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.