Why five days a week?

The International Montessori Council recently commented on why attending Montessori school a full 5 days per week is so important. We think their answer is worth taking to heart:

“Often we are asked why Montessori schools almost always ask children from age three to attend five-days a week. The answer is that young children thrive on consistency, and only regular attendance provide both the continuity that they need and helps to create the culture of empowerment and order that defines a true community of children.

“Children who come one day, miss the next, and then come again, commonly find it much more difficult to adapt to the class routine than children who attend five-days a week. For them, and for the others in the same class, the benefits of a Montessori program are reduced.

“As the months go by, the difference between the children whose attendance is consistent and those who come for two or three days a week becomes more pronounced. Full-time students normally make much more progress academically and socially in comparison with those children who attend a few days a week.

“While we recognize parents’ right to make such choices, the collective experience of excellent Montessori schools around the world leads us to recommend that Montessori schools offer only five-day programs from age three and beyond."

 

Why is it called "work"? Shouldn't my child be playing?

In a Montessori cassroom the child's play is her work. The distiction Montessori makes between the work of the child and the adult interpretation of work can be distilled down to simple motivation. In adult society, work is perceived as a (sometimes disagreeable) necessity and a burden; something with an external consequence. In comparison, the child's work essentially springs from his own "internal fount of energy which has no quantitative relation to the external end." In other words, it is not a burden but rather a vital function and a joy. Montessori intentionally uses the word "work" to emphasize its importance in contrast to frivolous activity.

 

Does the focus in independence disregard socialization?

We believe that socialization is more than simply children talking or playing with each other. An often misunderstood concept of Montessori philosophy is its dynamic focus on independence verses group interaction. However, looking deeper into what healthy socialization should be, one can better understand why Maria Montessori advocated nurturing the aspects of independence (self-confidence, coordination, sense of order and concentration )along side of being part of a community. The aquisition of these individual, basic human qualities naturally lead to positive interactions with others. So in a Montessori classroom you will see children happy and independent, making their own work choices and being completely in charge of their own experiences. That said, you will also see children politley "observing" their friends as they work, partnering up with classmates for more advanced activities, joining in small group lessons with the teacher, inviting a friend or two eat snack together, participating in circletime activities with the whole class, and of course, free group playtime outside.

 

What about pretend play?

Children have for eons shown an interest in daily life through make-believe cooking, cleaning, fixing, and investigating. It was one of the pivotal discoveries of Dr. Montessori that, given the chance, children usually choose real work over imaginary. Allowing the child to participate in the daily activities he sees going on around him is an act of great respect for, and confidence in, the child. It helps him to feel important to himself and to those around him. We can empathize if we think about the difference in treatment of a stranger, perhaps a dinner guest in our home, who is served and waited upon, compared to that of a good friend who is welcomed in our kitchen to talk and laugh while we prepare the meal together. Children don't want to be the guest, they want us to help them to do it themselves.

 

Does my child need to be toilet trained?

The Montessori method emphasizes independence and being toilet trained is an important step towards independence. If a child still has accidents or needs to be reminded to go to the bathroom, we are more than happy to offer support and reinforcement, but your child should be toilet trained when they enter the Primary environment. We also understand that there are special cases where a child may be developmentally mature in all areas but that. We are open to work on an individual basis with such cases.

 

Does Montessori push children academically?

No. Montessori philosophy supports following the child, allowing each child to develop at his/her own pace. Stories of Montessori children being far ahead of their peers do not reflect an artificial acceleration; it reflects a possibility when children are allowed to follow their interests in a specially designed environment.