Montclair Preschool Curriculum

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L’Alliance New York’s preschool on our Montclair Campus combines French and American teaching methods in a vibrant, multicultural environment. While French education programs are typically built on learning through structure, the American approach stimulates creativity through positive reinforcement and interactive activities. The mix of these two approaches cultivates curiosity, encourages expression, and allows children to reach their full potential regardless of learning modality.

Our highly trained teachers draw from different educational philosophies to create an open and engaging environment for different types of learners. We strive to provide fun and educational activities that contribute to a child’s growth, confidence, and self-awareness.

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Curriculum

While the subject areas remain the same at different levels, the activities and projects evolve based on the children’s emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and physical development.

Subject Area Instructional Approach
Socialization & Interpersonal Skills Children learn to be better students by working in group settings and developing social skills like collaboration and cooperation.
Language Arts Children learn to express themselves in groups, verbalize feelings, ask questions, and use sentences in progressive complexity. They learn about books and alphabets, build vocabulary, and take the first steps toward writing. Weekly story hours help reinforce new vocabulary.
Mathematics & Science Children learn numbers, counting, matching, classification, measurement, and geometry through age-appropriate materials and hands-on activities.
Motor Skills Children enjoy daily physical activities, including free play and structured exercises like yoga or movement, which improve balance and spatial awareness. Drawing and painting help develop fine motor skills as the first steps toward handwriting.
Arts & Cooking Children draw, paint, and discover visual arts through museum visits and in-class lessons on different artists. Children discover new sounds and rhythms in music sessions. Cooking activities introduce new flavors, table etiquette, and cooking techniques.

A Typical Day

Half Day (Mornings) 

Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–12:30 pm

Full Day 

Mon-Fri, 8:30 am–2:30 pm

  • Greetings for parents and children
  • Supervised play session
  • Academics
  • Enrichment (science, art, cooking, yoga, music, movement, or library)
  • Healthy snack provided by the school
  • Physical activities
  • Storytelling and reading
  • Lunch (brought from home)
  • Dismissal or optional extended day
  • Greetings for parents and children
  • Supervised play session
  • Academics session 1
  • Enrichment (science, art, cooking, yoga, music, movement, or library)
  • Healthy snack provided by the school
  • Physical activities
  • Storytelling and reading
  • Lunch (brought from home)
  • Play-time on the school outdoor play area
  • Rest
  • Academics session 2
  • Dismissal or optional extended day

Half Day (Mornings) 

Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–12:30 pm

  • Greetings for parents and children
  • Supervised play session
  • Academics
  • Enrichment (science, art, cooking, yoga, music, movement, or library)
  • Healthy snack provided by the school
  • Physical activities
  • Storytelling and reading
  • Lunch (brought from home)
  • Dismissal or optional extended day

Full Day 

Mon-Fri, 8:30 am–2:30 pm

  • Greetings for parents and children
  • Supervised play session
  • Academics session 1
  • Enrichment (science, art, cooking, yoga, music, movement, or library)
  • Healthy snack provided by the school
  • Physical activities
  • Storytelling and reading
  • Lunch (brought from home)
  • Play-time on the school outdoor play area
  • Rest
  • Academics session 2
  • Dismissal or optional extended day

Extended Day Option

An extended-day option is available Monday through Friday, 2:30 pm-6 pm.

Academic Calendar • 2024-2025

Calendar subject to change.

Thu, Aug 29 First Day of School (one hour only)
Fri, Aug 30 Half Day of School (9 – 12 pm)
Mon, Sep 2 Labor Day (no school)
Thu, Sep 19 Curriculum Night and Parents Get-Together
Mon, Oct 14 Italian Heritage/Indegenous Peoples' Day (no school)
Fri, Nov 8 Parent Teacher Conference (no school)
Mon-Fri, Nov 25-29 Thanksgiving Break (no school)
Fri, Dec 20 Last Day of Fall Term
Mon-Wed, Dec 23-Jan 1 Winter Break (no school)
Thu, Jan 2 School Resumes
Mon, Jan 20 MLK Jr. Day (no school)
Mon, Feb 17 Presidents' Day (no school)
Fri, Mar 28 Parent-Teacher Conferences (no school)
Fri, Apr 11 Last Day of Winter Term
Mon–Fri, Apr 14-18 Spring Break (no school)
Mon, Apr 21 School Resumes for Spring Term
Fri, May 23 Professional Development Day (no school)
Mon, May 26 Memorial Day (no school)
Thu, Jun 12 End-of-Year Show
Thu, Jun 19 Last Day of Spring Term
Fri, Jun 20 Juneteenth (no school)
Mon, Jun 23 First Day of Summer Camps
Fri, Jul 4 Independence Day

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • At what age can children start?

    Children must be at least 2.5 years old to attend the Preschool at L’Alliance New York: Montclair Campus.

  • Does my child need to speak French?

    No, your child does not need to speak French to attend the Preschool, though some prior exposure to French is preferred for the Pre-K upper-level class. We recommend our seasonal à petits pas classes for ages 1–4 as preparation for preschool.

  • Does my child need to speak English?

    No. We also offer English lessons at an additional cost for French-speaking students and children who speak other languages at home.

  • Does my child need to be potty-trained to start?

    Yes, your child must be toilet-trained before attending the Preschool.

  • Can we find out what our child is learning in school?

    Yes, we provide a monthly calendar, a Cahier de classe to keep track of progress, and a Cahier de vie rotating between families. We also communicate with parents regularly via L’Alliance New York’s Preschool app. In addition, we hold a curriculum night as well as two parent-teacher conferences per school year.

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