MONTESSORI BILINGUAL PRESCHOOL
Spanish & English
The Perfect Place Where Your Children Can Learn to Write and Speak Spanish in a Nurturing Environment
Our Mission
Our mission at Luca’s Rainbow is to provide young children, starting at 4 months old up to 6 years old, with opportunities to learn and grow in a safe and nurturing bilingual environment.
Our Vision
Our vision is to create a safe and supportive atmosphere that will encourage each child to develop physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively in a bilingual environment.
Our Approach
Our low teacher-to-student ratio allows us to focus on each child individually. Teachers work one-on-one with students, allowing them to learn and grow at their own pace.
Hello, this is Flor D Brea,
At Luca’s Rainbow Bilingual Preschool, our educational model is truly unique. We use a blended learning approach – combining Montessori pedagogy with a Creative Curriculum – while teaching our children in English and Spanish to enhance their understanding of the world.
Studies have shown that blended learning, used in many classrooms across the country today, can be an engaging and effective teaching approach for students from diverse backgrounds – including English learners and students with learning challenges who benefit from having the material presented in a variety of ways. This is why, at Luca’s Rainbow, we have designed a curriculum to meet the children’s individual needs and goals.
Our Classes
Infants
At Luca’s Rainbow II we provide a warm, intimate setting for your infant (starting at 2 months). Our infant room supports family relationships helping babies feel safe and secure. Our infant to teacher ratio allows us to provide for each child’s needs giving them the comfort and attention that he/she deserves. Continuity care is where it starts in the infant room, where our teachers will build a trusting relationship between the child and their family. Baby signs are taught in the infant room in order for our caregivers and infants to be able to communicate with one another. We also use Creative Curriculum to focus on routines and experiences for our older infants and toddlers.
Toddlers
At Luca’s Rainbow, we love toddlers! We know that children aged 2 years old require a safe and nurturing environment to explore, learn, and grow. Our toddler care program offers them a perfect balance of nurturing, playing, and learning as well as an immersion in English or Spanish.
With low teacher-to-student ratio, and regular teacher-family communication, our program is a great place for your toddler. Contact us today to request more information or to reserve your child’s spot in our program.
Pre-School
At Luca’s Rainbow, we know the decision to select the right preschool for your child is especially important! You want a safe and nurturing environment, but also a place where your child can be challenged and prepared to develop their social and emotional skills. Knowing this, our teachers employ a blended learning approach paired with our bilingual immersion.
With low teacher-to-student ratio, and regular teacher-family communication, our program is a great place for your preschooler. Contact us today to request more information or to reserve your child’s spot in our program.
Pre-K
The PreK curriculum introduces children to many different educational concepts for the first time and helps them to develop socially and physically. Prekindergarten is a non-mandatory education-based program for children that are four to five years old and is often seen as an introduction to a more structured learning environment.
The topics taught throughout PreK are designed to get children ready for their elementary education. There is also a heavy focus on collaborative learning during prekindergarten, as students are learning that working together can enable them to complete larger tasks and that they will all have different strengths and weaknesses that can be utilized.
An array of subjects are covered in the PreK curriculum, from literacy and math to science and arts and crafts, among others. Children will be continually developing their fine and gross motor skills throughout prekindergarten as well, by learning how to control a pencil properly and use their body to perform a variety of actions. Social and communication skills are also developed during prekindergarten, as children will be learning how to share, talk to one another, understand each other’s emotions, take turns in games, and more.
PreK Math Curriculum Topics:
- Shape identification and learning properties of shapes (squares, circles, rectangles, ovals, and so on)
- Sorting by one or two different characteristics, such as color, size, and shape
- Simple ABAB pattern recognition, extending simple patterns
- Matching objects, symbols, patterns, shapes, and so on
- Identify numerals between 0 and 10 or more
- Count objects up to 10 or more (rote counting, one-to-one correspondence)
- Measure using non-standard units
- Develop an understanding of more, less, and the same
PreK Literacy Curriculum Topics:
- Recognize, spell, and write the first name
- Hold a pencil/pen correctly
- Answer simple questions about stories
- Learn nursery rhymes and be able to recite them from memory
- Extend and develop vocabulary
- Retell a story
- Develop an understanding of rhyming, alliteration, syllables, and so on
- Learn how to hold and read a book (holding the book the right way up, turning the pages in the correct direction, reading from left to right, and so on)
- Draw pictures to show what is happening in a story
- Strengthen listening skills
PreK Science Curriculum Topics:
- Learn how to use various science tools, such as magnets
- Observe and learn about insect life and their habitat
- Learn about plants and begin to develop an understanding of their life cycles
- Develop an understanding of how colors can be mixed to create other colors
- Learn about the five senses (taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound)
- Learn about different animals and their habitats
- Start to make connections between weather conditions and the four seasons
- Measure and mix ingredients to follow simple cooking recipes
PreK Creative Arts Curriculum:
- Learn how to use different art materials, such as clay, watercolor paints, oil pastels, and so on
- Explore different art processes, such as painting, sculpting, weaving, and so on
- Start to learn simple dance routines and perform them to songs
- Develop an understanding of what rhythm is and demonstrate different rhythms using different instruments
- Learn about an array of different musical instruments, and have a go at playing them
- Use dramatic play to act out scenarios
Kindergarten
Our Kindergarten classroom (age 5 and older) encourages children to intellectually examine events and objects around them by using their investigations to suggest, plan and implement activities such as using a project approach. Our Creative Curriculum & Montessori integration is used at this age to engage in meaningful extended conversations and discussions with peers and adults. Developing self-control, helping others to solve problems, gaining confidence in overcoming obstacles, and being proactive are focuses in our school-aged program.
