Philosophy

The young toddler years have a once in a lifetime opportunity to absorb information from the environment, like a sponge. That’s why Montessori for toddlers is more than just childcare: we provide each and every toddler with the ideal environment to make the most of this irreplaceable period of time in these crucial years when and where habits are formed.

Dr. Montessori discovered that during the toddler years, a young child has a short period of time that makes learning certain things very easy.

• Order – Toddlers are very sensitive to order. Having a classroom that has order as a regular part of their daily structure is important so that we can build on that interest to establish good habits that last a lifetime.
• Language – Learning words that are directly related to the environment a toddler is in is a pleasure for them and is a very important aspect of communication and avoiding tantrums and crying. Once a toddler feels as if they are being understood and can express their needs,they are so happy in their environment.
• Independence – Having a classroom prepared so that the children can function independently is crucial to a child’s feeling of independence. The teachers are there to guide them as they navigate through their day in an independent manner, feeling a great deal of pride and self sufficiency.

The primary classrooms are multi-age, each containing 3-5 year-olds. This ensures that each child is able to progress at his or her own pace in social, emotional, and academic development and that each child can act as both a teacher and a learner in the classroom.

All Montessori teachers are formally trained to recognize windows of learning (known in Montessori as sensitive periods) that occur in young children. The teachers lead the child to specific materials when most appropriate to maximize the child’s developmental growth.

The Montessori Children’s House Elementary program offers students the opportunity to learn and develop skills that will be used throughout their academic and professional lives. The elementary curriculum was designed to develop critical thinking, foster self-management, and cultivate independence. The Elementary program is a mixed-age classroom for children aged six to nine. Children who are entering the Lower Elementary are beginning their ‘second plane of development.’ This stage can often be characterized by children’s endless curiosity and passion for hands-on exploratory research. During their second plane of development, children start to develop their abilities to reason and understand abstract concepts. Our program is characterized by an emphasis on self-directed inquiry, immersion in a prepared environment to foster learning, and the use of self-correcting materials that introduce concepts concretely. Each day students create their own schedules, which include daily math, reading, language arts, and cultural studies. A two-to three-hour concentrated work period offers students the flexibility to manage and complete work at their own pace. Children learn to initiate, choose, and complete work independently. In an elementary classroom, students are guided by teachers who closely observe each student’s progress, teach individual and group lessons, assist in creating personal work plans, and offer students support that is non-intrusive, but fosters self-discovery. Ultimately, children progress from a variety of concrete experiences and move to an abstract awareness that fosters independence and confidence that demands academic excellence.