Montessori education -- what are your thoughts?

[tmarquez]

DD went to Montessori from age 2 - 6. We started her at public K for financial reasons.

I (and she) loved the Montessori school, she learned so much. Actually she is still far ahead of the others in her 1st grade class...which can make for a bored little girl, but she's working it out.

The only issue I had with Montessori is that it wasn't diverse at all. I probably wouldn't have kept her in our Montesori past K because of this. I think it's important for her to go to school in a similar enviroment to the one she will have to live and work in as an adult.

 

[Nom]

A bit OT, but it's funny, how different the schools must be depending on where you are located! We are in central NJ, and I am not sure your ethnicity, but my daughter right now is the only Caucasian child in our Montessori school (most of her classmates are of Indian descent). Last year there was one other white boy but he has moved on to first grade. I actually was worried that she would feel different since she was one of the only white children but it has been fine for the most part. When she first arrived there was much talk about her 'yellow' hair. It's cute how innocent they are at that age and colorblind, to an extent.

PS I also remember once she was going a while, now all her dolls are not named 'jane' or 'sara' but they all have indian sounding names. it's so cute!

 

[JUJU814]

I presently have two children enrolled in a Montessori school. My dd, age 5, started early so she has is in her fourth year of Montessori and is in Kindergarten. My son went for pre K and K to Montessori, then I homeschooled him for first grade, and now he is back in a phenomenal new school with my dd for 2nd grade. They are in the same integrated classroom.

I love everything about the Montessori method. My children are different as night and day and both are thriving. My son has adhd and sensory issues and they really have worked with his OT and the classroom provisions sheets she sent in and tailor his workload to him. As the children get into the upper grades, the teacher at the beginning of the week aids the child in making themself a "work plan" so they have a general idea of what their goals are. Also, every afternoon for the elementary grades reading and writing is required. They also have a robust integrated unit studies curriculum they work on as well. They have phys ed every single morning at circle and lots of important play time outside to explore and discover.

I love it. They get to school and put on their slippers and get to work. I've seen huge academic strides in them and major character development.

My kindergartner is also learning to do laundry in the practical life room!!! wooo hoo! LOL

Julie

 

[Anonomom]

We started DD (3.5) in a Montessori preschool this past April. I was originally attracted to the school for two reasons: the multi-age classrooms and the fact that it's a secular school (most preschools where we are are church-affiliated). She has thrived, and I'm shocked on a daily basis at how much she's learning and how quickly. Most importantly, she loves going to school.

 

[mickeymouseclubhouse]

Love, Love, it! I know I'm overly enthusiastic but it has been the best experience for both my daughters. My oldest started a couple of days a week at age 2 and has gone through preschool/kindergarten and is now in her 1st year of early elementary and my youngest is in her first year of preschool, also started in toddler.

What attracted us to montessori was the freedom of movement (don't want my dds confined to a desk all day), the fact that montessori "follows the child" and her teachers really know her and since she is excelling does not have to be in a classroom that is geared toward the middle. We love the mixed age aspect where she looks up to the older children as role models and is also a role model herself for the younger students. In our schools, there is a big emphasis on nature, respect for self, each other, and the environment. They also don't believe learning should be confined to the classroom and my oldest has a field trip every month to go see plays, to go to the orchestra, Planetarium, Art Institute, etc. Also at our schools there is a high rate of parent/family involvement. And, even though both schools are private, my oldest dds school is extremely diverse and that diversity is not only accepted but celebrated. I could go on, but for our family we couldn't imagine sending our daughters anywhere else

 

[RachelEllen]

I'm so glad I found this thread!

We are considering enrolling our daughter in a Montesorri program, but we came at it a bit backward!

She's only a year now, but she has to go to a 5 day program when I return to work next year. She's three weeks short of the state age cut-off, so we had to find a place able to take 18 month olds. I also wanted Jewish or secular orientation, and by far the most impressive program also happens to be Montessori.

THere's some great info in this thread on preschool. She's a bit young for us to judge her suitability for Montesori preschool, but I'm curious if anyone has done a Montessori 2's program. Can you tell a difference between it and just standard daycare? (I'm wary of even calling it preschool when they are that young!)

