The Casa Program (Ages 2.5 to 6 years)

Waterdown Montessori school presently has two Casa classes, each with approximately 16-22 children and two adults. One teacher is a Montessori trained and certified directress and the other is a child care provider who acts as a teaching assistant.

The children begin their day by choosing their tasks from the Montessori materials in the “prepared environment” of the classroom. The teacher observes the students and focuses on meeting their physical, mental and emotional needs. Materials in the casa classroom are divided into the following areas:


 Practical Life
Children learn by performing activities that mirror experiences in a child’s everyday world. They learn care of the environment, care of themselves, working and playing with others in a peaceful setting, awareness of others’ feelings, grace and courtesy. They also begin to develop concentration, coordination, logical thought and orderly work habits.

Sensorial
These exercises help the child explore, order and classify their environment through the senses; visual, tactile, auditory, taste, smell and temperature. This helps the child focus her attention on the physical world, exploring with each of her senses the subtle variations.

Math
These provide the child with concrete materials that graphically show what is taking place to understand basic mathematical principles. Montessori students use hands-on materials that make abstract concepts clear and concrete.

Geography, history, botany, zoology, art, music
In these exercises, the child’s creativity is enhanced. The students learn about other cultures, gain experience with nature and learn about the environment.

The entire program focuses on each child progressing at his own pace in an environment that nurtures the love of learning.