What You Should Know About Childcare and Daycare
When choosing a daycare or preschool for our children, parents often look for a convenient location, a safe campus, friendly staff, and welcoming environment. What they may not know to look for is the stability of the educational program and staff too.
What’s the Educational Foundation of Early Childhood Learning
What’s the stability of the educational foundation and how does it relate to your child? In a Montessori daycare, preschool or school the teachers are certified Montessori instructors. This certification is specific to a certain age range, birth to 18 months, 18 -36 months, and 36 months to 6 years are the early childhood certifications a Montessori teacher may obtain. Most Montessori teachers have both a college degree in education and additional Montessori training. The teachers are true early childhood education specialists.
How Does this Differ from Traditional Daycare or Preschool?
In a traditional childcare or daycare setting the staff may not have any additional specialized training or early childhood development curriculum as it’s not a requirement for the job the way it is in a Montessori school. This is not wrong, it’s just a difference between Montessori and traditional daycare or preschool.
How do Children Benefit from Montessori?
Your child benefits greatly because their teachers and have specialized training that helps them understand the developmental needs of children. They’re able to work with the children and help them grow and learn in ways that someone without the background and training will not know. This allows children to develop what’s termed the Love of Learning within the Montessori community. Children are encouraged to actively lead their learning by seeking out works that look interesting to them. The teachers know which activities or works are age-appropriate and set up a classroom of items that are all applicable to the children. Every activity or lesson in a Montessori classroom is designed to engage and educate the child. The teachers guide the children through the lessons so that they can learn to do them independently and feel a sense of accomplishment.
How is a Montessori School a Stable Environment for my Child?
In Montessori schools children are in a mixed age classroom. They may be in class with the same teacher and aids for several years. This allows the child to bond with their teachers and classmates. Toddlers spend up to 18 months with their first teacher, our Transition children spend a year with a teacher, and then in Primary they spend two years with their final teacher at Klein-Spring who’s helping ensure they’re ready for Kindergarten. Children are able to bond with their teachers and the teachers have an opportunity to get to know each child and help led their development and education.
In Montessori schools we often see a much lower turnover than a traditional childcare center. One of the reasons for this low turnover is that our teachers are paid a salary that’s in alignment with their college degree and specialized education. Many traditional childcare workers earn minimum wage. This low turnover is great for the children as it builds stability and familiarization. When the adult in their life changes frequently, their sense of security at school struggles.
What makes Klein-Spring Montessori Special?
At Klein-Spring Montessori we pride ourselves on the fact that our average teacher tenure is more than six years. Our teachers are certified Montessori teachers and we’ve been in the Spring area since 1984. We offer a very stable educational foundation for our students. We’d love to help your child too. Contact us today to learn more about Klein-Spring and see if Montessori is right for your family.
