Welcome To
Park Cities Montessori

CHILDREN'S HOUSE






CHILDREN'S HOUSE
2.5 - 6 years
PK3, PK4, Kindergarten
Click here to view a presentation from our Children's House Open House: Presentation
“Children’s House,” is a Montessori term name for a classroom that is for children between the ages of 2.5 - 6 years of age. Other schools might call this classroom Casa, preschool, early childhood, or primary.
A Montessori Children's House takes children from all 3 of the earliest childhood education programs (pre-k 3, pre-k 4, and Kindergarten) and combines their learning in one classroom over a 3 year program. This creates a beautiful mixed age classroom where the younger children learn from the older children and the older children teach the skills to the younger children they have mastered. Some children are ready to begin learning in a Children's House environment by the time they are 2.5, some are 3. We follow the child and will allow them to work within the environment that suits them best.
Our Children’s House community at Park Cities Montessori has a 10:1 ratio to ensure that the guides in the classroom are able to meet the needs of the children and their levels of learning. The Lead Guide is a Montessori certified guide with years of experience guiding primary aged children.
In this mixed age environment, children are capable of choosing how they wish to learn, as well as finding older mentors. During this period, children are just beginning to understand how their body works, so much of the primary classroom coursework involves coordination and control.
There are four characteristics of the Montessori primary classroom that separate it from a typical preschool:
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Children always have access to materials and will find the classroom accessible.
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Children are given responsibility for their own work, meaning that they need to display an awareness of others, keep the classroom clean and tidy, put things away when done, behaving as role models for younger students, and more.
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Children have freedom within limits.
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The classroom is designed to be beautiful and harmonious. Maria Montessori believed that the environment should be pleasing to the eye, as to encourage concentration, calmness, and self-direction. The primary classroom isn’t cluttered, but open and airy.
Our Children’s House community is designed to be enticing and stimulating. Montessori classrooms aren’t meant to focus on the teacher, but on the students and the space itself. At times, the classroom is the teacher, and so it is set up much differently from a traditional preschool.
In our community you will feel a sense of calmness through the use of a neutral color scheme. Maria Montessori had a fondness for natural materials, so you will rarely see plastic in the classroom. You will see child size tables and chairs designed to meet the needs of each child’s height in the classroom so that they are comfortable and capable of using the furniture independently. Some tables might be enough for 2 children, while others are large enough to accommodate 6 or 8 children.
You will notice several shelves around the room. These are used to store all of the Montessori materials that children regularly need access to. You will see individual lockers at the child’s height where the children can keep their belongings.
In our Children’s House community children have ample opportunities to develop their skills in the following areas:
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Practical Life
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Sensorial
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Math
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Language
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Geography
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History
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Creative Arts
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Music & Dance
As children enter the Children’s House community they have gained a deeper understanding of the world around them and are beginning to become interested in exploring academic work. Some children entering this community may still be working to master their practical life skills and that is okay! Remember, in accordance with the Montessori philosophy, we “follow the child.” The child will show us when they are ready for academic work. When they are, the guides in the classroom will begin to present lessons in math, language, geography, and history as the child shows interest.
In the Children’s House community children have usually fine tuned their gross motor skills and are working on really perfecting their fine motor skills. You will see multiple shelf works that might include scooping and spooning, squeezing, threading, twisting, pouring, and folding. These works assist children later on when they begin to write.
Continuing with the work from the toddler community children take pride in their environment. They begin to look at their space through a different lens. Children continue to carefully use their work mats and avoid walking on or messing with others. They use the child size furniture with ease, and are able to sweep, dust, mop, and wash items around the room. In the Children’s House community we also have fish and plants that children are able to care for as well as a garden outside their classroom that they help tend to.
In addition to the grace and courtesy lessons that were learned in the toddler community, children work on respectful and polite conversations (e.g. interruptions, apologies, requests), manners for meals and group settings, and classroom procedures.
