Chilren's house (3 - 6 years) - cycle 1
The Director does not sit up at the front of the class as in many traditional schools. They are likely to be on a rug on the floor, or at a child-sized table, giving full attention to one individual child at a time or a small group. Careful observation of the Director will show they are constantly on the move in a quiet way, as they go from child to child, and seek to be alert to the needs and actions of all.
Unlike the way a lot of us have been educated, in same age or in year related classes, Perth Montessori School has a 3 year age range within each class: 3 to 6, 6 to 9, and 9 to 12, 13 to 15 and 15 to 18 year old children. These levels are called ‘Cycles’. The Montessori ‘Director’ remains with the same group for the entire 3 year cycle, allowing them to truly get to know each and every child. This meta approach is now advocated in traditional schooling.
The Perth Montessori School method also fosters social awareness and responsibility in children, allowing the child to interact with children of different ages, forming a mentor style relationship. It’s important to note that for a child to truly benefit from a Montessori education it requires a long term commitment.
The Montessori environment supports spontaneous learning and discovery. It centres on the individual needs of children and within this environment new information is presented when the child is developmentally ready. In the Children’s Houses there are 5 defined areas, focusing on the children’s interests and their developmental needs.
Practical Life:
Encouraging the children to look after themselves, their classroom and home environment, independently.
Sensorial:
Developing the sense of sight, hearing, tastes, touch and smells.
Language:
Introducing a series of learning tools, such as sandpaper textured letters, a moveable alphabet; and they are introduced to reading and writing.
Mathematics:
Experiencing numbers and counting with tactile materials and participating in game like activities that introduce addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, making the learning process fun.
Cultural:
Introducing the children to the world in which we live.