The main objective of Leaside Children’s House is to provide a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment where children’s growth and happiness are encouraged and championed. Our carefully formulated materials, activities and environment provide children the opportunity to develop important attitudes, appreciations, skills, ideas and habits that are essential for a lifetime of creative thinking and learning. The specific goals for the children who attend Leaside Children’s House are:
1. Helping your child develop socially
As children work and play together, they develop important socialization skills. These group-oriented activities teach children to cooperate, collaborate, negotiate and develop an understanding and respect for others. As we are an inclusive school, children come from a wide variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds with a whole host of abilities. The children develop compassion and understanding and expect the same from others in our fully integrated environment.
2. Helping your child develop his intelligence and imagination
It has been proven that a child learns best by doing. Through stimulating activities that allow him to touch, investigate and explore, your child will become well-rounded in sensory, mathematics, music, art, language, science and practical life skills.
3. Fostering in your child an abiding curiosity
Children have a natural desire to “know.” By providing your child with a variety of opportunities, materials and activities, this desire to “know” will develop into curiosity. And, curiosity is a prerequisite for creative learning.
4. Helping your child develop a high sense of self-esteem
Activities are developed so that each new step is built on the skills that your child has already mastered, so failure is eliminated from the experience. As your child experiences success after success, she is assured that she can learn on her own. Her self-esteem will develop and she’ll feel confident about her own unique abilities and ideas.
5. Developing in your child a positive attitude toward school and learning
We believe children should have a balance of learning and fun, structure and choice, group and individual exploration, along with uninterrupted time to explore, inquire and grow. Through self-directed activities, children can work at their own pace, repeating the activities they enjoy. This contributes to your child’s success in school and learning because she is enjoying what she’s doing.
6. Developing habits of initiative and persistence
Because children are given a choice of activities, they become accustomed to choosing their own work. This encourages your child to build leadership skills and initiative which inspires individual growth. Children are taught persistence by trial and error and by being encouraged to complete an activity once they begin it.
7. Assisting your child in building good listening and concentration skills
The ability to listen to and follow instructions foster effective learning throughout your child’s lifetime. Through these experiences, your child will form positive listening, attention and concentration skills.
8. Initiating inner security, self-discipline and a sense of order
The Montessori classroom itself is an invaluable teaching tool. The space is simple and well-organized. This atmosphere is arranged to provide children with a sense of order but still allow them the opportunity to explore, learn and have fun.
9. Helping your child develop sensory motor skills
Many activities in the Montessori classroom are designed to help children gain control over their muscles and movement. While participating in many of these activities, your child is building muscles in his fingers that will help give him better control when he begins writing.
10. Sharpening your child’s ability to discriminate and judge
Providing challenging sorting and matching activities which distinguish differences and recognize similarities in sizes, shapes, colors, textures, smells, sound, etc. develop and sharpen all of your child’s senses.