Kindercare montessori: The Montessori School of Five Points | Daycare, Preschool & Early Education in Auburn Hills, MI

Your child will thrive here!

Early Foundations® for Your Early Learner

While your child is very young, every learning moment counts! That’s why our child care programs put education first—even for the tiniest babies—because every adorable coo, crawl, and creation is proof that they’re ready for more than just daycare. 

Instead of pulling an existing curriculum off the shelf, we have a dedicated Education team that builds (and refines) our own research-based curriculum to meet the needs of your little learner. They’ve knit together the best parts of leading educational philosophies to make one standout approach you won’t find anywhere but KinderCare. It’s called Early Foundations®.  

All About Early Foundations

 Early Foundations takes a whole-child approach to early education, covering six key developmental domains: 

1. Cognitive refers to the process of learning, reasoning and problem-solving, and the development of age-appropriate skills in math, science, and the study of the world around us.   
2. Language and Literacy is all about verbal and non-verbal communication, plus the early skills needed to read and write!   
3. Physical, Motor, and Wellness includes physical health, self-care skills, nutrition, fine- and gross-motor skills, and use of the five senses. 
4. Social-Emotional skills include understanding and controlling emotions, developing empathy, building relationships, appreciating human diversity, and gaining self-confidence. 
5. Executive Function is the ability to control impulses, build memory skills, and practice problem solving. 
6. Creative Expression refers to how children express themselves through music, movement, play, and more.

“Our proprietary developmental curriculum is built by a team of experienced early childhood educators. They have years of classroom experience combined with expertise in child development, educational research, and national accreditation.  

Our program is not only research-based, it’s also fun and engaging! You’ll see your child develop a love of learning and confidence for life.” 

-Dr. Elanna Yalow, Chief Academic Officer

Learn more about Early Foundations and how it compares to other teaching philosophies like Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf. 

Talented Teachers and A+ Centers

We hire talented humans who love your children (almost as much as you do)! Our low teacher-to-student ratio means your child gets individual attention and care all day. And you’ll develop a close relationship with your child’s teacher, too. 

Our teachers are more than warm and fuzzy caregivers, they’re also talented educators! One way we help them stay at the top of their teaching game is making sure they complete special training and participate in continuing education throughout the year. 

Achieving accreditation is another way we make sure our educators are meeting the highest standards of excellence in their field. All of our centers have achieved (or are pursuing) accreditation so you can feel confident your child is in a program that’s vetted for excellence.

School-Age Programs for Your K-6th Grader

KinderCare isn’t just for little kids! Some of our centers also partner with local elementary schools to complement the learning they offer. Our school-age curriculum layers alongside your school’s program and includes project-based STEM learning activities, art, physical activity, homework support, and more. You can also find distance learning, before- and after-school care, and break-time programs for big kids at select centers!

Teaching Kids Through an Anti-Bias Lens

At the heart of our curriculum is our intention to give your child what they need to grow up to be happy, show kindness to others, and make the world a better place. And we believe everything they do—from reading books and making art to even having lunch—are opportunities to practice empathy, compassion, and understanding.  

Learn more about how we teach the fundamentals of acceptance, how we normalize differences in our classrooms, and how we honor diversity both inside and outside our classroom community.

Supporting Learning Differences

We welcome the unique needs of each child and their varying abilities, interests, and passions. And if your family or your teachers need more support to find the best learning solution for your child, the experts on our Inclusion Services team are here to help teachers develop individualized plans to meet their unique needs.  

“We pride ourselves on making sure that every child, whatever their geography, background, ability, or economic circumstance, has the same great curriculum delivered by our caring and talented teachers. And what’s more, we have outcome data that show that children in our programs are better prepared for school than those who aren’t with us.” 

-Dr. Elanna Yalow, Chief Academic Officer 

Each child requires something different to become their best self. Fortunately, we have the support for families and educators to meet your child’s individualized needs through both our Education and Inclusion Services teams. If there’s something your child is missing, we’re just a conversation away. 

3 Steps for Teaching Your Child Positive Behaviors

It’s normal (and expected) for children to want to go their own way from time to time. As with all things in childhood, positive behaviors are skills that need to be taught and developed. Don’t worry: Our teachers have seen it all! They’re equipped with age-specific strategies to use in the classroom that reduce unwanted behaviors and ultimately stop them before they happen. 

But when they do, we take three big steps to give your child positive guidance: 

1. Identify what’s driving the behavior 
2. Teach positive replacement behaviors 
3. Provide lots of opportunities to practice new skills 

Learn how to enroll.



See what parents and teachers say about KinderCare.

Top 10 Best Montessori Private Schools in Massachusetts (2022-23)

School

Location

Grades

Students

Bay Farm Montessori Academy

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(8)

145 Loring Street
Duxbury, MA 02332
(781) 934-7101

Grades: NS-8

| 202 students

Cambridge Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(6)

161 Garden St
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 492-3410

Grades: NS-8

| 152 students

Kingsley Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(2)

26 Exeter Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 226-4927

Grades: NS-6

| 295 students

Oak Meadow School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(4)

2 Old Pickard Lane
Littleton, MA 01460
(978) 486-9874

Grades: NS-8

| 170 students

The Blue Hill Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

163 Turnpike Street
Canton, MA 02021
(781) 828-5230

Grades: K

| 16 students

Elements Montessori

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(2)

221 Summer St
Duxbury, MA 02332
(781) 585-8222

Grades: PK-K

| 26 students

Evergreen Montessori House

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(1)

1651 Bridge Street
Dracut, MA 01826
(978) 458-5885

Grades: PK-K

| 20 students

Harborlight Montessori

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(1)

243 Essex Street
Beverly, MA 01915
(978) 922-1008

Grades: NS-8

| 296 students

Inly School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(1)

46 Watch Hill Drive
Scituate, MA 02066
(781) 545-5544

Grades: PK-8

| 339 students

Lexington Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(8)

130 Pleasant Street
Lexington, MA 02421
(781) 862-8571

Grades: NS-8

| 225 students

My Montessori

Montessori School

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100 Sylvan Rd Ste 850
Woburn, MA 01801
(781) 333-4898

Grades: PK-1

| 39 students

Norwood Montessori School

Montessori School

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462 Walpole St
Norwood, MA 02062
(781) 762-3700

Grades: NS-12

| 80 students

The T. E.C. Schools. Think. Explore. Create.

