It is between the ages 3-6 that the child most easily learns the ground rules of human behavior. These years should be constructively devoted to freeing the child through the acquisition of good manners and habits to allow him/her a place in society. The child who has had these opportunities in the Montessori environment is better prepared to devote more effort to the development of his intellectual faculties.
In an established Montessori class for 3-6 year olds, there are no timetables to regiment activities or a fixed syllabus to cramp the expansion of the mind. Here, in an orderly atmosphere of freedom, the children work independently at chosen tasks, working at their own pace and rhythm for as long as they wish in order to fulfill their needs. From the foundation of sensorial experiences, the child builds his mind in the world of abstract ideas.
The Primary years are filled with a wide range of factual materials. The whole world, of culture embracing subject areas, such as geography, history, science, music, art, language and mathematics is open to the child. It is these early experiences that will form a basis for the wide fields of inquiry and research during the 6-12 years.
