At what age should a child start? The entrance age varies in individual schools. We start with two year olds,and go up to six year olds. A child can usually enter a Montessori classroom between the ages of two and six, depending on when he can be happy and comfortable in a classroom situation. He /she will begin with the simplest exercise based on activities that all children enjoy. The equipment that the child uses at three and four years of age will help the child to develop the concentration, coordination, and working habits necessary for the more advanced exercises the child will perform at five and six. The entire program of learning is purposefully structured. Therefore, optimum results cannot be expected either for a child who misses the early years of the cycle, or for one who is withdrawn before he finishes the basic materials described here. Parents should understand that a Montessori school is neither a "baby-sitting" service nor a "play school" that prepares a child for traditional kindergarten. It is a unique cycle of learning designed to take advantage of the child's sensitive years between three and six, when he/she can absorb information from a well prepared and enriched environment. By pursuing his/her individual interests in a Montessori classroom he/she gains an early enthusiasm for learning, which is the key to his/her becoming a truly educated person.