We are creatures of mixed feelings, aren’t we? Many of us dream of the day our child will begin school while also holding onto the sentiments of “baby days”.
To put anxieties to rest, it is helpful to know if, in fact, your child is ready for the preschool experience. Simple observations will tell you.
Most traditional teachers will tell you that as long as your child is enthusiastic and curious in approaching new activities- and is able to communicate his or her wants, needs, and thoughts verbally- then, he or she is ready for an early learning experience.
Other teachers would prefer that in addition to those traits, they would also like to see that the child has some reasonable sense of sharing and turn-taking, will not be disruptive in class, can be sensitive to another child’s feelings, and can reasonably follow directions.
For kindergarten children, the teacher may look for the ability to finish a task, can sit still and pay attention, can count to 20, have good problem-solving skills, able to use a paintbrush and a pencil, and knows the letters of the alphabet.
But when talking about Montessori, there is more to consider; however, they also dovetail with what other teachers are looking for. You see, in Montessori, teachers are looking for the sensitive periods. These are like signposts that let the adult know where the child is developmentally and what should be introduced and when. From Elizabeth G. Hainstock’s book, Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years, the sensitive periods are laid out in this order:
Birth to 3 years: the child’s mind is continually absorbing experiences through the senses
1 1/2 – 3 years: Based on skills developed during the absorption period, language develops rapidly
1 1/2 – 4 years: Muscles have been growing steadily up to this point; however, during these years the child experiences intense muscular development and coordination
2 – 4 years: Child shows a heightened interest in refining their muscle movement; child shows particular interest in truth and reality; child becomes increasingly aware of ordered sequences in time and space
2 1/2 – 6 years: the child is interested in refining their sensory perceptions
3 – 6 years: children become more susceptible to adult influence
3 1/2 – 4 1/2 years: child has heightened interest in writing
4 – 4 1/2 years: The child’s tactile sense is heightened
4 1/2 – 5 1/2 years: The child’s language and cognitive development have a reached a point that the child takes an interest in reading
Following the child’s sensitive periods sets the stage for the child to experience success in learning because we are following the child’s natural, innate stages of development. How can we use them to know if our child is ready for a school experience?
Usually, around the ages of 2 1/2 – 3 years, the child has sufficient language development, muscle coordination, can begin to order time and space, and seeks out adult feedback to be able to participate in a group learning setting.
Separation anxiety from mother or father should be fairly well under the child’s control (realizing that some children develop the ability to separate easily a little faster than others).
And right around the age of three years, the child’s cognitive development has been prepared sufficiently to take on foundational academic work such as learning the abstract concepts of letter symbols and their sounds along with numeral symbols and their quantities.
So, you see, knowing if your child is ready for school is really just knowing your child. It helps to evaluate the schools that you are interested in to see if your child has the skills to meet the school’s basic curricula for your child’s age level.
It is also a matter of what you want for your child. There are a plethora of theories and curricula out there. You may want a more aggressive academic program or you may want more of a play-based curricula.
I believe Montessori gives the child the best edge because, through observation and scientific inquiry, Dr. Montessori developed a course of instruction that matches the child’s natural course of development. It wasn’t her pet theory- it was the nature of the child.
Until next time-
Lorraine
