Casa Program
3 to 6 Years Old (Pre-school, JK, SK)
Casa refers to a Montessori preschool program derived from Dr. Montessori's first class, called “Casa dei Bambini” or “Children's House”. Casa classrooms are prepared with a broad range of carefully selected and attractive learning materials for use of our children and staff. These materials are divided into five major areas of curriculum: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language and Culture. Our childcare program for children aged 3 to 6 years old promotes independence, creativity and stimulates children's natural curiosity.
Our early childhood Casa program supplements the regular early childhood curriculum for our 3 to 6 year olds. Children in our Casa program engage in a full Montessori curriculum. Our prepared environment is full with activities which are attractive and interesting to the children and that give them clear messages on how to succeed. Educators design work which builds eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, concentration and self-reliance. Important pre-reading and writing skills and basic math concepts are introduced in individual and group lessons at a pace which is developmentally appropriate for each child.
Our school goal is to nurture and encourage each child's natural love of learning.
The Five areas of our Preschool Montessori Program
- Practical Life: This is where your child develops everyday life skills, social graces and fine and gross motor control. This area also promotes detailed attention to many tasks.
- Sensory Area: This area helps to develop your child’s senses and awareness of the world around them through the use of specialized materials designed to isolate individual qualities such as colour, size, shape, weight, texture and more. This is a very “hands on” area, each activity involving the whole world.
- Language Area: The Montessori Language Program is a phonetic based approach to language development. The Montessori child essentially “teaches” him or herself to read through learning the phonetic sounds.
- Mathematics: We begin to teach your child math with manipulatives, then slowly lead into abstract concepts. Beginning with numbers 1-10, 11- 99 and 1 -1000, the children learn linear counting and recognition of numerals. This then leads into addition, subtraction, multiplication and division concepts.
- Cultural Area: This area introduces your child to the world beyond the classroom to give them a sense of global awareness and geography. We also explore Botany, Zoology, and Science in this area. Art and Music activities are also included and are encouraged to be an individual expression where we promote experimentation. The children gather in a group every day to listen to stories, sing or play special games.
* please note that the Casa class is provided with two healthy snacks daily as well as nutritious catered lunches.
Interested in the CASA program?
A Typical Day in the Montessori Academy Casa Room
Program Hours:
- Before Care (additional Fee)
8:00am – 8:30am - Program Hours
8:30am – 3:30pm - After Care (additional Fee)
3:30pm – 5:30pm
Max. Class size: 24 children
Ratio: 1 teacher to every 8 children
The expected outcomes of our Casa program are:
- Increase knowledge and vocabulary
- Increase of independence from new skills and competencies
- Development of patience and the ability to share
- Internalization of symbol systems: language and math
- Increase of Self Discipline
- Development of good work habits
- Ability to choose and make decisions
- Care and respect for the environment and others
- Linear / Logical thinking
- Develop the ability to sustain interest
8:00am-8:30am Before Care: Free Play
8:30am-9:30am Arrival Time/ Outdoor Play: Good Morning! Welcome to another day of learning and exploring with Montessori Academy. Upon arrival all parents are required to place their child’s belongings in the appropriate cubbies. When entering the classroom, please remember to knock on the door, and wait to be greeted by your child’s teachers. We encourage families to say goodbye at the door.
9:30am-9:45am Washroom Routine / 9:30am-11:00am Snack: Morning snack time is provided by Montessori Academy and is usually fruit, muffins, cheese or other healthy snacks. It is served during the Montessori work cycle, allowing children to continue working with the materials if they choose to do so. Children serve their own food and pour their own milk for cereal to develop fine motor and practical life skills. They also assist with packing away at the end of the meal. As well as cleaning up after themselves.
9:45am-11:00am Montessori Work: Children conclude their Montessori activities and put away the materials in the right place. Putting away the materials is an important part of learning to take care of their work and their classroom environment. It allows the children to learn the order of the materials in their classroom environment and take pride in returning objects to their rightful place.
11:00am-11:30am Circle Time: Circle time is a key part of the Casa Program. It allows the class to develop a strong sense of community through shared learning and experiences. Group time activities for our preschoolers typically include: show and share, project-based interest activities, grace and courtesy, language and writing skills, geography study, and arts and craft.
11:30am-12:00pm Lunch: Working hard is hungry work! Montessori Academy provides nutritious meals and encourages children to learn about foods from different cultures. They further develop their fine motor skills using utensils and observing proper eating etiquette.
12:00pm-1:00 pm Outdoor Play: Once children have finished eating, they participate in outdoor activities such as gross motor games, dramatic play, gardening activities, and sandpit play.
1:00pm-3:00pm Rest/Nap Time: After Outdoor Play time is rest time for our preschoolers. Each child has his/her own cots. Children rest listening to soft music. Children who do not need a day sleep participate in bringing their own quiet activities
3:00pm-3:30pm Open Snack and Free Flow: Montessori Academy provides nutritious afternoon snacks that usually consists of fruit, rice crackers, vegetable sticks, or other healthy snacks. Afternoon snacks may be held in the classroom, or as an outdoor picnic, dependent on the weather. Free Flow could be a circle time, Montessori work, science experiments, birthdays and etc.
3:30pm Pick-Up: Good evening and welcome back guardians! Your little one is now ready to go home after a wonderful day of learning and fun. Your child’s Educators will greet you at the door and help you collect your child’s belongings. A clipboard with all the information regarding how your child ate, slept, and made visits to the washroom is available.
*Throughout the day frequent toilet times and/or diaper changes are scheduled for the children, and our Educators regularly check if your child requires an extra diaper change.
*There are facilities for children to wash their hands before and after every meal and toilet breaks as needed.
3:30pm-5:30pm After Care: Snack and Free Play