A Montessori Perspective on Transit …

Should a four year-old attend a preschool with an early education program?

There are many research studies that have shown that a quality early education program, such as preschool and transitional kindergarten, improve children’s immediate and long-term academic, social and emotional skill sets. Reports conducted by Walden University and First Things First convey that, “Ninety percent of brain growth happens before Kindergarten. At birth, the average baby’s brain is about a quarter of the size of the average adult brain. Incredibly, it keeps growing to about 80% of adult size by age three and 90%—nearly full grown—by age five.”  

For Montessori teachers, this is old news.  Dr. Maria Montessori was an Italian educator, physician, and scientist.   She is widely recognized as one of the pioneers in the development of early childhood education. She is also credited with promoting a substantial number of important educational reforms that have worked their way over the course of the twentieth century into public education.

For over 100 years, the Montessori Method has been providing early education to children as young as 18-months.  The goal of a Montessori Education is to: 

• Build academic, social and emotional skill sets early for easy understanding
• Take advantage of a child’s innate abilities to learn, absorb and master basic sensorial, numerical, vocabulary and language tasks, and
• Create parent/teacher collaboration and continuity both at school and at home.

These are just some of the reasons why it is incredibly beneficial for children to attend an early childhood education program.

Preparing for The World of Tomorrow

Dr. Montessori knew that the goal of educational programs should be to prepare the child for the world of tomorrow.   As professions become ever more technical, the current Kindergarten – 12th grade standard may no longer be enough.  In fact, to maintain worldwide competitiveness, early preschool experiences — one year of Transitional Kindergarten PLUS the equivalent of a community college Associate degree— is being recommended.  Tomorrow’s career and job marketplace will need better educated individuals to work on mathematical and scientific problem solving, the ability to communicate in multiple languages, an understanding of sustainability, and an appreciation for aesthetics. 

How The La Jolla Montessori School Methodology Works

La Jolla Montessori School features a bilingual Toddler, Primary and Kindergarten program where children are:

• Respected as future citizens and important members of their classroom community
• Guided to learn individually and at their own pace
• Immersed in a multi-year bilingual program designed to create fluent English/Spanish speakers by Kindergarten graduation.
• Offered developmentally appropriate and authentic opportunities to engage in social, mathematical, and scientific problem-solving.
• Develop an appreciation of music, dance, and art,
• Encouraged to pursue their particular passions as a way to become further engaged
• Learn in mixed-age rather than same-age groupings where they are afforded opportunities to develop empathy and leadership skills. 

Is preschool the right option for your child? Take a tour of La Jolla Montessori School to explore our early education program in action. Enrolling in a quality preschool program beginning 18-months will lay the foundation your child will need to prepare for the remainder of their educational experience while setting the pace for tomorrow’s workplace needs. 

Looking to take a tour? Book a time with our Director today: https://lajollamontessorischool.com/book-a-tour/.