Children's House, ages 3-6

The human person from birth to six years has an “absorbent mind,” meaning that children in this period of development are able to absorb knowledge quickly and effortlessly. The Children’s House at Ave Maria Montessori strives to provide everything necessary for optimal human development in a safe, secure and joyful environment. The Children’s House offers a multi-sensory approach. The environments are equipped with specially formulated Montessori materials. The use of these materials, in conjunction with the careful attention of our guides, foster the strengthening and development of their language, sense of order, coordination of movements, sensory development and exploration, interest in small objects, basic concepts of math and music, practical life activities, art and science.
 
Maria Montessori discovered that allowing children in this phase to make choices, to practice and develop their coordinated movements, and to complete tasks led to self-regulation and self-control. In the Children’s House, children are constantly freely choosing task they have been shown how to do; manipulating, experimenting and discovering, honing their observing and problem solving skills. As they develop in these areas they progress from the concrete to the abstract. Around the age of 6, 6½ -7, the human person enters into a new phase of life where Absorbent Mind is replaced with the reasoning—imaginative mind. The psycho-social characteristics change dramatically in this second plane of development. A new environment and different response from the adult is now requires. This brings us to the Ave Maria Montessori Elementary Environment.