Your Child Just Turned Five: What Comes Next at Our San Diego Montessori School

Turning five is a big year for kids. It is often the last stretch of preschool before the jump into kindergarten, and parents naturally start wondering what comes next. Will my child be ready? Should they stay in preschool a little longer, or move ahead? And once they do move on, what does a strong elementary program actually look like?

We get these questions from parents almost every week, and we understand why. At MBMA, we have been guiding children through this exact transition since 1968, and our teachers have spent years watching what actually helps five year olds succeed once they step into a more structured classroom. This post shares that experience, so you know what to expect and feel confident about the path ahead.

This post will walk you through what five year olds experience in our preschool program, and how our elementary program carries that learning forward all the way through sixth grade. We work with families across the area, including many searching for a preschool San Diego parents trust for this exact transition.

Why Age Five Is Such an Important Year

By the time a child turns five, they have usually built a strong foundation of basic skills, following instructions, playing well with others, and showing early signs of reading and number sense. But five year olds are also right on the edge of a big transition, moving from a preschool setting into a more structured academic environment.

This is exactly the age range our preschool program is designed to support. Five year olds in our classroom are not just marking time before kindergarten. They are actively building the skills that will carry them into elementary school with confidence, from early literacy and math concepts to longer periods of focused, independent work.

Our teachers often tell us this is one of the most rewarding ages to work with, because you can visibly see a child's confidence grow week by week. A five year old who struggled to sit still in September is often the same child leading a small group activity by spring.

What Five Year Olds Work On in Our Preschool Program

At this age, children are ready for more than simple play based activities. In a Montessori classroom, five year olds typically work on:

• Early reading skills, including letter sounds, sight words, and simple sentences

• Basic math concepts like counting, place value, and simple addition using hands-on materials

• Practical life skills that build independence, like managing their own belongings and following multi step tasks

• Social skills, including working through small conflicts with classmates on their own

• Longer stretches of focused work, which helps prepare them for a full day elementary schedule

Because Montessori classrooms mix age groups together, five year olds also get the chance to mentor younger classmates, which builds confidence and leadership skills before they move on.

Making the Move Into Elementary School

Once children are ready, they move into our elementary program, which enrolls students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Many of our elementary families originally started their search closer to home, including parents looking for a montessori school La Jolla families could rely on long term, before deciding the short drive to our University City campus was well worth it. This is where the foundation built in preschool really starts to pay off. Instead of starting over in a brand new environment, children who came up through our preschool program already understand how a Montessori classroom works, which makes the transition much smoother.

Our elementary program blends the hands-on Montessori approach with some more traditional elements, like testing, textbooks, and homework, to help prepare students for whatever comes after sixth grade, whether that is a public middle school or another private school. Students continue working at their own pace, but with more structure and responsibility as they move through the grade levels.

Along the way, kids take part in enrichment classes like art, music, and language, plus extracurricular activities that round out a full school day.

How We Support the Transition

We know that moving from preschool into elementary school is not just an academic shift, it is an emotional one too. Our teachers work closely with families during this stage to make sure each child feels ready, not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well. Every teacher on our team is trained in the Montessori method, and many have spent years, some even decades, watching children move through this exact stage of growth.

For children who are new to MBMA and joining our elementary program from another school, we ask for a current progress report along with a skills evaluation from one of our teachers. This helps us understand exactly where your child is and how we can support them from day one.

Why Staying With the Same School Helps

One of the biggest advantages for families is not having to switch schools every couple of years. When a child moves from our preschool program straight into elementary school on the same campus, they keep their friendships, stay familiar with the teachers and environment, and avoid the stress of adjusting to a completely new school culture right as they are also adjusting to a more academic schedule.

This kind of consistency tends to make a real difference, especially for kids who take a little longer to warm up to new places and new people. It is a big reason families from neighboring areas, including parents searching for daycare San Diego options early on, end up staying with us all the way through elementary school once they see how the two programs connect.

Ready to See Our Elementary Program in Person?

If your child is turning five soon, or you are simply exploring what elementary school could look like a few years down the road, we would love to show you around. There is no pressure and no obligation, just a chance to walk through real classrooms and see how children this age actually spend their day. Seeing a Montessori elementary classroom in action tells you far more than any brochure or website ever could.

You can reach our team at (858) 457-5895, or visit us at 2640 Soderblom Avenue, San Diego, CA 92122. We are happy to answer any questions about our preschool program, our elementary program, or the enrollment process, whether that is over the phone or in person.

Schedule a tour with MBMA today and see how we support children from their very first day of preschool all the way through sixth grade.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What do five year olds work on in your preschool program?

Five year olds focus on early reading and math skills, practical life tasks, social skills, and longer periods of independent work, all of which help prepare them for elementary school.

2. What grades does your elementary program cover?

Our elementary program enrolls students from kindergarten through sixth grade.

3. Does my child need to attend your preschool program before joining elementary?

No. We welcome new students into our elementary program as well. New students will need a current progress report from their previous school and a skills evaluation with one of our teachers.

4. How does the Montessori elementary program differ from preschool?

The elementary program keeps the hands-on Montessori approach but adds more structure, including testing, textbooks, and homework, to help prepare students for the next stage of their education.

5. How do I enroll my child or schedule a tour?

You can call us at (858) 457-5895 or visit our website to book a tour. After the tour, we schedule a readiness or skills evaluation depending on your child's age and grade level.