Casa Curriculum

The Casa program provides a homey, warm atmosphere with a low teacher-student ratio. Quiet spaces are available for children needing an afternoon rest, and hot lunch can be provided upon request unless the child is under 3.8 years of age, in which case participating in the hot lunch program is required, unless the parents present a letter to opt-out. The only prerequisites for this program are that the students be toilet trained and show a readiness for life at the Casa level. Teaching is done individually in a prepared Casa environment, with the teacher devoting their full attention to the students. The child will build their self-confidence through positive reinforcement and independence-building activities.

The classroom has five main areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics, and Cultural Studies.

Practical Life activities teach the children independence skills and how to care for themselves and the environment. Sensorial activities help develop the senses and provide early Mathematics and Language preparation. The students learn the alphabet phonetically, and writing often comes before reading. Reading begins by simply building words and grows to read with fluidity and comprehension. Mathematics starts with simple numeral and quantity recognition, developing into an understanding of, amongst other things, whole numbers, addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. Cultural Studies give the students a genuine appreciation and an understanding of the world and the environment: The subject includes Botany, Zoology, History, and Experimental Sciences.