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(2)

73 Lancaster Street
Worcester, MA 01609
(508) 577-3045

Grades: K-8

| 52 students

Wellan Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(1)

80 Crescent Avenue
Newton Center, MA 02459
(617) 969-4488

Grades: PK-8

| 301 students

Woodside Montessori Academy

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(2)

350 Village St
Millis, MA 02054
(508) 376-5320

Grades: PK-8

| 105 students

Adams Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

310 Adams St
Quincy, MA 02169
(617) 773-8200

Grades: PK-6

| 123 students

Amherst Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

27 Pomeroy Ln
Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 253-3101

Grades: PK-6

| 82 students

Andover School Of Montessori

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(1)

400 S Main St
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 475-2299

Grades: PK-8

| 169 students

Atlas Academy

Montessori School

Add to Compare

112 Sladen St.
Dracut, MA 01826
(978) 905-8165

Grades: NS-4

| 61 students

Bedford Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

8 Alfred Circle
Bedford, MA 01730
(781) 275-3344

Grades: PK-K

| 54 students

Bridgeview Montessori School

Montessori School

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885 Sandwich Rd
Sagamore, MA 02561
(508) 888-3567

Grades: NS-6

| 87 students

Burlington Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(1)

6 Lexington St
Burlington, MA 01803
(781) 273-0432

Grades: PK-K

| 60 students

Cape Cod Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

81 Chester St.
North Falmouth, MA 02556
(774) 994-7588

Grades: 7-12

| 13 students

The Children’s Cooperative Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

268 Fairmount Ave
Hyde Park, MA 02136
(617) 792-4032

Grades: NS-3

| 5 students

Childrens Own School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

86 Main St
Winchester, MA 01890
(781) 729-2689

Grades: PK-K

| 89 students

Childrens Workshop Montessori

Montessori School

Add to Compare

53 Robert Rd
Marblehead, MA 01945
(781) 631-8687

Grades: PK-K

| 26 students

Christian Family Montessori School

Montessori School (Christian)

Add to Compare

1162 Highland St
Holliston, MA 01746
(508) 429-5478

Grades: PK-K

| 27 students

Devereux School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

44 Smith St
Marblehead, MA 01945
(781) 631-0029

Grades: PK-3

| 67 students

Ebridge Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

57 East Main Street, Suite 101
Westborough, MA 01581
(508) 366-9288

Grades: PK-K

| 115 students

The Greenhouse School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(2)

145 Loring Ave
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 745-4549

Grades: NS

| 20 students

Guidepost Montessori at Marlborough

Montessori School

Add to Compare

19 Forest St
Marlborough, MA 01752
(866) 202-8593

Grades: NS-K

| n/a students

Hands-On Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(3)

12 Creeden Street
Mansfield, MA 02048
(508) 339-4667

Grades: NS-6

| 93 students

The Joy Of Learning Montessori Institute

Montessori School

Add to Compare

533 Washington St
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
(617) 265-0021

Grades: K

| 52 students

Keystone Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(7)

55 Middlesex Street
North Chelmsford, MA 01863
(978) 251-2929

Grades: PK-6

| 105 students

King’s Wood Montessori School

Montessori School

Add to Compare

(1)

12 Gilmore Street
Foxboro, MA 02035
(508) 543-6391

Grades: PK-K

| 40 students

Show 35 more private schools in Massachusetts (out of 70 total schools)

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After-School Teacher at Prestonwood Montessori at KinderCare Learning Companies

KinderCare is the largest nationwide provider of early childhood education in the U.S. Since 1969, it has successfully served children with time-tested techniques and proven results.

• Size: 10,000+ employees
• Industry: Education

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KinderCare Education is the nation’s leader in early childhood education. We nourish curiosity through purposeful experiences to create a future full of lifelong learners. From our National Support Center, to the classrooms where learning comes to life, we’re united by a passion to create a world of learning, joy and adventure for more than 161,000 children ages six-weeks through 12 years every day.

Our Teachers bring warmth, patience, and understanding to the classroom every day, encouraging children to learn and grow. They inspire children to be lifelong learners using our nationally recognized curriculum that promotes social, physical, verbal, and cognitive development. Our Teachers are committed to making their center successful and know that creating meaningful relationships with children, families, and their team play a crucial role in that success.

When you join our team as a Teacher you will:

• Implement KCE’s curriculum in a way that is consistent with the unique needs of each child
• Create a safe, nurturing environment where children can play and learn.
• Partner and communicate with parents, with a shared desire to provide the best care and education for their children.
• Support your center’s success; partner with center staff and leadership to achieve goals around enrollment, accreditation, and engagement.
• Cultivate positive relationships with families, teachers, state licensing authorities, community contacts and corporate partners.

Qualifications:

Required Skills and Experience:

• A love for children and a strong desire to make a difference every day.
• Ability to build relationships with families and coworkers and create a dynamic environment where play and learning happens.
• Outstanding customer service skills, strong organizational skills, and the ability to multi-task and manage multiple situations effectively
• CPR and First Aid Certification or willingness to obtain
• 1+ year Early Childhood Education Experience (preferred)
• Must meet state specific guidelines for the role
• Must be physically able to use a computer with basic proficiency, lift a minimum of 40 pounds, and work indoors or outdoors. Must be able to assume postures in low levels to allow physical and visual contact with children, see and hear well enough to keep children safe, and engage in physical activity with children.
• Ability to speak, read, and write English.

