TMS Children's House Program 

(Ages 3 to 6 years)

 

Current research and almost a hundred years of classroom instruction have proven Maria Montessori's theory that the three to six year old child possesses an extraordinary capacity to absorb information from his or her surroundings.

 

Dr. Montessori summed up this quality by identifying it as “the absorbent mind.” During this period, the child is a sensorial explorer, with a desire to learn.  During this important stage of life, the child has an innate desire to learn, and absorbs every aspect of the environment, including language and culture.

 

Dr. Montessori theorized that the child needed direction and guidance rather than instruction, understanding this absorbent stage and that the child's nature would ensure that the child would be learning.  She identified the motto of the young child as “Help me to help myself,” and the philosophy of a TMS Montessori education is based upon this tenet. At TMS the direction and the educational environment helps the child learn to be independent, competent and therefore, confident.

 

The TMS Montessori approach embraces the complete natural needs of the whole child and addresses his/her cognitive, physical, social, emotional and ethical development.

 

THE TMS CHILDREN'S HOUSE PROGRAM'S
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT

 

At TMS, as in most accredited Montessori schools, the learning environment includes a mix of children within a three-year developmental span. Mixing ages enables the older, more socially advanced and capable children to become role models and mentors for the younger ones. A feeling of community develops in this environment as younger children are aided by older ones, and as older children learn greater patience, the joy and confidence that nurturing creates. In addition, the older children develop a greater understanding and acceptance for the perspectives of others through their experiences with classmates of various ages.

 

In a mixed age classroom, children develop friendships based on common interests, not just age.

 

The basic classroom rule is RESPECT. Respect for oneself, and respect for one another. During this classroom phase, the children are taught to respect differences and to learn from their experiences. The students are treated with respect by the adults of the school. As they are treated with such respect, they learn to treat themselves and others in a kind manner.

 

PHYSICAL AND MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

 

To become independent, children must develop motor coordination and control. The freedom of movement found in the TMS Children's House allows children the opportunity to control their bodies in a defined space.

 

The activities of the TMS Practical Life educational exercises instil a sense of care for oneself, for others, and for the environment. The exercises include pouring liquids, preparing foods, washing dishes, setting a table, polishing silver or shoes and dealing gracefully and courteously with social encounters. Through theses tasks and the acquired experiences, children learn to concentrate, to coordinate their movements, and develop fine motor skills. TMS Practical Life activities are the foundation for all future academic work. They promote concentration, order, and the importance of completing a work cycle.

 

The Sensorial Materials, which are used in the TMS classroom, are specially designed to enable 3 to 6 year olds to identify and refine information obtained through their senses, creating order and the ability to classify sensorial impressions. By seeing, smelling, tasting, listening to, touching and exploring the sensorial properties of the Montessori learning materials, the children begin to classify and then name objects and attributes in their environment.

 

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

 

Because the 3 to 6 year old mind is absorbent, this is the ideal age to assist the development of brain pathways. Dr. Montessori observed that at this age span, the child was in a “sensitive period' for absorbing both written and spoken language. The TMS Children's House is rich in oral and written language opportunities—listening to stories and reciting poems, singing and conversing with others. Introduction of the innovative Montessori Sandpaper Letters connects each spoken sound with its symbol, supporting the development of writing, and then reading.

 

Young children are intrigued by numbers—knowing, “How much?” or “How many?” provides another dimension to understanding their world. The Montessori Mathematical Materials and lessons help children to develop an understanding of mathematical concepts through the manipulation of materials representing the decimal system. This builds a secure foundation of understanding math principles, and helps develop skills and problem-solving abilities.

 

Science experiments, Geography, History, Zoology, Botany, Art, and Music are all incorporated into the Children's House curriculum. They are presented in sensorial ways with specially designed materials and real-life experiences. In geography, the children learn more than the names of countries and their location on a map. They learn the relationship between countries, the daily life of the people and their respective cultures. During this learning phase, they learn about the differences in cultures and to respect the cultural differences of others, recognizing that we all belong to “the family of people.”

 

Young people are natural scientists. Watching and caring for plants, animals and the outdoor environment creates an interest in science lessons and a reverence for life.

 

Art and Music give the children an opportunity for joyful and creative expression. In the classroom they see and hear and touch fine art and enjoy the sound of great music compositions.

 

The Montessori materials are designed to isolate one concept at a time in a very concrete manner. Students work with materials that are self-correcting, thus developing “auto-education.” “Errors” are viewed as necessary and helpful part of the learning process. The TMS materials provide a bridge from the known to the unknown allowing the students to evolve at their own pace from concrete experience-based learning toward increasingly abstract thought.

 

IMPACT OF A TMS MONTESSORI EDUCATION ON THE CHILD

 

Children who have been educated at TMS grow into competent learners who know how to learn and love learning. The solid foundation begun early in life develops self-confident adults that contribute to their world.

 

In Education for a New World, Dr. Montessori wrote, “…(the child) will not be the victim of events, but will have the clarity of vision to direct and shape the future of human society.”

 

At TMS, like you, we take our responsibility to your child seriously. That is the reason TMS students consistently rank at the highest levels of academic, emotional and ethical development.

 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN CHILDREN’S HOUSE

At TMS, our philosophy with our Children’s House Physical Education is having fun, first and foremost. We have created a warm and inviting environment in which the children love coming to our gym. While in our class your child will have the chance to challenge his or her own individual ability, push his or her own personal limits, while not being compared to or competing with another child. Knowing that each child progresses at different rates, our program offers many open ended tasks that allow all the students to work in the same environment at their own levels, regardless whether they are very capable or a novice.

In the Children’s House Physical Education Program your child will enjoy three half-hour classes per cycle. During this half hour, your child will learn many valuable lessons that are essential building blocks for their TMS Physical Education Program.

In the first month of the program, the Physical Education Teachers play games that teach the students to listen very carefully. We teach the students the stop signal, proper boundaries, washroom habits, fire drill, entering and exiting procedures, as well as the ability to identify between safe and unsafe situations, materials, and equipment.

During the course of the year, your child will be working on locomotor skills (hopping, skipping, galloping, etc.), spatial, and body awareness. During this period the students will be exploring and working with: hula hoops, bean bags, balls, parachutes, and similar materials. They will also explore, play games, and learn that there are many ways that they can manipulate all these materials.

 

Another part of our program is dance. We use a variety of CDs that teach the children to listen to the music, follow directions, and perform the accompanying actions. We usually warm up with one of these songs and all the children participate willingly and love it!

Upon completion of the Children’s House Physical Education Program, your child will be fully ready to enter and enjoy our Elementary Physical Education.