Defining the 3-6 Year Old Child

During the three- to six-year-old period, children make great developmental strides and show an enormous interest in the world around them. They are eager to learn, explore, and exert their ever-growing independence. The children learn through their interactions with their environment, by exploring, experimenting, touching, building, and doing things by and for themselves.

Social and language development

While many preschool children at this developmental stage still prefer parallel play, they are all beginning to learn to socialize, understand feelings, and manage working and playing in a group. They are fascinated by language and the names of things and are communicating well—adding new words by the thousands. 

Child Development: The Preschool and Kindergarten Child

Dr. Montessori referred to this stage as the period of the Absorbent Mind. She observed that children under the age of six absorb information without effort, through their everyday interactions with those around them and their environment. This important time of development provides the critical foundation of a child’s character, learning, and growth.

As in all stages of child development, Dr. Montessori noted certain sensitive periods during this stage, a time when a child is powerfully motivated, driven, and able to learn certain things. These sensitive periods include aspects of movement, reading, mathematics, order, music, grace and courtesy, and many others. The classroom environment is designed to give the children a place in which they can work and learn freely, following their interests and natural tendencies.

Inly's Developmental Approach

At Inly, all of our programs, from preschool through middle school, are developmentally responsive to the needs of individual children. In preschool and kindergarten, our classrooms are beautiful environments uniquely prepared to welcome and engage young children. Children work independently, in small groups with teachers, and with younger and older peers. Our experienced teachers fill the Montessori environment with opportunities for learning, exploration and socialization.