CASA PRogram (3-6y)
The goal of Early childhood Education is to activate the child's own natural desire to learn.
- Dr. Maria Montessori
We offer children an authentic Montessori learning experience - a personalized approach that treats them as unique individuals. Our Primary environment is a carefully prepared, purposeful and aesthetic learning space that is rich in motives to elicit self-directed activity and an inner desire to learn. In our mixed-age primary environment that spans the age group of 3 to 6 years, children are free to learn skills and concepts collaboratively or individually via scientifically designed Montessori Materials.
Practical Life
I can do it myself!
Practical life exercises allow children to work and practice with real-world, purposeful tasks and tools, helping them see themselves, correctly, as capable and competent. Activities such as shoe polishing, pouring, sieving, needling, braiding and gardening are just few examples of what children work on.
These activities are complex, often involving many steps that must be performed sequentially to achieve the goal, helping your child strengthen key executive functioning skills. These indirectly prepare children for writing eventually by strengthening their hand motions and muscles necessary for writing. Most importantly, they allow a child to absorb the core, methodical problem-solving approach which is the foundation for all thought or creative expression. The necessary skills developed through the practical life activities will form the basis for all further learning as the child grows.
Sensorial
Developing the scientific mind
Our senses help us to explore the physical world around us. Till the age of 6, our senses are very sharp allowing us to process a tremendous amount of information about our surroundings. Sensorial Montessori Materials are designed isolating each kind of stimuli from our physical world so that child can focus on one propertly at a time - colour, size, shape, texture, smell, taste, sound etc.
Working with the sensorial materials which are self-correcting children learn to become keenly observant of the subtle differences in our environment, are able to grade, organize and discriminate via visual, tactile, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, kinesthetic and stereognostic senses. They further build their concentration and develop their cognitive skills and hand muscles necessary for reading, writing and mathematics. Children develop key life skills such as perseverance, problem-solving and creativity.
Language
Reading and Writing Joyfully
The Montessori approach helps children to learn language – oral, writing and reading- effortlessly. That’s because it is in sync with the children’s sensitive periods of development allowing children to explode into writing and reading as naturally as they learn to speak. Children are encouraged to express their emotions and needs from early on which enables them to effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas at all stages in life.
From the beginning children are introduced to a rich and varied vocabulary, to analyzing words phonetically. This approach breaks down language learning into clear component skills, so that children can grow confident with each step before moving on to the next.
Mathematics
Developing the reasoning mind
Every human mind is fundamentally inclined towards mathematics. We measure things (number, quantity, volume, weight, shape, time), put things in order, and compare them. Our mathematical minds solve real world problems and continually help us to invent tools that assist us in living our lives.
The Montessori Method introduces children to math with concrete experiences while they work with the scientifically designed materials. They understand the decimal system till the place value of thousand, work on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division etc. They gradually move from solving these mathematical operations concretely via material to the complete abstraction of numbers on paper. In this way basic math becomes intuitive and a foundation is built for a lifetime of quantitative and analytic fluency.
Culture
Foundations of science, history and geography
Culture Materials in our Montessori environments offer the inspiration for a child’s future study of the sciences and social sciences.
Children experience and perform experiments early on about properties of the physical world, land and water forms, maps of the world and the continents, natural objects, farming and gardening, parts of animals, and parts of plants inspire them to fall in love with the scientific world. Their work with puzzle maps, flags, cultural items, and beautiful cultural photographs to compare and categorize introduces them to varied geographies and cultures, and represent the first steps on a path that will later lead to the study of history. Even from a young age, Montessori children feel at ease in the natural world, having developed their ability to observe, their vocabulary, and their explanatory understanding of many natural phenomena.
Physical Activities
Mastering the body movements
Montessori environments are designed for the development of the whole child including physical growth as well. In course of working with materials, children enhance their gross motor skills via carrying materials to their work area, lifting chairs & chowkis, rolling, unrolling mats etc.
In addition to that, children engage in meaningful and challenging physical activities like walking on a balance beam and on a line, rolling on a mat, skipping, obstacle courses and aiming at a point, crawling through a tunnel etc.
Art, Music and Movement
Free Creative Expression
Children always have access to the tools required to express themselves creatively. They work on various art activities displayed on the art shelf such as cutting on different patterns, punching out shapes, making collages, painting techniques via different media, drawing and colouring, etc. This enhances their creativity and aesthetic sense.
Children learn to balance their bodies and objects on their heads while walking on the line. They learn to do actions such as dance, clap and tap etc. following a common rhythm and in sync with others – Eurhythmics. They learn various action songs and puppet plays enhancing their vocabulary and expression. Children also learn about the various musical instruments and famous artists and musicians via materials such as 3 part cards, booklets, audio and live experiences.
Learning from Nature
Experience the awe and wonder
“There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees … in a real forest. Something emanates from those trees which speaks to the soul, something no book, no museum is capable of giving” - Dr. Montessori
Children rejoice at the opportunities to experience nature. They carefully observe insects using a bug viewer, take care of the plants and small garden at school and take care of domestic animals at the school. They water the plants, dig out the vegetables from vegetable garden, feed the animals and simply, observe nature.
The joy, wonder, and the experience of nature in childhood leads to lifelong learning as an adult.
Grace and Courtesy
Socializing
Children move freely in our Montessori Environments choosing their own work, snack time, and places to sit, and so the child has plenty of opportunities to engage in social interaction.
Our Montessori directresses give grace and courtesy lessons that each child can practice in various social situations. These simple clear lessons in everything from asking for help to blowing one’s own nose or saying “excuse me” give children the tools they need to interact with poise in this world.