Your Child’s Absorbent Mind Beginning in the Preschool Years

Are you anticipating seeing your child becoming a happy, healthy, and successful adult, achieving their full potential? This ultimate goal for every parent is a seemingly long time in coming, (though it’s really not — just ask any parent of an adult child), and it starts of course when your child is totally dependent on you, as you make choices that will powerfully impact his or her entire life.

The absorbent mind, as Maria Montessori describes the period of birth to 6 years of age, is a very special time in which a child easily takes in his environment; that is why it’s so important to have quality learning experiences within the environment.

Montessori brings the world of knowledge into the classroom through all the disciplines: art, music, math, science, reading, language arts, geography and more. Extensive learning opportunities such as in the Practical Life area, like learning to polish silver and furniture, tying knots, sweeping floors, using real pitchers and cups to learn to pour and serve liquids are not found in all educational programs. When you enter a Montessori classroom, you will see happy children feeding their minds.

Because early childhood is a once-in-a-lifetime period in which your child can absorb knowledge exponentially, the teacher prepares the environment to meet the needs of each child within the classroom. In fact, a Montessori teacher will often prepare a lesson just for your child’s individual needs.

Children are eager to explore and discover this carefully planned classroom: so many things to touch and manipulate that engage the absorbent mind. Your child can engage both the conscious and unconscious mind as he or she explores the classroom. Using the five senses, your child brings into focus the different dimensions and attributes found within these specially designed materials, preparing the mind with a strong foundation for future learning.

Our Montessori classrooms are equipped with hundreds of learning activities for your child’s absorbent mind, and our teachers go beyond the standard exercises to creative lessons.

Childhood only happens once. What a grand opportunity for you, the parents, to nurture and encourage your children as they grow and develop into the amazing adults they will become. Your emerging butterflies need the nurturing environment that will keep them safe, provide for their individual needs and provide support to become fully mature and wondrous.

Preschool options are not all equal in opportunities they can offer your child. Why not look for one that brings more joy to your child during these early, most powerfully influential years of their lives. Help them to become confident, enthusiastic, self-directed learners. They are able to learn to think critically, work collaboratively, and act with self-confidence when given the right environment.

To see a more comprehensive checklist for choosing a preschool, visit www.montessorischools.org/blog

Cynthia Thomas founded her first Montessori school in Brevard County in 1983. She now operates five schools throughout Florida. She discovered Montessori’s unique approach when her children attended a school in Hawaii. She received her masters in education specializing in Montessori from Charminade University in Hawaii.

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