Enrollment & Admissions
What ages do you accept?
Mi Casita Montessori welcomes children from 2 months through 6 years old at both of our Austin campuses. Our Infant, Toddler, and Primary programs are thoughtfully prepared to support each stage of a child’s development.
What are your tuition rates?
Tuition varies depending on your child’s schedule and the payment plan your family selects. We offer half-day, full-day, early-arrival, afterschool, school-year, and year-round options.
View our complete Tuition & Fees page for current rates, payment plans, summer-program information, sibling discounts, and additional fees.
View Tuition & Fees
Do you have openings now?
Availability changes throughout the year. Please contact us directly to ask about current openings and waitlist options.
Do you have a waitlist?
Yes. If a classroom is full, families may join our waitlist by completing an application
and paying the application fee. We will contact families as spaces become available.
How far in advance should I apply?
We recommend applying as early as possible, especially for our Infant and Toddler programs,
as these classrooms tend to fill quickly.
When can my child start?
If we currently have space available, your child may be able to start as soon as possible
once you complete our enrollment process and submit all required paperwork.
Can I start in the middle of the year?
Yes. If we have availability, children may start at any time throughout the school year.
Do you offer part-time schedules?
Yes. We offer several schedule options depending on the age group and classroom availability.
Can I switch schedules later?
Yes. Families may request schedule changes based on their needs and classroom availability.
What is the enrollment process?
Step 1: Schedule a Tour
Visit Mi Casita, meet our team, observe the Montessori environment, and ask questions about your child’s program.
Step 2: Confirm Availability
Our administrative team will review your preferred campus, program, schedule, and anticipated start date.
Step 3: Submit an Application
If Mi Casita feels right for your family, complete one application per child and submit the $150 non-refundable application fee.
Step 4: Receive an Enrollment Offer
When placement is available, your family will receive an enrollment agreement and information about the proposed start date. If a classroom is currently full, we will explain the waitlist process.
Step 5: Secure Your Child’s Placement
Return the signed enrollment agreement and submit the $600 non-refundable enrollment fee to secure your child’s placement.
Our administrative team is available to guide your family and answer questions throughout the process.
How can I schedule a tour?
You can schedule a tour online by selecting your preferred campus, available date, and tour time.
We generally schedule tours during the morning Montessori work cycle, between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Visiting during this time allows families to observe the classroom environment, see Montessori learning in action, and ask questions about our programs.
If the available dates do not work for your family, please email us at admin@micasitaaustin.com or call (512) 614-0021. We will do our best to accommodate your schedule.
Schedule a Tour
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About Mi Casita
Who is Mi Casita Montessori?
Mi Casita is a warm, family-operated Spanish-immersion Montessori school serving Austin families since 2016. We provide thoughtfully prepared Infant, Toddler, and Primary environments where children are known, respected, and supported as individuals. Our goal is for every child to feel safe, connected, confident, and excited to learn.
What is the story behind Mi Casita?
Mi Casita was established in 2016 from a family dream of creating a welcoming school where meaningful education, Spanish language and culture, compassionate care, and genuine relationships could grow together. As our school has grown to two Austin campuses, we have remained committed to the personal connections and sense of belonging on which Mi Casita was founded.
What is Mi Casita’s mission?
Our mission is to nurture independent, confident, curious, kind, and capable children through authentic Montessori education and Spanish immersion. We honor each child’s individual development while encouraging responsibility, compassion, gratitude, respect, and a lifelong love of learning.
What makes Mi Casita different from traditional childcare?
Mi Casita is an educational Montessori environment, not simply a place where children are supervised. Our guides carefully observe each child, present purposeful lessons, prepare developmentally appropriate environments, and allow time for concentration and practice. We support children’s social, emotional, physical, and academic growth while building close relationships with their families.
What does being a family-operated school mean?
Mi Casita is locally owned and family-operated—not managed by a large childcare corporation. Our family is personally involved in the school’s daily operation and works closely with administrators, teachers, children, and parents.
This allows us to know our school community personally, communicate directly with families, and make thoughtful decisions based on the needs of our children and classrooms. Families are not treated like numbers; we want every child and parent to feel known, welcomed, and supported.
Being family-operated does not mean being informal. Both campuses follow established policies, state licensing requirements, staff training standards, and clear safety procedures. We combine that professional responsibility with the warmth, personal attention, and genuine relationships of a small school community.
What ages and programs does Mi Casita serve?
We serve children from 2 months through 6 years old in our Infant, Toddler, and Primary programs. Each classroom is designed around the developmental needs of its age group while respecting each child’s individual readiness and pace.
What type of environment can families expect?
Families can expect a warm, welcoming, organized, and respectful environment with clear routines and caring adults. Our classrooms are thoughtfully prepared with child-sized furniture and accessible Montessori materials so children can move safely, make purposeful choices, practice skills, and become increasingly independent.
How does Mi Casita support the whole child?
We understand that development is about more than academics. Along with language, mathematics, science, culture, and practical skills, children practice communication, emotional awareness, concentration, movement, confidence, kindness, problem-solving, self-care, and respect for others. Teachers observe each child’s strengths and needs so guidance can be thoughtful and individualized.
