Primary Program FAQs
What is a typical day like in the Primary class?
Each and every day we live, laugh, learn, dance, sing, play, work, wonder, and create. The day flows with as few interruptions to your child as possible. The schedule is an independent work period in the morning, with each child choosing work that they have been introduced to or receiving new lessons from the teacher, followed by a group circle, and playground time. The afternoon students eat lunch, then rest or nap, with the children who do not nap continuing their work.
What is the desired size of a Primary Montessori classroom?
A Montessori class for the Primary age is fairly large, typically around 28. Since it is a mixed-age class with ages between 3 and 6 years, a large classroom provides a better mix of different ages and sufficient numbers of the same age. This allows effective interactions between the children of the same age as well as different age groups. An older child helping a younger one is pivotal to the success of a Montessori classroom. This classroom size does not pose a challenge for the teacher since the carefully planned environment allows children to function independently with minimal help from the teacher.
What is the student:teacher ratio?
Each adult and child in a Montessori class is a teacher and a student. Our primary classes are staffed with an AMI trained teacher, as well as an adult assistant. We follow all state guidelines to ensure safety and supervision of your child.
How does the teacher keep track of the progress of students who are working independently?
The Montessori method of education is designed to support different learning styles, helping students learn to learn or study in a way that is effective for them. Students progress as they master new skills, building on their experiences and moving ahead as quickly as they are ready. The children move through a logical progression from the initial lesson to repetition with help or input from the teacher, to independence and mastery. The teacher keeps records of where the child is in this process, looking for signs of mastery and readiness to proceed. An inventory of the lessons and projects completed by each student is reviewed frequently.
Why should I start my three-year-old in school?
The first year in the Primary program creates the foundation for the remaining two years at the early childhood level. The three year olds are still at a stage where individual activities are more enticing that group activities, and they have an innate desire to imitate the actions of the people around them, so they are particularly receptive to focus on the teacher’s lesson and practice with great exactitude until they master the skill. The materials designed for this youngest age allow them to concentrate on tasks for longer and longer periods of time, develop their sense of order for logical thinking and problem solving, and refine their fine and gross motor movements. While a child can begin in the Primary program at a later age, starting at age three and completing the three year cycle makes a remarkable difference.
In a multi-age class, will my five-year-old spend the year taking care of younger children instead of doing his or her own work?
The five year old children in a Montessori class often help the younger children with their work, actually teaching lessons, solidifying their understanding of the lesson. Anyone who has ever had to teach a skill to someone else knows that the process of explaining a new concept or helping someone practice a new skill leads the teacher to learn as much, if not more, than the pupil. This is supported by research. The act of teaching other children also develops leadership skills and confidence.
How do you communicate with parents?
Conferences are scheduled twice a year for an in depth discussion of your child’s progression in the class. Parents can request a sit down conference at any other time throughout the year. For general questions, comments, or short discussions, Laura is always available for phone conferences, to respond to emails, or to schedule in-person meetings.
How do you handle discipline or behavior issues?
Discipline is required when a child exhibits behavior which is unbecoming o the child or harmful to the people or objects around him. Prevention of misbehavior is our first goal. Lessons of grace and courtesy are given to teach the child how to behave and move about in their class and to interact with others. When misbehavior occurs, there are three ways that we correct it. First, we acknowledge natural consequences, the unavoidable results of undesirable actions or words. For example, a careless movement can cause something to break. Natural consequences are the ideal corrective tool because the child can make the decision to correct her behavior on her own accord. The next direction we turn is to logical consequences. These are decided by the adult and have a logical relationship to the misdeed. Usually, these will limit the child in the freedom she has been abusing. For example, if a child is harming a material they must put it away, making it available for another child to use it correctly. Logical consequences give the child a choice to correct her behavior or have her freedoms restricted. She is immediately able to choose cooperative actions with her next choice of materials. On the rare occasion that natural and logical consequences are not effective, the child’s freedoms are forfeited and the child sits out, taking a few minutes to pull herself together.
Why should my child stay in the third year of the Montessori Primary program (kindergarten year)?
The Primary program is based on Maria Montessori’s theories of psychological development which concluded that children needed to be grouped according to their three-year development stages. The three-year cycle is a basic tenet of the Primary Montessori program. Research indicates that things really begin to “come together” in the third year. Montessori is not about memorizing facts but being able to ask questions and find answers. Montessori materials are cyclical, they start out to be concrete and slowly move to the abstract. It is by the third year that facts begin to get internalized.
By going through a three-year cycle a child develops a high degree of self-confidence, independence, and enthusiasm for the learning process and can adapt to all sorts of new situations. There are compelling reasons to consider keeping a child in Montessori through the Elementary program and beyond, but even if he goes off to a traditional school by the time he is in the first grade he will be ready to make new friends and learn new things.
Who provides food?
We provide a morning and afternoon snack, which the children help prepare. This snack consists daily of a fruit or vegetable and a grain. Each child brings his own lunch from home. We do have a microwave available, and an icepack in a lunchbox is generally sufficient for keeping food cool until lunchtime. We provide plates and utensils.