The Children’s House program at Lake Country School serves three to six year old children in three multi-age classrooms. Each classroom has Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) trained teachers, typically called “guides,” and assistants. Children attend five days a week— a Half-Day program (mornings) for the younger children, and Full-Day program for the oldest children. There is an extended day Full-Day option for 3-4 yr. children, and before and after school extended day for all children, available by contract.
Research on the development of the brain has borne out of Dr. Maria Montessori’s observation that young children are particularly sensitive to learning from their environment through the power of what she called “the absorbent mind,” which can take in everything that is offered. In a Montessori program children teach themselves by working with concrete, hands-on materials that they are shown how to use by a teacher in a one-on-one or small group lesson. After a material has been shown to a child, they are free to use it whenever they choose during the three hour work period. Children work at their own pace as they construct themselves through meaningful work in practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics, cultural, social community and physical activities.