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| Children's House |
| Inside the Children’s House, you will find a specially created environment for the child from age 3 to 6. The directresses connect the children to the hands-on materials designed for this age. From age 3 to 4, children participate in a half-day academic program with an option for supplemental care. Children of the age of 5 and who are ready to participate in a full day of academics are invited to attend this program. |
| The curriculum of the Children’s House includes the following areas: |
| Practical Life |
| This area of the Montessori environment includes lessons in daily etiquette along with exercises in carrying, pouring, balancing, washing, polishing, and preparing food. These tasks, which are attractively designed, interest the child and provide a motive for purposeful activity. The exercises help the young child to acquire practical skills, build attention span, create an inner sense of order, and build muscular coordination and perseverance. Having gained a measure of concentration, control and coordination the young mind is free to explore academic interests. This area is the foundation of the Children’s House program. |
| Sensorial |
| Dr. Montessori devised this group of activities to help the child develop powers of observation and discernment. In these exercises, many of the abstractions of the adult world are made concrete for the classroom. The child is offered materials representing various forms, colors, dimensions, textures, sounds, tastes, and smells. While working with these specially prepared materials, the child gains perception and the ability to classify. This leads to higher reasoning skills while extending the scope of imagination. |
| Language |
| Language exercises begin casually with the child's oral vocabulary development. Sounds of various letters become the focus of impromptu language games as children show an interest. Symbols for the sounds are introduced and the child begins analyzing words which are already part of his oral vocabulary. As word-building activity grows, advanced letter sound combinations are introduced. Before long, children explode into reading and writing. Precise words relating to various concepts in mathematics, geometry, biology, geography, history, and science are presented. Functions of parts of speech and sentences are presented to children who have begun reading. The child delights in these exercises and without realizing it, he is gaining knowledge which will pay dividends throughout his later school years. |
| Mathematics |
| Foundations of mathematical thought are established through work with practical life and sensorial areas. The young child is given exercises which aid him in understanding quantity, symbol and counting. As the child masters the introductory lessons, the decimal system and the four basic operations are introduced. While the child is happily absorbed in his tasks, certain mathematical functions including the numerical value of squares and cubes are being imprinted on his subconscious. |
| Art and Music and Cultural Studies |
| Lessons in drawing, painting, and singing are incorporated into the daily activities of the classroom. Through use of the maps, flags, and books, the students learn about world geography and people of the world. |
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The First Plane of
Development (Birth-6yrs.)
This time period is the founda-
tion of the child’s development.
It is defined by the ABSORBENT
MIND, which allows the child to
acquire every aspect of his
environment, culture, and
language. It is the most
formative and constructive
period in the child’s physical,
emotional and intellectual
development and lays the
foundation for all future learning
and development.
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