Casa Montessori’s Elementary program offers your child an unparalleled opportunity for growth in this new period of life.  Your imaginative, social, and creative child needs an environment with appropriate freedom and limitations, with an expansive curriculum to support his or her curiosity and prepare him or her for the challenges of the future.  Our Elementary classrooms are carefully designed to serve children in 1st through 6th grades. 

Meeting Your Child’s Developmental Needs

Your elementary age child has a strong drive for social connection.  She is starting to develop deeper friendships and a connection to the community around her.  Why then, would we want her to learn in rows of desks, confined to a chair, while the teacher lectures the class as a group? Instead, we embrace your child’s natural need for social exploration by giving lessons in small groups and encouraging children to work with a variety of others on follow up projects and research into subjects of intense interest. In Casa’s elementary classrooms, children help children before adults help children, resulting in teamwork, independence and a true learning community.

Learning in Context for a Deeper Understanding

Unlike in a conventional program with a separate time of the day for each subject, your child will gain a much deeper understanding of concepts by learning in context.  The starting point for all courses of study is the “Great Lessons;” these impressionistic and scientific stories give your child the “big picture” of astronomy, earth science, geography, physics, biology, history, anthropology, cultural and social studies, language, math, music and art.  Meaningful learning happens when children understand the “why” as much as the “what”—and are inspired to learn even more on their own.

Learning Beyond The Classroom

Exploration of subjects is not confined to the classroom or outdoor environment.  We encourage and support students to ‘go out’ beyond the limits of the classroom to find information or resources they need.  A ‘Going Out’ is a planned outing by a small group of children.  They find a resource in the community, schedule the outing, arrange for their own transportation and adult supervision, prepare themselves for the experience and conduct themselves with dignity while out in public.  Each Going Out is an entire course of study on independence, responsibility and good citizenship—to say nothing of the intellectual rewards students get from the experience.

There are also trips planned to places within the immediate community (library, museums) and sometimes beyond (Tybee Island, Washington D.C.).  Casa Montessori fosters the celebration of each child’s culture and his or her connectedness to all humanity, encouraging their desire to make a contribution to the world.  Cultural celebrations and community service are inspired by your child and their peers, providing opportunities to cultivate their deep need for fairness and empathy. 

Learning as its Own Reward

We have high expectations for your child, and believe that rewards and punishments appeal to the lowest levels of his intellect.  Given a sticker, he will do his best for a few minutes.  Given experiences that help him to believe in himself and his abilities, he will do his very best for a lifetime.

Our Alumni Excel in School — And in Life

Years of watching our students matriculate to high school, college and beyond confirms that an authentic Montessori program is an excellent education for life.  Students excel in school and careers of choice but, more importantly, emerge as confident, well adjusted, and happy adults.