Our highest priority has always been to keep our employees, children, families, and communities as safe and healthy as possible. Starting October 18, 2021, we began requiring COVID vaccinations or weekly COVID testing for all unvaccinated employees. We are also subject to state law, local ordinances, and Health Department requirements for child care workers or school staff.

The benefits our career professionals enjoy:

In addition to a rewarding career where you help shape children’s futures, KinderCare Education provides a competitive compensation package. Benefits include:

• Medical, dental and vision
• Discounted child care
• Generous paid time off
• Education assistance and reimbursement
• Medical expense reimbursement/ Life insurance/Disability benefits/ Health and wellness programs
• 401(k) savings and investment plan with employer match

KinderCare Education employs more than 32,000 team members across 1,700 locations nationwide. Our devoted family of education providers leads the nation in accreditation and includes KinderCare® Learning Centers, KinderCare Education at Work®, Champions® Before- and After-School Programs, Cambridge Schools™, Knowledge Beginnings® and The Grove School®.

KinderCare Education is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law.

Primary Location : Dallas, Texas, United States

Job : Teacher and Center Staff

Client-provided location(s): Dallas, TX, USA

Job ID:

KinderCare-KNOWA00542200052UEXTERNALENUS

Apply on company site

Perks and Benefits

• Health and Wellness

  • Health Insurance
  • Health Reimbursement Account
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Short-Term Disability
  • Long-Term Disability
  • FSA
  • HSA With Employer Contribution
  • Wellness Program
  • Fitness Subsidies
  • Pet Insurance
  • Mental Health Benefits

• Parental Benefits and Childcare

  • Fertility Benefits
  • Family Support Resources
  • Onsite/nearby childcare
  • Paid Family Leave

• Work Flexibility

  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Remote Work Opportunities
  • Hybrid Work Opportunities

• Office Life and Perks

  • Casual Dress
  • Employee Resource Groups (ERG)

• Vacation and Time Off

  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Holidays
  • Personal/Sick Days
  • Summer Fridays

• Financial and Retirement

  • 401(K) With Company Matching
  • Performance Bonus
  • Relocation Assistance
  • Financial Counseling

• Professional Development

  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Promote From Within
  • Leadership Training Program

• Diversity and Inclusion

  • Female founded/led
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program

Jobs in Dallas, TXEducation Jobs in Dallas, TX

What is a Montessori garden? contrary to the advice from books for parents.

I liked it when the child did his own thing, and I did mine. It was great sometimes to do something together, but I didn’t want to be 100% involved in his life and not have a single minute of personal time. Because of this, I felt like a bad mother and thought that my child was terribly unlucky with me.

The psychologist I turned to for advice reassured me: everything is fine with me. And my requests regarding the upbringing of a child are fully met by the Montessori system. Its main principle is to create an environment through which the child will learn the world. It will take effort, but I will not have to work as an animator 16 hours a day.

In order not to mess things up, I decided not to comprehend new things on my own, but to send my son to a Montessori kindergarten. I’ll tell you how to choose it, how such a garden differs from the usual one, and how much it costs.

What is the Montessori system

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Italian scientist and physician Maria Montessori founded a special pedagogical system. Its goal is to create an environment in which a child can grow and develop at his own pace, independently choose what and how much to do.

About the Montessori Method – International Montessori Association

AMI Standards for Montessori Classes

In 1929, Maria Montessori founded the International Montessori Association, or Association Montessori Internationale – AMI. And almost 10 years later, it became a training center for Montessori teachers.

Today, the activities of all children’s institutions operating under this system are regulated by the international standard. It rests on three main components: a properly organized environment, trained teachers and groups of different ages.

How space is organized in a Montessori garden

The group in which children study is called a Montessori class in such a garden. The room is usually divided into four zones:

1. Practical life exercise zone teaches kids about everyday things. For example, getting dressed, cleaning up after yourself, or preparing food.
2. The mother tongue area helps you prepare for learning to read and write. There are a lot of cards with images of objects, rough letters, a movable alphabet, simple books.
3. Mathematics zone introduces numbers and teaches you how to count.
4. The Sensory Development Zone helps to develop the child’s senses. For example, you can blindfold and touch unknown objects in the bag. And you can listen to the ringing of bells of different sizes.

In each zone, instead of toys, there are Montessori materials approved by the International Montessori Association. They are distinguished from ordinary toys in kindergarten by clear rules of use and functionality: using educational materials, the child does not just have fun, but trains certain skills. For example, he learns to count, distinguish colors or use a rolling pin and a scoop.

If in an ordinary kindergarten, kids play with dolls and cars, making up rules on the go, then in a Montessori class, the materials themselves dictate how they are used. For example, jars of scents encourage a child to start sniffing and developing their sense of smell, while closed boxes with different fillings make it possible to shake them and discover that even noise has sound shades.

/list/security-child/

What should be in a safe kindergarten and school

There is only one copy of each material in the class. If he is busy, the child will have to wait. This is how patience and respect for others are cultivated. It is forbidden to bring your toys to class, because a conventional soldier or airplane can distract the child from the main goal – to explore the space around him and learn to hear his desires.

