Montclair Preschool Curriculum
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.
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 | |
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| 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. | |
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Half Day (Mornings) Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–12:30 pm |
Full Day Mon-Fri, 8:30 am–2:30 pm |
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Half Day (Mornings) Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–12:30 pm |
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Full Day Mon-Fri, 8:30 am–2:30 pm |
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Extended Day Option
An extended-day option is available Monday through Friday, 2:30 pm-6 pm.
| Tue, Sep 2 | First Day of School (one hour only) |
| Wed, Sep 3 | Half Day of School; 11:30am dismissal |
| Thu, Sep 4 | Regular schedules begin |
| Thu, Sep 18 | Curriculum Night and Parents Get-Together; 6:30pm |
| Mon, Oct 13 | Indegenous Peoples' Day (no school) |
| Thu, Nov 6 | Parent Teacher Conference (no school) |
| Mon-Fri, Nov 24-28 | Thanksgiving Break (no school) |
| Thu, Dec 18 | Holiday Parents' Breakfast |
| Fri, Dec 19 | Last Day of Fall Term |
| Mon-Fri, Dec 22-Jan 2 | Winter Break (no school) |
| Mon, Jan 5 | School Resumes |
| Mon, Jan 19 | MLK Jr. Day (no school) |
| Mon, Feb 16 | Presidents' Day (no school) |
| Mon, Mar 16 | Parent-Teacher Conferences (no school) |
| Fri, Mar 27 | Last Day of Winter Term |
| Mon–Fri, Mar 30 - Apr 3 | Spring Break (no school) |
| Mon, Apr 6 | School Resumes for Spring Term |
| Fri, May 22 | Professional Development Day (no school) |
| Mon, May 25 | Memorial Day (no school) |
| Thu, Jun 19 | Last Day of Spring Term |
| Fri, Jun 19 | Juneteenth (no school) |
| Wed, Jun 24 | End of Year Show (11:30am dismissal) |
| Thu, Jun 25 | Last Day of School |
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.