Children's House

Summit Montessori School's Children's House comprises a preschool beginning at age three and concluding with kindergarten for five-year-olds. The children are grouped together in three-year intervals, enabling them to develop social relationships over time. As is traditional in the Montessori environment, older children become the de facto leaders in the classroom and help teach their younger peers.

The work begins early in Summit's Children's House. There are five categories of learning: 1) practical life, 2) sensorial, 3) math, 4) language, and 5) cultural studies.

Practical Life

The Montessori child develops his Concentration, Coordination, Independence, Order and Self-Esteem through the works in the Practical Life Area. He or she learns to do things for himself or herself while developing the pincer grip for writing through pouring, scooping, spooning, squeezing and twisting. During snack time, for example, children prepare their own food, eat with friends, clean up and put everything away. Children also take turns bringing in flowers to the classroom. The child cuts the flowers, arranges them the way he or she wants, puts them in a vase of his or her choosing and sets them out in the classroom. Such activities give the children a sense of ownership and pave the way for greater responsibility later on.

Sensorial

The Sensorial Curriculum further prepares the child to become a dynamic part of his or her world by using attractive, concrete materials that develop his or her ability to observe, compare, discriminate, and make decisions. We encourage our youngest children to develop their senses both quantitatively and qualitatively. Color chips that are close in shade become a challenge to match visually. Bells of varying sounds sharpen the child's ear. These materials serve dual purposes, because what appears to be simple play is actually refining the children's senses and giving them critical learning skills for elementary school.

Math
Summit's math curriculum begins in the Children's House and follows a continuum throughout our elementary program. Students use manipulatives tactile objects that help teach basic math principles such as tiles of different sizes, glass beads, and two- and three- dimensional shapes. Counting manipulatives leads to skip counting, which eventually leads to abstract concepts. In this way we marry the Montessori philosophy, moving from concrete materials to the abstract, with a traditional curriculum. By Kindergarten year, many children are proficient in addition, multiplication, subtraction and even division.

Language

A child in the Summit Montessori classroom is constantly hearing spoken language and seeing written words. Our preschoolers begin direct preparation with the Language Curriculum by playing simple word games such as I Spy, Word Bingo, Animal Sound/Home to match familiar objects to their initial sounds. Once a child has grasped several initial word sounds, he or she is introduced to the Sandpaper letters. While the child is working with sounds and tracing letters, metal insets are introduced to further develop the physical act of writing. Once the sounds and shapes are mastered, he or she is ready to build words phonetically with the large moveable alphabet. Use of the moveable alphabet extends to learning families of words and ultimately to writing.

Another critical area in the Language Curriculum is vocabulary enrichment. Montessori uses the infinite resource of matching words/cards to pictures that can be used throughout every area of the classroom -- from Practical Life to Science and Geography. The young child can learn vocabulary through means of picture cards, while the older child can develop reading skills by matching words to pictures. As with all areas of a Summit Montessori Classroom, it is the role of the teacher to carefully observe the child as he or she works through the language materials. Montessori-based practices are used in conjunction with contemporary educational techniques such as the Lesley College literacy program, to enhance the students' understanding of language, reading and writing.

Cultural Studies

Cultural Studies encompasses all topics outside math and language, including social studies, history, science and geography. It is in the Children's House that they begin to grasp the world outside their own through fun exercises like puppet shows, games and experiments.

As is traditional in Montessori-based schools, Summit uses a PEACE Table for conflict resolution among the children. Studies have shown that Montessori children develop a sense of trust and fairness, starting at a very young age.

Summit's Children's House is a warm and wonderful environment where children learn by doing and are exposed to multiple disciplines in the classroom. The strong educational foundation that they are given in Children's House carries through the Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary Programs at Summit, ultimately shaping a child who is inquisitive, respectful and worldly-wise.


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Our Program Montessori Philosophy Children's House Lower Elementary Upper Elementary Search Site	Children's House Summit Montessori School's Children's House comprises a preschool beginning at age three and concluding with kindergarten for five-year-olds. The children are grouped together in three-year intervals, enabling them to develop social relationships over time. As is traditional in the Montessori environment, older children become the de facto leaders in the classroom and help teach their younger peers. The work begins early in Summit's Children's House. There are five categories of learning: 1) practical life, 2) sensorial, 3) math, 4) language, and 5) cultural studies. Practical Life The Montessori child develops his Concentration, Coordination, Independence, Order and Self-Esteem through the works in the Practical Life Area. He or she learns to do things for himself or herself while developing the pincer grip for writing through pouring, scooping, spooning, squeezing and twisting. During snack time, for example, children prepare their own food, eat with friends, clean up and put everything away. Children also take turns bringing in flowers to the classroom. The child cuts the flowers, arranges them the way he or she wants, puts them in a vase of his or her choosing and sets them out in the classroom. Such activities give the children a sense of ownership and pave the way for greater responsibility later on. Sensorial The Sensorial Curriculum further prepares the child to become a dynamic part of his or her world by using attractive, concrete materials that develop his or her ability to observe, compare, discriminate, and make decisions. We encourage our youngest children to develop their senses both quantitatively and qualitatively. Color chips that are close in shade become a challenge to match visually. Bells of varying sounds sharpen the child's ear. These materials serve dual purposes, because what appears to be simple play is actually refining the children's senses and giving them critical learning skills for elementary school. Math Summit's math curriculum begins in the Children's House and follows a continuum throughout our elementary program. Students use manipulatives tactile objects that help teach basic math principles such as tiles of different sizes, glass beads, and two- and three- dimensional shapes. Counting manipulatives leads to skip counting, which eventually leads to abstract concepts. In this way we marry the Montessori philosophy, moving from concrete materials to the abstract, with a traditional curriculum. By Kindergarten year, many children are proficient in addition, multiplication, subtraction and even division. Language A child in the Summit Montessori classroom is constantly hearing spoken language and seeing written words. Our preschoolers begin direct preparation with the Language Curriculum by playing simple word games such as I Spy, Word Bingo, Animal Sound/Home to match familiar objects to their initial sounds. Once a child has grasped several initial word sounds, he or she is introduced to the Sandpaper letters. While the child is working with sounds and tracing letters, metal insets are introduced to further develop the physical act of writing. Once the sounds and shapes are mastered, he or she is ready to build words phonetically with the large moveable alphabet. Use of the moveable alphabet extends to learning families of words and ultimately to writing. Another critical area in the Language Curriculum is vocabulary enrichment. Montessori uses the infinite resource of matching words/cards to pictures that can be used throughout every area of the classroom -- from Practical Life to Science and Geography. The young child can learn vocabulary through means of picture cards, while the older child can develop reading skills by matching words to pictures. As with all areas of a Summit Montessori Classroom, it is the role of the teacher to carefully observe the child as he or she works through the language materials. Montessori-based practices are used in conjunction with contemporary educational techniques such as the Lesley College literacy program, to enhance the students' understanding of language, reading and writing. Cultural Studies Cultural Studies encompasses all topics outside math and language, including social studies, history, science and geography. It is in the Children's House that they begin to grasp the world outside their own through fun exercises like puppet shows, games and experiments. As is traditional in Montessori-based schools, Summit uses a PEACE Table for conflict resolution among the children. Studies have shown that Montessori children develop a sense of trust and fairness, starting at a very young age. Summit's Children's House is a warm and wonderful environment where children learn by doing and are exposed to multiple disciplines in the classroom. The strong educational foundation that they are given in Children's House carries through the Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary Programs at Summit, ultimately shaping a child who is inquisitive, respectful and worldly-wise.