The practical life area
Children’s initial experiences in the Children’s House focus on practical life activities that allow them to imitate adults as they perform increasingly complex daily routine tasks using real tools. All this helps them feel confident and capable.
These tasks entail several steps that must be performed in sequence to achieve the desired result, including left-to-right progression. This way, they help children develop their concentration and hand strength, preparing them to write. In addition, these exercises help children develop their problem-solving skills, which are at the basis of any form of creative thinking and expression, even in different fields like maths, science, engineering, coding, art, entrepreneurship, and sports. The essential skills children develop through practical life activities form the foundation of their future learning.
These tasks entail several steps that must be performed in sequence to achieve the desired result, including left-to-right progression. This way, they help children develop their concentration and hand strength, preparing them to write. In addition, these exercises help children develop their problem-solving skills, which are at the basis of any form of creative thinking and expression, even in different fields like maths, science, engineering, coding, art, entrepreneurship, and sports. The essential skills children develop through practical life activities form the foundation of their future learning.
The sensorial area
Children at this age are natural sensory explorers. By using the sensory materials created by Maria Montessori and performing exercises like comparing, contrasting, discerning slight differences, and arranging, they learn to use the five senses to distinguish shapes, colours, smells, and textures. These sensorial lessons also highlight the mathematical relationships in the real world, providing the basics to understand arithmetic, geometry, and algebra later. The materials in this area include a vast array of objects grouped together based on their physical characteristics like colour, shape, size, sound, roughness, weight, or temperature.
The language area
The Montessori approach makes it easier to learn languages. Maria Montessori observed how, in a child’s development, there’s a period between the ages of 3 and 5 when they are spontaneously drawn to written language. Having the tools to cultivate this interest when the time comes encourages children to develop a love of writing first and then of reading. Teachers use their power of observation to monitor when this sensitive period begins. In the meantime, they guide children through various lessons that improve their fine motor coordination and teach them to recognise sounds, preparing them to read and write. In our classrooms, children will find all the Montessori materials to learn both Italian and English, allowing them to become bilingual effortlessly. Music, which is partly included in the sensorial activities, is also considered a language made up of codes, thanks to which children can discover the concepts around melody and composition.
The maths area
Children get to discover mathematics through specifically designed tactile, concrete, and engaging materials, which will help them solve increasingly complex problems. These basics will help them move effortlessly from the concrete to the abstract. At the Children’s House, children work with the decimal system and are exposed to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, developing a deep understanding of numbers before they turn six.
The cultural area
Various cultural activities introduce children to geology, botany, biology, and geography as a prelude to the next curriculum (ages 6-12). Their initial experiences with physical properties, shapes of nature and water, natural objects, animal and plant parts help develop a love of the world in all its macro and micro dimensions. In this area, children compare and arrange flags, cultural objects and photographs from all over the world, discovering the cultures of the world and taking the first steps that will lead them to history and cosmic education in the following primary school curriculum.
In addition to these classroom areas, the Montessori approach focuses on children’s independence, especially with regard to the following:
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Self-dressing: taking their shoes off and putting them back on, taking off and putting on their coats or jackets, dressing and undressing on their own.
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At the table: sitting correctly, drinking from a glass, and using cutlery.
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In the classroom: completing their activities, concentrating on their tasks, and tidying up after they finish.
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In the bathroom: recognising when they need to go to the bathroom, learning how to undress and dress themselves, learning how to use toilet paper, wash and dry their hands.
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Outdoors: learning how to put on and take off their raincoats and wellies, using gardening tools and putting them back, going up and down the stairs on their own.
Afternoon sessions also include activities children can choose based on their interests and needs.
When parents come to pick them up, teachers use this moment to tell them about their children’s day and share comments and results.
Then, they go to lunch. This is another opportunity to practice their daily life skills, such as setting the table, serving food, and table manners. Teachers can facilitate conversations and encourage social interaction during lunch.
After lunch, children can play outside in a safe and calming environment. Based on their age and individual needs, they can even choose to rest or have a quiet moment before starting their afternoon activities.
