School Readiness in the Tidewater Primary Classes
When considering whether to accept a child to our program, Tidewater considers the readiness of the individual child, the commitment of parents to bridging between the home and school environments, and the composition of the class as a whole. We take into consideration factors such as chronological ages and developmental levels of the students and the balance of abilities and needs in the class. This is an important step, and one that we take very seriously.
A child who is not developmentally capable of expressing their needs, communicating with peers, operating with some degree of independence, and being safe in the classroom, often requires a higher degree of individual attention than a teacher is able to give them in this environment. These behaviors may take away from attention that would normally be given to every child in the class.
Because we follow a Montessori model for our educational programs, we want children to feel capable and happy when they start school. Maria Montessori recognized different planes of development among children. We use those planes of development as a way of designating and defining classrooms. The first plane, called Primary, applies to children between the ages of 3 to 6 years. Because we recognize that all children are on their own developmental schedule, some are ready to begin when they turn 3 while others may need to wait until they are a little older before starting school. Tidewater’s admissions process is designed to watch for behavioral, physical, and emotional signs of readiness. These include but are not limited to:
A child who is not developmentally capable of expressing their needs, communicating with peers, operating with some degree of independence, and being safe in the classroom, often requires a higher degree of individual attention than a teacher is able to give them in this environment. These behaviors may take away from attention that would normally be given to every child in the class.
Because we follow a Montessori model for our educational programs, we want children to feel capable and happy when they start school. Maria Montessori recognized different planes of development among children. We use those planes of development as a way of designating and defining classrooms. The first plane, called Primary, applies to children between the ages of 3 to 6 years. Because we recognize that all children are on their own developmental schedule, some are ready to begin when they turn 3 while others may need to wait until they are a little older before starting school. Tidewater’s admissions process is designed to watch for behavioral, physical, and emotional signs of readiness. These include but are not limited to:
- Able to communicate their needs to teachers and peers and understand simple directions with ease. Children who have not yet developed strong language skills may become overwhelmed and frustrated, leaving them unable to enjoy the social and learning environment in a Primary class.
- Capable of using the toilet with relative independence. Children should be comfortable using the toilet and be able to wipe themselves and wash their hands. We also recognize that accidents are normal at this stage and are able to respond to occasional toileting needs with care and kindness.
- Willing and able to follow simple directions and instructions. The success of the group depends upon everyone participating in routines designed to make the learning space predictable and harmonious. A desire to learn and follow instructions is vital to being part of the community.
- Open to having the teacher show them how to use the materials. Students in a Montessori class quickly learn how to set up, complete, and put away materials on the shelves. Children who are not developmentally ready to do this may run away from a teacher, lie on the floor, or avoid tasks in other ways.
- Able to focus on an individual task for a time before moving on to the next one. Children who are not yet ready for the Primary class might move quickly from material to material without completing anything. They might also dump things from the shelves one after another, and be too distracted by the number of things out in the class to be able to settle in to a single activity long enough to receive a lesson on it.
- Willing to join the group for brief group activities. For some children, the relevance of group activities has not yet developed. They will be unable to sit and engage with the group for short lessons, stories, music, or visitors. If these sorts of experiences are not pleasurable for a child, they will not be meaningful.