Montessori or Traditional Kindergarten

Parents often ask us the following questions when considering whether or no to enroll in Montessori Kindergarten.  We suggest that you take the time to visit your local school and observe a kindergarten class.  Then, come back and observe your own child in his/her class, and discuss the achievements of the current Kindergarten children with your child’s teacher.  As you begin to organize your thoughts and priorities surrounding these issues, it may be helpful to consider these important questions. 

·         Why am I considering the move to public Kindergarten?

·         What do I want my child to accomplish in the next year?

·         Will I need to arrange for child care to supplement public Kindergarten?

·         Is Montessori Kindergarten a good investment?

·         Which program will provide more long-lasting benefits for my child?

As you answer these questions, we hope that it will become apparent that a change prior to Montessori Kindergarten is a gamble with few benefits. The Montessori Kindergarten year is a time of fantastic growth and learning that brings together and solidifies the child’s  Montessori experience.  We can also provide a full day of consistent care in a stable environment, free from the worries of juggling your child between multiple caregivers.  You’ve already invested in the Montessori program.  Montessori Kindergarten builds a strong foundation for you child’s elementary school years.  Make your investment pay off.  Let your child finish the cycle.  The Kindergarten year in a Montessori classroom will bring to fruition all the time, energy, and  resources invested by both you and your child.

·        Will my child be left out as neighborhood friendships form in public Kindergarten?

Attending Montessori Kindergarten will not prevent your child from forming new friendships.  The friends your child has now are the ones who are important to him/her.  He/She will simply continue his/her current associations in the Montessori classroom and begin making new friends in first grade.  Montessori stresses basic relational skills that encourage friendship building, skills that your child will carry into the public schools and beyond.

·        Will my child be too advanced academically when he/she gets to first grade?

Montessori Kindergarten does not duplicate any grade.  Your five year old needs to learn by doing.  He/She needs to think about abstract concepts in some type of concrete form.  We can provide concrete materials for your child to use.  Children often express special interest in a specific area.  They may gain great proficiency in that area on a concrete level.  For instance, your five year old is still in a sensitive period for language development.  Therefore, it is easy and great fun to memorize the names for all the parts of the plant, bird, frog, the layers of the earth, or the planets in the solar system.  This is knowledge tucked away for the day your child’s second grade teacher introduces the solar system and expects the students to think about what it looks like, or talk about the planets.  The Montessori child has touched and manipulated models of the solar system. 

He/She has taken the planets out of order and reorganized them.  The Montessori child has memorized the names of the planets and knows which one he/she lives on.  Your child will have become familiar with simple facts about his/her world.  This familiarity becomes the foundation for eager and enthusiastic learning.  The child who is reading proficiently when he/she enters first grade will be in the top reading group.  This continues to promote good self esteem.  The child who has a basic foundation of academic skills will be more confident in school and more willing to accept each new challenge.

 ·        What will the transition to first grade be like?

Every child is unique, but the transition to first grade need not be difficult.  Children who have come through the Montessori Kindergarten are well prepared to meet the challenges of first grade.  They are quite successful.  Children need to have plenty of information about what to expect.  Your child will need to know what will be different and what will be expected of him/her.  Once your child has this information, he/she can accommodate the new situation with ease.  We actively prepare your child for the transition to a more traditional setting by incorporating more structured group activities into their day.  Our kindergartners also practice ‘first grade’ in the spring of each year.  Through this experience, we give the child a realistic understanding of the changes they will encounter as they enter first grade.  In the beginning weeks of first grade, as always, your active interest and involvement will help your child move easily in a positive elementary school experience.

For more information about the school, please e-mail us.