Because she is so close to the age cut-off, they will advance her to regular preschool next year if she seems ready. I'm happy about this, as it would give her 3 years of Montessori before moving to traditional kindergarden (which she has to be 2 weeks short of 6 to begin here)

 

[badblackpug]

I have to agree with the PPs who said it depends on the child. I did Montessori k-3 and it was a disaster. I have ADD and could not independently stay on task. There was no way, with all the different activities going on in the classroom, that I could concentrate on my particular task. I am not sure what in the world my mother was thinking since my older bro was ADHD!

I think you have to be honest. Is your child self motivated or do they need structure and guidance to stay on task. My oldest, left to her own devices, would never get any work done, or would only do what she liked. My middle child would be fine. My youngest, I am not sure.

 

[dormouse72]

As the original poster said, it depends on your child's learning style.

My eldest is one of those kids who, to this day, has to finish one task before she starts on the next. She still won't touch one food on her plate until another (usually her least favorite) is gone first. She has done very well in a traditional education setting.

My middle - well...she's another story. She gets bored easily - she's the one who would get up, sharpen pencils, get a drink, look out the window in 2nd/3rd grade. She loves to go from task to task, it stimulates her. It actually helps her make connections between two seemingly unrelated things. A traditional "we all stay in this one room all day and never get up from our desks without permission" classroom was TORTURE for her. In 4th grade we moved and in her new elementary school she was able to switch classes - just the idea of a time when it was ok for her to get up and talk to her friends was so liberating for her. If I had had the resources to send her to a Montessori, she would have loved it.

You have to go with whatever educational philosophy is best suited to your child's learning style (as well as your wallet - unfortunately, most public schools do not have Montessori programs, at least not in my area).

 

[Tiger926]

Every adult that I have known that has gone to a Montessorri school said it was the worst experience ever. They said it did not prepare them at all for the real world and they struggled trying to learn to work in the real world. These were all adults who went to different schools in different areas. I guess like everything it is good for some but not for all. I personally am not a fan of it. I would go look at the schools and be really honest with yourself as to what kind of child you have and if they really will thrive in that situation. Don't get sucked in because of the sales pitch. It is like any school, you have to do your research. Good luck!

I'm a Special Eduation teacher, so I know all about educational philosophies, as I've studied them and I utilize a lot of Montessori methods in my public school classroom. As well, our public schools are doing the same with addition of manipulatives, learning skill scores, etc., so I would seriously question the quality of the schools, as well as the learning levels of these adults. Montessori education is skill based, which means that kids master skills in many different subject matters: life skills, culture, cosmic education, numeracy and literacy, to name a few. I can't imagine how this could be the worst experience ever, since accredited Montessori schools offer a ton of different learning, cultural and school experiences that many public schools do not or will not offer. There are a lot of misconceptions about Montessori schools - it's one of those subjects that people who have no knowledge of Montessori education feel the need to judge or assess the program, yet they have never been there. In your case, your friends say it was the worst, so I would love to know what made it the worst? What were their learning styles? Were these accredited Montessori schools?

Montessori education is not for everyone, just as public school, or private Christian schools are not - so much depends upon the school itself, as well as the students. If children are at an AMS or AMI accredited school, such as ours, where all teachers have university/college degrees, plus Montessori training, it can be an exceptional educational experience for most chidren. Our school has a resource team, (spec ed teachers, speech paths, therapists, etc), as well as language teachers, music teachers and yoga teachers, all of whom work with the children, plus highly educated teachers and administrators running the school. My children have been in Montessori school since age 13 months, and we love it! I have known other friends whose kids didn't thrive as much, but that had more to do with their personalities and learning styles, than the school itself. Both of my kids are very bright, and the principal and I discuss the external (Montessori) vs internal (genetic intelligence and cognitive abilities) aspect to this very often - would my kids be thriving as much in public school (I know the answer is no as I teach in public school, plus my daughter tried it for 6 months in combination with Montessori, and she was bored out of her mind!), or, if they had never attended Montessori? I believe it's a combination of both for my kids, with so much being attributed to the exceptional education that they are receiving at our Montessori school.

