According to Maria Montessori, children are born with an absorbent mind—the ability to absorb information about their culture and environment without a great deal of effort. At Thacher’s Children’s House, preschool and kindergarten education focuses on the natural curiosity and desire for knowledge in each child.

Thacher’s rich classrooms stimulate learning activities with a curriculum comprised of practical life exercises, sensorial activities, language, pre-reading, mathematics, science, botany, zoology, geography and culture. In addition to basic life skills and introductory academics, children enjoy lessons in art, music, movement and Spanish.

Thacher’s youngest students engage in practical life exercises designed to reinforce care for themselves, for others and for their environment. These activities aid in the development of concentration, hand-eye coordination, exploration and accomplishment. In addition, students learn the importance of committing to a task from beginning to end.

The use of sensorial materials such as bells, geometric shapes and color tablets help children develop cognitive skills through touch, sight, smell, taste and listening. Reading and writing are fostered as children learn the sounds of the alphabet and how they are combined to form words, sentences and stories.

Through the use of concrete materials, children are exposed to the basic mathematical concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

With gentle guidance and the freedom to work at their own pace, children make friends easily and learn how to share and play cooperatively in a safe and secure setting.

Teachers help students gain new insights and grow socially and academically by fostering greater independence, thereby preparing them for the more abstract concepts and complex studies of
elementary education..