The Children's House "Primary" Program

The primary program is a three year curriculum cycle, with the first two years laying a foundation that culminates in the Kindergarten year. This final year in our program is an exciting time when all that the child has learned comes together and the child shows increased desire and ability in academic learning. By this final year the child develops a strong social connection with his/her peers, becomes a mentor to the younger children, and finishes the program with confidence and ability. Families are encouraged to strongly consider this, so that their children can receive the greatest benefit from our programming. Your child will be guided in choosing Montessori activities from the following areas:

Practical Life
This is the foundation of the Montessori classroom and consists of "real-life" activities through which children learn to care for themselves, others and their world. Familiar tasks and everyday skills such as pouring, polishing, washing a table, or sewing on a button lead to independence, concentration, a sense of order, coordination of movement and self-confidence. Learning positive ways to handle social situations and extend courtesy to others creates a strong social community. All of these skills prepare your child for further work in the classroom and throughout life.
 
Sensorial
Activities using specially designed apparatus help refine the senses--the channel through which learning occurs. These experiences help your child to identify, classify, discern and categorize sensorial impressions and develop a sense of order. Children enjoy building a tower from the largest piece to the smallest, experience colors, smells, textures and sounds, and working with geometric shapes. 
 
Language
Language includes stories both read and told, self-expression, vocabulary building, phonetic sound and visual recognition of letters, reading and writing. Your child will learn the phonetic sounds of letters, begin to put these sounds together to form words, and then "explode" into reading. The joy of accomplishment is readily apparent as the child further explores this new avenue of communication.
 
Math
After previous preparation with sorting, categorizing, sequencing and size discrimination, the Montessori math materials provide a concrete means for your child to learn and understand abstract mathematical concepts. The math materials begin with learning quantity and symbol, then progress into place value, operations and fractions.
 
Geography & Science
Children participate in activities that allow them to explore the world by bringing it into the classroom. Whether learning about other cultures or places, caring for plants and animals, studying nature, or enjoying an experiment, these activities increase your child's observation skills and stimulate curiosity about the world around them.
 
Art, Music, Gardening, Food Preparation, Outdoor Play & more
A full day at CVMS involves the opportunity to explore in all curriculum areas. Special activities are integrated into the Montessori environment to enhance your child's creativity, self-expression, and aid in the full development of the person within.

Daily Schedule

Morning-Afternoon Work Cycle

Aftercare Work Time

All Day Montessori Options
Children staying All Day continue in the Montessori environment, rather than transitioning to a day care type area. They can continue to work with practical life and art materials, as well as other activities and interests which are integrated into the environment. When Dr. Montessori began the first school in 1907, she called it “Casa dei Bambini” or Children’s House. In the Children’s House, the children care for each other and their environment, not only learning, but living life together.