This event is organized similar to the Discovery session, but will specifically focus on the importance of the ‘3rd year’ in the Montessori Primary classroom.
3 year Montessori Primary cycle can be explained simply as follows:
1st year : planting seeds.
Child is adjusting to the Prepared Montessori environment.
Basic lessons are presented in language and math, with specific focus on Practical life to build confidence, concentration, grace and courtesy etc.
2nd year: Watering to nourish, sprouts start coming out.
Child begins to work with more detailed language and math works, build on writing skills, get more comfortable in the environment, begin showing leadership skills and help the younger children.
3rd year: A lovely flower begins to bloom.
Combine learning obtained from 1st and 2nd year & cement the knowledge, now able to work with abstract materials, be creative and work successfully in a self-directed environment. This is the “application year” where results of the previous 2 years are seen.
1st year —————> 2nd year —————> 3rd year
Foundation ——–> Exploration ———–> Application
Overview of the event
Organized by Primary guides and older children in the primary classroom (5 years old or those that are almost ‘5’).
Open to all parents of the school to attend.
Would be good to organize in Jan/Feb of the year to give parents enough time to make a decision about their child’s kindergarten year.
Create a power point presentation showcasing the importance of the 3rd year, include pictures/videos of older children working with big works in Math and Language, giving lessons to younger children, helping tie another child’s apron, cleaning up classroom, doing their jobs to maintain the classroom, set the tables for lunch etc.
Show this video to parents : A time to Blossom
Guides can discuss the benefits of mixed age grouping, the wide achievements of Montessori kindergarten children in an environment which minimizes competition and comparisons and most importantly, highlight that the 3rd year is the time when most earlier lessons come together and become a part of the child’s understanding.
Have older children showcase the bigger lessons like long chains, Addition strip board, Stamp game (Math), Mechanical reading slips, Short and long vowel words with Moveable alphabet (Language), continent maps without their control charts(Cultural) etc. to the parents in the classroom. This will give them a good visual idea of learning that happens in the 3rd year of Montessori Primary class.
In summary, Pulling the child out before the 3rd year is like taking the “cake out of the oven before its fully baked”.
MONTLE 
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