The environment should stimulate the child to learn about it and not have unnecessary obstacles. In an ordinary kindergarten, educators can put materials for classes in closed cabinets and get them out only at a certain time, but in a Montessori class everything is within the reach of children. Examples of materials that teachers use to teach children in a Montessori garden. They help the child to get acquainted with the concepts of “thick” and “thin”, “short” and “long”, or learn to distinguish colors. Source: nienhuis.com In an ordinary kindergarten, there may also be rolling pins and scoops. There they are used for role-playing games in adults, and in the Montessori garden – for teaching important skills in everyday life. Source: nienhuis.com

You can hone your cognitive skills and independence in a Montessori environment not only in the classroom, but also in the kitchen and even in the locker room. The latter is especially significant. To enter the classroom, the child needs to put shoes on the right shelf, find his locker, undress, put things on the shelf, put on a change of clothes. All this requires from him no less concentration and coordinated work of different parts of the brain than, for example, drawing geometric shapes.

The space of the entire kindergarten, as well as all materials and objects, must be adapted to the age characteristics of children. For example, hooks for clothes are at the level of a child’s height. A personal locker – not with a name, but with a picture, because the kids still can’t read. All this in order to observe one of the main precepts of pedagogy: “The child is taught by what surrounds him.”

They also take prohibitions seriously here: everything that is not allowed is closed, removed or explained using pictures so that children understand. For example, children are not allowed to enter the hot shop of the kitchen, so there is a heavy door with a high handle and a large poster with a red cross. This is clearer than an open door and the teacher’s words that for some reason you don’t need to go there.

How different-age groups are organized

In ordinary kindergartens, children are quite strictly divided by age: 2-3-year-old kids, who are still poorly able to even eat and dress on their own, study separately from those who are already learning letters with might and main and getting ready for school.

The Montessori system also has age levels, but others: 0-3 years old, 3-6 years old, 6-12 years old, 12-15 and 15-18 years old. It turns out that the kindergarten completely covers the stage for children from three to six years old: children who fall into this range by age can go to the group at the same time.

Maria Montessori called the age from three to six years the period when the child is in the role of the builder of himself and actively develops his abilities in all areas: he learns to control his body, speak, touch the world around him and analyze his sensations. Source: mchildren.ru

Although children in a group may differ significantly from each other in skills and behaviors, this does not bother teachers. On the contrary, it forms a community in which children support and care for each other. So, those who are older become mentors for the younger ones and help them – this develops leadership qualities and teaches to support those who are weaker. It also benefits the younger ones: looking at the elders, they quickly become independent and more confident in their abilities.

My eldest son went through all the stages within the same group 3-6: at first he was the smallest, and at the time of graduation he was one of the oldest. He liked to watch independent guys, and he actively strove to learn everything they could. When he grew up, he liked to help the younger guys. I think this is what helped him become a caring older brother.

Who can teach in the Montessori system

In the Montessori system, a teacher is not an overseer, but a guide to independence. He shows how to use this or that material, suggests what else is interesting in the area that interested the child, helps organize the work, but does not do it for the baby and does not evaluate the results.

Guarantee of the quality of education of a teacher – the presence of an AMI diploma. You don’t have to go abroad to get it. The course of the International Montessori Association can be taken, for example, in St. Petersburg. It lasts 20 weeks: you need to listen to lectures in person, complete theoretical and practical tasks, and pass an exam.

AMI Training Center in Russia

There are many training centers in Russia that have nothing to do with the International Montessori Association, but assure that teachers are taught according to this system. There is no talk of an AMI diploma, and there are no guarantees that the quality of education will match what the International Montessori Association offers.

It was important for me that the teacher in the kindergarten did not shout, did not speak irritably or abruptly. In my opinion, this is unacceptable. The Montessori system fully corresponds to this: a calm tone and a respectful, non-judgmental attitude towards the child are the basis of communication in Montessori classes. In addition, teachers are extremely attentive to each child, the pace of his development. Let me explain with an example.

My four year old son had no interest in the area with letters, numbers and reading. Grandmothers sounded the alarm: supposedly, if you do not force and teach, then the child will never learn to write and read. But I was calm and knew that everything has its time.

At some point, a Montessori kindergarten teacher said that now she and my child spend a lot of time in the area of ​​writing and numbers. I myself noticed the changes: my son began to bring home sheets of paper with colored numbers and attempts to write words.

Decided to clarify when love happened with this zone and how she understood it. I was afraid to hear about the “forced because it’s time” approach. But everything turned out to be simpler and more correct. When the son was folding things, he noticed that the bent leg looked like “the letter that is drawn there.” From this phrase, the teacher realized that the portal to the world of numbers and writing was open, and began to help the child master the materials of the language zone, into which he was finally drawn.

Montessori sensitive periods: what they are and why it is important for the teacher to notice them

Maria Montessori identified six main sensitive periods of development – this is the age at which the child opens the so-called window of opportunity. It is at this time that it is easiest to teach him to read, write, sort out small objects or be friends with other children. It is also possible to develop skills earlier or later, but it will take a child more effort and time to master them.

Periods cannot be predicted in advance: for each child this happens at different moments in life. But the age ranges when they can open up are known:

1. From birth to age 3 – perception of order.
2. From birth to 5.5 years – sensory development.
3. From birth to 6 years – development of speech.
4. From 1 year to 4 years – the development of movements and actions.
5. From 1.5 to 5.5 years – perception of small objects.
6. From 2.5 to 6 years – development of social skills.

An attentive Montessori educator is able to notice when a window of opportunity has opened by observing the child and noticing what he is drawn to and what he is concentrating on.

I also like that Montessori teachers don’t just try to ban something. Their goal is different – to explain to children the logic of the rules: why you can’t make noise during quiet time or why you need to quickly collect spilled water from the floor. When a child understands why a rule is needed, they are more motivated to follow it.

