What is the Appropriate Age for Children to Begin a Montessori Education?

Montessori excels at early childhood development, but it has advantages for children of all ages. If you have been considering enrolling your children in Montessori, the best advice is to do a little research so you understand the process, and then get the enrollment underway as soon as possible. Because Montessori is divided into sensitive periods that correspond to natural learning phases, the focus of each group can be discussed in simple terms.

Montessori Daycare

Beginning with infant care, Montessori focuses on appropriate childhood development in 3-year phases. This phase is called the “Absorbent Mind,” referring to the children being exposed to a wealth of new sensations and information as they become more aware of the world around them. Daycare students are engaged in developing fine motor skills, learning to communicate, and discovering social skills that help them interact with peers, adults, and the community at large. 

Montessori Preschool

The second phase of Montessori put more focus on academic development and gross motor skills. Children will be more involved with activities that involve culture, language, music, and other fields. Many authentic Montessori workstations can be used for lessons in multiple academic fields, and children are encouraged to explore a range of play-based lessons.

Montessori Elementary

In Montessori elementary children enter what Maria Montessori called the “Reasoning Mind” phase. Creativity and critical thinking are nurtured, encouraging children to explore causation and effect, community involvement, and academic subjects such as math, science, and history. Montessori materials allow conquering multiple subjects by using workstations for different or concurrent purposes, with longer class periods to accommodate their studies.

No Time Like the Present

From infants through primary education, children benefit from Montessori education. The best results come from early enrollment and incorporating the Montessori Method in home life. Starting early allows children to use the advantages of hands-on learning throughout the process without having to adjust to a different type of instruction as they get older, potentially missing opportunities to maximize the Absorbent and Reasoning phases of development.

Keep in mind that only authentic Montessori schools are going to provide the full learning system developed by Maria Montessori. Ask about accreditation and check out parent testimonials. It won’t take long to determine that Montessori is perfect at every stage of childhood education.

4 Indicators To Help Determine Whether Montessori Preschool is Right For Your Child

Choosing the right preschool for your child is an important decision and has the potential to completely change her progress as she gets older. To help you determine whether Montessori is a good fit for your child, these 4 important facets of the Montessori Method are commonly regarded as some of the best things Montessori brings to the table.

1. Play-Based Learning

An authentic Montessori preschool uses hands-on, play-based learning as the primary method of instruction. This mimics the natural learning process that people have used for thousands of years, allowing children to explore their studies through interactive, self-correcting materials that were carefully designed and chosen to provide multiple facets of learning based on the current work in progress

2. The Prepared Environment

The Montessori prepared environment is unlike traditional public school environments. Everything is kept in its place, and the room is laid out from the child’s perspective rather than the adult's. This helps children feel more comfortable, and that allows them to spend more time focused on learning and less time making do with what is within reach.

3. Child Focused Teachers

Montessori teachers are specially trained in the Montessori Method. Instead of giving assignments to the class as a whole, Montessori teachers observe the interests and progress of the children and guide them to classwork that is appropriate for their individual goals. Maria Montessori understood that children learn different things at varying rates, and incorporated self-paced activities as the de facto learning environment.

4. Mixed Age Classrooms

Montessori preschool classrooms use a 3-year mixed-age grouping rather than grouping children of a single age. This promotes learning at individual rates without “falling behind” on the one hand and allows younger children to learn from older kids on the other. Because Montessori is a whole-child educational system, mixed ages also help children develop important social skills such as responsibility, diplomacy, and self-esteem.

Children who develop a love for learning in preschool are more likely to become interested and engaged in learning throughout their lives. And since keeping children engaged and interested is one of the primary goals of Montessori, this teaching method is popular. If what you have read here appeals to your goals for your child, then Montessori may be the right style of education for her.

4 Ways That Gratitude is Important in the Montessori Classroom

Authentic Montessori daycare includes learning about grace and courtesy as part of the daily curriculum. Maria Montessori understood that learning important social graces played an important part in childhood education by making children more secure in themselves and understanding of others.

1. Gratitude and Self Esteem

Building a child’s self-esteem is a big part of Montessori daycare. The idea is that children who feel good about themselves and their abilities are going to be more interested in making an effort and participating in classroom events. Giving and receiving gratitude is beneficial to both parties, and helps children develop a healthy sense of personal worth.

2. Gratitude and Common Courtesy

Social etiquette in Montessori daycare is built around the expression of humility and gratitude. For many small children, developing the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes is a new and major accomplishment. Humility teaches them that we are all equal, and gratitude allows us to express our appreciation when others do things that benefit us. Learning to exhibit “good manners” develops critical thinking skills and helps children understand what it means to show compassion for others.

3. Gratitude and Social Interaction

During the Montessori daycare years, children begin to develop the ability to imagine how others feel. Because daycare children are eager to please others and they often use gratitude as a simple way to show they are pleased to be noticed, included, or invited to participate.

