The Hockessin Montessori School

Ages 3 years through Kindergarten

Available Programs:  

3 & 4 year-olds:    
Five Half Day  - Monday through Friday 8:30am - 11:45am
Five Full Day  - Monday through Friday 8:30am - 2:45pm

Four Half Day  - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30am - 11:45am
Four Full Day  - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30am - 2:45pm

Three Half Day  - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:30am - 11:45am
Three Full Day  - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:30am - 2:45pm

Kindergarten:
Monday through Friday 8:30am - 2:45pm


The Children's House Program provides children with a caring, safe environment that encourages the child's inner curiosity and love of learning.  It is a world specially prepared for children.  Children work within multi-aged groupings of children receiving both individual and small group lessons designed to meet the individual needs of each child.  In this natural setting of mixed-aged students, young children learn from older ones and older children reinforce their own knowledge by working with younger children.  Attention is paid not only to the child's academic ability, but also to their social, emotional, and physical development.  At Hockessin Montessori School, we concern ourselves with educating the whole child.

Hockessin Montessori School offers a challenging and enriching curriculum which includes a focus on mathematics, language and reading, sensory training, cultural and science topics such as geography, botany, and zoology, and the development of independence, coordination, and concentration.  Students in the Children's House Program experience a structured routine, but within that routine they have the freedom to choose their own activities and pace themselves rather than having to conform to a strict schedule imposed by adults.

Every lesson presented to the students is done utilizing hands-on manipulative materials which are designed to foster discovery of the concept by the child.  In addition, the materials are self-correcting, allowing children to learn from their mistakes.  The concrete materials utilize all five senses and lay the groundwork for abstract thinking.  The Montessori materials are set out attractively on shelves at the children's height so that the student may select what they are most drawn to during any given work session.  The Montessori teacher guides each child through the natural progression of materials by giving lessons in the order that ensures appropriate development.

A key principle which underlies and guides activities in a Montessori classroom is respect.  Adults respect each child as an individual, a unique learner with specific strengths.  Children learn respect for each other and for learning through the lessons of grace and courtesy and from positive role models.