EARLY ED. PROGRAMS
The early education programs are offered through our applicable Child Care Licenses. We offer year-round care with extended hours for children ages 3 months and up. Our program follows the Montessori approach to early childhood education and also offers foreign language immersion.
Our personalized curriculum integrates the Montessori methodology while adhering to all applicable state standards. In the Montessori classroom, the environment is designed to provide child with autonomy to select among activities that have been carefully placed at their level and with a developmental goal in mind. Children in the Montessori classroom also learn to participate in daily tasks such as setting up lunch and feeding the animals. To learn more about the Montessori method, click here.
Our early education programs are designed to provide our students with a strong foundation to develop the life-long benefits that research associates with bilingualism. (Read about the research here.) Depending on your child's placement, you may have the choice of Spanish, Mandarin, German, and French immersion and enrichment language options.
Our Campus list with available programs can be found here.
For more information about our early education programs and to enroll, see the information below.
Infant & Toddler Program
(Nido Program)
Nido means “nest” in Spanish and Italian and is the name given by Maria Montessori to the traditional Montessori infant/toddler classroom.
Children in the Nido Program are guided through their daily routines in a way that respects their independence and autonomy. All classroom spaces are designed to allow children to navigate a controlled environment driven by their natural, intrinsic motivation to engage with their world.
The Nido Program is designed to provide a full language immersion experience to children during their critical period for learning their first language. Alternative language exposure options are also available such as bilingual and enrichment settings.
The curriculum for the Nido Program includes exposure to various components from the Casa Program such as the weekly cultural themes and an adaptation of daily interdisciplinary enrichment lessons.
PreK Program
(Casa Program)
Casa means “house” in Spanish and Italian and is the name given by Maria Montessori to the traditional Montessori preschool classroom for children ages 2.5 - 6.
Students in the Casa Program participate in daily work cycle times that are based on self-directed activity and hands-on, collaborative engagement with the material available to them.
There are three foreign language exposure options available to students in the Casa Program: full immersion, bilingual, and enrichment.
In addition, students in this program participate in daily interdisciplinary enrichment programs that combine STEAM, Art, Music & Movement, Social Sciences, and Cultural Weekly Themes.
Students who participate in the Casa Program are offered to participate in the IMS Elementary Program as of age 4.
The Casa Program also includes an experiential outdoor-based nature curriculum where students participate in daily hands-on lessons about the local ecosystem during each season of the year.