The Casa dei Bambini / Preschool program

Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was the first woman to graduate as a physician in Italy. Working with underprivileged children in the slums of San Lorenzo, she developed a revolutionary method of teaching young children. Observing that the child best learns with the hand, she created a child-oriented environment with hands-on materials which she designed to stimulate the child’s intelligence and senses.

In our Casa dei Bambini, the child is the focus and the teacher acts as the guide; we strive to “follow the child” understanding that each child is unique and has individual learning styles.

The classroom is peaceful and calm, fostering respect for each other and for the earth. The children are encouraged to be independent, self-reliant and purposeful.

The child learns to build himself through the varied activities offered in the different areas of the class.

Practical Life. Child-sized materials facilitate the building of essential skills such as fine and large motor, a sense of order, concentration and independence.

Sensorial Life. The exercises in this area help train the senses and encourages logical and systematic thinking. The child is given the language to classify and name objects around him or her. This area is a wonderful preparation for Math.

Language. The Casa dei Bambini is an environment rich with opportunities to learn about language. The reading system is phonetic which helps the children to become early readers.

Mathematics. Dr. Montessori designed Math materials which concretize the abstract concept of numbers. Manipulating these concrete materials, children are able to learn advanced Math concepts at an early age.

Cultural area. The subjects of music, art, geography, history, botany, and zoology all fall within this area. The child’s sense of wonder and his inquisitive mind are nourished through many group discussions and manipulative work with materials on various cultural topics.

The Casa dei Bambini is a safe, calm and respectful environment – a wonderful place for the preschool-aged child to be.

Montessori education is truly, a preparation for life.