However, even the most logical rules do not guarantee that a child will always follow them. For example, during a walk, children should not go to the playground for schoolchildren. And if the child has forgotten about this or does not want to follow the rule, then the teacher will not try to call the three-year-old to the voice of reason. He will sympathize and help you survive this moment: “Do you want to go there? Understand. Let’s sit down and think about how we can deal with this.” That is, it will reach the goal not through punishment and severity, but with the help of kindness and responsiveness. But they won’t let you on the site.

/baby-dont-cry/

4 child development crises from birth to school

Montessori garden routine

Beginning of the day. Classes start at 09:00. This does not mean that you need to be in class at this time. The main thing is to cross the threshold of the garden and start immersing yourself in the Montessori environment in the locker room. It is specially equipped to make the child comfortable.

In a Montessori kindergarten, the dressing area is part of the general classroom. Behind the son’s back, you can see how everything is organized: comfortable open lockers and benches, so that children can practice taking off and putting on clothes while sitting

Eating. Breakfast, lunch and dinner – according to the schedule. But this does not mean that you need to go eat with everyone, even if you don’t feel like it. The meal lasts not 10-15 minutes, but an hour and a half. At any time during this time, the child can join the breakfast teachers and children. And vice versa, he can go to breakfast first and not wait for others to gather.

Children are not given portioned food on a plate, as in a regular kindergarten. Here the guys themselves set the table and put as much as they want to eat. If necessary, the teacher comes to the rescue – tells what is cooked today, invites the child to join. But does not decide for him.

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What is wrong with food in kindergartens

In the Montessori garden, children prepare their own snacks if they are hungry. After that, they clear the table and wash the dishes.

Education. There are no individual activities in the Montessori Garden. All this is replaced by a thoughtful environment: tables that are convenient for the child to approach, a kitchen where children can put their own food, learning materials for self-study – the child can take them when he wants.

At every step and in every little thing you can see the care for the kids and the reflection of the motto “Help me do it myself. ”

Sleep and walks. Due to the lack of a rigid schedule, it may seem that anarchy and lawlessness reign in the classroom. But this is not so.

The Montessori garden has its limits: walks and sleep are always on schedule. But within these limits, the child does what he wants. And this is fully consistent with the main commandment of Montessori: freedom in a given range.

For example, on the street, a baby can ride down a hill, make things out of snow, or just sit on a bench – he decides for himself. But the child does not decide when to go for a walk – this is the competence of teachers.

The same with sleep: the children go to bed all together, and not when they want to. If the child does not want to sleep, he can lie quietly in bed and listen to a fairy tale read by the teacher. But you can’t get dressed and leave the room, because this may interfere with other guys.

How we got our son into a Montessori garden

I chose a Montessori garden for a short time. The search engine gave several options, the nearest one turned out to be 10 minutes on foot from us.

For admission, a minimum package of documents was required: a passport of one of the parents, a birth certificate of a child and a vaccination certificate – it could be brought later. At the same time, the presence of any vaccinations was not mandatory.

What vaccinations does your child need?

This is what a vaccination certificate looks like. It is usually given out at the clinic when the first vaccination is given to the child. Subsequently, information about all vaccinations that are given throughout life is entered into the document. Source: cemashko.ru

For the first time, we brought our son to an empty classroom: all the guys were out for a walk. Such a gentle approach was suggested in advance by the teacher herself: it would be a big stress for the kid to immediately be in a group with other children and leave his mother outside the door. At that time, my son was 2. 5 years old and it was his first kindergarten.

The teacher first talked to me so that the child could see that the mother trusts this adult. Then she switched to her son and invited her to play together. I watched this while sitting in the corner. The kid knew that he could come up to me at any moment, so he was not worried and was actively interested in toys.

From the first lesson, the Montessori teacher communicates with the child on an equal footing and can captivate even the most shy kid

An hour later, the acquaintance lesson ended. The teacher took her son by the hand to the locker room, said that she liked playing with him and tomorrow she would be waiting for him again. She reminded me that other children would come, but she would always be there.

I liked the conditions in the kindergarten and the attitude of the teachers towards the child. Only the price was frustrating: an ordinary private garden near the house in 2015 cost less than 15,000 R per month, this one – 25,000 R. We did not consider the state garden at all: I wanted to introduce the Montessori method into our lives and thereby simplify our lives. An ordinary kindergarten was not suitable for this.

As a result, my husband and I decided to overpay, but to give preference to the Montessori method. We signed the contract, and the son began to visit the garden from one and a half to four hours. So it was while the period of adaptation lasted. In our case, it took almost three months. Gradually, the son switched to a full day.

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How I helped my child adapt to kindergarten

How I organized a Montessori environment at home Montessori cannot be limited by classroom walls. It is necessary to adjust the home environment to it. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the child to feel comfortable both in the garden and at home, because different principles are followed in these places.

I began to think about how to bring the home environment closer to the Montessori environment. And that’s what she did.

Arranged the rooms so that the child could take care of himself. We started from the kitchen: we put all children’s cutlery in the lower drawers – those that are within the child’s reach.

We did the same with other rooms: we moved children’s clothes to the lower shelves in the closet, placed children’s stools and coasters around the house, and also bought convenient boxes for toys. The child got the opportunity to dress himself, get to the sink and wash his hands, take the necessary toys, play, and then put them back in the box.

An example of the organization of home space according to the Montessori system at home. The child can independently take clothes or a toy – everything is adjusted to his height. Source: pinterest.ru

I introduced the same rules in the kitchen as in the garden. Everyone sets the table for himself – takes a napkin, a plate, cutlery. Then he independently serves himself food from a common dish on the table: at first a little, and if the feeling of hunger persists, you can put more.

I also added water and a plate of fruit to my son’s access area so that he can quench his thirst on his own or take an apple if he gets hungry. This saved me from having to constantly break away from my business and run to wash fruit or pour water.