Good luck to all researching educational pathways for their kids - I absolutely think Montessori education is phenomenal. From a psychoeduational perspective, it is very good for most kids as it's based on skill based learning, and not being forced into a classroom because of your age, where all kids are forced to do the same work. Montessori acknowledges that all kids have different brains, and they teach and present work in such a way, that many kids thrive. We have special needs children all the way through to very gifted children at our school, and it is a great experience for most of them. In our neck of the woods, we have several exceptional Montessori schools, and most of us teachers can pick out the Montessori graduates as they are quite bright, love to learn, and are pretty independent from a very young age.

I would urge all parents to research all educational placements, but please don't discount a certain program just because some adults you know don't like it. Many people I know hate Disney World, and so what would happen if we all used that knowledge to not enjoy Disney World for ourselves!

Tiger

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I'm a Special Eduation teacher, so I know all about educational philosophies, as I've studied them and I utilize a lot of Montessori methods in my public school classroom. As well, our public schools are doing the same with addition of manipulatives, learning skill scores, etc., so I would seriously question the quality of the schools, as well as the learning levels of these adults. Montessori education is skill based, which means that kids master skills in many different subject matters: life skills, culture, cosmic education, numeracy and literacy, to name a few. I can't imagine how this could be the worst experience ever, since accredited Montessori schools offer a ton of different learning, cultural and school experiences that many public schools do not or will not offer. There are a lot of misconceptions about Montessori schools - it's one of those subjects that people who have no knowledge of Montessori education feel the need to judge or assess the program, yet they have never been there. In your case, your friends say it was the worst, so I would love to know what made it the worst? What were their learning styles? Were these accredited Montessori schools?

Montessori education is not for everyone, just as public school, or private Christian schools are not - so much depends upon the school itself, as well as the students. If children are at an AMS or AMI accredited school, such as ours, where all teachers have university/college degrees, plus Montessori training, it can be an exceptional educational experience for most chidren. Our school has a resource team, (spec ed teachers, speech paths, therapists, etc), as well as language teachers, music teachers and yoga teachers, all of whom work with the children, plus highly educated teachers and administrators running the school. My children have been in Montessori school since age 13 months, and we love it! I have known other friends whose kids didn't thrive as much, but that had more to do with their personalities and learning styles, than the school itself. Both of my kids are very bright, and the principal and I discuss the external (Montessori) vs internal (genetic intelligence and cognitive abilities) aspect to this very often - would my kids be thriving as much in public school (I know the answer is no as I teach in public school, plus my daughter tried it for 6 months in combination with Montessori, and she was bored out of her mind!), or, if they had never attended Montessori? I believe it's a combination of both for my kids, with so much being attributed to the exceptional education that they are receiving at our Montessori school.

Good luck to all researching educational pathways for their kids - I absolutely think Montessori education is phenomenal. From a psychoeduational perspective, it is very good for most kids as it's based on skill based learning, and not being forced into a classroom because of your age, where all kids are forced to do the same work. Montessori acknowledges that all kids have different brains, and they teach and present work in such a way, that many kids thrive. We have special needs children all the way through to very gifted children at our school, and it is a great experience for most of them. In our neck of the woods, we have several exceptional Montessori schools, and most of us teachers can pick out the Montessori graduates as they are quite bright, love to learn, and are pretty independent from a very young age.

I would urge all parents to research all educational placements, but please don't discount a certain program just because some adults you know don't like it. Many people I know hate Disney World, and so what would happen if we all used that knowledge to not enjoy Disney World for ourselves!

Tiger

Not for nothing but the OP asked for opinions. Just because mine is different than yours is no need to say that people who don't love it are uneducated about it. The adults that I know are all college educated. Their complaints were that it did not prepare them for how real life works. Real life is not run like a Montessori school. Each of these people had completely different careers. I also don't buy into the nonsense that most children from whatever school are bright and the rest aren't. Children do not get their academic abilities soley from school. A lot of it is genetics and what the parents teach them. Not every child learns the same or has the same academic ability. While I think there are some good points with the program as there is with every program I personally am not a fan of it. For you it has been wonderful and that is great. That still doesn't discount the fact that it is not great for others. The same goes for any situation. Many parents get sucked into the "sale" of the school without being realistic about their kids. The same goes for any school though. While I was researching school options I spoke to all kinds of people and looked at many schools. I find it very condescending of you to imply that I have little or no real information about it. That was another turn off for me- the unspoken implication that if I didn't chose Montessori I was going to damage my child.

