Williamsburg Montessori - Children’s House

Children ages 3 to 6
OUR CHILDRENS HOUSE COMMUNITY

The Childrens House Program is thoughtfully prepared to meet the needs of children between the ages of 3 and 6, who Maria Montessori aptly described as having “absorbent minds.” This engaging and active program supports children’s emotional, social, academic and physical growth. The multi-age grouping benefits apply to all. Younger children learn from their older classmates, and older friends gain the satisfaction and confidence associated with being able to provide mentoring and support. Learning in Montessori happens individually, with each child working at their own pace.

Different Learning Styles are Embraced

We expose children to a wide range of activities geared to their physical, intellectual and social development, recognizing that “one size does NOT fit all.” Children are presented with new material only when our observations tell us that the child is ready for it. This highly individualized guidance creates an environment where learning is meaningful, self-motivated and joyous.

Helping Each Child Make Choices

Children who are encouraged to choose work that interests them learn to take responsibility for their own learning. They feel the excitement of becoming involved, and the satisfaction that results from attaining mastery. This doesn’t mean that there are no curriculum standards or structure in the classroom. Classroom Guides know exactly what needs to be covered. By following each child using their meticulous observation and record-keeping skills, the Guides know exactly what each child has mastered and what still needs to be done. Our Guides are virtuosos at achieving an end result in which all children are prepared not only to meet or exceed our high standards, but state and national standards as well.

Building Concentration in an Age of Distraction.

We give children uninterrupted and lengthy “work periods” in which to engage with a work of their choice. Once engaged, the child will spontaneously repeat that work until the satisfaction of mastery is achieved. The goal of this often-repeated sequence of choice and practice is to help children develop the ability to concentrate,focus, and self-correct.

Concentration is front and center to the Montessori Method. Maria Montessori created intriguing materials to help children master essential curriculum areas proving her theory. These materials continue to be in wide use today.

Brain science has validated her approach. We now know that concentration is an active state of mind that creates new pathways in the brain. It is a precursor to learning and self-discipline. Significantly, what might look to us like concentration when children are staring at a screen is not concentration at all, but rather a state of deactivation. Brain research has shown that screen content doesn’t engage the mind; it simply encourages it to drift along.

CURRICULUM AREAS

The Montessori Curriculum is engaging, modular and varied. Following are short descriptions of the content areas that are presented in Children’s House throughout the three-year period. Children progress through the curriculum based on their own unique schedule of developmental readiness.

Practical Life: These skills form the foundation of the 3-6 program, preparing the child both physically and mentally for academic learning. Through the exploration of complex, multi-step activities, children develop independence and the ability to problem-solve, focus and concentrate, which will be a foundation for their math and literacy skills.
Grace and Courtesy: Activities that expose children to a variety of social and emotional lessons nurture their kind and peaceful selves. Our children become responsible members of their community. They are treated with respect and are expected to respect others.They are helped to have conversations and resolve differences, and they learn to manage their movement in a shared space.
Language: Our classrooms provide rich experiences in oral and written language in English as well as in Spanish. One-on-one and group conversations are encouraged; books are read alone and together, aloud and silently; pictures are interpreted; stories are told; words are recognized by sight and sound; and directions are given and followed. All students learn to write. Children use phonetic spelling, and Montessori materials such as sandpaper letters and the moveable alphabet, to learn the sounds of speech and to reinforce writing and reading.
Math Readiness: The classroom is replete with colorful and dynamic math materials that help children learn the basic abstract concepts of math. Children have the opportunity to practice and master many math facts and skills using the Montessori Number Rods, Cards, Counters, Beads and other manipulatives. Their work with these hands-on materials makes it easy for them to transition to the abstract math concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, odds and evens, and fractions.
Physical Activity: Walks in the neighborhood and visits to Domino Park, the Ferry Landing and other parks and places of interest take place daily, except in stormy weather, (which is why we ask that their outdoor clothes are appropriate for the season). These outdoor spaces are great places for well supervised energetic games, as well as for observing nature, river life and culture. We also do exercise and yoga indoors.

Sensorial: Learning Through all Five Senses: With amazing prescience, Maria Montessori developed unique didactic materials (used worldwide today) that engage children’s natural desire for sensory exploration. Each material helps children explore qualities that exist in the world, such as color, size and shape. These materials help children learn to compare and contrast, to classify, and to understand the concepts of ordering.
Cultural Awareness: Activities that span the areas of geography, history, nature and science help the child understand our global world, its physical makeup, and its inhabitants. Concepts are explored through multiple media – art, stories, maps, and observing living creatures such as birds and butterflies – as well as through outdoor exploration in our rich neighborhood.
Music and Art: These pursuits are imbedded in the classroom. Music is sung, played and danced to regularly. It not only supports early brain development, it’s fun, and a great way to promote language and learning.
We encourage artistic expression and exploration every day and provide an abundance of art materials for children to use; there are tempera paints, watercolors, colored pencils, crayons, chalk and many found objects gathered on walks in the park and from home treasures.
To ensure that each child gets the most benefit from their artistic explorations, classroom Guides offer presentations on how to use a particular developmentally appropriate material before a child is invited to begin their exploration. We use every art activity to help children carefully observe what happens when using different materials and to verbalize their experience.

Children ages 3 to 6OUR CHILDRENS HOUSE COMMUNITY