We also agreed that everyone would clean up their plates and mugs. This also made my life easier: kitchen service is now shared by the whole family, although before I pulled everything on myself. When the second child arrived, he took these rules for granted.

She stopped reacting sharply to her bored son. I used to play with my son all the time. And if she was busy and he said that he was bored, he felt guilty.

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From the moment I got acquainted with the Montessori method, I realized that boredom is the most important tool for self-knowledge for a child. Now I react to his words about boredom with joy: “So be bored, it’s cool!”

It works. The son quickly learned that you can do what you are interested in, and became more willing to try new things and quickly find something to do: sculpt from plasticine, flip through books, assemble a designer. Soon he began to skip the “I’m bored” item and immediately switched to an independent game. It gave me more strength and resources.

Revised my approach to bans. Before, I often repeated the words “no”, “don’t touch”, “don’t climb”, “don’t take”. Often, not because of the desire to save my son from danger, but rather because of the consequences that will be inconvenient for me. For example, if a child reaches for a vase, he can break it. This is not fatal, but inappropriate for me: you have to sweep for a long time, and then wash the floor to collect the smallest fragments.

Let me remind you that in Montessori pedagogy everything that is really impossible is closed, removed and physically inaccessible to children. Therefore, instead of repeating “don’t” and “don’t touch” 20 times a day, I moved the vase to the top shelf, where the child can’t see it and physically can’t get it.

Sometimes I still had to say “no,” and I briefly explained why. My son was indignant, but I had the strength to endure it. It is hard to endure a child’s negative emotions 20 times a day: the resource of acceptance is quickly exhausted and instead of sympathy, anger, irritation and even aggression are born. But taking it out just a couple of times a day is quite tolerable.

How our life has changed with the advent of the Montessori system

I noticed that not only did it feel better for me, but changes for the better took place in my family. Here’s what’s changed.

The quality of time spent with the child has improved. When I stopped being an animator and maintenance staff, I began to devote more time to myself. My “battery” was almost always full. And I began to notice that I myself want to spend time with my son. It didn’t matter what exactly to do together: play, cook dinner or just lie on the bed. But do it only as much as you have enough strength and mood.

We began to spend less time together, but with more involvement from me. From this they became closer and friendlier. I am less likely to get angry over trifles and show more understanding. And the son seemed to melt – he became more affectionate. And due to the fact that I began to pull him down less and boil over trifles, he began to hear me more sensitively.

The son has become more independent. The son has become more independent. It was no longer discussed that he should brush his teeth, get dressed and get ready for the garden himself. Soon we had a second child, and the independence of the elder greatly saved my resource. And after the elder returned from the kindergarten, we played together, read and laughed, and did not spend the evening persuading us to eat, clean up and change clothes.

My husband and I have become more friendly. Before having children, each of us had our own view of education. Often, when it was necessary to agree, the argument “it’s just necessary” was used. Why this is so, and not otherwise, no one knew.

Therefore, when we sent our son to a Montessori kindergarten, we began to work on ourselves: we took turns talking with the leading teacher, attended free lectures by a garden psychologist, and then paid seminars.

This gave its results. We began to introduce new things into the process of educating and organizing our lives, not because it is accepted, but because we read, discussed with a psychologist and together came to the conclusion that we are better off this way. I ceased to be an authority and the only specialist in the family in raising children, and my husband took on a lot.

Why it was difficult to change the Montessori garden

A year later we decided to move and it became necessary to find another garden, closer to the new place of residence. It turned out that Montessori gardens are different. And with the first garden that met all the standards of this technique, we were just lucky. In addition to the high price, I faced the main problem: not all gardens are actually Montessori, even if they openly declare this.

I signed up for a trial lesson at a Montessori garden that was close to the area we were going to live in. But I had questions for kindergarten already in the locker room.

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In the former kindergarten, classes began from the moment the child crossed the threshold. He immersed himself in a thoughtful environment and could learn independence. It wasn’t here. Without the help of an adult, the child could not do almost anything: the hangers were high, there were few places for shoes and space for changing clothes, a bunch of adults and children crowded at the entrance, so everything had to be done quickly and not interfere with anyone. It looked like an ordinary apartment, but not the hall of a Montessori garden.

The doors were open everywhere – the children were drawn to see all the rooms. However, the idea of ​​the creators of the kindergarten was different: first, everyone should be in the first room, where they can work with Montessori materials, and then move together to another room where they can draw. All this time, the parents who brought the children to the trial lesson had to keep the kids in their places and look for good arguments why they could not go into that room, but it would be possible in exactly 20 minutes.

This approach seemed illogical to me. In addition, the son is used to the fact that if you first want to draw, and then flip through the book, then this is normal and you don’t need to wait for the others for this.

The son is learning how to fasten buttons. He took this material himself because he became interested. If he had to wait for the teacher to allow him to take this thing, interest in buttons would probably fade away. I constantly heard the words “don’t touch”, “move over”, “get away”, “don’t climb”. It was more like a nanny for an hour, but not a Montessori teacher.

When children stopped responding to orders, basic values ​​were manipulated and blackmailed: “Who is a naughty boy? Look, here Petya is standing straight, and you are spinning. It’s not good to be like that!” It reminded me of a behavior pattern in an ordinary garden, which I myself once went to. There they did not separate the child and his act. And it was from this that I tried to protect my son.

In the previous kindergarten, the adult tried to establish contact with the child: squat down, look into the eyes, hug, call by name. And only then ask for something. Often from our first Montessori teacher I heard a statement of fact. For example: “Look, the jacket is on the floor.” The child himself thought out why it was said. But I never heard an assessment, accusation or order.

All these moments made it clear that the garden does not have a properly built environment and trained teachers – those important components that underlie the system. And the word “Montessori” in advertising is nothing but a marketing ploy.

