We do not recommend that a student begin a Montessori cycle (Primary, Lower Elementary, or Upper Elementary) if there is no intention of having the student complete all the years of that cycle.
Over many years of watching students’ progress through Montessori education, it is clear that students get the greatest benefit by completing all of the Montessori cycles. A child experiencing each cycle builds on his/her understanding of concepts and understanding of the Montessori materials from the previous level. The conceptual understanding, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and social awareness grow exponentially at each level.
But, if a child is not going to complete the full Primary, Lower Elementary, and Upper Elementary programs in Montessori, it is best that they leave at the end of a cycle: after kindergarten, 3rd grade, or 6th grade. A child who leaves a three-year cycle in the middle never feels the success of the final year leadership position and never experiences the culmination of learning in all areas of the curriculum that occurs in the final year. Though a child benefits from every year in Montessori, part of what is taught in the first two years of a cycle is an understanding of materials that will be fully utilized in the child’s final year. If they are not planning to continue in a Montessori environment, then this is not always time well spent.
For parents of Upper Elementary students, we have a Khalsa Education Paper The Importance of the 6th Year in the Upper Elementary Classroom. This will be available at the yearly Introduction to Upper Elementary Meeting and will be given to all 5th grade parents each spring. Copies are available in the office.