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Hours: 8:45– 11:45 AM (Ages 3 to 4 ½) The Children’s House is the realm of the 3 to 6 year old child. It is a warm and welcoming Prepared Environment, especially designed to build concentration and self-discipline. The Montessori directress is the link connecting the child to the environment. Students new to the Children’s House program,
starting as young as age 3, attend our school from 8:45– 11:45
AM Monday through Friday. As children show academic and social readiness
to work independently, usually between ages 4 ½ and 5, the
directress will invite them to stay for Extended Day. These children
stay for lunch beginning one afternoon a week. The children’s
workday then extends from morning into the afternoon with opportunity
for more in-depth exploration. Children, ages 3 to 6, directly learn through their senses and absorb information effortlessly through movement and hands-on materials. The focus of Montessori education is not academic readiness or the mastery of specific skill, but development of the whole child – socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. The mixed age classes offer opportunities to learn which do not exist in same-age settings. The older, experienced children become leaders and role models to the younger children, who absorb social values and cultural impressions from the activities of the older children. The children learn details of math, language and geography just from walking through the classroom! Through leadership, the older children gain self-confidence and responsibility. A natural, family-like atmosphere develops spontaneously, resulting in a bond between the children and also with the Guide. From this comes the greatest level of social development - mutual care and respect. All classrooms include four distinct areas: practical life, sensorial, math and language. A fifth area, often referred to as cultural or science, combines work from both sensorial and language. Practical Life offers opportunity to instill care for self, care for others, and care for the environment while setting the foundation for concentration, independence, and eye-hand coordination. This area helps develop self-confidence while laying the groundwork for all other areas of the curriculum. Sensorial exercises allow the children
to manipulate materials, classify and clarify information into finer
and finer distinctions, and comprehend their world through the use
of their 5 senses. Dr. Montessori referred to these materials as
“materialized abstractions.” Language development occurs naturally and spontaneously before the age of six. Montessori exercises focus on both spoken and written language. The classroom is rich in oral language including conversation, stories, songs and poetry. The children learn phonetic skills necessary for composition and reading. The hand, which has been developing control and coordination in Practical Life activities and Sensorial exploration, is now ready to begin the formation of letters. Through effortless learning the child now “explodes” into reading and writing! Mathematics materials help develop the child’s innate “mathematical mind” as he manipulates concrete materials which isolate a specific concept in preparation for later abstract work. The materials lay the foundation for arithmetic, algebra and geometry. Mind and body become integrated through exploration with the didactic materials. Highlawn has five Children’s House classrooms.
Each classroom serves 24 children, directed by an AMI certified
teacher and one assistant. The Children’s House Extended Day Program is offered to children 4½ and older. This session runs from 8:45-2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The afternoon extended day allows the older children to have more academic, smaller group experience in their classroom. Extended day is offered to children at about four and a half years of age as the teacher feels the child is ready. Children are invited to start one afternoon and slowly increase the number of afternoons. The decision concerning the child’s readiness for the extended day is always made by the classroom teacher, with input from the parents. Readiness for Extended Day is determined by observing the child. Guidelines the teacher will use include the following.
Hours: Monday though Friday from 8:15 AM – 3:00 PM
The elementary program builds on the child’s Children’s House experience. Highlawn’s elementary environment balances concrete, hands-on materials with the child’s developing imagination and powers of abstraction. The Montessori elementary program serves 6-12 year olds by focusing on:
The elementary program collaborates with the Johnson
County Corinth library to provide a literacy program that includes
quality interactive literature experiences, library skills, library
technology skills, guest speakers and more. Students attend regular
small group and whole group field experiences focused on science,
history, geography and the arts. The curriculum is also enhanced by resources brought
in from the community such as professional musicians, naturalist
interpreters, hydrologists, drama instructors, zoo docents and people
with first hand knowledge of cultural practices. The elementary
students enjoy weekly Spanish instruction as well as regular visits
to the classroom by volunteers including Japanese and French language
teachers, local chefs, skilled seamstresses, and multicultural experts. In addition to our regular schedule of classes, Highlawn Montessori also offers options to working parents or those who occasionally need additional hours of care for their children. These options include Before Care, Explorer’s Club, and the After School Program. Summer Camps are available during the summer months. Before School Care Our Before Care program is open to children enrolled
in any of our regular classes. Children attending Before Care join
one of our AMI trained teachers in her classroom. The program coordinates
with regular classrooms, allowing the children to participate in
a Children’s House environment in which they are free to move
about the room choosing work of interest to them. They may serve
themselves snack, and occasionally a child will bring in breakfast
to eat during After School Care Our After School Program is an extension of the Children's House class. This program provides a relaxed, cozy, home-like atmosphere under the direction of a trained Montessori teacher. The afternoon program is optional, upbeat and lots of fun. This program offers the best of both worlds; the nurturing and comfort of home and the challenging stimulation of Montessori. Children participate joyfully in many activities; care for the environment, science, cultural activities, art, music, movement, cooking and games. The children may choose to participate in an organized activity or work freely in a fully equipped Montessori classroom. The limit of twelve students and communication between the Primary Children's House Teacher and After School Teacher will enhance the child's social, emotional, spiritual and cognitive growth. Parents have the option of enrolling their children on a fee-based schedule for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days, with varying dismissal times until 5:45pm. Explorer’s Club
Summer Camp During the summer months, a variety of short, one
or two week long programs are offered to currently enrolled children.
Each camp session focuses on the fun of exploring a particular activity
or subject. The children may also work with regular Montessori classroom
materials as they choose. These camps are scheduled from |
Montessori
education at Highlawn does not end with the Children’s House
experience. It continues into the child’s elementary years
constantly focused on the changing developmental needs of the child.
Maria Montessori wrote, ”The successive levels of education
must conform to the successive personalities of the child.”
As the elementary-aged child gradually moves from the concrete learning
of Children's House to the more abstract ones of the elementary,
Highlawn Montessori meets his developmental needs each step of the
way. 
Extended
Day and Elementary students may join our Explorer’s Club following
regular afternoon class time, one or more days a week. Specific
programs are led by Montessori trained teachers. These currently
include Game Day, Art Exploration, Cooking, Arts & Crafts, and
Science & Nature. Explorer’s Club is available five days
a week from 3:15 to 5PM, on a monthly block basis. Cost is based
on the number of days available in any given monthly block. Pre-enrollment
is required.
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