Public schools offer kindergarten, and many parents are curious about this transitional year. Why should your child stay in, or transition to, a Montessori school for their kindergarten year?
Fueling the Spark
In Montessori classrooms, one of our greatest tasks is to keep the fire burning inside children’s minds. We structure our work so that children may follow their passions and learn deeply about things that matter to them. We see each child as an individual and we think that one-size-fits-all educational approaches tend to extinguish the joy of learning.
Instead of drilling facts into children, we place materials before them so that they may discover the truths of the world themselves. Rather than asking them all to do the same thing at the same time, we value their choices and trust their educational process. It is the teacher’s job to keep them on track, but they offer children the freedom that lets them deeply explore the learning that calls to their souls.
Learning for Mastery
Montessori schools are intentionally structured utilizing a three-year cycle. There are many great benefits to this, but one of them is to provide third year students with opportunities that they will not have in other environments.
Having spent the previous two years learning a multitude of skills in their classroom, the third year is about mastery. The Montessori curriculum is a series of carefully developed lessons and materials that are meant to cycle back to a culminating experience during the final year. All that time spent grasping Knobbed Cylinders, tracing Metal Insets, and practicing Sandpaper Letter formation? The kindergartner uses all that knowledge as they begin to write with paper and pencil. The years of early mathematical preparation? Now they get to use the Golden Beads (or perhaps the Stamp Game material) to learn to add and subtract numbers into the thousands (yes, as kindergartners!). Montessori’s early focus on teaching children sounds in lieu of letter names leads many children to begin reading by the time they are in kindergarten.
Even children who transition to Montessori classrooms for kindergarten are able to master concepts quickly, as the hands-on, individualized approach in Montessori meets them where they are and allows them to progress at their own pace. Through engaging, multi-sensory materials and guidance from trained Montessori teachers, these children thrive as they build confidence, independence, and a love of learning. Whether they've been in Montessori for years or are just starting, each child is supported in reaching their full potential, ensuring a solid foundation for future academic success.
Children as Classroom Leaders
The idea that you never really know something until you teach it is very true! Not only do teachers observe children mastering skills independently, but older children in the classroom have the chance to teach their younger friends in the space. Educators across many settings will agree that once the student becomes the teacher, we can surmise that true mastery has been attained. While your kindergarten child is teaching younger children how to do something, they are showing us just how well they know how to do it. Not only that - they are gaining confidence in a truly authentic way. No one needs to tell the child how well they are doing because they feel it themselves.
When children teach children, it’s not just about knowledge being shared, but also about cultivating world citizens. Teaching each other is an act of kindness, and a way for children to practice helping others around them.
Five Key Differences Between Montessori and Conventional Schooling
Montessori
Teachers follow the student and assess through detailed observation of each child and meticulous record-keeping. Children are free from the stress of standardized tests or strenuous exams.
Children are free to choose their seating, as well as choosing to work individually or in small groups.
Children develop a sense of internal motivation. The joy of work itself is enough to keep the child engaged. Children are offered work that is beautiful and draws their attention, so there is no need for external praise or reward. Gentle feedback is given to help students understand mistakes and positive discipline is used to address behavior concerns, so children are not left feeling punished and defeated.
The teacher follows the student, giving lessons that the child is ready to learn. The child is the main focus in the classroom, which is designed for them with their needs in mind. There is no teacher’s desk as a focal point in the classroom.
The main goal is to cultivate curious and empathetic world citizens and lifelong learners.
Conventional
Children begin to form anxiety and stress at school due to the extensive amount of time spent teaching to, or taking, standardized tests, even in kindergarten!
Children are given assigned seats that are usually arranged in small groups or rows set by the teacher. They are not able to move without teacher permission.
External rewards are used for praise, such as behavior charts, prizes, stickers, and letter grades. Punishments come in forms such as lowered grades, missed recess, and detention. School becomes more about the rewards and punishments rather than actually learning.
The teacher is the head of the classroom and in charge of the lesson plan and the environment. Everything in the room revolves around the teacher.
The main goal is to deliver a standard-based curriculum to all children at the same time.