What to look for when choosing a Montessori garden

The experience was unfortunate, but not pointless. To find a good Montessori garden, I began to read more thoughtfully about the system and even contacted teachers from the old garden. They said that sometimes a kindergarten can call itself that only in order to increase the cost of classes, although in fact the teachers read one book about the methodology and bought 1-2 materials per class. For parents who are not aware of the AMI standards, this will be enough.

However, the garden may be on track to meet this standard. For example, the requirements for a Montessori environment have already been met, while teachers are still in the process of learning. Or, on the contrary, they have not yet purchased all the materials, but they have already recruited teachers who have passed certification.

Real Montessori gardens are often more expensive than ordinary private ones for several reasons: you need to find a spacious room that will meet the standards of the methodology, purchase materials for children, and train teachers.

Here are the steps I took to distinguish a real Montessori garden from a fake one:

1. Independently checked whether a particular kindergarten meets Montessori standards. This can be done on the website of the Montessori Foundation in Russia, an affiliate of AMI. If the kindergarten is on the list, it means that it fully complies with the AMI standard. This is a guarantee that it adheres to the system that the founder of the method conceived.
2. Signed up for a tour of the kindergarten. She paid attention to how the classes are arranged, what materials for teaching children are available, how teachers communicate with children.
3. Talked to a teacher who could potentially put my son in a class. We discussed the features of the child’s development, I explained what goals I set for the kindergarten, clarified the nuances of interaction and adaptation.
4. Attended a trial class with my son. You should proceed to this point only if all the previous ones suit you.

There is a small list of cities in the drop-down menu on the Monte website. This suggests that there are not so many real Montessori kindergartens in Russia that fully comply with the AMI standard. Source: montessori-org.ru

These steps helped me quickly find a good Montessori garden – in fact, it was the first option after a bad experience. The eldest son attended him until he was 7 years old, then he moved to a Montessori school. Now the youngest son also goes to the familiar garden.

Our family has been familiar with the Montessori system for 6 years. During this time, I saw tangible advantages: the system helped me find time for myself, and my children found healthy freedom, without moralizing and imposing other people’s attitudes.

I am glad that my sons understood the main idea: you need to achieve your goals on your own. It’s the same with difficulties: you don’t have to wait for someone to come and decide everything for you. The sooner you deal with the problem, the sooner you can do what you really want. But at the same time, you can always count on support and a sensitive attitude from adults.

Remember

1. The basis of the Montessori educational system is the creation of an environment in which the child can independently choose what to do, grow and develop at his own pace.
2. The Montessori system is based on three components. This is a well-organized environment with classes divided into zones and learning materials; a trained teacher with an AMI diploma; a group of different ages, so that the elders take care of the younger ones, and the younger ones become more independent.
3. The main commandment of the Montessori garden is freedom within a given range. For example, walking, sleeping and eating always happen at the same time. These are some kind of framework. But within these limits, the child is free. On a walk, he can do what he wants, during a quiet hour – not sleep, but listen to a fairy tale, at lunch – join the guys not right now, but within an hour and a half.
4. Teachers do not prohibit, but explain to children the logic of the rules. If the child does not want to accept the rule, the teacher will sympathize and help to survive this moment with the help of kindness and responsiveness. But it won’t let you break the rule.
5. The Montessori environment cannot be limited by classroom walls. It is necessary to adjust the home environment to it. The very first rule is to adapt everything around to the age characteristics of the child: cutlery, his clothes and toys – everything should be within his reach.
6. Montessori gardens are more expensive than ordinary private gardens, because meeting the AMI standard is expensive: you need a spacious room, special materials for teaching children, and trained teachers.
7. The prefix “Montessori” in an advertisement for a kindergarten may just be a marketing ploy. Therefore, it is better to check in advance whether a particular garden is on the list approved by the Montessori Foundation, go on a tour, talk with a teacher, and only after that go to a trial lesson with your child.

How is kindergarten different from Montessori Kindergarten

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• We have been going to the “Bambini” center for a long time. My son has become more outgoing and confident around other children. At home, she sings songs that she learned in class and loves to dance.

• Our daughter is happy to go to every lesson. He enjoys playing with children. She began to noticeably develop speech. Many thanks to the teachers from the center “Bambini”.

• We really like it in the kindergarten, food according to the regimen, walks, sleep. Very interesting educational activities. We go with joy and pleasure.

0121 What kind of world is this?

It looks like an ordinary kindergarten, but for children behind these walls lies a whole universe that can be explored like real pioneers. In our kindergarten, you can do whatever you want – for this we have created a Montessori Center.

There is so much to explore, pour, pour, draw or paint. You can even make a delicious cake, wash it like mom, admiring the rainbow soap bubbles, or knock with a hammer like dad. In a word, put the whole world on the palm of your hand and examine it properly.

The Montessori program is based on self-guided learning without competition, which helps the child acquire the necessary scientific and social knowledge, develop his own style and the ability to look at any difficulties with optimism.

Learning to make decisions from an early age, children brought up according to the M. Montessori system are able to manage their time and work successfully together. They easily exchange ideas and discuss work. This sociability with a positive attitude lays the foundation for harmony with the outside world.

Parents, spot the difference:

No community of people can do without rules. They are also accepted in the Montessori group. They are few, clear-cut, and often shared with children. For example, such:

• “We do not interfere with each other, if they ask, we help”
• “In our class, everyone knows everything that we took and put in place”
• “When one person speaks, others listen”
• “We respect each other and do not interfere with each other. ”

Children who attend Montessori groups are able to make their own decisions, make choices and organize their time. The child acquires the skills of concentration at work, and such qualities as self-control and the desire for learning and knowledge. Children who attend Montessori groups can easily adapt to the team, as they are able to negotiate, exchange ideas and discuss their work with others.

