Each year we answer many questions about our School and about Montessori education. For your information our staff has written answers to several of the most common questions. If more information is needed, please stop by to talk with us, email us or call our office.

 

Q.
What is unique about a Montessori Education? Why are Montessori classrooms mixed age groups?

A.
Montessori is unique in its core philosophy that recognizes the innate potential in each child. With this in mind, each child is met with respect and an environment created to ensure a child’s success and achievement. The work is mainly individual and allows each child to use their hands to explore concepts and master skills. The materials are purposeful, attractive and complete for the child, which allows the child to do things for themselves. The Montessori classroom fosters functional independence, sensory exploration, language development and math presented from the concrete to the abstract.

The mixed ages of 2 1/2 years to 6+ years create a community of varied skills and needs. Each age brings a special dimension to our classrooms that make a Montessori environment unique. Three-year-olds bring repetition as well as an eye for detail. Four-year-olds have social and verbal needs that they want met. Five and six-year-old children want to assist others and show leadership. The inter-play of skill levels is incredible to observe!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
Why do the three year old students go to school five days a week? Isn't that too much for that age?

A.
We understand that it is not easy to send your three-year-old off to school. This separation is often more difficult for parents than for their children because their child immediately becomes a part of the classroom community. It has been our experience that three-year-old children contribute immensely to the balance of this happy community. They occupy themselves completely with the world around them, thus easily integrate within the classroom community. They become the spirit of the classroom. The beauty of the interdependence of the three-age grouping is one of the many charming aspects of the Montessori environment.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
Why are so many children cleaning/scrubbing/washing?

A.
These activities serve the child in coordination and refinement of movement as well as help build concentration. Many children coming into classrooms are still refining their motor skills. Activities such as washing a table or washing clothes involves many different types of movements. The lessons are shown in a specific way to encourage precise, graceful movements. This work appeals to young and older children for different reasons. The young child will use washing or scrubbing as an aid for refinement of movement, while the older child will use this "skill" to keep the environment beautiful. The older child is now able to contribute to the group. Many of the washing/scrubbing lessons are preparations for reading and writing. The child practices moving from left to right with their hands and eye. This prepares the child to write and read following the same direction.

This work allows the child to develop a solid foundation in concentration and repetition. Because the child is naturally drawn to this work they will spend a good amount of time with each activity. These characteristics will be used throughout the classroom as the child interacts with the materials. A child who has been able to develop this concentration will be able to move deeper into work as they move through the curriculum.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
What is Practical Life?

A.
Practical Life is one of the four areas of the classroom. This is the area where the child is introduced to the classroom environment. The child starts with transitional activities such as bead stringing or spooning. These are activities that the child has encountered outside of school. This is where the child first experiences a "work cycle" that has a beginning, middle, and end. The exercises in practical life have a defined starting and stopping point to help the child facilitate completion. The child will move onto more complex lessons where a variety of movements can be refined. These include gross motor, fine motor, hand-eye coordination, visual motor and equilibrium. As the child practices these activities for the purpose of coordination they are gaining a skill that can later be applied to everyday life. A child who has mastered the button frame (fine motor control) can now button his or her own clothes or, even offer help to a friend. This area of the classroom offers opportunities for a child to explore movement in the context of real life activities.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
Why does my child need a lesson before he/she can choose an activity?

A.
We demonstrate all lessons to show clear and precise movements, using little or no verbal instruction that would interfere with the child’s impressions. There is a specific order to gathering, using, and returning the materials to the shelf.

We want a new activity or lesson to be challenging, but not frustrating. Certain skills need to be in place for the child to be successful. Through observation we look for signs of readiness and interest. Maria Montessori called this "following the child". There is a progression in both the math materials and the language materials. We encourage repetition because it is the key to mastering a skill. As soon as one skill is mastered the child is ready to move on to the next.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
How does your nap room work? What is the difference in the two groupings? How do you decide who gets to stay up?

A.
We have two nap rooms, each staffed by two adults. One nap room (East Building) is for those children who need to sleep each day. Their nap time is from 12:45 to 3:00 p.m. and the actual rest time is from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Our second nap room (West Building) is a Transition Program for those children who no longer need to sleep, but are not yet ready to remain up for the afternoon class time. Generally, our schedule for this nap room begins at 1:15 p.m. with a quiet rest time. Stories are read and music is played. Around 1:45 p.m. the children get up to do quiet activities (i.e. table games, reading books, art projects, puzzles, etc.).

All three and four-year-old children who are enrolled in the Extended Day Program will need to participate in the school nap period. As a child approaches their fifth birthday and no longer rests in the nap program, their teacher will assess their ability to sustain independent work in the afternoon hours. Participation in the Extended Day portion of our classes is based on age and readiness.

If a child shows a need for a rest period, the teacher may decide to ask the child to participate in the nap period.

