Primary Casa Montessori Program (Ages 3

The Primary Casa (Ages 3–6)

Inspire, Nurture, Curiosity, Creativity, Imagination, Critical Thinking, and Respect are the values that shape every day in our Primary Casa class.

Maria Montessori wrote, “The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self.” That is the promise of this class: within it lies a real chance of success. We prepare each child to excel and help each one develop to their fullest potential—spiritually, physically, and intellectually—building on the foundation laid in pre-primary so children are ready to take off.

As each child masters a task, they carry forward a wonderful habit: to be adamant is to succeed.

The Absorbent Mind and the Beginnings of Conscious Learning

Between the ages of three and six, the child enters the second phase of the absorbent mind. While the mind is still absorbent, conscious learning begins to appear, and the child starts to show signs of a conscious thirst for knowledge. This new power of reasoning gives rise to questions of the “why” and “how” kind, helping the child develop an understanding of cause and effect. Early childhood is the prime time for laying the foundation for a good education—academically, socially, and culturally. We take advantage of these tender, ripe years to make learning experience easier and enable children to develop and learn through spontaneous, effortless, self-directed activity.

A Carefully Prepared Environment, Guided by a Trained Directress

The Primary Casa brings forth a new array of challenges. In its different social dynamic, children are encouraged to reason, cooperate, collaborate, negotiate, and understand one another. The environment is dynamic and interactive, thoughtfully planned with an intricate blend of order and purpose. The classroom is beautiful and harmonious, filled with an ordered display of sequential learning materials arranged to remain accessible, inviting, and in proper order—constantly perfected to rouse and sustain children’s curiosity.

The Montessori teacher, or directress, is trained to prepare a classroom consistent with the child’s needs during learning and development. Learning becomes easier when a particular skill is pursued during the child’s corresponding sensitive period—those intense fascinations for learning one skill at a time. The real challenge is to provoke a learning response by matching educational materials to each child’s sensitivities in that moment. At Hamilton Montessori, we are always up for that challenge, and it works. This highly regarded method has been proven true to the success of many children for many years.

Joy, Concentration, and Inner Discipline

The Primary Casa introduces children to the joy of learning at an early age. As a result, they acquire habits of concentration, perseverance, and thoroughness, and they show a real and profound understanding of their work. The foundation for a lifetime love of learning is laid, and a confident, strong scholar begins to emerge. As children manipulate the apparatus, they are able to differentiate, compare, discriminate, and explore. Alongside practical life activities, the didactic exercises provide stimuli that trigger intense concentration and attention. With each task mastered, patterns of inner discipline evolve—a lifelong attribute and building block set down early. Children tend to engage in their work with passion and ingenuity, far more so than if the work were presented to them or assigned.

Freedom of Choice, Respect, and Growing Independence

Freedom of choice is of the greatest importance to the Primary program. Each child is free to move and select materials that awaken their own periods of interest and readiness, and each is encouraged to follow what interests them most. In this way, the child becomes an independent learner working at their own pace without interruptions. The classroom is conducive to individual or small-group learning and is noncompetitive—there are no time limits or pressure to keep up with others, as there often is in traditional classrooms.

A profound respect for each child’s personality and preferences is the key to fostering creativity. Respect breeds respect: children appreciate the freedom they are given, and they grow into compassionate, considerate, mature little people who carry within them a lifetime love of learning.

Life’s little lessons continue to broaden throughout the preschooler’s day. Social graces, respect, and cooperation remain encouraged through the primary cycle, while children also begin to develop self-discipline, love of order, and concentrated attention to intellectual activities. Particular emphasis is placed on the social, emotional, and intellectual challenges children face at this age. The curriculum is again centered around five focus areas, with introductions to cultural activities: geography, natural science, art, music, and foreign languages.