Montessori Schools Prepare Children for Elementary School
The Californer/10056617

SAN DIEGO - Californer -- How do parents choose the best option to prepare children for elementary school? "I think the most important question for parents considering elementary school options concerns whether their child will get a well-rounded education to succeed in the business world of tomorrow," says Kelly McFarland, M.Ed., Director of La Jolla Montessori School.

"Via the Montessori Method, children discover 'I learned it myself' and that I can figure it out myself," McFarland says.  "When they learn it, they own it; we didn't give it to them.

This is how Montessori's individualized learning lets children think for themselves. Children don't need the rigidity of a teacher telling them what to do. They're focused on learning how to do a task—not focused on someone making us memorize the answer without understanding how and why.

More on The Californer

• Super ChatGPT Hack - No Coding Required! 10X Your Income (Learning) with this Amazing ChatGPT Sec
• Cancer Survivor Roslyn Franken Marks 30-Year Milestone with Empowering Gift for Women
• ICYMI: Governor Newsom congratulates California Nobel laureates, underscoring the state's global dominance in science and innovation
• Hard Hitting Political Issues Column in Noted African American Newspaper Now Facebook Livestreamed
• Record-breaking quarter: California reaches historic high in ZEV sales

What Business Leaders Say

Three problems that execs see with today's young adults are:

• They don't know how to think for themselves
• They have a hard time making the leap from school to the workplace because of what--and how--their school taught them
• They are non-communicative because they lack social skills.

"In Montessori, we give children freedom," McFarland says. "Public schools expect all students to be at a certain place at the end of each term. We let children learn art, creativity, writing, spelling and subsequent leadership traits at their own pace. We start this when they're toddlers and through primary and kindergarten at our preschool in La Jolla. This is how we prepare them for elementary school learning."

The Montessori Difference: Preparing Children For The Future

Parents want a 'whole child' who develops across academic, cultural, personal and social levels. We want them to display broad-based skills like communication, ability to handle conflict, and show compassion, leadership and self-motivation.

More on The Californer

• To Make His New Album, a Musician Became an AI. Hear the First Result: Machine
• ENERGY33 Successfully Completes Second Engineering & Construction Management Contract for a 27MW STX Cogeneration Power Plant in Honduras
• Florida International University: "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" Traveling Exhibit Educates Students on Mental Health Abuse
• Governor Newsom signs bills to further strengthen California's leadership in protecting children online
• SAEN Ranked Among the Top 5 Bay Area Artists of 2025 — Just Behind Easton Cain

Yes, employers want kids with strong STEM skills. But, they want employees who are well rounded in many arenas—not just academics. How many whiz kids do you know who are lacking social skills?

"At La Jolla Montessori School, we teach a methodical approach from Day One that focuses upon all the aspects of a child's education and growth," McFarland says.

"Education is an annuity that pays big dividends for kids who are more than the sum of their test scores and class rank. An early Montessori education will prepare children for elementary school and is an investment in the whole child."

Kelly McFarland, M.Ed., is the Director of La Jolla Montessori School, located at 8745 La Jolla Scenic Drive North. Visit https://lajollamontessorischool.com/book-a-tour/ or, call them at (858) 999-0364.