Programs
Early Childhood
(The Conscious Absorbent Mind- Ages 3-6)
Our Montessori 3-6 program focuses on the most critically important phase of brain development, referred to by Dr. Maria Montessori as the Absorbent Mind. This sensitive period is where children naturally and consciously absorb information through their senses and experiences provided in their environment.
Within a mixed-aged setting, Early Childhood students at Casa Ranch actively learn in beautifully prepared indoor and outdoor environments designed to empower children’s independence and unique self through freedom of movement and attractive ‘lessons’ that cultivate order, coordination, and concentration. While revisiting content within a Spiral Curriculum throughout a 3-year span, Montessori materials are constructed to guide children with purposeful individual work, helping children develop better concentration and self-discipline skills. Once lessons are shown or taught, the children learn at their own pace with the support of their Guides and independently through self-correcting materials. Our outdoor classrooms give children the opportunity to connect daily with nature, fostering gross motor development, critical thinking, creativity, mindfulness, and a deeper connection to our Earth.
Lower Elementary
(The Reasoning Mind— Ages 6-9)
At this plane of development, children explore the world through socialization, imagination, and can demonstrate an ability to think more abstractly. Montessori education, at the lower elementary level, is designed to spark creativity, curiosity, and greater independence in a multi-age environment that caters to children 6-9 years of age. Our nature-based, Montessori prepared environment and trained guides support students by providing them with engaging, spontaneous, purposeful learning opportunities as they strive for intellectual independence. Similar to the Early Childhood (EC) program, children progress at their own pace and rhythm, according to their individual capabilities. Students will come into the elementary environment and find familiar materials from their previous EC class, where they will use and learn from them in new ways suited to their expanding minds.
The elementary curriculum begins and flows from the Great Lessons in Cosmic Education: how the universe was formed, how life on earth was formed, evolution of man, and the development of language and math.
Upper Elementary
(The Transition to Abstract Reasoning— Ages 9-12)
Our Upper Elementary program builds on the content of Cosmic Education in more complex ways; expanding students’ abstract plane of the mind in the height of their intellectual development. Students in Upper Elementary seek to understand the “hows” and “whys” behind things they study, but also to understand different perspectives, through research, discussion, and large-scale projects. Guides help students lay a foundation for inquiry-based learning, where curiosity and a desire to question everything brings comfort to students’ confidence and ability in finding out information independently. The role of an Upper Elementary Guide is to present key information and material in an area of study to lead students along the path of exploration and discovery. Our interdisciplinary approach, allows for active learning through research, collaboration, critical thinking, cooperation, and making connections to history, students’ place in society, and the power of their knowledge and voice to solve real-world problems.