elementary mixed groups.

The KEP classroom is located in the Exeter Street building, while our other Kindergarten students work in mixed-aged classrooms at the Fairfield Building. Students are working in a variety of groupings; small groups, independently, with a teacher, etc. Students are participating in the care of the classroom environment. They also take part in our special Kindergarten Engineering Program and Kindergarten Marathon.

The Kindergarten Entry Program supports the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of the child. Teachers encourage students to explore and use materials at their own developmental level and pace. The teachers thoughtfully prepare the classroom environment to invite curiosity and stimulate learning. By making independent choices, the child develops self­‐ motivation, self­‐regulation, and problem-solving skills. Children move from the concrete to the abstract through manipulating, experimenting, and discovering. Teachers find many opportunities to refer children to one another; adults support students’ spontaneous cooperative efforts.

 

The mixed aged group is a foundational element to Montessori education. Within this model, the youngest children look to and learn from their older peers while older students have opportunities to be role models and leaders. Children remain in the KEP classroom for one or two years, depending if they begin as a four-year-old or a Kindergarten student. The materials are familiar and many routines remain the same from year to year. This consistency provides security and a sense of ownership, and as children develop and change, their use of the materials changes too. Students have the opportunity to plan, monitor, and assess their own work.