We invite you to get more information aboutMontessori by visiting www.Montessori.org, read-ing The Montessori Way or How to Raise anAmazing Child, talking to the school admissionsdirector or head of school, or reading some of theother brochures in the series.

The Montessori Foundation19600 East State Road 64 • Bradenton, FL 34212

941-729-9565 • 800-655-5843 www.montessori.org

TheMontessoriFoundation© 2009

WWhhyy wwoouu ll dd yyoouu ss tt aa rr tt yyoouurrtt hh rr ee ee -- yy eeaa rr -- oo ll ddiinn ss cchhoooo ll ??

In order to learn the child must first be able toconcentrate…But no one can force concentra-tion upon her. She develops concentration byfixing her attention on some task she is per-forming with her hands…”

— Dr. Maria Montessori

“The community ofchildren is a strongfactor in setting thestage for adult life,where there is almost always a mixof ages, experience,and talent.

Three-year-oldsbenefit from thenurturing, the care,and the concernshown to them bychildren who areslightly older.

They take that in,and it becomestheir model for apeaceful, collabo-rative world.

Compliments of ...

Preview Copy Only

� They are still at a stage where in-dividual activities are more en-ticing than group activities. In anenvironment rich with individualactivities, three-year-olds learnto concentrate on tasks forlonger and longer periods oftime – increasing their ability toattend and follow through.

� While they have a sufficient vocabulary to express their needs, three-year-olds naturally expand their expressive abilities when they are surrounded byother children and adults in alanguage-rich classroom envi-ronment.

� They are very sensitive and aware of small details, mak-ing this an opportune time for receiving lessons andpracticing them until mastered.

� Three-year-olds love order and consistency. The class-room is set up and maintained ‘just so.’ Everything isin its place when the children arrive. The teachers helpthe children to understand the ground rules and touse grace and courtesy. This gives the children a senseof security as they go about their daily activities.

� The activities within the classroom drawthe three-year-olds to them. These activi-ties prepare them for later lessons by in-creasing their ability to concentrate, bydeveloping their sense of order for logi-cal thinking and problem solving, bypromoting skills that allow them to be-come independent in their actions andthoughts, and by practicing fine andgross motor movements that developand refine their coordination.

Three-year-olds learnin unique ways thatmake this an idealtime to begin theirMontessori education.

� They have become aware of others, and they have an innate desire to imitate the actions of the people around them. They are primed to focus on theirteacher’s lesson and then do their best to copy itwith great exactitude.

Maria Montessoristudied children. As she did, she dis-covered that be-tween birth and six,children have certaincapabilities for learn-ing that will neveragain be so com-pelling.

Why start atthree years old?

Three-year-olds are in thesame social and emotionalstage as four- and five-year-olds, so they fit welltogether in community.As the ‘threes’ watchtheir older friendsworking and interact-ing, they becomemotivated to dowhat the ‘big kids’can do withoutteachers prod-ding them to movealong. They literally ask for more lessons!

The first year (age three)creates the foundation forthe remaining two years atthe early childhood level.While it is certainly possi-ble to start in a primaryclassroom at age four orfive, there is a remarkabledifference when childrenbegin at age three.

Preview Copy Only