Children’s House for 3 to 6 year olds

Maria Montessori observed that growing children have sensitive periods. Specific needs dominate the child and characterise their areas of interest. During a sensitive period, a child picks up new learnings easily and holistically.

The Children House’s teachers, as part of the prepared environment, ensure that there is a caring atmosphere of trust, in which thoughts and feelings are taken seriously. They..

• observe,
• accompany and facilitate the learning process,
• validate and support,
• and bring alive the montessori material for the child.

Working with sensory materials awakens the mind and opens the senses (smell, touch, etc.). The children sort out the various sensory elements and combine them together as a whole.

Maria Montessori viewed “exercises of daily life” (e.g. sweeping, cleaning shoes, spoon and pouring exercises) as a particular area of work. These tasks are part of the prepared environment for young children and serve their development towards independence.

According to their sensitive phases, children develop an interest in language. They learn to read and write using materials in the prepared environment, such as sand letters, “initial sound” drawers or grammar boxes.

Material developed by Maria Montessori for mathematics enables young people to learn through doing, so that step by step, by working from the concrete, the abstract is grasped. Already in the Children’s House, children learn basic arithmetic operations according to their sensitive phases.

For Maria Montessori, a holistic plan underlies all of creation. Each part of the world, every plant, every living creature fulfils a purpose for the whole – the cosmos. Humans play a special role: they carry responsibility. With this in mind, we integrate cosmic education into all of our areas.

Children discover and explore the world around them and are amazed at how everything fits together—to make a whole!

Daily, regardless of the weather, children have the opportunity to move around and play freely in our garden. During the free choice of work, they move around according to their needs, without disturbing others in their work.

At the core of Maria Montessori’s didactic system lies the principle that children determine for themselves what they do within a framework provided by an educator.

In their free choice of work, the young person acts responsibly towards themselves, others and the material in the prepared environment. In order to offer free choice of work, presentations are offered regularly. Through story-telling for one child or a small group, the content and handling of material is explained and also engenders enthusiasm.

In a relaxed environment, authentic needs can be recognised, enabling intensive, joyful learning to take place.

We follow the motto: “help others and accept help,” meaning children have the opportunity to learn with and from each other.

3 to 6 year olds are in a group together.

Lively interaction occurs throughout the day, when children are helping, accepting help and  when younger and older children are working together. Younger children receive impulses from older ones. In this way, children develop a high level of social competence naturally.

One of the ways our children can get to know older children from the secondary level is through an internal school internship. Natural interaction between different age groups is made possible.

Practicing silence brings peace to our body, mind and soul. Through these exercises, children learn to pay attention to their bodies and to consciously guide their movements. They practice patience and experience relaxation in the group.

By carefully handling the material, children learn important competencies needed for living in a community. For example, they learn to wait, to be mindful with everything—with one’s self, others and the material. By personally living community and showing how we do things, children can grow into the community.

Our focus of attention is on peace education, respect for each other and for creation. Essential parts of our daily activities include celebrations in the annual cycle and nature experiences.