Kindergarten at Daycroft Montessori School of Ann Arbor Meets a Young 5’s Needs

Kindergarten now … or kindergarten later? 

It can be a difficult decision for the parents of a young 5 child.  Parents are often unsure of whether their child will be ready – socially, emotionally, and academically – for kindergarten in the upcoming school year when their child has an early birthday.

The good news: Daycroft Montessori School (www.daycroft.org) of Ann Arbor may be the right choice for a child, whether he or she is a young 5, already 5, or up to 6 years old.

“We can meet a young 5’s needs within our regular, though far from ordinary, kindergarten classrooms,” says Michele Buchanan, Daycroft’s director of preprimary education.  “Young 5’s move at their own pace within our prepared environment.  They learn right alongside the other 5- and 6-year-olds in our kindergarten classes.”

This, per Buchanan, is in keeping with Daycroft’s Montessori-style approach of mixing multiple ages in preprimary classrooms, and multiple ages and grade levels in elementary education.

How Daycroft’s Young 5 Program Works

Daycroft starts by assessing the young 5 child’s status just before the school year begins.  A personalized learning plan helps the school’s kindergarten teachers monitor the child’s progress throughout the year.  Late in the school year, Daycroft reassesses to determine the child’s needs for kindergarten the next year.

Parents of a young 5 can choose from full-day or half-day kindergarten programs at Daycroft’s Preprimary Campus on Oakbrook Drive, near Briarwood Mall.

Daycroft’s kindergarten curriculum focuses on practical life and sensorial education, language arts, mathematics, and science and cultural studies.  It also includes music, art, Spanish, physical education, and library.  The curriculum is fully compliant with Michigan’s Common Core Standards.

The Daycroft Difference

“At Daycroft,” Buchanan says, “children learn in a warm, caring, nurturing environment with true cultural diversity.”

Two full-time teachers in each Daycroft classroom assure that students get individualized attention.  The children, guided by Daycroft’s teachers, make choices in the classroom. 

“We recognize that children have a natural desire to learn,” says Buchanan.  “Children learn best when they can explore and discover in their own styles.”

This, she adds, helps students develop to their potential.  “Our students are fully engaged,” she says.  “They love to learn!”   

More information is available at www.daycroft.org or by calling the school at (734) 662-3335.  Parents can call to schedule a personal tour of Daycroft’s kindergarten classrooms.

About Daycroft Montessori School

Daycroft Montessori School blends the distinctive student-centered teaching methods of Maria Montessori with traditional and progressive education.  This helps Daycroft accomplish its mission: to provide a personalized learning environment that appreciates individual differences, nurtures the whole child, and enables students to develop at their own pace and achieve to their potential.

Daycroft is one of Washtenaw County’s leading private schools.  It began as a preschool program in 1968.  Daycroft has since grown to include a full-day kindergarten program, an elementary school program through 6th grade, before-school and after-school care, summer camp programs, and enrichment classes.

Daycroft has earned accreditation from the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS; www.isacs.org).  It is a member of the Association of Independent Michigan Schools (AIMS; www.aims-mi.org), the American Montessori Society (AMS; www.amshq.org), and the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA; www.montessori-namta.org).

Daycroft Preprimary School (preschool and kindergarten) is at 100 E. Oakbrook Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.  Phone: (734) 930-0333.

Daycroft Elementary School (grades K through 6) and Daycroft’s administrative offices are at 1095 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.  Phone: (734) 662-3335.