             Peach Tree Montessori Contact: peachtreebest@sbcglobal.net |
The Rationale for Three-Year Attendance in a
Montessori Program Montessori's early childhood approach is based on her conception of the "absorbent mind," which from 0-3 years of age operates in an unconscious manner and from 3-6 years of age is developed with the child's growing awareness and active participation. The years from 3-6 are one phase of growth, with physical, intellectual, and psychological characteristics common to that whole period. This concept necessitates an educational approach with an extended time frame within which the individual child has room to grow at her or his own pace. In accord with this thinking a Montessori school program, including the developmental learning aids and the work activities which go with it, is sequential and meant to be experienced over a three-year time span and not in individual, successive, one-year capsules. While a child may gain much from attending a Montessori program for any length of time, full benefits are likely to require extended exposure. For instance, such teachings as the three R's, which are not so much taught as they are learned, require progressive build-up for successful flowering. The same can be said for such acquisitions as personal work habits and social consciousness; these too require time for internalization. The three-year cycle also relates to Montessori's valuable concept of age-mixed and ungraded classes. But it's not just a simple matter of 3-4 year olds, 4-5 year olds, and 5-6 year olds spending time together in one environment. The hope is rather that the younger children might learn from older ones who, in turn, have come up from "the ranks" and are well on their way to being self-directed. Such quality is hard to achieve with frequent and substantial turn over. |
|
