Extended Day (Kindergarten) Program
11:30 to 3:00 daily
Maria Montessori designed her preschool program as a three year learning
cycle. We would prefer that parents commit for three years because the
full value of the program cannot be realized in one or two years. We
often compare this three year cycle to the three period lesson that we
use to promote and assess learning of vocabulary. In the first lesson
the child is just exposed to the new vocabulary e.g. "This is a cube."
In the second lesson the child is given two objects and is asked to
"show me the cube". After much experience with a cube, building and
playing games, when we are sure the child will succeed we ask, "What is
this shape?" Thus in the first year of Montessori the child is learning
the ground rules and what and where everything is. In the second year,
the child is learning facility in all of the areas, but in the third
year the child begins to master the environment and to lead others. The
lessons of the Montessori environment are being solidified and
internalized in his/her mind.
Have you noticed an increase in confidence in your child since being in
Montessori? Have you seen their love of learning increase? Most parents
say they see this happen. Why is this? In Montessori, children are free
to move, manipulate and make choices within structure, to consult with
others when learning. The teacher is there as a guide and uses positive
authority. There is a whole body of research that shows these conditions
are most conducive for learning to take place. Unfortunately the public
schools, although improved over the years, are based on a factory model
where children are encouraged to stay at a table or desk, to work
independently and to receive information from the teacher. Children are
held to arbitrary curriculum guidelines. These conditions can put a
damper on a child's enthusiasm.
In Montessori we see children's confidence increase especially in the
third year. They have waited two years to be the oldest and this is their year to be
the leaders and helpers for the younger ones. Many enjoy giving the
younger ones lessons, helping them dress etc.
The third year is the year that the child's work in the first two years
culminates academically as well. The lessons that they have worked on
become cemented in their minds and they advance to materials that are
unique to Montessori such as the decimal system golden beads and the
Montessori square and cube chains in math and advanced work with the
puzzle maps and rich reading materials in the language area.
In the third year the child may attend the Extended Day Class. He/she
attends his regular morning class and then at 11:30 comes up to the
upstairs preschool class to join other 5 year olds for Extended Day.
Children take turns setting out plates and preparing the tables for
lunch. After lunch there is outside play with the Elementary Class and
then children come in and "extend" their work time until 2:45.
Along with many other choices, children are asked to make some choices
from the advanced academic materials. We have Spanish class twice a
week. The class is capped at 12 children and I (Kerri) am the
directress or teacher.
This is a wonderful small group in which the children form strong bonds
with their peers. There is a lot of intense large and small group
cooperative play. The children take responsibility for brainstorming
solutions to social conflicts.
We know for some withdrawing your child is a financial decision or
perhaps you think your child is excited about riding the bus or should
get settled in his/her new school in kindergarten. I would ask you to
consider Montessori for your child for the kindergarten year. Please
feel free to contact me for a date to observe in the Extended Day Class.
Written by
Kerri
Extended Day Directress
