

Some of the Montessori cultural materials are appropriate for both preschool and elementary students and could be introduced for both levels. We did some reading and activities together, and Christina chose her Montessori work or did work with me when Will worked independently on his schoolwork. When Christina was a toddler and preschooler, we adapted our homeschool to Will’s schedule. Will and Christina are 5 years (and 2 days!) apart in age.

Montessori Preschool Schedule within a Classroom for Multiple Ages Afternoons were left for other activities, although Will was always allowed to use the Montessori classroom if he wanted to later in the day. We started our Montessori homeschool when Will was 3½ and a Montessori teacher shortage at the time caused me to close the school.īecause Will was used to the school schedule, we used a similar schedule for our homeschool in the morning, except we extended the individual work time as long as possible to strive for a 3-hour work cycle. My son was a student in my Montessori school from ages 2½-3½. During this time, two children at a time got out their snack, ate, and put away everything from their snack.ĭuring the second line time, we had a story and then an activity such as singing with guitar accompaniment, rhythm sticks, finger plays, poems or songs with sign language, walking on the line and extensions, stunts and tumbling, or games.Ī similar schedule could be used in your homeschool. I worked individually with one or two children at a time as well. They worked alone or with one or two other children.
3 year old preschool daily schedule free#
I typically had a third lesson as well (on a concept such as counting, geometric shapes or solids, phonetic sounds, foreign language terms, or a science or geography concept).ĭuring the individual work time, the children were free to choose work they’d been introduced to previously.
3 year old preschool daily schedule how to#
Then I demonstrated a practical life activity and showed how to use another material in the classroom. In Montessori schools, the children and teacher typically sit on an ellipse or circle marked with colored tape on the floor.ĩ:15-10:45 Individual Work Time. The children would put away their work before getting out new work, but there was a brief cleanup time at the end as well.ĭuring the first line time, we often talked about the day and calendar. Typically, a 3-4 hour schedule works best for a Montessori program.Ī child cleaning at the end of the individual work time in my Montessori school in 1981.ĩ:00-9:15 First Line Time (often called Circle Time or Group Time). The 2½-hour time period worked best for the parents in the area who wanted preschool but not day care. When I owned a Montessori school, I had separate morning and afternoon classes of 2½ hours. Some Montessori school schedules are part of a daycare program whereas other schools function as a preschool. That said, most Montessori preschools have a 2½-4-hour half-day schedule. The beauty of a homeschool is that you can adjust your work time so that you don’t interrupt your child’s concentrated work. In a Montessori school, the work time can’t be adjusted for one child. You could also have a schedule similar to that of a Montessori school – if you allow for your child’s natural rhythms. Counting Coconuts and The Magic Onions have lovely posts on setting rhythms for a Montessori homeschool (Counting Coconuts) and a Waldorf homeschool (Ariella from Childhood Magic’s post at The Magic Onions).Ī Schedule Similar to a Montessori Preschool I like the idea of creating a “daily rhythm” for your family. Setting a schedule is very helpful, as long as you allow yourself to go with the flow when needed. Most children (and parents) are happiest with some sort of a schedule.

Obviously, for your homeschool, you need to find what works best for your family. If you plan to use Montessori at home, what should you do about a schedule? Should you have a set schedule each day? Or should you just go with the flow?
