Childcare trends continue to shift as education and society recover from significant disruptions. After the COVID-19 pandemic, families had to adjust nearly every aspect of their lives. Daycare centers had to adapt to new health protocols, educational methods, and social learning goals. New educational technologies became norms as the world evolved faster than ever.
Since the Montessori education framework is different from traditional schooling, there are notable Montessori early childhood trends here that require unique solutions. Known for its problem-based learning and freedom of exploration, Montessori is one of the fastest-growing types of childcare today. Parents who admire the early development of a successful mindset prioritize these methods.
What are the current issues and trends in early childhood education? If you’re a Montessori childcare professional, Daily Connect has a bunch of new features available to help you stay ahead of the trends.
Keep reading to learn more about Montessori Early Childhood Trends including:
- Montessori Hiring Challenges
- Adoption of Education Technology
- Childcare Tax Credit Changes
- Push for Developmental Tracking
- More Accessible Learning
- Caring About Social and Local Policies
Let’s dive in and explore each of these Montessori early childhood trends in more detail.
1. Montessori Hiring Challenges
Before the pandemic, it was already tough for Montessori preschools and early learning centers to find great employees. Since many families were forced to find at-home care for children during COVID lockdowns, many daycare workers turned to individual nanny jobs to maintain income, or even left the childcare industry entirely. Even now that things are going back to normal, Montessori preschools still struggle with staffing and hiring.
Montessori Early Learning Centers face unique challenges and opportunities in the current staffing crisis. Because Montessori is such an unconventional learning environment, it was initially catered to wealthier, suburban families. Now, Montessori childcare is more widespread. Prices for childcare vary— and so do payroll budgets.
It’s often more difficult to hire teachers and staff because the Montessori childcare requirements are different. Montessori teachers must have special qualifications and training, so childcare centers have to get more creative. They have to be willing to pay higher salaries to staff as the barrier to entry is higher.
2. Adoption of Education Technology
Education technology, or EdTech, is one of the fastest-growing trends in early childhood education (ECE). The market for education technology is expected to grow to more than $605 billion by 2027, and early childhood education isn’t excluded from this powerful trend.
Does technology belong in ECE? Only if childcare centers want to address all areas of operation effectively:
- Hiring and training
- Parent-staff communication
- Recording learning assessments
- Tracking attendance
- Managing child incident reports
- Childcare billing and accounting
There are even EdTech companies that focus mainly on childcare and preschool, such as Daily Connect. Daily Connect offers a wide range of features for Montessori preschools, including support for the Montessori Early Learning framework.
3. Childcare Tax Credit Changes
One positive thing that came from the coronavirus pandemic was the increase in childcare tax credits for families. In 2021, many parents were able to send their kids to childcare again thanks to this financial support. Some enjoyed the benefits of affordable Montessori education for the first time.
However, in 2022, the child and dependent care tax credit went back down to its original funding level. This leaves families concerned about affordability, although the topic of increasing childcare tax credits remains up for debate by politicians.
4. Push for Developmental Tracking
Since Montessori is a more free flowing learning environment with a less rigid curriculum, teachers must have the tools they need to track learning and development. The five main areas of learning in Montessori are Language, Cultural Subjects, Mathematics, Sensorial Education, and Practical Life Exercises . Montessori centers need a way to accurately observe each child’s development in these areas.
Childcare learning assessments equip teachers to analyze data on the progress of individual students, as well as the classroom as a whole. Parents also like to be informed of their child’s progress and areas of struggle. With progress reports, both parents and educators can make informed decisions with the child’s best interest in mind moving forward.
With digital learning assessment software from Daily Connect, Montessori teachers and parents obtain the important developmental information they need throughout the year. They can access real-time reports, compare child assessments to state standards, and share child portfolios to stay on top of developmental management.
5. More Accessible Learning
Every child is different. This is why so many parents are turning to Montessori today: it’s an excellent way to encourage kids of all learning styles to grow into curious, confident learners for life.
Today, Montessori educators are stepping in to help kids who struggle to learn in traditional school settings. Montessori is trending especially in previously underserved communities, providing affordable and hands-on learning to kids of all demographics. The Bezos Academy is a great example, tailoring community-specific education to families in need of preschool programs.
Since the beginning, many families have turned to Montessori because it focuses on mixed-age and multicultural lessons in everyday lessons. Kids learn to respect and admire each other’s differences at a young age. Typically, foreign languages are observed and taught. Social-emotional learning is a big priority. All of these things are increasingly relevant in today’s world, and Montessori combines these values at its core.
6. Caring About Social and Local Policies
With changes in childcare tax credit, efforts being pushed for remedial learning, and social concerns at an all-time high, childcare and Montessori preschool centers care more about what’s happening around them. With this comes an increase in attention to social and political measures.
Parents, caregivers, and childcare workers are becoming more involved in policies that affect kids. From social cooperatives to human rights to voting, educators and leaders of the next generation have big concerns about making the future a better place for kids today.
Equipping Your Montessori Childcare Center for 2023 Trends
With so many changing Montessori early childhood trends, Montessori childcare centers are increasingly turning to digital solutions that help organize many of their daily operations.
From parent communication to cloud-based documentation storage, Montessori schools rely on apps like Daily Connect to stay organized no matter what new trends may emerge.
To get started with a free trial for your Montessori program, contact Daily Connect today.