-
Age 3 – 4 years
-
8:30 am to 11:30 am
-
8:30 am to 3:00 pm
-
7:30 am to 5:30 pm
Montessori Casa Program
Our Casa classroom lays the foundation for future success both academically and socially.
The calm and aesthetic environment allows students to explore and fully engage with a wide range of Montessori materials. Areas include Mathematics, Language and Culture, Sensorial and Practical Life. Preschool students develop a keen sense of pride in their work as they gradually master materials and are introduced to increasingly challenging activities.
Montessori believed that curiosity and passion for learning are key to a child’s intellectual development; therefore children are encouraged to follow their interests in selecting their work. Because the internationally-celebrated materials so elegantly demonstrate key principles in math and language, our students are equipped with a profound, experience-based understanding that stays with them throughout their academic lives.
Socially, young children develop a sense of self as part of a community of learners. Children often work together, play games, and present materials to younger students as mastery is achieved. Show-and-Tell and Circle Time provide an opportunity to build confidence when speaking to a group, and our music program encourages joyful self-expression culminating in performances for parents. As children grow in the classroom they take on roles of increasing leadership, fostering a deep respect for others and their work, and an awareness of their own agency both in relationships and in the greater world.
Discover our unique Casa programs by arranging a private tour:
Montessori Casa Curriculum Areas
Practical Life materials teach the children to learn to care for themselves, for their environment and for others. Through tasks such as polishing, pouring, sorting, buttoning, lacing, wiping up a spill, cleaning a table, or sweeping up a mess, children develop self-confidence, a sense of sequence, develop concentration, independence and good work habits.
Sensorial materials help children to develop and refine their sense of smell, taste, hearing, touch and sight to better discriminate and classify their impressions. For example, through the manipulation of a three-dimensional shape, different lengths of rods or fitting cylinders of different sizes into holes, the children begin to order their perceptions of size and space, and learn the language to describe their experiences.
Language materials develop the areas of reading, grammar and handwriting, while enriching vocabulary and enhancing the children’s ability to express themselves. The child begins by learning the form and sounds of letters, then learns to create words phonetically with a moveable alphabet. They then progress to writing words and sentences, learning non-phonetic words and combining these skills to read and write sentences.
Mathematics materials allow children to concretely explore pattern and number concepts. The materials introduce the concept of quantity and the symbols for the numbers 1 to 10, the hierarchies of the decimal system, and hands-on experiences with the operations of addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Because of the concrete nature of the materials, the young child is able to work with the basic concepts of math operations, and gain impressions of squaring and cubing, fractions and geometry.
Culture subjects include botany, zoology, science, geography and history. To the ever-curious absorbent mind of the preschool child, these areas are fertile grounds to explore an extremely rich and varied curriculum. Lessons are presented and experienced through real-life experiences, such as planting our garden, and an exciting array of Montessori materials, such as our puzzle maps.
Music studies are provided formally once per week, although songs, recordings and rhythm are incorporated into class daily. A music specialist comes to the classroom and teaches songs, movement, musical games, rhythm and musical history. The entire student body is involved in a variety of performances each year.
Emphasis on Social Emotional Development
Research in science and the humanities has concluded that building strong relationships is a primary factor that leads to the success of creating the emotional conditions that allow students to learn most effectively. At BBMS we have a well-informed teaching team that has placed high priority on this process. We are certified in Choice Theory, a method developed by Dr. William Glasser that is a natural fit for our Montessori environment. Choice Theory underscores the philosophy and language of Montessori’s belief in the importance of creating a need- fulfilling environment.
Dr. Glasser developed his theory based on the idea that all behaviour is purposeful and that we behave to meet our basic needs. A Montessori school is prepared in such a way as to meet individual needs. As a result, we are able to focus our attention and energy on helping our students to develop the emotional stability in which to assess what they are feeling; what their needs are; and what choices they need to make in order to balance their needs and become a self-disciplined, effective human being. Being balanced allows us to live compassionately, aware of the needs of others, ourselves and generous in our outlook and actions.
At BBMS we focus our social development beginning with the basics of interpersonal relationships. Learning the skills of friendship, kindness and peace-making develops our spirit of humanity. Each month we hold school events where we pay attention to areas where we can be socially responsible, such as through helping our friends, participating in activities to help those in our school community, and looking further outward to help support the global community.
Special Activities for Casa Students
Special Activities include International Peace Day, United Nations Day, Earth Day, School concerts, Field trips, Family Appreciation Week and various other special events.
