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The prepared environment in the Children’s House attends to a full complement of social, emotional, physical and cognitive needs of the developing child. Comprised of discrete and well appointed curricula areas, the classroom is specifically designed to call out to the child with an irresistible invitation to work and engage in productive meaningful activity. Dr. Montessori observed that during the early years of life, the child undergoes a series of sensitive periods that mark optimal receptivity for the acquisition of the skills needed to connect with the world. Invested with intrinsic motivation to do what needs to be done, the child naturally and spontaneously will seek out experiences to meet individual needs, providing those experiences are readily available and easily accessible.
In the Children’s House, a large portion of the day is spent in individual work, with each child drawn to activities in response to compelling individual needs. Children work and develop at their own pace, and the directress continually seeks to broaden each child’s horizons as appropriate, academically, socially, and emotionally, presenting new experiences and inviting the child to reach to the challenge of new territory to be explored. Typically, the first year child focuses heavily on working independent of others, and over time, as part of the process of growth and development, begins to demonstrate an interest in establishing social connections with the community.
One distinct advantage of the Montessori environment is the degree of varied activity at varied levels. Opportunities for incidental learning abound. There is always someone performing a work at the next level; always a chance to check in on what’s happening at the next work rug over. Something of interest is inevitably occurring. In fact, there are students who absorb mastery of all of their sounds before they are formally introduced. They just make a point of being in the right place at the right time.
Time is set aside also for group activities, usually at the end of the morning activity. This time of day is called Line Time or Community Time. On Line, students learn about ground rules; they receive presentations; they learn how to share with one another; they do finger plays and gross motor activities.
The environment covers five curriculum areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language, and Culture. The content of materials in each area is dictated by Dr. Montessori’s handbooks which describe in detail what is to be presented, how it is to be presented using what materials, and when it is to be presented. The directress continually adds materials as appropriate to address the needs of the students, and sometimes some works are available on a seasonal basis. For example, during the fall, with an abundance of Indian corn, a tweezing exercise may involve tweezing Indian corn.
Practical Life
The area of the room that focuses on Practical Life involves activities concerned with care of the person and the environment. Just as your child wants to pattern what you do at home, the classroom is set up to encourage this natural curiosity. These activities include table washing, spooning and pouring, polishing, and food preparation. Practical Life activities promote independence and develop a sense of order and the ability to concentrate, establishing a spirit of helpfulness.
Sensorial
The second area of concentration in the Children’s House classroom is unique to Montessori. Sensorial activities teach the students to perceive the world through their senses. All works start simply and gradually become more complex enhancing students’ natural creativity and curiosity. Students also learn the language of these activities such as smaller, smallest, longer, shorter, heavier, heaviest, sour, and salty.
Language
While many children do not begin to learn the fundamentals of reading until they enter grade school, students at Brickton begin to learn as soon as they show an interest. A love of reading is a major component of the Montessori educational system and the classroom environment is saturated with opportunities for students to explore this interest. Students at Brickton are encouraged to read, even if they don’t know the words. Inherent in the reading education is writing. Students are encouraged to write or draw their thoughts, ideas, and feelings to facilitate their reading comprehension.
Mathematics
When students are exposed to language activities, they also begin to explore Mathematics. Through the use of concrete materials, students move from concrete to abstract thinking. For instance, students may learn counting and the connection with a number by placing the appropriate number of wooden spindles in the corresponding box. The development of math skills and concepts is unlimited in the Montessori classroom.
Cultural Studies
In the Children’s House classroom, Cultural Studies include geography, botany, zoology, and history. This area of the classroom is another unique feature of the Montessori program, satisfying the student’s curiosity about the world. From the names of continents to the parts of an animal, each student discovers the answers to his questions and his knowledge of the world expands daily. A Spanish instructor visits each classroom on a regular basis introducing the children to the Spanish language.