01 Mar The Benefits of The Three Year Cycle

The three-year cycle is one of the core practices of Montessori schools. It takes place from age 3-6 in a mixed-age classroom where students are encouraged to explore new skills and activities. Each year of the cycle, students focus on goals that fit their age. From learning new skills, gaining confidence in them, and all the way to mastery of the skill, the three-year cycle is able to allow students to build and reinforce their knowledge and skills at their own pace with the help of peers and teachers alike. There are many benefits to this classroom structure, and if you are curious about how the three-year cycle can help your child develop, read on!

Looking for a Montessori school for your child in the Sugar Land, TX area? Contact Sugar Mill Montessori School today!

Familiarity & Consistency

Montessori classrooms are broken up into age ranges. The three-year cycle occurs during the early childhood stages of development from age 3-6. When beginning the three-year cycle, students are assigned to a classroom and teacher that will remain the same throughout the course of the cycle. Due to the regularity of students and teachers over the course of those three years, the classroom becomes as familiar to your child as your home. They become more comfortable, and therefore, more willing to take chances when learning new skills and fine-tuning their existing ones. This also allows teachers to gain a much greater understanding of how each student learns, meaning their classroom experience can be tailored just to them.

Exploration

When entering the three-year cycle and being introduced to their classroom, students are encouraged to explore the classroom environment. Montessori Classrooms are filled with activities geared towards teaching students new skills. Through their open exploration of their classroom and what it offers, they grow more independent and more likely to try to work through problems on their own when they come across them. With the help of teachers and students at more advanced stages of the three-year cycle, they also become more confident and learn the importance of asking for help with challenges that they aren’t quite ready for.

Cooperation & Peer-to-Peer Teaching

Each year of the three-year cycle comes with a different set of goals (for more information on that, check out this blog from Meadow Montessori School). During the second year, students are introduced to group work and the collaborative process, and in the third year, students with a mastery of certain skills are encouraged to become role models for the group and even help other students learn when the opportunity arises.

Repetition

Repetition is one of the greatest factors of success through the three-year cycle. Because students are working throughout their three years on similar skills, they become more and more proficient at them. Not only does this aid in growing confidence, but also allows them the ability to master certain skills and, in their last year, even translate those skills to the solving of more abstract problems and challenges.

Get Started With Montessori Education

If you were on the fence about Montessori education or the three-year cycle for your family, we hope that this post has helped you better understand the process and all of its many benefits. If you are in the Sugar Land, TX area and looking for a local Montessori School for your family, contact Sugar Mill Montessori School today!