Building Blocks Montessori School

Specialties

Building Blocks Montessori School began in 1972 as a nursery school which soon expanded to the elementary level. It is comprised of a Lower School for preschool through kindergarten and an Upper School for 1^st through 5^th grades. There are before and after school programs and flexible scheduling for the Lower School. Building Blocks is non-​sectarian and licensed by the N.Y.C. Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene. Building Blocks is housed in a stately, brick building with beautiful, spacious, well-​equipped grounds, and is adjacent to scenic Silver Lake Park. Building Blocks provides a secure, homelike atmosphere and a warm, nurturing environment in which all the needs of the child are met: intellectual, physical, emotional and social. These concrete materials are used to illustrate abstract concepts and help the child build a foundation for future learning. It is a child centered classroom with the teacher acting as a guide. There is a small pupil to teacher ratio with mainly individualized instruction. The children choose their own work, set their own pace and advance at their own rate. Classes have a mixed age grouping in which the younger children learn from observing and working with the older ones, and the older children reinforce their own skills by helping their younger classmates. The children are free to move, speak and interact with one another. A great emphasis is placed on social development and children learn to be courteous, kind and respectful of others.