Our Approach & Curriculum
The Day Home welcomes infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The Day Home French program is a highly adaptable mixed-age program purposely developed to cater to all ages. The materials, games, and activities are based on a mixed-age concept. One of the educator’s responsibilities is to ensure that the environment is adapted to every child’s age, needs, and skills.
We are committed to fulfilling an advanced curriculum in the French language with daily organized sensory French activities. Please see the detailed curriculum below.
French Language Curriculum and Montessori Activities
The French Montessori curriculum involves theme-related songs, essential music skills acquisition, activities, games, and reading which must have an educational and meaningful purpose. The child is always expected to respect the rules in the environment (respect others and respect the material) throughout the activities or games.
A young child does not distinguish between fiction and reality before the age of approximately 6 or 7. Hence, our activities, games, songs, and reading materials should be reality-based. The reality of our world is most wonderful and memorable in the eyes of a young child!
Our Day home welcomes parents for observations during any day of the week! Please contact administration to book your observation. (403) 540-8895
September and October
- Grace and courtesy: How to introduce ourselves and greet others in the morning.
How to behave with one another in the day home, i.e., use the right vocabulary, share, respect the other person’s work (activity) and space, respect the rules and the order in the environment.
- The Date: Learn the days of the week, the months of the year.
- The Seasons: Learn the seasons of the year.
- The Weather: Learn how to say that today it is… sunny, cloudy, windy, it is raining, cold, warm, hot, etc.
- The Alphabet: Learn the alphabet song and learn to match the symbols to the sounds.
- Songs such as: O Canada, Bonjour les amis (greeting song), Comment ça va? (greeting song), La chanson des jours de la semaine, la chanson des mois de l’année, violette, songs related to counting (un elephant ca trompe, les crocodiles, la mere Nicolas, etc.), la chanson des saisons de l’année, Meunier tu dors, Mon merle, Allouette, etc…
- The numbers: Learn how to count (no limit is given as the child can learn more and more numbers as soon as they are mastered). The child will learn to count and recognize the symbols in order and disarray. Will be able to associate appropriate quantity to a given symbol.
- Colours: Through activities and songs, the child will acquire the names of the primary colors, then the secondary colors by mixing the primary colors.
- Verbs: Through hands-on games and activities, the child will acquire his French verbs or action words, making the French language learning process more comfortable.
- Vocabulary: The child will learn through hands-on activities and games the necessary vocabulary involved in his day home environment, the park, the city, the classroom (in preparation for school).
- Vocabulary Related to Fall and Halloween: September and October belong to the Fall season, and the child will learn through songs and games the vocabulary related.
November and December
The activities mentioned above can be performed as needed. At this stage, there still must be lots of French storytimes, songs, hands-on activities such as matching and memory game will be needed to ensure that the French hearing comprehension and speaking skills are being mastered.
Christmas Songs:
- L’enfant au tambour
- J’ai vu petite maman embrasser le Pere Noel
- J’ai perdu le do de ma clarinete
- Bonhomme, bonhomme
- Vive le vent
- Au Royaume du Bonhomme hiver
- Petit Papa Noel
Vocabulary Related: Christmas vocabulary, Christmas song, and winter vocabulary.
Instruments: – La flute, le piano, la guitare, le violon, le tambour, la clarinette, etc.
Again, activities and games and lots of reading will be performed so that the child becomes very comfortable using those newly acquired words.
January and February
- All previously mentioned activities can be performed as needed.
- Family Members: Through activities, games, reading, and songs, the child will learn about his own family, i.e., how to say mom, dad, sister, brother, etc. He or she will also learn the relationship between each family member and them.
- Winter Vocabulary. Through winter activities, the child will learn the vocabulary related to winter clothing, sports, weather, etc.
- Shapes, colors, and numbers will be re-introduced through new games and extensions.
- More verbs or action words will be introduced and mastered through repetition of games, activities, and corresponding extensions.
- Other songs such as: Le petit cordonnier, mon tiroir est plein, violette, il pleut bergere, le bon roi Dagobert, Frere Jacques, etc.
March and April
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- Previous activities will be re-introduced as needed in this section.
- Body Parts: Through hands-on games, activities, and songs, the child will learn the vocabulary related to his body parts, i.e., le tete, les epaules, Les mains, les doigts, les pieds, etc.
- Animals: Animals are an intrinsic part of the life of a young child. Through games (such as matching games or memory games), the child will acquire the names of all the animals introduced to him or her, including pets and wild animals, but also the child will learn about the animals, i.e., their habitat, their food, skills, etc.
- Other songs: Savez-vous planter des choux, Allouette, Tete, epaule, genoux et pieds, Saute, saute, sauté petite grenouille, au printemps la perdriole, l’ete c’est fait pour jouer, il etait une bergere, la comptine des petits doigts.
May and June
These months are used as a review of all the skills learned for reinforcement and mastery, but also, more complex extensions of each activity could be introduced to prepare for preschool and kindergarten.
- The food we eat (from every food group) and fruit and vegetables: Les Pommes, les oranges, les fraises, les raisins, etc. Why do we need food? How does our bodywork? Many reading activities and hands-on, such as preparing snack time, involve saying and hearing the names of the foods we are having for a snack, but accounts for one of the most significant fine motor skill activities!
- Summer-related vocabulary through songs and games.
- Outdoors activities.
- Reinforcing the previously mastered skills.
- Introducing extensions for further learning and in preparation for preschool or kindergarten.
July and August
All activities are adapted in complexity to the age group of the children under our care. Due to their nature, the activities below are recurrent throughout the summer. Some "work" or "activities" require medium to long term planning. Please note that we follow a similar curriculum during Summer and Spring breaks.
- French Concert Practice
- Music lessons with Mademoiselle Mendelle Robles (percussions for the younger children and guitar/piano for the older children)
- Meeting a police officer (date to be determined)
- Cooking (every week)
- Group Reading ( every week)
- French Reading Comprehension For Older Children
- Social Games (indoors or outdoors)
- Picnic at the park
- Baking
- Arts and Crafts
- Mental Math Games
- French Alphabet Games (every week)
- French Vocabulary Games (every week)
- Painting
- Cooking
- Gardening, taking care of a garden, plants (every week)
- Exploring the garden and its wonders (every week)
- Building a Nature Table
- Feeding a Fish (every day)
- Zoology
- Geography
- French Concert Presentation (end of summer)
- The solar system
- Celebrating our country (in later June or early July)
- Learning the O Canada in French (every week)
- Outdoor Games and Activities (every week)