Programs offered
at La Casita

September through June:
- Preschool
- Kindergarten
- The Full Day Program
July and August:
- Summer school

Curriculum
Parent Participation

LA CASITA’S YOUNGER PRESCHOOL

The younger preschool program is for children 2.5 to 4 years of age.  This program is for children who are becoming introduced to the classroom and who will benefit from a slightly less structured environment with developmentally appropriate materials and presentations.  Although the teachers serve as an example and a source of reference, the children learn for themselves.  All the children are encouraged to work individually and in small groups.

KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM

The Montessori Kindergarten program is a combined Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten program for children who have preschool experience and are ready to participate in a kindergarten curriculum.  Children must demonstrate the ability to participate in group activities and instruction.  Children receive individual and group lessons, and can also work independently.  Participation requires readiness, skills in mathematics and reading.  Our kindergarten classroom provides the expansion to meet each child’s academic needs.

FULL DAY PROGRAM

Daycare hours are from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM-6:00 PM.  Children participating in the full day programs bring their lunch and eat together. Children that require a nap will quietly do so after lunch.

During extended hours children are allowed to play outside when weather permits.  Outdoor time includes games with balls, hoops, outdoor toys, play structures, bicycles, scooters and other organized activities (i.e. watering plants, gardening, feeding pets).  Inside activities include puzzles, storytelling, reading, music, movement and a variety of special games.  Children will participate in activities that extend the curriculum of their morning and afternoon lessons such as geography, botany, art and music.

LA CASITA’S SUMMER PROGRAM

La Casita’s summer school program follows the same daily schedule with an emphasis on a pre-selected theme, outdoor activities and fieldtrips.  Tuition is charged on a monthly/per session basis.  A summer brochure is available by the month of March. 

DAILY SCHEDULE

Morning and afternoon begin with a group time.  This involves presentation of a daily lesson, movement, games and demonstration of materials.  The children then have an indoor work period during which they engage in freely chosen activities, individually or in small groups.  The morning session ends as the children clean up and prepare for a short circle followed by lunch.  After lunch, children enjoy an outdoor play period, as younger children quietly nap.  Afternoon session ends as children prepare for a short circle, which involves songs, games and storytelling, followed by an outdoor play period.

LA CASITA'S CURRICULUM

PRACTICAL LIFE

"Help me do it myself". Maria Montessori recognized that preschool children want to be independent and able to do things for themselves. For this reason, practical life skills are the core of the preschool program. The child learns to care for himself through simple exercises, which develop fine motor skills. He learns to follow steps in sequence, which fosters coordination, a sense of order, independence and self-esteem. Once these skills are mastered, the self-confidence is gained to move on to more abstract skills, such as writing and counting.

SENSORIAL

The child uses all of his five senses to explore the environment, working with materials, which help him refine his discriminatory abilities.  He becomes more aware of the surrounding world, recognizing and comparing various colors, shapes, sizes, textures and sounds.  All materials designed for this age group have sensorial aspects.

LANGUAGE

The child develops vocabulary and self-expression in English and Spanish in a rich environment. Working with materials such as sandpaper letters, the child works toward letter recognition, letter writing, phonics and reading in both languages, when he becomes ready.

MATH

The Montessori materials introduce the concepts of larger/smaller, longer/shorter, number recognition, counting and the basics of the decimal system. Most of these materials consist of a progression of objects designed to demonstrate the relationship between operations and numbers, leading the child from concrete to the abstract.

MULTICULTURAL STUDIES

Our program gives emphasis to cultural experiences for the child: art, music, and cultures of the world, sciences, geography, botany and history. Materials are designed to enhance the child’s creativity and to deepen his curiosity about and knowledge of the world.

SPANISH

We use an experiential approach to the introduction of a second language.  Daily exposure to Spanish is a natural and integral part of classroom activities such as games, songs, directions, labeling and conversations.  Small group lessons are given with manipulative materials.  Cultural activities introduce cooking and holidays.  We develop games and activities that motivate the child in this sensitive period for language acquisition during which the child easily absorbs a second language.  The environment surrounds the child, gradually expanding his ability and confidence to further explore the carefully prepared materials.  La Casita’s Spanish Curriculum carefully developed by the Director/Teacher provides successful results for your child during this period of language development.

PARENT PARTICIPATION

Parents/Guardians are required to ACTIVELY participate in the school for a total of 20 hours by the end of the school year. You will be invoiced a fee of $20.00 per hour for every unfulfilled Parent Participation Hour at the end of the school year (JUNE). Parent hours may be scheduled at your convenience and special Parent Work Days will be scheduled by the school throughout the year.

 

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