The Capstone Year, or Kindergarten, in a Montessori Children’s House

It’s that time of year again…

Schools and parents alike are planning for next school year. If your child has been in a Montessori Children’s House for a year or two, you may be thinking ahead to kindergarten. Public school systems offer kindergarten, and many parents are curious about this transitional year. This post is meant to highlight the important reasons why a child benefits from that final year in the primary (Children’s House) classroom cycle.

Why should your child stay in Montessori for the kindergarten year? Consider the following:

Montessori inspires children

Does your child love school? The aim of Montessori education is not just to deliver information, but to encourage children’s existing curiosity and sense of wonder All children are born ready and eager to learn; it is adults’ job to provide opportunities for children to experience how amazing our world is. We want them to ask questions and search for the answers. If we provide children the gift of learning at a young age, we are setting them up for a lifetime of success and happiness.

Practice with leadership skills

Montessori Children’s House classrooms have a mixed age group with a span of 3 to 3.5 years. During the first year or two of the cycle, children are familiarizing themselves with the materials while watching the oldest children who have been in the class longest. These class leaders, typically aged 5 to 6 (kindergarten age), are working on more complex and often academic activities, they model appropriate social skills and aid their younger peers. This third, capstone year gives children the opportunity to be role models and leaders within their social community at school. They take on more responsibilities in the classroom and often help guide younger students. Kindergartners even give lessons to younger students (which has the added benefit of consolidating their mastery of skills.)

Children in Montessori work at their own pace

Montessori teachers strive to meet children right where they are, in every area. We truly “follow the child”, giving lessons and guidance according to the individual’s needs, not the needs of the whole class. Perhaps your child is a strong reader and needs someone to provide them with advanced books that are still appropriate for their age. Montessori Guides have the flexibility to do that. Maybe your child needs a bit more guidance in math. Montessori primary classrooms are structured to include lots of individual and small group lessons, so teachers use that time to best meet the needs of each child they serve. There is plentiful opportunity for individual attention and support with skills that are challenging.

Montessori uses formative assessment, not standardized tests

Children in Montessori classrooms don’t have to worry about high stakes standardized tests. The English word assess is derived from the Latinassidere, which literally means ‘to sit by’. Montessori classrooms rely mainly on formative assessment, a style of gauging student understanding that reflects the original definition of the word.Formative assessment is done continuously throughout the learning process - even mid-lesson! This allows teachers to adjust instruction in the moment so that learning is constantly tailored to meet children’s needs.

In conventional classrooms, lessons are often firmly defined prior to instruction. The information is delivered to a group of children, and they may later be given a summative assessment to check for their understanding. This data may be used to drive future instruction, or it may just be used to support a grade given on a report.

In classrooms that rely heavily on formative assessment, a teacher can change course while they are in the process teaching. If students demonstrate prior knowledge or quick understanding, the lesson can be extended, and additional information can be included. If children appear to need more support, the teacher can repeat the material or give other supplemental information. Montessori teachers take copious amounts of notes to constantly document these interactions.

The spiraling curriculum comes full cycle

The Montessori curriculum is continually spiraling back on itself. Children are exposed to skills for the first time in very concrete ways, which is why the classrooms are stocked with so many beautiful materials. These materials help the hand teach the mind and learning first in this physical way helps make important connections in the brain.The concrete lessons are repeated in new ways, each time moving further toward abstract concepts. By springtime of the kindergarten, children are solidifying many of the ideas and skills they’ve been practicing for years.

See for yourself!

One of the best ways to truly understand how a Montessori classroom works is see it in action. We encourage you to request a recorded video observation and watch the children in their school environment. Keep an eye on those kindergartners - you will be amazed at what you see! Check out this blog post written by a former parent of a kindergartener at White Bear Montessori.