A step out of my comfort zone: Montessori Children’s House

 So often we fall victim to comfort.  While there is nothing wrong with comfort, oftentimes it discourages us from exploring the unfamiliar because of fear.  It becomes just too easy to stay inside our “own little world,” with people and places we know. 

My little world began in a kindergarten through 12^th grade private school in a Columbus suburb, followed by a public high school, eventually leading me to Texas Christian University.  All of these provided me with incredible opportunities, but I wouldn’t consider any of them atypical from the majority of educational systems in the United States. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Montessori Children’s House (MCH), a Montessori school located in Fort Worth.  I had previously heard of the Montessori approach to learning, but never really knew what exactly it meant.  My visit was pleasantly surprising!

This school was founded in 1968 by two teachers who sought to bring the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian doctor who studied child development, to the children of Fort Worth. MCH’s goal is to set the foundation for children as learners, so they can continue on with the skills necessary to reach their full potential in all areas of life.

Dr. Montessori’s plan fosters a natural way of learning—most prominently the notion of learning by doing. The younger children use hands-on learning devices to give them a “feel” for concepts, progressively working toward an understanding of abstract concepts.  You can learn more about the Montessori method here.

The classroom style at MCH was incredibly different from anything I’d seen before. Students are separated by age into four learning communities: toddler, preschool, lower elementary and upper elementary.  Our tour guide explained that the learning communities enable students to develop with their peers, fostering teamwork and collaboration, instead of having rigid grade structures that can inhibit the developmental process.

As we walked into a classroom we saw a traditional school’s nightmare: there were children everywhere! While this preschool class only had about 12 students, each was working on something different. (I was most impressed by the child who successfully completed a South America puzzle.)  Our guide explained that each student works on his or her own individualized learning plan at his or her own pace, fostering independence.

Not all of the day is spent on individual lesson plans, however. The class comes together for group enrichment lessons every day, ranging from a topic on geography or history, to special classes in Spanish, music and art to foster creativity and stimulate other learning. Students are also taught life-skills lessons through manners classes and a child-friendly kitchen environment where they are required to clean up after themselves after eating lunch or a snack. 

The other learning communities rooms functioned in similar ways, but the environments placed a greater emphasis on teamwork.  Computers are not introduced until the upper-elementary level, as the faculty and staff try to minimize student’s time in front of the screen, which can be detrimental to development.  Further, faculty and staff attempt to maximize students’ time outdoors as we are increasingly becoming a vitamin-D deficient society.

This environment was vastly different from the standardized educational system many schools follow. At first, I was a bit leery of the individual nature of learning, but the more I observed the more I grew to appreciate this pattern of learning and realized its long-term benefits, as these students will have mastered the art of self-sufficiency and group collaboration when making the transition to college. 

I found my time at MCH to be intriguing and enlightening. It was a wonderful opportunity to step out of my “own little world” and experience the unfamiliarity of the Montessori method to education, definitely something to keep in mind for those school-shopping for their children in the future.

(Pictures courtesy of www.mchfw.com.)

 -Morgan Helgreen

Montessori School prepares young minds for the future

Kids these days are exposed to more than ever before. Young children are on the Internet, using smart phones, and watching a wide variety of movies. So where are children learning their values? Their parents? Their schools? One school, Montessori Children’s House (www.mchfw.com) is taking that mission on. 

From the very beginning, the students at Montessori are taught etiquette, independence, and conflict management – just to name a few. The students learn time management and how to become self-starters with the free-range style of curriculum. 

When I went to visit the school, I was surprised that the façade of the school is literally a house. Once you enter the campus, you see that the classrooms are spacious and kid friendly with low shelves and tables. In the middle of their grouping of buildings is a large recess area for the children to spend their breaks. I loved hearing that the teachers try to have the kids spend as much time outdoors as possible. The teachers are wholly involved with the students are care for their personal well being as well as their intellectual growth. 

At Montessori it is not all about grades since they don’t exist. Parents receive narrative reports on their child’s work that includes where they excel and where they need extra help. Fast learners are able to learn as much as they like and slower students are given the time they need. Montessori fosters an environment that encourages learning in your own way, not in the teacher’s way.

