Preschool–Kindergarten Cycle 1: Maternelle Home / Academics / Preschool-Kindergarten Cycle 1: Maternelle The goal of cycle 1, also known as the maternelle, is to establish a foundation for learning. During this critical period, our students develop their fine and gross motor, sensory, and academic skills. Lessons promote problem solving, inquiry, and repetitive practice. Our students learn to form relationships with fellow students through individual and team play, enabling them to develop the basic principles of social life. Our teachers create a nurturing space that helps the children gently transition from the home. Taught in a French immersion setting, our students absorb language naturally and without translating back and forth. By the end of kindergarten, they are able to communicate conversationally in French with their teachers and peers. Schedule a Tour Main Components Reading, Writing, & Language Skills Our students learn new words by listening to their teacher, hearing stories or music, copying their peers, and practicing sounds over and over. In preschool, they start saying the alphabet, tracing letters, and writing their name. In kindergarten, they begin learning about sentence structure and phonics. They learn to couple words to construct sentences. They are also introduced to the difference between the present and past. Our students also explore cursive writing, which helps them express themselves while practicing connecting shapes. Children have three hours of English class each week. They read classic and modern stories to help them build a love of reading. They learn sight words, grammar, and phonics. Singing songs is also part of the class. This helps them build social skills and other important learning skills. Physical Activities A certified French PE teacher helps our students have fun moving their bodies and trying new things in a safe way. We reinforce fine motor coordination, body awareness, focus, and intellectual reasoning. Our students also learn to be kind to friends, celebrate differences, and respect what others can do. PE happens two times a week, with optional additional after-school sports classes. Artistic Activities In art, our students try out lots of fun ways to make art that spark their imagination and creativity. They learn how to use their hands better and think about what they are making. Activities include painting, sculpting, drawing, taking pictures, making collages, and even learning about movies! They also talk about French artists and take trips to museums to see real art up close. Our students also get to enjoy performing arts! In music, they practice their listening skills by singing songs and trying out different instruments. They act out skits to learn new words and practice speaking in front of others. Some children take piano or circus classes after school to keep learning. Once a year, our kindergarten students go on a fun field trip to the theater! Mathematical Thinking Our students learn about numbers and how we use them in daily life. They explore things like dominoes and dice to understand numbers and quantities. They match pictures to numbers and put numbers in order. They also start learning words like “more than” and “less than” to compare amounts. Through games, they ask questions and figure out answers by thinking logically. They also have fun sorting and organizing shapes. They practice copying simple patterns, like red-blue-green, red-blue-green, to understand how patterns work. They also compare sizes, like which item is bigger or smaller. These activities help them get ready for learning geometry in later grades. Discovery of the World During circle time, our students talk about the days of the week, the seasons, and the time of day. They understand daily routines and what happens at different times. They also learn their role in the classroom. For example, they know where they sit and their jobs (e.g., sitting at the red table with Camille and helping clean up after). During “show and tell,” they bring items from home and learn what belongs at home versus school. Children explore nature by learning about plants, animals, and life cycles. They plant flowers and vegetables, and sometimes even handle insects or small animals. They also learn about their own bodies, focusing on things like healthy eating, hygiene, and how the body works. Children get hands-on with materials like wood, paper, and cardboard. They learn how to cut, build, and create. They do fun experiments, like freezing water or seeing how light makes shadows, to understand the world around them. Our teachers talk about natural hazards like fire or water. Our students learn how to spot dangerous situations and practice what to do to stay safe. Evaluations Every child learns at their own pace, depending on their age and readiness. Our teachers watch how our students grow and learn throughout the year. Twice a year, they have formal evaluations and meetings with parents. During these conferences, parents and teachers work together to support each child’s learning and prepare them for moving up to primary school.
