The Three Year Program at Casa dei Bambini

Each year of the three-year program prepares the child for the wonderful world of education that will follow, and more importantly gives them experience in building their own character and their own community, where there is kindness and caring for each individual.   

First Year of the Montessori Primary Education

Three-year-olds have exhausted the resources of the home and come to school ready for more. They come into an established community where they are the youngest members who need a little "domesticating." They learn that there are ground rules that never change. They learn that they are free... to do what is right.

In general, their greatest needs/interests at this time are:

1) Coordination and refined control of movement - given mainly through the Practical Life exercises.

2) Words, i.e. increasing their working vocabulary - we pronounce clearly and slowly the words they are learning and we engage them in conversations and give them an opportunity to speak in a group.

3) Sorting out impressions that have accumulated since birth through the use of the materials for Sensorial Development, which is the foundation for intellectual development.

Second Year of the Montessori Primary Education

They come back to school to discover that they are no longer the babies. In fact, they turn into the lawgivers. They know all the rules and routines and are very helpful in trying to keep the new little ones on track. At the same time they are now more aware of the activities and projects of the older children and through this prepare for what is coming. They are now capable of handling more complex practical life lessons, they begin writing and blending sounds, the sensorial refinement exercises continue, and formal lessons in math and music begin.

Third Year of the Montessori Primary Education

This is where it comes all together. The blending of sounds becomes the joy of reading and writing. The counting from the previous year sets the foundation for wonderfully interesting lessons involving the four operations (addition, multiplication, subtraction and division) with manipulative materials. Mathematical concepts are clearly presented, freely practiced and permanently internalized.

Puzzle maps used at age four are brought out again so the children can make their own maps and learn names of continents, countries and states in a very fun way. They watched the teacher play songs on the bells for a couple of years, and now can play themselves. They are exposed to grammar and written composition, botany, geography, geometry, zoology, music theory and more.
They have a watchful eye on the younger children and are lovingly ready to help whenever needed. At six or seven, they are ready to move on to a bigger and more complex environment, taking with them the capabilities and understanding that is the basis of real self-esteem, confidence and eagerness to discover a bigger world.