The Children’s House

The Children’s House welcomes children from 2½ to 6 years old in a mixed-age environment that stimulates the youngest and fosters responsibility in the older ones.

The Montessori classroom is organised into four main areas:

Practical life :
Activities that support fine motor skills, independence, and concentration.

Sensorial:
Materials that refine the senses and invite children to explore shapes, colours, dimensions, sounds, and textures. This work forms a foundation for later learning in mathematics.

Langage:
Workshops that enrich vocabulary and support reading and writing, using concrete, progressive materials.

Mathematics:
Hands-on resources that help children understand quantities, symbols, and operations in an intuitive way.

Discovery and understanding

The Montessori journey follows a carefully designed progression that supports the child’s development, moving from concrete exploration towards abstraction.

Materials

Scientifically developed by Maria Montessori, the materials are adapted to children’s strength and size and offer genuine support for their development. The educator presents each material individually, adjusting to the child’s pace of acquisition.

Independence

The materials allow children to choose their own activities freely. Once the educator has presented them, the child can return to the material and use it as often and for as long as needed, which encourages concentration, confidence, and gradual mastery.

Educators

Responsible for the classroom environment, they ensure that the Montessori approach is applied with fidelity. Taking advantage of the child’s absorbent mind to naturally acquire a second language, the classroom offers a French–English bilingual setting.

Teaching team

MELITZA MAFFI

Pedagogical Director and AMI Montessori educator (ages 3–6)

Originally from Ethiopia, she grew up in several African countries. After studying Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Genetics in France, she moved to Egypt, where she discovered the world of teaching—and what began as a discovery soon became a true vocation.

After 23 years in traditional education, she completed Montessori teacher training for 3–6-year-olds at the Institut Supérieur Maria Montessori in Lyon.

She now practises this approach with passion, joy, and enthusiasm, as it both reveals each child’s potential and supports the fulfilment of the educator who accompanies them.

Georgina allagnat

Pedagogical Director and AMI Montessori educator for children aged 3 to 6.

Originally from Australia, she lived in Sydney until the age of 18. She devoted herself to raising her children while teaching English to young learners.

In 2023, she discovered the Montessori method and was immediately drawn to this approach, which resonated deeply with her personality.

She happily joined the Vichy Montessori bilingual team and completed Montessori assistant training for ages 6–12 at ISMM. She greatly enjoys supporting the children every day while speaking to them in her mother tongue.

“The child is not a vessel to be filled, but a spring to be allowed to flow.”

— Maria Montessori