As a college student, the most common remarks I hear from other students are about time management and procrastination. How much better could our college experience be if we had these skills ingrained within us at such a young age?

--Avery Ruxer

Montessori--The New Method of Learning

 Finding the perfect elementary school for your child is a daunting task. Parents often think of where their children will succeed and which learning style will be best for them amongst many other things. There are so many factors to consider when choosing the place you will leave your child for the first time all day as they start their first steps towards independence. So where will it be? Who are the teachers? What are the other kids like? Montessori Children’s House puts an end to all these concerns with flying colors.

Montessori Children’s House is a school designed to enhance independent study for children ages 18 months to 14 years old. Their classes are led by multiple teachers encouraging the Montessori Method to learning. Their continuous growth has led families to new cities based on the Montessori organization where children are very bright and have the opportunity to continue their education past sixth grade into the newly built middle school on the Montessori campus. Children strive when started at 18 months and continue their education throughout the full length of the program and stand out among the rest when starting high school.

The Montessori facilities are divided by age group like another other public school. However, these children are grouped together and continue learning at their own pace. The Montessori Method encourages independent study with guidance as a more effective learning style. Children are brought up with basic learning skills from objects, to the use of their hands. And as they grow older, both physically and intellectually, they begin lessons with guidance from their teachers.

Interacting with these children was a joy to any observer. Two children led a group of TCU students around the facilities and we were very impressed. These two boys were very bright, knowledgeable, and truly in love with their school. They were also very happy to announce they would be able to stay for another couple years with the new construction and development of the Montessori middle school in Fort Worth. These children will go very far in their academics and their positive attitudes because they are coming out of the Montessori School setting an impressive example unlike all the rest.

To schedule a tour or receive more information, visit Montessori Children's House

By Brelle de Groot

Montessori Children's House of Fort Worth, Texas.

Education is a funny thing. In some countries, like the United States, being properly educated is what we as citizens strive for. In China, children spend a majority of their childhood focusing on acquiring as much knowledge as they can in order to pass a test given when they are on the verge of becoming adults. In other countries; however, education seems to be more on the backburner of importance in a community.

Since I am a citizen of the U.S., as I assume most of you are, let’s focus on education in our country. Right now I want you to think about growing up as a child. What did you do on a day-to-day basis during the week? If your answer was not going to school, you’re lucky. For those of you who said yes, you know that starting around age five you begun your first year of school, Kindergarten. You continued your studies, attending school until around age 18, that being the minimum age if you abstained from college and risked the possibility of not obtaining a job in the working world. However, most 18 year olds are told that they MUST go to college. If you were one of those 18 year olds, like me, know that you are not alone.

College is much harder than I originally thought it would be. Most of college depends on how well you test, which in turn means how well do you study. It also means how well were your study skills developed as a young child. Take for example why it is easier for young children to learn multiple languages than it is for a grown adult. It’s not that the adult is unintelligent, it’s that a child’s brain is still developing and can absorb more information in an easier manner. For this reason it is said that study skills should be developed at a younger age. However, study skills are difficult to master. In order to master study skills it takes a large sum of individual attention, teaching and showing students exactly how to develop these skills properly.

Individual attention is something that Montessori Children’s House has mastered. Unlike the other private schools in the Fort Worth area, one of MCHs’ main focuses is individual work by and with children. By making this a main focus they have a low teacher to student ratio that allows the students to develop their skills in a much more condensed setting.

MCH is dedicated to preparing their students from a young age for academic success in their many schooling years ahead. They do this through their alternative style of teaching. The style of MCHs' schooling revolves on cumulative work, learning the same type of material each year, just in a different way or at a more challenging level. The students are taught basic individual learning skills that allow each student to focus on how they learn best and what it means to be successful independent students. The students do not obtain grades at MCH instead they focus more on concepts and working through a specific concept until it is thoroughly and thoughtfully understood.

MCH’s method of teaching works! Instead of a bogged down schooling style like most known private and public schools MCH makes learning fun and exciting. One can see that through the passion and excitement in their students’ voices while speaking on behalf of their beloved school. MCH makes going to school not just an every day routine, but rather a thrilling experience full of fun and adventure. 

By Jaime Sporl