How does Spanish immersion fit into your program?
Spanish is naturally integrated throughout classroom life through conversations, Montessori lessons, songs, stories, routines, and everyday interactions. Children connect language with meaningful actions and experiences rather than only memorizing vocabulary. No previous Spanish experience is required, and teachers support every child patiently as understanding and confidence develop.
How important is outdoor learning at Mi Casita?
Outdoor time is an important part of children’s daily experience, weather permitting. It provides opportunities for movement, coordination, nature exploration, imaginative play, social development, and hands-on discovery. Outdoor experiences complement the purposeful learning that takes place inside the Montessori classroom.
How does Mi Casita partner with families?
We view parents and guardians as important partners in their child’s development. Families receive communication through Brightwheel, parent conferences, school updates, and personal conversations with teachers and administrators. We encourage families to share questions, observations, cultural traditions, and important changes so home and school can work together respectfully.
Do both campuses follow the same philosophy?
Yes. Our Downtown and East campuses share the same commitment to authentic Montessori education, Spanish immersion, respectful care, family partnership, and whole-child development. Each campus has its own physical environment and classroom community, but both reflect the values and purpose of Mi Casita.
Are both campuses licensed by the state of Texas?
Yes. Both Mi Casita Montessori campuses are licensed child-care operations regulated by Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation.
Is Mi Casita religiously affiliated?
No. Mi Casita is not religiously affiliated. We welcome and respect families from all backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs, and we introduce cultural traditions in an inclusive and educational way.
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Montessori Education
Montessori is an educational approach developed by Dr. Maria Montessori through careful observation of children. It recognizes that children learn deeply through purposeful activity, hands-on exploration, movement, repetition, and increasing independence within a thoughtfully prepared environment.
Explore the questions below to learn how Montessori education works and what it looks like at Mi Casita.
What is Montessori education?
Montessori is a child-centered approach to education based on respect for each child’s natural development. Children learn through hands-on materials, purposeful movement, repetition, observation, and real-life experiences. Teachers introduce lessons according to each child’s readiness and then give the child time to practice, explore, and build mastery.
Who was Dr. Maria Montessori?
Dr. Maria Montessori was an Italian physician, educator, and researcher. Through years of observing children, she discovered that they develop concentration, confidence, and independence when they are given meaningful work in an environment designed for their developmental needs.
Her educational approach has been used in schools around the world for more than a century.
How is Montessori different from traditional education?
In many traditional classrooms, the entire group receives the same lesson at the same time. In Montessori, teachers observe each child and present lessons individually or in small groups according to readiness. Children work with concrete materials, progress at an appropriate pace, and develop independence while still following clear classroom expectations.
What is a prepared environment?
A prepared environment is a calm, organized classroom intentionally designed for children’s size, abilities, and developmental needs. Materials are arranged in a logical order on accessible shelves, furniture is child-sized, and children can move safely and independently. Everything has a purpose and a place.
What is the Montessori work cycle?
The work cycle is an uninterrupted period when children choose activities, receive lessons, practice skills, and complete work at their own pace. This protected time helps children develop concentration, persistence, decision-making, and satisfaction in completing meaningful work.
What does “follow the child” mean?
“Follow the child” means observing each child’s interests, abilities, and developmental readiness so the teacher can offer the right lesson at the right time. It does not mean that children make every decision or that adults provide no direction. Teachers establish clear limits and carefully guide each child’s progress.
Do children choose whatever they want?
Children have freedom within clear, respectful boundaries. They may choose from developmentally appropriate activities that have been introduced by a teacher. They are expected to use materials carefully, respect others, complete or restore their work, and follow the routines of the classroom community.
What are Montessori materials?
Montessori materials are hands-on learning tools designed to teach one concept at a time and move from concrete experience toward abstract understanding. Many contain a built-in control of error, allowing children to notice and correct mistakes independently. Materials support Practical Life, Sensorial development, language, mathematics, science, geography, and culture.
Why are Montessori classrooms organized into mixed-age groups?
Mixed-age communities allow younger children to learn by observing older classmates, while older children strengthen confidence, leadership, and empathy. Children can progress according to development rather than being limited to one expectation based only on age.
What is the teacher’s role in a Montessori classroom?
Montessori teachers are often called guides because they carefully observe, prepare the environment, introduce lessons, model respectful behavior, and connect each child with appropriate work. Rather than leading the whole group throughout the day, the guide supports children as they become increasingly capable and independent.
How does Montessori teach independence?
Children are given real opportunities to care for themselves, their belongings, their classroom, and one another. Child-sized tools, predictable routines, and patient guidance help them practice tasks such as choosing work, cleaning up, preparing food, dressing, solving problems, and asking for help when needed.
Does Montessori include reading, writing, mathematics, science, and culture?
Yes. Montessori provides a carefully sequenced academic curriculum. Children build understanding through concrete materials before moving toward abstract concepts. Depending on age and readiness, their work includes spoken language, phonetic awareness, reading, writing, numeracy, geometry, science, geography, music, art, and cultural studies.
