Hi, my name is Claire. I love my new role in the development of the At Home Program because it gives me the opportunity to do something that I love, telling stories. During our conversations together, I will tell you a little more about myself, but for now, I want to tell you about a far more important story – the story of the At Home Program.
15 years ago, our founder and qualified Montessori Directress, Kirsty, had a dream. All she wanted was the best equipped Montessori classroom for her little Montessorians. At that time, South Africa had barely heard about Montessori, and one of the most difficult things was to get hold of didactically correct, perfectly manufactured materials and activity sets, designed by Maria Montessori (in the early 1900’s). Teachers used to make many of their own materials in the past. A Directress was expected to bring their own materials with them when they joined a school. Conversely, when they left, they took their materials with them. Can you imagine that!
Kirsty, the visionary, talked about her dream, to Stephen. He used his extensive marketing and sales experience to start Childrens House. For the last 15 years, as a family business, they initially focused on supplying their friends and then local schools and finally, globally.
Fast forward to 2020. You don’t need me to tell you about the global changes that hit everyone, in greater or lesser degrees. Schools and businesses have either folded or had to change their business models. These changes have had knock-on effects on individuals. Many parents have had to re-think their children’s schooling, whether because of finance or fear of contamination, it doesn’t matter.
Parents now keep their children at home for longer, before moving them onto formal schooling, often choosing smaller, home-schooling over traditional models. Recognizing the current trends in education, Childrens House decided to offer the At Home Program. Aimed at the parent, caregiver, or early educator, the At Home Program supplies a subscription-type offering. Each pack offers inclusive and authentic educational materials, proven by educators, to lay the foundations of basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic.
On subscribing to the At Home Program, your child receives their 1st pack of premium materials. The materials and activities in each pack are selected by experts to support and improve the Child’s sensory demands for their developmental age. In addition:
- You receive a resource guide “how and why you should use these materials.”
- An online resource library with articles and interesting facts to guide you.
- Online support from our experienced salespeople via our chat-line or email.
- Comfort that you have a place to go to when you want to unravel all the “expert speak”
You have 2 options:
- Order each pack separately
- Set-up a debit-order to automatically receive your packs every quarter.
Parents come from all types of backgrounds and cultures. Technology and the world is moving so fast, that often, the child’s curriculum sounds like learning a foreign language, to the parent. That is why, we have returned to the roots of education. We can help and guide you, the parent; supply you with materials to stimulate your child’s senses at the correct stage of their life. This will lay down the foundations of memory muscle for the child to call upon each time they are confronted with a new experience.
It has been proven that young children move through a series of special times when they are particularly attracted to specific developmental needs and interests. These became known as the sensitive periods. This is when children learn skills related to the sensitive stage, easily. They don’t tire of that work, but seek it, crave it, and need it. This period starts at birth and finishes around the age of 6. When the sensitive period passes, this intense desire is gone, never to return. This does not mean the skill is lost forever. It just means that it will take a more conscious effort to learn.
Our mission is to provide the parent or care-giver with the best support it can have. Don’t ignore this opportunity to help your child learn.
