Montessori Basics

Children Teach Themselves

Classrooms at MCHE are set up to allow freedom within limits. Individualized programs and freedom for self-direction within carefully planned environments keep children interested and eager while encouraging the development of self-discipline under the careful guidance of the teacher. Children choose their activities, follow their curiosity and work on their selected activity as long as needed to complete their piece of work and achieve mastery of a subject. The needs of each child vary; thus each individual works at his own pace and level.

Children Have an Intrinsic Desire to Learn

A child shows the teacher his level of understanding through the use of materials. Mastery is achieved before a child progresses on to the next material. Parents follow their child’s progress through regular conferences, written evaluations and portfolios.

A Thriving Community

Each multi-age classroom brings children of different ages together, encouraging diversity in age and ability, and allowing for the opportunity to not only build relationships but to lead and mentor as well. As guides, our teachers bring children into contact with the world and the tools that provide better understanding of their world. Individuality, independent thinking and cooperation are fostered in each respect between the student, adults and other children.

The Rationale for Three-Year Attendance

Dr. Montessori’s early childhood approach is based on her conception of the “absorbent mind”. This concept holds that the periods from ages birth to three, three to six, six to nine and nine to twelve are individual phases of growth, with physical, intellectual and psychological characteristics common to each period. This necessitates an educational approach with an extended time frame within which the age groups are sequential and meant to be experienced over a three-year time span rather than in individual annual capsules. While a child gains much from attending a Montessori program for any length of time, children with extended exposure are likely to gain the most. Time is required for successful development of personal work habits and social consciousness.

“Within the Child Lies the Fate of Our Future” M.M.

Parents: Partners in Education

Parents are an integral part of the MCHE community. They also provide the first educational experience for their child. Time has proven that informed parents involve themselves in their children’s educational activities on a regular basis, through observations of the classrooms, conferences with teachers, a strong commitment to parent education and wholehearted participation in the program’s community. Active parent involvement is an essential component of the Montessori child’s comprehensive educational experience.

Preschool –should be: The 3 to 6 Classroom (this should after the beginnings info and followed with the extended day info – extended day should be listed in the drop down box under The 3 to 6 Classroom)

In the Montessori classroom for three-t0-six-year olds, the most important aspects are the environment the teacher. Our rooms are prepared to meet the children’s physical needs. All furniture and equipment are scaled to their size; all pictures are hung at their eye level, and all materials easily accessible to them. The materials are placed on the shelves in sequence. The children are completely independent in many tasks, from hanging up their own coats to using the rest room. The rooms are aesthetically pleasing with pets and plants. The children help to maintain the order and beauty of the room by carefully returning their work to its place, putting mats away , and pushing in chairs. The shelves and their contents are always renewed and prepared in readiness for the new day.

There are four main work areas in the classrooms:

• Practical Life – includes real life activities such as dish washing, sweeping, dusting and pouring. These are exercises that are familiar to the child and will aid in his/her complete development. They help the child to grow in self-knowledge, independence and confidence while developing concentration, eye-hand coordination and mastery of the environment.
• Sensorial Materials – this area is equipped with rods, cylinders and the pink tower, all materials for refining the sense of touch, sound and taste. The child takes in all information through his or her senses and begins to classify and refine it. This instinct is intense in ages three through six. Many of the materials train the child to observe, as he makes comparisons between objects and are self-correcting.
• Language – the cornerstone for language are the sand paper letters. Dr. Montessori saw that the child had a natural sensitivity for language development following soon after he learned to speak. Children are fascinated by words, printed or spoken. A child begins with the letters by tracing them and learning the sounds, which is direct preparation for writing. They will then begin to construct words with the moveable alphabet and move through the progression of materials.
• Mathematics – a basis for math has already been established through the child’s use of Sensorial Materials. His first counting experience is with rods segregated into 10 centimeters exactly like the Red Rods he used in the Sensorial area. They child may begin using concrete 0-10 materials and progress to more abstract work. The materials aid each child in building the concept of numbers and developing concentration in a very natural process. The child will then move into the decimal system using Bead material. He/she will learn the operation and concepts of addition and multiplication. After mastery of these skills, they may move into subtraction and dividing. Materials also help children memorize math facts, recording them over and over again, learning the language of order.

The cultural areas in the classroom are equally important. The geography, botany and simple exercises of science intrigue the children. The geography is introduced through puzzle maps, beginning with the continents and then moving into a separate map of each continent. At any given time, there are a number of animals and/or flora and fauna inhabiting our rooms. Often a woolly bear caterpillar, worm, or frog is brought in for observation.

Afternoon Extended Day Early Learning Program

The afternoon program is offered from 11:30 – 3:00 PM Monday through Friday and is available for children who will be at least four years old by September 1st and are enrolled in our early learning program. The program begins each fall and coincides with the start of the school year.

Four and five year old children have reached a level of maturity requiring a longer work cycle and rich exploration. This is also the period which allows the child to become a leader in the community, and provides greater opportunities for socialization with peers in the afternoon hours. The children bring a bag lunch and eat in the extended day classroom, as well as regularly scheduled “lunch cooking days”.

The program will compliment classroom learning by allowing time for special extended projects in conjunction with the regular classroom teachers. In addition, the program will allow enrichment in special areas of interest (Art, Music, Gym, French, and Library etc.)

Regular after school child care is available on an hourly basis after 3PM for those children who require care.