An International Community
Programs
Children’s House strives for educational excellence with a balance of social and emotional experiences. Our mission is to provide for each of its students a well-rounded, individualized educational and developmental experience that is based on Montessori principles that nurtures a love of learning.
All classes are staffed by a certified AMS Montessori teacher and an associate, and the director is also a certified AMS Montessori teacher. Classes are organized on a three-year interage model. Continuity of learning develops a strong foundation which is built upon year after year. This provides a familiar setting which encourages long-term friendships and consistency of environment.
The children are taught everyday tasks of dressing, cleaning, and other purposeful activities. They are shown the logic of the activities so they can relate existing knowledge to new situations, and, in this way, the children learn to learn. The environment is one of well-designed teaching tools and materials. A lesson plan based on the curriculum, prepared in advance, augments a solid teaching philosophy.
Early Childhood (children 2.5-4yrs)
The Early Childhood program provides an opportunity for the child to explore and discover. The Early Childhood classroom offers the young child a curriculum designed for their needs and sensitive periods. The areas in the classroom include practical life, sensorial, language, math, and art. The Practical Life curriculum fosters independence and fine motor control while the sensorial area helps the child recognize and categorize according to size, shape, and color. There is an emphasis on beginning Language skills in all areas of the class but we also introduce the sounds and the formation of the sandpaper letters and the identification of beginning sounds and words. In the Math area, the approach is to recognize, sequence and match the symbols to quantities. The classroom provides many opportunities to develop gross motor skills, with balance beams, and a variety of manipulative materials to climb, jump onto, toss, and roll. The art area is set up for daily exploration of painting, cutting, and designing as well as seasonal projects throughout the year. These activities will be introduced with a special emphasis on using and seeing the beauty in natural materials.
Primary (children 3-6yrs)
The Primary classroom is designed in a manner that allows children to work independently and at their own developmental pace. The curriculum consists of the following areas:
Practical Life: Activities such as spooning, pouring, sweeping and buttoning, to promote small motor control, care of the environment and care of self.
Sensorial: Activities dealing with shape, size, color, weight, sound, etc., which promote further development of the senses.
Language: There are two language areas: comprehension, which includes activities such as matching, classifying, and sequencing; and phonics and reading activities ranging from simple sound games to whatever reading level the child attains.
Math: Activities range from one-to-one correspondence and object-to-numeral matches to whatever level the child attains. The emphasis is on using manipulatives to give the child a concrete foundation for the abstract match work he/she will do in later years.
Geography: Activities include puzzle maps, materials that have an international aspect such as matching shoes from other countries or spooning rice with a Chinese soup spoon, books about other cultures, and international snacks. These form an introduction to physical and cultural geography.
Art: Activities to show the care and use of art materials, to encourage creativity, and just to have fun! Sometimes we put out only red, yellow, blue, black, and white paint so the children mix their own colors for paintings. Kindergarteners also begin studies of artists such as Monet, Matisse, and Cassatt.
Science: Activities include nature related lessons such as living and non-living parts of a tree, weather, and the solar system.
Elementary
Our association with Montessori Corner has the additional benefit of having an established Montessori Elementary program available in the same school district. With an attractive campus and superior facilities, there is a place for children who wish to stay in an Montessori environment. Please see the Montessori Corner web site for more information.
Summer Camp
Our summer camp program is joined with the Montessori Corner summer program at Montessori Country Day in Plainsboro. At this campus, there is a large field house and an indoor pool to provide for activities regardless of the weather. The program is varied and utilizes many of the skills the children learn during the school year. The well organized sports and fine arts programs combine to provide the children an exciting summer experience. Summer camp can also be used to “try out” the experience of being at our school before the academic year begins. [link: www.MontessoriCorner.org]
Before and After School
Extended hours programs before and after school are available to all students as needed. These programs blend traditional and Montessori materials in a classroom setting while maintaining Montessori standards. Children are exposed to a variety of activities from practical life to special art projects.
Faculty
Children’s House teachers have completed additional training in the Montessori method beyond their college degree and teacher certification. Teachers who have the AMS certification have received 300 hours of training, instead of 200, and 540 hours of classroom experience, which are not required by non-AMS teaching centers.
Administration at Children’s House
| Director | Monica Shah |
| Business Coordinator | Meryl Reading |
Classrooms:
| North | Primary |
| East | Primary |
| South | Primary |
| West | Primary |
| Meridian | Early Childhood |
Why OUR School is Different
Parents have a significant responsibility in choosing the right place for their child. It is with some anxiety that they decide who is going to be with their child for many hours during a week. It is an important time for the child and the decision has many consequences.
Understanding this process, Children’s House offers the best place for the child. There is none better. The educational process we offer has been time tested to work. The children want, in fact, require, the kind of learning experience that we offer. It is geared to the individual child, so that progress is at a pace that each child can handle. The activities are deliberately prepared so that the child will be successful. The range of activities is extensive so that the child is completely occupied the entire day, and never bored. The children love to come to school every day and are reluctant to leave.
The educational outcomes achieved in an authentic Montessori school are outstanding. It is typical in our schools for a child who is in our Primary program for three years to be able to read, write, calculate and take care of themselves. Compared to other educational philosophies, the Montessori methodology understands that these three years are the time in the child’s life that they are most prepared to learn these lessons, and to learn to love learning for the rest of their lives.
Our school continuously strives for excellence. Our certified teachers reflect the classic Montessori philosophy in their classrooms. Our Curriculum Coordinator, who is also the Program Supervisor for the Montessori Teacher Training Institute, reviews the classroom practices every day. This assures parents that all the children in our school are receiving the best and authentic Montessori education from qualified teachers.