The Difference Between Montessori …

Day Care is Not Necessarily Preschool

Often, when touring La Jolla Montessori School, parents ask our team the difference between Montessori preschool and day care.

The answer is simple. La Jolla Montessori School is focused on disseminating the Montessori Method–a systematic and methodical learning approach towards teaching children aged 18 months to six years of age. 

Conversely, day care facilities are not necessarily teaching children because they may not:

• employ accredited teachers
• teach children in an individualized and personalized manner for three years
• create peer learning groups via a wide age range of students in the same classrooms
• lead students towards a lifetime love of learning because they’re simply memorizing rather than interpreting.

The Value of Day Care

Of course, day care has its advantages. They provide parents with the peace of mind of having their children cared for while they are at work. Other benefits may also include:

• Playtime with other children
• Private, faith-based church and school interactive philosophies
• Geographical advantages since church and day care are usually at the same location
• Lower costs than private preschools.

The La Jolla Montessori Preschool Edge

Here are three benefits Montessori preschool students receive:

• A daily, three-year dual English/Spanish language immersion program to build verbal fluency by the end of Kindergarten
• The ability to become independent by learning ‘how and why’ concepts 
• A sensory-based ‘touch, see, hear, smell’ focus.

The benefit? An immediate and major ‘leg up’ to help our youngest students absorb and adapt knowledge.

Montessori preschool allows them to succeed from the get-go.

Summary

As you see, there are core differences between Montessori preschool and day care. At its core, La Jolla Montessori Preschool offers early education options unavailable at most day care facilities. Montessori teachers will learn about your child and their inherent academic, social and emotional skill sets over a period of years. They will observe and evaluate your child’s strengths while getting them to focus on their skills and passions. This will help build their foundations for the future.