Children’s House
Our Children’s House classroom offers Montessori programming five days a week for 3 and 4 year olds until noon, and a full day for 5 year olds.
The Absorbent Mind
As parents of preschool and kindergarten-aged children know, children learn by touching and manipulating objects. They thrive if given the freedom to discover things for themselves.
Early childhood education has come to accept what Maria Montessori discovered long ago: the first six years of a child’s life offer unparalleled opportunities for learning. At this age children have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to absorb knowledge from their surroundings just by being in and interacting with the world.
Dr. Montessori called this faculty in children the “absorbent mind.” The absorbent mind needs only to have opportunities to explore in order to learn. Our Children’s House classroom offers preschool and kindergarten students the opportunity to move, touch, manipulate, and explore.
Program Overview
Our Children’s House classrooms serve students ages 3 through 6 in a multi-age environment. Our Montessori program for 3 and 4 year olds runs from 8:30 until noon when children are dismissed for the day or join our afternoon care program called the Bambino program. Kindergarten age children stay for the full day, enjoying lunch and recess as a community before continuing their individual and group activities in the afternoon.
Children have the freedom to choose their own work and are given the tools and skills to accomplish tasks independent of any unnecessary interference from an adult.
Children can and want to set the table for snack, or get out their own activities, complete them, and replace them on the shelf on their own. We respect children’s growing need for independence and help them to develop the skills and responsibility to be successful in new activities.
Through practical life activities, children learn the skills of daily life and build the foundation for grace and courtesy.
Students explore language and math, and discover the world through sensorial materials, botany, maps, and other cultural lessons. It is a child-centered community that provides a peaceful environment for children to thrive.
Please click here to view our Children’s House Curriculum Map.
Typical Day
Students arrive between 8:15 and 8:30 are greeted in carline by a teacher or member of administration. After the first weeks of school children enter the building independently, putting away their personal belongings and joining their class in circle.
Circle time is used to welcome the students, share news about the day, and share a special story or song. Children start each day with prayer and a Bible story.
Students are dismissed from circle to pursue their individual work. During this morning work time, students receive lessons from a teacher and are introduced to new materials. Lessons may be given individually or in small groups.
When they are not receiving a lesson, students are free to choose work from the lessons they have already received. Teachers act as guides for a child’s experience in a classroom and gently redirect a child who may be hesitant to start a new job or ensure a child is balanced in the activities she chooses.
On some mornings, students enjoy “Specials” with one of our curriculum area experts in the areas of Music, Language or Children and Worship.
Just before noon children gather again to prepare for dismissal for those leaving at noon, or lunch for the full-day students. Three and four year olds who elect to stay for the full day in our Bambino program have lunch together and then enjoy recess, a short rest period or nap, and free choice play and crafts in the afternoon.
Children in the Kindergarten year return to their room after lunch and recess and continue with their work form the morning or join in group activities and lessons.
Learn more about our afternoon Bambino program for 3 and 4 year olds.
