Established in 1879
108 3rd Street NE
Mandan, ND 58554
701-663-9562
*Children that register for Children’s House must be fully toilet-trained.
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The Montessori Environment
Dr. Maria Montessori developed Children’s House to be a specifically designed learning environment that fosters and enriches the developmental needs of children ages 3-6 years.
Children are presented individualized hands-on lessons specifically designed to meet them at their own developmental level. Each lesson prepares the child for future lessons so that the children are ready to master each new challenge with ease. The Montessori environment encourages children to develop concentration, to persevere, to achieve manageable goals, and to correct their own mistakes.
The Children’s House environment includes 5 classroom curriculum areas:
Practical Life
The practical life lessons guide the children in developing independence with real-world, purposeful tasks such as folding clothes, watering plants, washing windows, meal prep, etc. The practical life area also includes fine motor practice in tasks such as dressing boards, pouring, spooning, and tonging. These activities strength the hands for writing, develop concentration, and inspire problem solving.
Sensorial
Young children explore the world through their senses. In the sensorial area, children will complete tasks that teach them to compare & contrast, order objects, and notice slight differences. Some tasks in the sensorial area include matching sound jars, color grading, identifying geometric solids, and ordering according to width/depth. These observational tasks will prepare children for future learning in the areas of math, science, and art.
Math
Children will begin learning mathematical concepts with concrete manipulatives before developing the abstract skills of solving math problems on a page or in their head. The math lessons are presented in a way that allows the children to gradually build their skills. As they master one math concept, they are given a task slightly more challenging. This method develops confidence and develops problem-solving skills. Tasks in the Math area will expose children to concepts such as number identification, time, place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and decimals.
Language
In the language area, children begin with pre-writing/pre-reading activities such as learning phonetic sounds of each letter and tracing letters. Later they use the Movable Alphabet to put those sounds together to form words and later sentences. As they progress through the language tasks, they will eventually read, write, and illustrate their own stories.
Cosmic
The Cosmic area offers lessons in geography, science, history and culture. Children will learn about animals, the parts of a plant, practice gardening, and complete geographic puzzle maps. They will also learn to care for classroom pets, learn about different cultures, and work with calendars & timelines. This area fosters observation skills, expands their vocabulary, and enriches their natural curiosity about the world.
Grace & Courtesy Lessons
Grace & Courtesy lessons give children the skills needed to interact with others. Some lessons include how to blow their nose, how to interrupt an adult, saying “excuse me”, greeting visitors, and helping their classmates. These social strategies will help children navigate friendships, learn respect for others, and develop collaboration skills. These lessons can be given to the whole group or individualized. They emphasize the positive behavior expected and are taught through modeling, guided role play, and everyday practice.