Casa

Math Materials

Children in Casa are introduced to quantities, numerals and counting up to the thousands. The materials help children to understand math concepts and recognize numerical sequences, patterns, and their relationships. Working with Math materials in a Montessori program helps children to make learning impressions in their mind by moving from the concrete to the abstract. (Please click for full photos.)

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Skip Counting

These beautiful bead chains are hung from a wooden frame that holds squares and the cubes of one to ten with the corresponding chains and the containers with the respective coloured arrows. The chains are used for skip counting (for example counting by fives) and for learning the squares and cubes of the numbers one to ten. This activity is very useful because the child learns how to skip count as well as how to count in bases other than ten, which indirectly prepares them for multiplication. (Please click for full photos and more information.)

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Holiday Fun

Please click view to see videos of children spinning a dreidel and making 3D pony bead art, as well as full photos and more information about the holidays they explored and the fun they had!

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Hanukkah

We learned how to play the Dreidel game and what each Hebrew symbol represents. We read stories and learned about the traditions, foods, and meanings involved. We used the shamash (middle candle) on our menorah to light one candle on each of the 8 days of Hanukkah. (Please click for full photos and more information.)

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Bank Game

The initial play relies on previous knowledge and experience with the units, 10 bars, 100 squares and 1000 cubes. The child receives a verbal request to bring one of the four quantities. As the child becomes more familiar with the game, the teacher will increase the challenge by including 2, 3 and finally all 4 quantities as the child learns to use the decimal placement mat to place the material in its corresponding places. (Please click for the full photos.)

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Care of the Environment

Care of the environment plays a crucial role in our development. Maintaining a clean and orderly classroom is so important as it teaches children how to take care of the space around them, which then internalizes as appreciation for one’s environment. When children feel involved, they begin to understand they are part of a larger community, which builds on self-worth and empathy. (Please click for more information and the full photos.)

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Pumpkin Volcanoes!

We experimented with creating Pumpkin Volcanoes. We carved and cleaned pumpkins, and touched and examined the flesh. We made predictions about what would happen when we mixed various ingredients together and determined which ones worked best to “explode.” Please click for more information and full photos, and to find out which mixture came in first place!

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Creating Ghosts!

The Casa West children mixed glue and shaving cream to create a foamy substance, spooned some of the mixture onto coloured paper, spread it out, then added googly eyes. As the mixture dried, the puffy ghosts started to appear! (Please click for more photos and information.)

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Grace and Courtesy

Grace and courtesy starts with intentional modeling. Children are always watching and learning from behaviours. Grace and courtesy is taught during circle time as well as in real-time situations such as table manners, greetings, polite language, waiting patiently for our turn, helping others, and respiratory etiquette. (Please click for full photos and more information.)

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Erupting a Created Volcano

The children enjoyed creating a volcano using modelling clay, painting it and then predicting what would happen, before spooning baking soda and pouring vinegar inside the volcano. It was so exciting to see the results of their creation! Science appeals to young children’s inquisitive minds as they try to make sense of the world and how things work. (Please click for more information.)

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