Children’s House Program (ages 2.9-6)
Fostering a Love of Learning by Engaging the Senses
OCMS offers 3 mixed-age Children’s House classrooms dedicated to our students age 2 years 9 months (2.9) to 6 years. Each classroom has approximately 24 students and is taught by an AMI-certified Montessori guide and an assistant.
Half-day program: 5 days/week 8:20am to 12:00pm
Full-day program: 5 days/week 8:20am to 3:00pm
Through a sensorial approach to a young child’s learning, the Children’s House experience builds the necessary framework for academic and social growth, developing a spirit of curiosity and independence to inspire a lifelong love of learning.
Meet our Children’s House Guides
A typical day in Children’s House:
Outdoor play on the playground
Self-guided work, focused on one of the central components listed below, and supported by a Children’s House guide and/or assistant
Observation of classmate’s work
Snack, prepared by student and/or classmates
Group activities (reading a book, singing songs)
Five Central Components to Learning
There are five central components to the Montessori Children’s House program, and within each group are specially prepared, manipulative materials.
1) Practical Life
Everyday activities related to the care of oneself and the care of the environment.
OCMS prepares children for practical life through activities such as: preparing and cleaning up snack, putting on and zipping jackets, pouring water, sewing, and polishing.
2) Sensorial
Activities of increasing complexity are designed to help refine a child’s senses.
OCMS helps children develop sensorial awareness through activities such as: describing or identifying unknown objects, identifying sounds, and matching like objects.
3) Mathematics
Using strategically developed materials, children gain a solid foundation with numbers, exploring the four math systems: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
OCMS helps students learn mathematical concepts with activities such as: counting, matching, pairing.
4) Language
Utilizing a combination of phonics and whole language techniques, each child is guided through spoken language to writing, reading, and comprehension.
OCMS exposes children to language through activities such as: reading books, Spanish class, music, and rhyming.
5) Culture
Exposure to geography, history, and science through concrete materials as well as oral and written stories, children expand their understanding of the surrounding world.
OCMS helps children understand cultures through activities such as: exploring maps, matching animals with habitats, plant lifecycles, and exposure to global traditions and practices.