Kindergarten Montessori features

Throughout the free democratic world, the pedagogical method of Montessori has long earned recognition , and Maria Montessori herself, an outstanding Italian scientist, anthropologist, philosopher, psychiatrist and psychologist, humanist teacher, has won the admiration and grateful memory of her colleagues and parents.

She was ahead of her time in many ways, stating that all life on Earth is born with a certain program: only a sunflower can grow from a sunflower seed, a small acorn carries information that will allow a mighty oak to appear, and a person’s program contains his features, inclinations and talents that define its uniqueness. Maria Montessori believed that man’s cosmic mission is to open his program, release his potential, develop talents given by God, Cosmos, Nature (anyone) and gratefully use these gifts for full, happy self-realization and service to the world.

Montessori pedagogy never took root in states with a dictatorial regime, because dictators at all times were hindered by self-sufficient, active, and self-confident citizens, such as pupils of Montessori kindergartens and schools. As soon as Russia embarked on a democratic path from 1992 Montessori development centers and gardens appeared in our country.

But a wide range of parents still know little about the features of the approach, besides the fact that children in the classroom in a Montessori environment have more freedom, independence, they are treated with respect and do not compare with each other. For many people, expressions: freedom of choice, unconditional acceptance of the child, respect for the individual, development of independence, etc. – are the next pedagogical slogans, behind which, as a rule, there is nothing. Only specialists and enthusiastic parents understand how important the presence or absence of such an attitude towards children is for the formation of personality, how much work needs to be done to achieve the desired result: to help a child fully reveal his Divine gift, to grow up a free, successful, strong and psychologically healthy person, thereby giving him a chance for HAPPINESS!

So why does Montessori pedagogy attach so much importance to the upbringing, educational, psychological environment in which the first years of a baby’s life pass? The fact is that at preschool age, the basis of a person’s personality is formed: the attitude towards oneself, towards other people, towards the world as a whole is determined, models of interaction with others are developed and consolidated, an initial system of values ​​appears.

Attitude towards oneself

The child’s ideas about himself or I-concept develops gradually in the process of communication, entertainment, activities and can be positive and negative. In the first case, the environment in which the child grows up helps him form a positive self-perception, and the child gradually comes to the conclusion that he is an independent, successful, intelligent, skillful, beloved person worthy of respect and recognition. Such self-esteem allows him to confidently go through life, actively turn his dreams into reality, be resistant to stress and psychologically healthy.

But, unfortunately, the mistakes of adults when interacting with a child often lead to the opposite result, and the child makes the wrong conclusion: I am not good enough to be loved, respected, appreciated, recognized my virtues and talents. Insecure, unviable, aggressive, passive and unhappy people in childhood had few opportunities to experience the joy of success, appreciate themselves, love and accept.

Attitude towards others

During these years, children develop attitudes towards other people. If wise adults give children healthy patterns of interaction with others and lead by example, then toddlers soon successfully overcome age-specific egocentrism and discover that other people are just as important as I am. With this value setting , children easily acquire the necessary cooperation skills that will help them build healthy and harmonious relationships with family, friends, colleagues, etc. in the future.

In the event that adults rudely interfere in the process of socialization: when children quarrel, they act as judges, find right and wrong, punish communication mistakes, criticize and condemn – children will not learn to independently understand the situation, make the right decision and build partnerships with peers constructively and independently. In addition, teachers and parents themselves, with their sometimes unconscious actions (without meaning to) can demonstrate non-constructive conflict resolution models: “if you don’t like something, you need to offend, condemn, punish, etc. ”

That is why our Center conducts a huge psychological work with teachers of the Center for Personal Growth, and Parent School is organized for parents.

Self Contact

In order to fully reveal their individual unique program and achieve a high quality of life, a person needs to be in contact with his inner “I” . « What am I? How do I differ from others? What makes me happy and sad? What do I like to do? What do I do best? What kind of people do I like, and what kind of people do I prefer to stay away from? “- these and thousands more answers to the question” Who am I? » must be given to the child throughout childhood. There is a simple truth: we are only as happy as we are able to listen to ourselves, hear our needs, and also be active in meeting them. Babies are sensitive to their needs from birth, but as a result of mistakes in upbringing, they gradually move away from their true nature and are more often guided by the desires of adults. This happens if the environment in which the child grows and develops orients him to the obedience and evaluation of adults. The more obedient a child is, the more receptive he is to the desires and demands of others and immune to the call of his soul, and, unfortunately, the less his chance of becoming happy and successful in the future.

The Montessori system puts into the hands of Adults a whole system of upbringing and education, which allows the child to constantly remain in contact with himself, maintain his uniqueness and inimitability, following an individual path of development!

Willingness to learn

Children of this age have a great interest in the world that surrounds them. The natural joy of learning allows them to easily and quickly absorb the necessary information. In general, the joy of learning is one of the main features of a growing person. Adult task – to maintain and manage this feeling in a spirit of respect, as children who learn at their own pace and in accordance with their own interests, gain self-confidence and learn in the most effective way.

Unfortunately, parents, concerned about the need for the early development of the child, experiment with various pedagogical methods: even children are taught to read, count, etc. almost from the cradle. Since the tasks of developing the age and capabilities of the baby may not be very consistent with the tasks of these methods, the child first loses interest in classes, and then begins to be burdened by them and avoid them. Thus, adults with good intentions literally kill the joy of learning and the interest of the child in the bud.

The role of the educator

Montessori noted that children strive for freedom and independence from an adult from the moment of their birth . She describes this process as a biological principle of human life: just as the child’s body develops its abilities and gives it freedom of movement, so the child’s spirit is filled with a hunger for learning and for spiritual autonomy.