Kindergarten Curriculum Overview
Oral Language
At the kindergarten level, students will engage in a variety of oral language activities in order to develop their understanding of language and enhance their ability to communicate effectively. Of primary importance is the development of phonological awareness, which is essential for success in literacy. Emphasis will be placed on having the students build and use listening and speaking vocabularies through participation in oral language activities employing poems, rhymes, songs, and stories. Students will learn rules for conversation and skills for participation in discussions. They will also learn how to formulate basic investigative questions.
Reading
At the kindergarten level, students will be immersed in a print-rich environment. They will learn the concepts of print, basic phonetic principles, comprehension of stories, and letter identification skills through systematic, direct instruction, individual and small group activities, and time spent exploring and reading books and other print material. Students will learn to identify and name the uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet, understand that letters represent sounds, and identify beginning consonant sounds in single consonant words. They will also learn to comprehend and relate stories through drama, retelling, drawing, and their own writing.
Writing
At the kindergarten level, students will begin to build a connection between oral and written language. Awareness that spoken language can be written and written language can be read is a fundamental concept in communicating ideas. Students will learn to print the uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet as well as their first and last names. Kindergarten writing reflects the students’ oral language. Students will communicate their ideas through drawings, scribbles, letter strings, letter approximations, and dictation to adults.
Math
The kindergarten standards place emphasis on developing the concept of number by counting; combining, sorting, and comparing sets of objects; recognizing, describing, and creating simple repeating patterns; and recognizing shapes and sizes of figures and objects. Students will investigate measurement through direct comparisons, collect data, and create graphs. The concept of fractions is introduced through sharing experiences.
The use of appropriate technology and the interpretation of the results from applying technology tools must be an integral part of teaching, learning, and assessment. While learning mathematics, students will be actively engaged, using concrete materials and appropriate technologies to facilitate problem solving. However, facility in the use of technology shall not be regarded as a substitute for a student’s understanding of quantitative and algebraic concepts or for proficiency in basic computations.
The acquisition of specialized mathematical vocabulary and language is crucial to a student’s understanding and appreciation of the subject and fosters confidence in mathematics communication and problem solving.
Problem solving is integrated throughout the content strands. The development of problem-solving skills is a major goal of the mathematics program at every grade level. The development of skills and problem-solving strategies must be integrated early and continuously into each student’s mathematics education.
Science
In science, kindergarten students use their senses to make observations of the characteristics and interactions of objects in their world. Students study the characteristics of water and the basic needs of living things. They also study the relationship between the sun and Earth through shadows and weather. They determine how their actions can change the motion of objects and learn how they can make a difference in their world. Throughout the elementary years, students will develop scientific skills, supported by mathematics and computational thinking, as they learn science content. In kindergarten, students will develop skills in posing simple questions, conducting simple investigations, observing, classifying, and communicating information about the natural world.
Social Studies
Introduction to History and Social Science: Focus on the Community
The standards for kindergarten students focus on the local community and include an introduction to basic history and social science skills. During the course of their first year in school, students should learn about their community, including basic concepts related to history, patriotism, national symbols, good citizenship, geographic location, economics, and the importance of following rules and respecting the rights and property of other people.
Upper School Age
Our upper school grade program (age 7-10) will continue utilizing the Creative Curriculum, Montessori, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). We will expand your child’s academic subject learning- reading, writing, math, spelling, science, and social studies. Your child will develop the ability to work independently and in small groups to accomplish common goals.
Language Arts
The daily schedule allows for students to do the following activities every day – read to themselves, listen to reading, read with someone, write and work with words. Leading literacy research shows that the greatest gains are made by classrooms which emphasize doing these things daily.
Our goal is for students to become fluent readers with excellent comprehension of what they have read. Students read from a variety of text including poetry, songs, chants, non-fiction, picture books and chapter books. The teachers model fluent reading and work with students in small group and one-on-one to develop reading skills.
Writing takes place in many different forms at this age. Students utilize the word wall to spell frequently used words correctly. They use invented spelling for unfamiliar words. Students may work independently during literacy time to write their own books while writing in a more structured writing process as well.
Math
Students will spend most of the math block working with conceptual math activities and using manipulatives. They will develop a math vocabulary and be asked to explain their reasoning. In addition, we will explore graphing, place value, telling time and counting money. We will spend a great deal of time working with partners and in small groups to complete activities that furthers their understanding of numbers and real life concepts involving math.
We are scientists! They will learn to explore the world around them through the eyes of a scientist. We study the scientific process and complete investigations and experiments. We look at seasonal changes and how they affect plants and animals. The science curriculum is designed to provide hands-on opportunities for students to learn diverse concepts from the earth’s rotation to how things move.
The curriculum for social studies has three main components. Students learn about our country’s symbols and what it means to be a citizen. They will explore historical figures and look at their contributions to our society as a whole. Lastly, they explore economics through identifying needs and wants and looking at different forms of spending and saving money.
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