How does Montessori support social and emotional development?
Children practice waiting, taking turns, expressing needs respectfully, caring for shared materials, resolving conflicts, and contributing to their community. Teachers model grace and courtesy and help children name emotions, consider other perspectives, and develop peaceful problem-solving skills.
How does Montessori handle discipline and conflict?
Montessori discipline focuses on teaching self-regulation, responsibility, and respect rather than depending only on rewards or punishment.
Teachers use clear and consistent limits, calm redirection, respectful language, natural or logical consequences, and age-appropriate problem-solving.
When conflicts occur, children are supported in expressing their needs, listening to one another, and finding a respectful solution. The goal is not simply to stop a behavior but to help children understand how their actions affect themselves and others.
Is Montessori appropriate for every child?
Many children with different personalities and learning styles thrive in Montessori because the approach is individualized, hands-on, and respectful of developmental differences. Every child is unique, so we encourage families to tour, share their child’s needs, and work with us to determine whether our environment is the right fit.
What if my child has never attended Montessori before?
No previous Montessori experience is required. Many children join us from home, another preschool, or a traditional childcare setting. Our guides introduce routines and materials gradually and support each child as they become comfortable, connected, and confident in the classroom.
Are Montessori classrooms too quiet or too structured?
Montessori classrooms are designed to be calm and purposeful, but they are not expected to be completely silent.
Children move through the classroom, speak with teachers and classmates, receive lessons, collaborate, sing, create, explore, and participate in group activities. The difference is that movement and conversation are guided by respect for other children’s concentration and work.
The classroom has clear routines and expectations, while still giving children meaningful freedom and opportunities for creativity.
Do children have assigned seats or desks?
No. Children may work at child-sized tables or on floor mats, depending on the activity. Freedom of movement is purposeful and occurs within classroom expectations. Children learn to select an appropriate workspace, respect other people’s work, and return materials when finished.
How is progress measured without traditional tests?
Teachers track progress through careful observation, lesson records, work samples, developmental milestones, and each child’s growing level of independence and mastery. Families receive regular communication through Brightwheel and parent conferences, with additional conversations available when needed.
How can families support Montessori principles at home?
Families do not need to purchase a complete collection of Montessori materials or recreate a classroom at home.
- Offer simple, age-appropriate choices
- Allow additional time for your child to try tasks independently
- Create accessible places for clothing, toys, and personal belongings
- Involve your child in cooking, cleaning, gardening, and other practical activities
- Establish clear and consistent routines
- Speak respectfully and set calm boundaries
- Limit unnecessary interruptions when your child is concentrating
- Encourage effort, responsibility, and problem-solving
Respectful communication and meaningful participation are more important than having a “perfect” Montessori home.
How does Mi Casita combine Montessori with Spanish immersion?
At Mi Casita, Spanish immersion is part of the child’s complete school experience. Spanish is woven naturally into classroom life through conversation, songs, stories, Montessori lessons, routines, and relationships.
Children experience language in meaningful situations rather than learning only isolated vocabulary words. They hear and use language while caring for the classroom, working with Montessori materials, communicating with teachers and classmates, and participating in daily activities.
Children do not need previous experience with Spanish to enroll. Teachers support understanding through repetition, demonstrations, familiar routines, facial expressions, movement, and the hands-on Montessori environment. This allows children to build comprehension and confidence naturally without pressure.
Our Spanish-immersion approach supports communication, cultural awareness, and a meaningful connection to the Spanish language while preserving the principles of an authentic Montessori environment.
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Language & Culture
What does Spanish immersion mean at Mi Casita?
Spanish is naturally integrated throughout the school day through conversations, Montessori lessons, songs, stories, routines, and everyday interactions. Children experience Spanish in meaningful situations, helping them connect words with actions, objects, people, and experiences.
Does my child need to speak Spanish before enrolling?
No. Previous Spanish experience is not required. Teachers use consistent routines, repetition, demonstrations, gestures, and Montessori materials to help children understand and participate. Children are supported patiently as their comprehension and confidence grow.
How do children learn Spanish through immersion?
Children learn Spanish through regular, meaningful exposure rather than memorizing isolated vocabulary. They hear and use the language while greeting others, choosing activities, receiving lessons, caring for the classroom, eating meals, playing, singing, and communicating throughout the day. This natural repetition helps language understanding develop over time.
Why is Spanish immersion valuable during early childhood?
Early childhood is an important time for language development because young children learn naturally through listening, movement, repetition, relationships, and everyday experiences. Consistent exposure to Spanish gives children regular opportunities to recognize sounds, understand meaning, and communicate in another language.
Learning and using more than one language can support communication, language awareness, flexible thinking, and connections with different people and cultures. Spanish immersion also helps children develop comfort and confidence with the language while their brains are actively building important pathways for learning.
Children are never pressured to speak before they are ready. Just as with other areas of development, understanding usually grows before spoken language appears, and every child progresses at an individual pace.
Do you celebrate holidays?
Yes. We celebrate and explore a variety of cultures and traditions
in an inclusive and educational way.
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