A nap is not provided for the children in the 8:30 - 11:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or the 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. programs.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
What does "process" vs. "not product oriented" mean and how does that relate to the classroom?

A.
"Process-oriented" is a phrase used to describe exercises in the classroom where learning results from a series of steps taken to do the work. Importance is not placed on accuracy, but rather on the method. For example, when a child is first introduced to addition, the goal understands that addition means putting groups of numbers together. Getting the correct answer only becomes a focus after the child understands the nature of the operation or exercise.

"Product-oriented" work focuses on outcome, whether it be a correct answer or a booklet made. Both of these exercises are great motivators for the child. Unfortunately, if the child doesn't complete their work, understanding isn’t fully achieved. Also, when the emphasis on what is trying to be achieved comes too late in the process, often, finishing becomes a goal.

Learning should be challenging, yet fun. By allowing a child freedom to learn while doing, they are able to go deep in their exploration, resulting in a strong understanding of the material; not to mention, developing an inquisitive mind and a love for learning.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
Are there "Arts & Crafts" activities in the Montessori classroom?

A.
Yes. Arts & Craft supplies are always available for the children's use on a special shelf. The materials are placed in sequence according to the difficulty of the skill involved. The children are introduced to media and tools such as crayons, Cray-Pas, pastels, chalk, charcoal, paint and clay. These varied media help them discover unique qualities of color, line, form and texture.

The teacher exposes each child to the materials and techniques. The children are then free to choose an art activity as they wish. The children master cutting with scissors and tearing to create their own shapes, shapes that are often combined with a variety of materials for collage work. Other techniques such as stenciling, rubbing, spatter painting, finger painting, etching, and resist are introduced as well.

As the children become comfortable with the basic expression (art) exercises they are invited to combine these skills with a particular interest. They are able to choose from a wide variety of supplies and create, for example: a crumbled tissue map of the world, a seed collage representing parts of a flower, or a watercolor painting of types of fish. During the holidays or celebrations the teacher may bring in art activities to relate to a special theme. Our school also participates in the "Arts in Education" program where a particular artist comes into the school for a week of total immersion into a specific form of art, dance, music, poetry, etc.

In the Montessori program, arts and crafts are viewed as an important means of personal expression and discovery. We feel it is important to accept the child's artwork as a part of his/her own developmental effort... the process being more important than the product.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
Why is it important for my child to complete a 3rd year in Montessori instead of Kindergarten? Why do five year olds need to attend extended afternoon class time?

A.
The third year in a Montessori classroom is the culmination of all the previous years: the reading skills come together, as do the advanced math and language skills. The child is now the oldest in their group and are the role models for the class. They have been moving up through the community and are now able to use their skills, expertise, and knowledge to their potential. They have a deeper knowledge and understanding of the materials and build their self-esteem and confidence by their role as the "oldest children". This well-prepares them for their next school environment.

The afternoon extended day is an important time of day for the oldest students. The class size is small and it is a time for them to work on extended math and language exercises. They have lessons that take a longer period of time and take up more physical space... the afternoon provides them that opportunity. There are often cultural, science, and art extensions that particularly lend themselves to the older group of children.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
Does West Hills Schools, Inc. – Montessori/Elementary enroll beginning five year students?

A.
Yes. Every year in a school this size we lose some students unexpectedly (moving, illness, transfer, etc.). Some of these students are five-year-olds. In multi-aged classes like ours the ideal blend of ages is 1/3 of each age and 1/2 boys and 1/2 girls. When we have a space that becomes available for a new five-year-old child the Administration speaks with the family and requires a visit to our School. Also, questionnaires to learn more about the child's interests, background, learning style, and where/if the child is currently attending school are sent to the family as well as the child's school (if applicable). The Administration may request the opportunity to observe the child in his current environment as well as to speak with his/her teacher. The most important factor to consider is the compatibility of the children and the program. Our experience has been that each year we enroll a few new five-year-old students with great success. Our regret is always that we are only able to work together with them for one year.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Q.
How do children make the transition from Montessori Primary Program to First Grade in a public/private school?

A.
Transition from a Montessori program to a private or public school first grade usually proceeds smoothly, depending somewhat upon each individual child and the new school's teaching methods and staff. Children coming from Montessori programs have self-confidence and initiative in approaching their work. They are better able to follow directions because of developed concentration and more organization in their work. Often their academic skills are more developed than other beginning first grade students.

The socialization opportunities afforded in the Montessori classroom provide a strong base for integration into a new group and for establishing new friendships.

Parents are encouraged to visit the new school and meet with the teacher to discuss their child's Montessori background. This initial communication is an invaluable help to a successful new beginning. Also, West Hills' staff will complete an end of the year evaluation that describes your child's school experience, academic skills, and learning style. This too will facilitate the transition and best serve the needs of the child.