Children's House: 3-6 Years
The goal of the Montessori Primary environment, often called the Children's House, is to continue to cultivate the child's own natural desire to learn through purposeful work. The learning materials are centered around five focus areas:
Practical Life involves the child in precise movements that challenge him to complete a cycle of activity. As the child follows the sequence of each activity, he learns to pay attention to detail and expand his concentration.
Sensorial Exercises help children relate new information to what they already know. Children learn about their world through the impressions given by the five senses and by comparing different textures, smells, colors, shapes, lengths, heights and sounds.
Mathematics Materials provide a sensorial base for understanding math concepts through the use of concrete materials.
Language Development is enhanced through hands-on experiences. Using sandpaper letters, children learn the sounds of letters. Soon they link letters to make words, then words to make sentences. Writing comes from tracing letters and from forming words, phrases and sentences with the movable alphabet. Children's interest in reading is encouraged, for it is the foundation to all learning.
Cultural Studies including geography, science and nature, history, art, music and movement are integrated into the child's day in the Children's House.
The Montessori Primary community is a three year cycle. The first year the child can explore the material and learn to be part of the community. The second year, with the same peers and the same teachers, the child can experiment and expand on their learning, while working with older and younger peers. The final year in the Montessori Primary environment is considered the capstone year, when the child becomes an expert. They will have spent two years in the environment with the same teachers who know them well, with most of the same peers, and they gain mastery of their work. They are a peer leader in the community, and the information learned is solidified.
We encourage families to commit to a three year cycle in the Children's House. It is through three years in the same environment that Montessori works at its best for the child's benefit. We ask families to consider their plans for the kindergarten year prior to enrolling their child in a Montessori Primary classroom.
Placement decisions not only of the enrolling child but also the siblings of that child are influenced by a family's commitment to completion of the full Primary cycle.
Age Range: 3-6 years
Hours: Monday - Friday
8:30 to 12:00 for Half Day, includes snack
8:30 to 3:30 for Full Day, includes lunch
After-care program available until 5:30pm, includes additional snack