“Little children, from the moment they are weaned, are making their way toward independence.... never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.” - Maria Montessori
The overall goal of Casa Piccola is to provide a nurturing Montessori learning environment where - under the careful guidance of the teacher - the children have the freedom to explore using their senses, start to develop independence in all they do and continue their journey of life long education.
Casa Piccola also has specific objectives for both the parent and the child.
For the parent:
- to increase parent’s awareness of the child’s capabilities and need for independence, with a view to transferring the understanding of the child’s stage of development into other environments/situations
- to provide a safe and structured environment in which parents can spend time with their child engaging in developmentally-appropriate activities
- to provide the parent with an opportunity to develop a supportive relationship with a qualified and experienced Montessori educator who can provide guidance and practical advice on parenting and early childhood development
- to engage with other families, providing socialisation and role modelling
- to provide an opportunity to engage in a Montessori environment, increasing awareness and understanding of the philosophy in order to make an informed choice regarding kindergarten education for their child
For the child:
- to improve skill acquisition by providing them the opportunity to use developmentally-appropriate materials that support language and psychomotor development
- to improve mastery of the senses by providing children the freedom to explore with all of their senses (touching, tasting, smelling, feeling and hearing)
- to offer socialisation opportunities with children of a similar age whilst being emotionally supported by their parent
- to provide a unique opportunity to smooth the transition to kindergarten where children might be engaged in a similar setting within the same, familiar Montessori framework