When should you enroll your child in a Montessori School?

As a parent, you want the best for your child’s future, including social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. The Montessori educational approach believes children have a natural curiosity for learning. The hands-on approach allows children to learn through self-directed activities, cognitive play, and building upon each child’s unique interests.

Ideal Age for Enrollment

Knowing when to enroll your child in the Montessori school really depends on your child. As a parent, you will be a major factor in determining the right age for your child to enter into a Montessori learning environment. Montessori school officials and highly trained teachers will be able to provide insight into the ideal for enrollment.

Generally, the Montessori program is ideal for children who enjoy being independent and working individually or in small groups. The ideal age for enrollment is around 3 years of age. During this specific time frame, children learn to absorb everything about the world around them. At this time, children learn valuable language development, vocabulary expansion, fine and large motor skills, and developing a sense of self. Knowing more about the Montessori approach will aid in your decision to enroll your child.

• Montessori Learning Environment: A highly trained Montessori teacher will prepare a learning environment based on each child’s interests. By engaging children with specific learning materials, the teacher helps develop your child as a whole individual. As your child learns, the teacher will continue to build upon specific interests and personal curiosities to expand the thirst for knowledge.
• Multi-Age Classroom: The Montessori approach incorporates students of multiple ages in one larger classroom. Generally, the classroom has an age range of about three years. Encouraging peer learning is the primary purpose behind the multiple age groups. Younger students tend to learn valuable skills from older students including positive social interaction, vocabulary usage, and acceptable classroom behavior. This, in turn, helps the older students develop leadership skills.
• Non-Competitive Environment: Along with the multi-age classroom, Montessori believes in building a non-competitive learning environment. Allowing children to learn through more of a trial and error method, teachers do not issue rewards, grades or punishments. By not using a traditional grading or discipline approach, the students learn to develop positive coping skills for personal behavior and self-directed learning. Allowing for increased opportunities for learning, children will learn and develop at their own individual pace.
• Block Hours for Learning: Depending on the age group of the classroom, 1 to 3 block hours are part of the daily schedule. During the block hour times, children engage in uninterrupted learning. The hours may include art, music, large motor skills, and other cognitive developing materials.
• Calm Environment: Allowing children to be a self-independent learner, the Montessori teacher promotes a calm learning environment to inspire independence.

Visiting a Montessori school is the best way to determine the right age of enrollment for your child. Teachers and other school employees will be able to answer your questions concerning the ideal age of enrollment.

Montessori School of Fremont invites students and parents to tour the school, meet the teachers, and see the Montessori classroom firsthand.  While there, you will be able to observe the multi-age classroom which encourages students to engage in self-discovery and hands-on learning.