4. Gratitude and Attitude

Research has shown that daycare children who have been taught the basics of grace and courtesy are happier, more outgoing, and more eager to participate in group events. Maria Montessori observed the connection between polite behavior and individual attitudes, and so she included lessons on grace and courtesy as a central part of Montessori education.

Learning about gratitude and courtesy is just as important to childhood development as developing strong muscles and learning to read and write. And because so many of the interactions children throughout the day provide an opportunity for gratitude, it is included in almost every action and activity in the Montessori daycare environment.

4 Ways a Montessori Preschool is Better Than Traditional Schools

Asking whether Montessori preschool is better than traditional education models is a tough question because Montessori is a totally different approach to learning. Montessori focuses on developing a full set of academic and social skills whereas traditional methods focus on rote academic learning with a minimum of physical activity. These 4 aspects of the Montessori Method show how this method excels over traditional schools.

1. The Prepared Environment

The Montessori preschool classroom is a prepared environment. All of the children’s workstations are kept in an orderly manner and laid out for the maximum benefit of the children who will use them. The Montessori classroom stands apart in another way as well: Everything is placed at the perspective of the children rather than adults, from the furniture to the decorations on the walls.

2. Active Learning Vs. Passive Instruction

The Montessori preschool classroom is always alive with activity. Active, hands-on activities are the cornerstone of the Montessori Method, and children will be moving from one workstation to another throughout the day as they engage in different play-based lessons. In traditional schools, lessons are provided to all children in the same way and at the same time, forcing each child to be on the same schedule.

3. Individualized Lesson Plans

Maria Montessori understood that children learn different skills at different rates and ages, and incorporated learning at the pace of the child into the Montessori Method. Through observation, Montessori preschool children’s lesson plans are developed on an individual basis, allowing children to spend more time on lessons they are being challenged by or moving ahead when they immediately grasp the current lessons. 

4. Montessori Student Guides

Montessori preschool teachers themselves are an example of how Montessori stands apart. Authentic Montessori educators, referred to as student guides, are specially trained in the Montessori Method. Their mission is to observe and guide the progress of each child to provide the most effective course lessons for the children.

Your authentic Montessori preschool is better than traditional teaching methods because it is a whole-child developmental program that puts emphasis on everything from social skills to practical life experience that will last a lifetime. Even children who have been diagnosed with learning challenges profit from the child-centered, play-based learning environment.

How Can I Help My Shy Daughter Prepare for Kindergarten?

For a small girl attending Montessori kindergarten in Agoura Hills, shyness can interfere with the normal course of her days. Luckily, this is the ideal environment for helping her with that problem. Furthermore, many of the ways her shyness can be addressed at school can also be used at home and when out with the family. Together, parents and teachers can provide the incentives and guidance she needs. 

Facing Fears

Shyness is typically one of the ways children attending Montessori Kindergarten in Agoura Hills display their fears or misgivings about strangers and strange situations. A little shyness is not necessarily a bad thing, but learning to face up to their individual fears will help even the most reserved children play a more active role at home, in the classroom, and in the community.

Practice With People

Interaction with other people is a major part of education at your Montessori Kindergarten in Agoura Hills, and should play an equal role at home. Learning to work together and communicate clearly is more than part of the curriculum, it is an important life skill that children will need throughout every stage of their lives. Practicing in the classroom helps them develop social etiquette and learn to display polite and courteous behavior when interacting with others. 

Paying at the Register

Another way to help children overcome shyness is to encourage them to interact with others. Asking your child to pay for goods puts them in a social situation where they must interact, but where they are often rewarded for the interaction by receiving a treat or some toy as part of the purchase. Paying for things has other benefits as well, including teaching your small kids to count money and discovering the importance of currency in our daily lives.

Playdates with Others

Spending time with other children in a park or on the playground teaches your daughter social etiquette, and valuable social skills like sharing, waiting in line, and more. In fact, spending more time with other children in an open environment may be the best way to overcome shyness for any child because it puts her into situations where she has to maintain contact and carry on conversations.

Shyness is a common issue at Montessori Kindergarten in Agoura Hills, but it is also a problem that the classroom is uniquely suited to help with. Being immersed in a group of children in her same age group provides your daughter with plenty of examples and scenarios of how shyness can be overcome.

How to Make a Kaleidoscope at Home for Preschool Kids to Enjoy

Building a kaleidoscope with your Montessori preschool child is easier than you may think. And while the finished product will be much different than a commercial kaleidoscope, the results will be mesmerizing for young kids and provide many of the same effects.

4 Ways to Expand your Child's Potential with Active Outdoor Time

Dr. Maria Montessori described daycare children as having an absorbent mind, referencing the fact that kids are born with no inherent knowledge but a strong willingness to discover everything they can about the world they live in. She also believed that children learn more readily in outdoor and play-based environments. The basic idea was that outdoor activities help fuel those absorbent minds with a wide variety of information that can be applied in other aspects of their lives.