The personal care and health work in the Children’s House community focuses on strong independence. Children will be responsible for storing their personal belongings and keeping up with them in their designated space. All of the work done in the toddler community is fine tuned and perfected such as dressing, shoe washing, nose-blowing, toileting, and hand washing. In our Children’s House community you will see an extension of the toddler community by adding in food and drink preparation and serving. Children also have weekly opportunities to assist in simple cooking and baking activities.
Looking into more detail about what academic work looks like in our Children’s House community you will find shelves filled with sensorial, math, language, science, geography, and art items spread throughout the classroom.
Sensorial Curriculum
Between the ages of 3-6, children are using their senses and developing them rapidly. The Montessori primary classroom materials are designed to help the children broaden their understanding of sound, touch, and hearing, as well as how to be more logical and perceptive.
Common sensorial materials include:
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Red rods
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Pink tower
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Brown stair
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Knobbed and knobless cylinders
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Touch boards and tablets
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Sound cylinders
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Tasting trays
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Smelling bottles
Math Curriculum
The Montessori math curriculum provides materials to the children that give them the ability to discover mathematics at their own pace. There are five groups of math-related activities in the primary classroom:
0-10 lessons that introduce students to counting to ten. The materials used include sandpaper numbers, spindle boxes, number rods, and memory games.
Decimals are taught using the golden bead materials, as well as decimal tray, building tray, and exchange tray.
Linear counting then develops the concept of larger numbers and skip counting. The teen board, ten board, 100 board, and chains are used to teach these concepts.
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division follow linear counting. Rods, strip boards, and golden bead materials are used.
Language Curriculum
By the time students are between the ages 3-6, they have already absorbed a lot of language knowledge. Now, writing is taught in preparation of learning how to read. Spoken language is emphasized in the Montessori classroom, and the whole environment is crafted so children can see and hear vocabulary. They are also encouraged to communicate with the teachers and other students.
Sandpaper letters, books, flash cards, and other items are used to solidify their understanding of words. Then, logical steps are taken to get them to form sentences and read fluently.
Science Curriculum
The science curriculum aims to tap into a child’s natural inquisitiveness, getting them to answer their own questions about how the world works. The scientific method is utilized to teach students about procedure and critical thinking. Montessori also introduces students to nature as much as possible.
Lessons involve the following:
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Plants and animals
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Animal classifications
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Invertebrates and vertebrates
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Life cycles of plants and animals
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Plant and animal anatomy
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Magnetism
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Buoyancy
Geography Curriculum
Children are ready to learn about the world around them. The primary classroom is equipped to do just that. With story books, models of the physical world, puzzle maps, and other hands-on activities, children can learn about the world and geography.
Within the prepared environment, you will find objects and tools that teach the following:
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Globe
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Different land and water forms
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Capitals of countries and states
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Continents
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World map
Art Curriculum
The primary art curriculum often builds off of practical skills. For 3-6 year olds, art is all about enhancing fine motor control and allowing for self expression. This also means introducing the child to various forms of art, such as painting and sculpture. Children hopefully can develop an everlasting appreciation of art, especially as a means of non-verbal communication.
You will be truly amazed at all your child can learn after being in an authentic Montessori environment for the first 6 years of their life. It is truly remarkable. We hope you choose to find a school home here at Park Cities Montessori! Please reach out with any further questions or wonderings.
Kindergarten in the CHILDREN'S HOUSE
Why should I send my child to a Montessori Kindergarten?
Kindergarten is a crucial stage in a child's development, especially in the Montessori environment. It is a time when children learn to socialize, develop their cognitive skills, and explore their creativity. In a Montessori environment, kindergarten is designed to provide a nurturing and stimulating environment that encourages children to learn at their own pace and develop love for learning that will last a lifetime.
Sending your child to a Montessori kindergarten can have numerous benefits. Montessori education emphasizes hands-on learning, individualized instruction, and self-directed activity, which can help children develop a love for learning and become independent thinkers. In a Montessori kindergarten, children are encouraged to explore their interests and learn at their own pace, which helps them develop a strong sense of self-confidence and self-esteem. Additionally, Montessori education fosters a sense of community and social responsibility, which can help children develop strong social skills and empathy for others.