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33 months - Kindergarten

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In Italian, Casa means "house".  

 

"House" perfectly describes this space that is designed like a small house for children who are encouraged to be resourceful, respectful and responsible.

Image by Marina Reich
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WHAT THE HAND DOES THE MIND REMEMBERS.  DR. MARIA MONTESSORI

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7 DISTINCT LEARNING AREAS

  1. Faith. There are special areas for our faith materials called “The Atrium.” The spiritual environment is carefully set up and prepared for the children to proclaim the message of Jesus, teach the lessons Jesus taught, and focus on the Word and worship. Each of our classrooms houses an altar, religious work, and biblical lessons through which the children can express their faith in Christ.

  2. Mathematics. Montessori math materials provide children math with hands-on, visual, and physical learning aids. These math materials provide students with concrete knowledge of the often abstract concepts. As children progress and gain a deeper understanding of the math concepts by using the Montessori math materials, the materials become more abstract.

  3. Language Arts. Montessori language materials are designed to teach children the intricacies of written and spoken language. Students use language materials to explore letter sounds, handwriting, and, eventually, reading, spelling, and writing.

  4. Practical Life. Practical life in Montessori is a purposeful activity that develops motor control, coordination, independence, concentration, and a sense of responsibility. The children refine these areas by learning everyday life skills, including plant care, food work, and care of the environment.

  5. Sensorial. Through sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch the sensorial materials enable children to engage deeper in the world around them. The sensorial materials allow children to explore materials by size, shape, color, sound, similarities, and differences, all using their senses.

  6. Cultural. Cultural studies include the study of geography, history, and science. The cultural subjects give the child an understanding of our world and bring the world into the classroom.

  7. Fine Arts. Children are provided rich opportunities to experience music, dance, literature, and art. Hands-on involvement in fine arts helps children experience and find meaningful expression.

Image by Marina Reich

A Day in the Life of a Casa Student:

Students ages 33 months through 6 years old arrive at their Casa classrooms around 8:30 am. They begin a morning work cycle that is about 3 hours long. Each morning work time includes presentations in various areas in the classroom, such as language, math, art, geography, science, practical life skills, and sensorial development. When they are not receiving a lesson, students choose independent work based on previous lessons they have been given and serve themselves snacks. Once a week, they also attend art and music specialists.

By mid-day, students go to lunch with their whole class, followed by outdoor recess every day, weather permitting. After recess, the classes are divided by age, with preschoolers going to a quiet nap time and kindergarteners going to "siesta,"- where they can rest while listening to a book read aloud by a teacher. After siesta, kindergarten students continue with classroom work and receive more presentations before they help clean and reset the room for the next day. Preschoolers nap as long as they need, then get up to have a snack and afternoon work with their peers before going home.  

Casa Resources

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