Vineyard Montessori will begin offering a year-round program for children aged almost-three to six, the school announced last week. It marks the first program of its kind for the school, which teaches grades pre-kindergarten through eight on its campus in Vineyard Haven.

“The community really needs summer activities for that age group,” said head of school Deborah Jernegan, who said she learned about a gap in summer child care services from a recent needs assessment that was done by the Martha’s Vineyard Family Center.

“We decided to do a year round classroom to meet that need,” Ms. Jernegan said.

The summer program will last eight weeks and be open to all Island children aged two years nine months to six, though Vineyard Montessori students will get first preference. There are 20 spaces available. Tuition is $325 per week.

Vineyard Montessori focuses on individual child-led learning following methods set forth by educator and doctor Maria Montessori. Ms. Jernegan said the summer season offers new opportunities for experiential learning.

“It’ll be a mix because of the nice weather, being in the ocean, collecting shells,” she said. “It will be a curriculum that is based on summer fun but following the philosophy of Montessori.”

She said people have already begun signing up for the year round program, even though the summer school won’t begin until next year.

Summer curriculum for the primary school is the latest in a series of expansions for Vineyard Montessori, long a presence on the Island as a preschool. The school expanded in recent years into the lower grades and this school year will offer classes through eighth grade for the first time.

The new year-round program for students in the primary grades will be led by Cristina Martino, who also heads the school’s Spanish language program.