Casa dei Bambini  (3-4  years)

Named for Maria Montessori’s "Casa dei Bambini" ("Children’s House"), this is MSR’s learning environment for children ages 3 to 4 years old.

Montessori methods emphasize  reality-based hands-on activity guided by the mind as fund amental to the development of young children. In the classroom, children choose their activities from materials displayed on shelves in specific work areas.  

Over a period of time, which varies based on each child’s development, our children move into what we call a "normalized community," working with high concentration and few interruptions. "Normalization" is the process Maria Montessori termed for how a child develops from being undiscipline d to self-disciplined, from disordered to orderly, and from distracted to focused--all through their work environment. The process happens through repeated experiences with materials that captivate the children’s attention. By using materials according to their ability and awareness, students learn at their own pace, according to their readiness. For some children, this inner change can take place quite suddenly, leading to deep concentration. 

The Children’s House environment has five distinct areas:

Practical Life enhances the development of organizing tasks and cognitive order though self-care, care of the environment, exercises of Grace and Courtesy, and coordination of movement.

Sensorial allows children to order, classify and describe sensory impressions in relation to length, width, temperature, size, color and more. These materials help each child to become aware of their living environment.

Language includes development of speaking skills, written expression, reading, grammar, creative dramatics and children’s literature.

Mathematics makes use of materials that children manipulate to recognize and internalize the concepts of numbers, symbols, sequencing, operations and memorization of basic facts.

Cultural activities present the basics of geography, history and the life sciences. Music, art and movement are all integrated into the Cultural curriculum.

"I love that the classroom activities have built in corrections - a child can't complete a task unless she remembers the order. She can correct herself without an adult telling her she's wrong or how to do it."