Our rooms
The Porch, the Parlor and the Loft
Porch room
Ages 2 to 3SkillsPours water from a small pitcher and wipes the tray afterward
Hangs a coat on a low hook and puts on shoes
Sorts and matches wooden shapes
Listens to a short story in a small circle
Moving upWhen a child is ready for a longer day and a bigger room, the guides and the family talk it over in the spring, and a few short visits to the Parlor come first.
Parlor room
Ages 3 to 4SkillsChooses work from the shelves and carries it to a mat or a table
Prepares snack for friends and washes the dishes
Traces letters in sand and counts with bead chains
Waters the plants and sweeps the floor
Moving upChildren move up to the Loft in the year they turn four, once they know the work in the Parlor and are asking for more.
Loft room
Ages 4 to 5SkillsKeeps working on one piece of work over several days
Writes names and short words in sand and on paper
Shows a friend how a piece of work goes
Looks closely at a leaf, a shell or a stone
Moving upIn the spring before kindergarten, the guide talks through the move with each family.
Sample levels.
In every room
What stays the same from room to room
Low shelves
Work sits on open shelves at a child's height, each piece in its own tray, so a child can choose and put it back.
A guide and an assistant
Two adults in every room. The guide gives lessons and watches; the assistant helps with snack, shoes and the rhythm of the morning.
A weekly note
Each Friday the guide writes home about what the room worked on, with no names of other children.
Meet the guides in their rooms
Tours run on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.