How to Transition from Montessori School of Wellington to Public School
A common concern for parents is how their child will transition from Montessori school to public school. Many children handle the transition with extreme ease and others take longer to adjust. As with any change, the adjustment period varies from person to person.
Montessori school provides children with skills and knowledge that will assist them as they adjust to new environments, whether it’s at school or beyond. Our graduates are noticeably confident and self-assured when they leave because they have been given more responsibility in the classroom. Responsibility is what gives children confidence in themselves to lead, ask questions and take risks.
If children complete the recommended three years of Montessori, two of which are in the full-day program, they generally leave us with the education level of a public school fourth-grader. They have learned how to analyze parts of a sentence; often they can write poetry; they can do multiplication, long division, fractions, algebra and geometry; they have learned to identify and correctly name the equilateral triangle; some students leave with a beginner’s level of writing music (meaning they can sight-read music and write it themselves); and many of them understand the basics of how science and math relates to nature through Fibonacci numbers. A lot of abstract and intangible concepts are embodied in Montessori materials so that children can understand them.
There is both an academic and a social advantage to giving your child a three-year Montessori education. Children learn how to resolve conflicts peacefully using our Peace Table and the conflict-resolution skills we teach them. Our mixed-age classrooms give the older children experience in mentoring their younger peers. This gives them the skills they need to communicate across different age-levels and help create a nurturing environment for themselves and others.
Our teachers never ask children to do anything that is beyond their capability, so they leave our school with more confidence in their abilities. Our students progress at their own pace and comfort level and that makes them less intimidated by new experiences. It helps them to look on new encounters as exciting possibilities.
Overall, parents needn’t worry about their child’s transition from Montessori to public school. The optimal years for children to be in Montessori are from 3 to 6 years of age. During their time with us they’ll be given powerful tools to help them transition to the next phases of their development. Parents can also do their part by investigating school options and being ready to give their children the support they need as they take their next steps in life.
If you have more questions about this transition period, contact Montessori School of Wellington in Guelph.
