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Preschool has become an essential part of a child’s education. By the time they start kindergarten, many children have attended at least 1 or 2 years of preschool. While the traditional teaching methods have proven beneficial for most students, Montessori schools have been gaining in popularity over the years as an alternative to this traditional teaching method, offering students a different way to learn and socialize. Finding an excellent Montessori pre-K in Altadena is important for any parents considering an alternative approach to education for their students. Helping Students Gain Social Skills As mentioned above, Montessori schools take a different approach to learning than what is typically seen in a traditional classroom. At a Montessori school, teachers do not stand in front of the classroom to teach the class as a whole, but rather they interact with students as they participate in learning activities, helping each child based on their individual needs. This is probably the biggest and most important difference between traditional teaching and the teaching at a Montessori school—the learning is completely student-driven, with the teacher stepping in at times to enforce rules and provide some guidance. Learning in this way helps students develop better socially, as peers look to each other for help and information while they work through their learning and participate in activities. This allows younger students to interact with older kids in the class, while the older students have the opportunity to develop leadership and mentoring skills as they help their younger classmates. Having this type of interaction allows students at Montessori schools to rate higher socially than students who attend class in a traditional environment. A Different Way of Learning The way children learn in a Montessori environment is unlike anywhere else. Since the teacher doesn’t guide the class, but rather lets the children do so, children are able to work on subjects and activities at their own pace, rather than being moved from one subject to another by the teacher. Students can work on what they are particularly drawn to, and can spend as much time there as they’d like. This is beneficial for students who have a different learning style, as they are able to learn at their own pace. In traditional classroom settings, each child is made to fit within a certain cookie cutter mold; however, not every student is alike. Some children are atypical and don’t fit within any mold. These children benefit most from this student-guided learning environment because they can explore the world around them as they feel comfortable, rather than being hurried from one subject to another. Self-Discipline Another benefit of attending a Montessori school is the self-discipline that is taught there. There are several classroom rules that each student knows and is expected to follow. While the teacher will step in if a child needs help remembering to follow the rules, each student is held accountable to these rules to help with the flow of the classroom. Students are expected to clean up any activity they are working on prior to starting a new one. This allows children to feel a sense of order in the classroom, which in turn allows them to better focus on their learning and education. The ability to determine what they work on and for how long is another important factor in helping these children develop self-discipline. While learning within the traditional classroom setting has proven successful, there are many parents who are turning to Montessori schools for their children to attend at a very young age. A Montessori pre-K in Altadena can provide a new learning environment for any child, helping them learn and develop many new social skills in addition to academics that will help them as they grow.
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