When it’s time to go to Montessori class , parents often wonder if it will be better for a child to go there for an incomplete week. “He’s so small, he still has time to go to school!” Is it really necessary to attend a class five days a week? Maybe it’s better if he stays home a few days a week? But Montessori teachers insist – your child need to visit class every day! I myself would like the child to be there!

We understand how hard it is to let go of your three- or four-year-old child, especially if you have the opportunity to spend a few days with him during a work week! Many of our teachers are parents themselves, and we perfectly understand what it’s like to enjoy time spent with your child. It would be easy for our teachers to allow children to attend only a couple days a week, like many other schools do, in order to ease these feelings of separation.

So why do Montessori teachers insist that three-year-old attend classes on a daily basis? The answer is simple: in our experience, preschoolers need to attend classes every day to take full advantage of the Montessori method.

Children who do not attend classes regularly do not benefit from the Montessori environment because they never get used to a stable routine.

Once I had a chance to work in Montessori center, where the preschool group’s students attended only three days a week. Sometime later I began to notice the difference between those children who attended fewer days, and those who came every day. Those who attended only for partial week often wandered aimlessly through the classroom, while those who attended regularly actively participated in the lessons, worked alone, with friends or a teacher.

The Montessori approach encourages children to work independently and concentrate on what they are doing. Independent decisions and deep concentration underlie the amazing educational achievements that are so amazing for adults. However, with the children who attended irregularly I rarely saw this craving for cognition; it seemed they did not know what to do or what materials to choose. Often their day passed without being them able to fully concentrate on anything.

Little children blossom when they have stability in their lives . Things are easier when they can predict what will happen next. This feeling of stability accumulates in the child when he goes to school five days in a row, rather than only two or three times a week. It is difficult for a child to get used to routine if he has an irregular school schedule.

It is difficult for a child to adapt to kindergarten if he or she does not attend for the complete week.

Children who visited the group for three consecutive days, and then rested for four days, often experienced difficulties at the beginning of the next week – similar to those when they first came to kindergarten. And, of course, when they finally got used to the routine, they again went on a long break. Ask any teacher: what does the first day look like after a long break, (such as winter or spring break)? Most likely, teachers will tell you that in the first few days the children need to be given time to get used to the classroom routine again. Unfortunately, those who do not attend classes every day are forced to adapt to school every week.

Children who do not attend regularly often feel that they don’t fit in with the rest of the class.

I also noticed that children who attended classes only a few days a week were much less likely to have strong connections with classmates. Why? They missed important events or lessons that happened on those days when they were not at school. The children who were in the classroom every day were comfortable with each other, to those whose company they could count on daily for playing or working together. Children who attended for an incomplete week, unfortunately, were not fully integrated into the class and were perceived as those who cannot be relied upon (due to frequent absence). They found themselves on the periphery of our friendly school collective, despite our weekly efforts to reintegrate them.

In contrast to the hardships that fall on the share of those attending classes irregularly, those who attend every day after the initial period of getting used to school every morning easily fall into the school routine and do not experience stress due to separation from their parents. They come to class confident, they are more likely to be motivated and able to find work for themselves, and they are more prepared for independent work during the day since they feel at home and accustomed to routine.  They quickly became an important part of the class. Children who come five days a week are more self-sufficient and require less help or approval from adults. They communicate more actively with friends during lunch or break, and they go through their day with confidence and happiness.

Anxiety and fear, which sometimes appear in children who start going to kindergarten, disappear when they get used to routine and understand that kindergarten is an interesting place where you can learn new things and make friends. The five-day school week helps students to feel safe and secure in the classroom and contributes to the formation of strong ties with teachers and friends. We understand that it may not be easy for you to leave your child at school every day, but we still hope that you will help him adjust to a new period of his life and will let him attend class five times a week (at least in the morning hours). Give your child a sense of permanence and stability in the wonderful Montessori community!

Author: Jennifer Friend