 

[floridascgirl]

I am a pre-school teacher (not Montessori), but my DS11 attended a Montessori school from age 2 until this year (6th grade). We had the option of enrolling him in my school for free when he was younger, but we chose the Montessori program. It was the best decision we ever made as parents. It was a perfect choice for our child because he was extremely advanced, and he was always allowed/enouraged to work above his grade level.
I could go on for hours about the benefits of a Montessori education, but in the end, the best thing to do is research and visit the programs in your area. This year is his first year attending a regular public school...it's actually an arts magnet school, and he has adjusted great. We feel that this is due to the strong foundation that was built during his years in the Montessori classroom.

 

[Tiger926]

Not for nothing but the OP asked for opinions. Just because mine is different than yours is no need to say that people who don't love it are uneducated about it. The adults that I know are all college educated. Their complaints were that it did not prepare them for how real life works. Real life is not run like a Montessori school. Each of these people had completely different careers. I also don't buy into the nonsense that most children from whatever school are bright and the rest aren't. Children do not get their academic abilities soley from school. A lot of it is genetics and what the parents teach them. Not every child learns the same or has the same academic ability. While I think there are some good points with the program as there is with every program I personally am not a fan of it. For you it has been wonderful and that is great. That still doesn't discount the fact that it is not great for others. The same goes for any situation. Many parents get sucked into the "sale" of the school without being realistic about their kids. The same goes for any school though. While I was researching school options I spoke to all kinds of people and looked at many schools. I find it very condescending of you to imply that I have little or no real information about it. That was another turn off for me- the unspoken implication that if I didn't chose Montessori I was going to damage my child.

Did you read my entire post? I said as a teacher I have studied pretty much all philosophies, so I am pretty well acquainted with many different programs, so this, along with real world experience is how I base my judgments. Did I say Montessori was the end all, be all of education? Absolutely not! I guess you missed words such as it works for "many" students and the fact that I specifically mentioned that it is not for everyone.

I still stand by original thought - you made a generalization based on your friends that Montessori is not a good educational program, and so I would need to talk to them about what it was that was not good, in order to get a fuller understanding of why they weren't successful. Perhaps I have misunderstood, but it seems from your response, that you have made judgments about Montessori based solely on your friends and what you've heard. Did you attend Montessori? Did your children? If not, then I stand by my point that there are many misconceptions about Montessori perpetuated by people who don't have direct experience with it. It is vastly different for you to make this judgment based on real world experiences with Montessori, and something else entirely for you to base it on what you've heard. Anyone can use the name Montessori as it's not trademarked; therefore, if your friends attended unaccredited schools, this could have been the problem as well. By the way, our Montessori school is AMS certified, and my daughter's early elementary classroom is a combination of Montessori curriculum and government curriculum - it is a great marriage!

Your comment that real life is not like a Montessori classroom, concerns me as well, as it shows that you perhaps do not understand the absolutely essential element of Montessori education - life skills, married with cultural, numeracy and literacy skills which educate the whole child. Does this mean other educational programs do not teach these skills? Absolutely not, but that is irrelevant as we are only discussing Montessori education. Remember, I am a public school teacher, so I live and breathe the government curriculum each and everyday, and in my professional opinion, the Montessori curriculum is much more about preparing the child for the real world, than public school curriculum is. My students will never use Shakespeare again, but my own children will definitely use the skills they've learned at Montessori, over and over again throughout their lives. On the other hand, there are some great things we do in public school, that Montessori doesn't cover as well either.

As an educator, who has studied other educational philosophies, as well as taught thousands of kids, and as a Montessori parent, I have real world experiences with it - does it mean that you aren't entitled to your opinion? Absolutely not - not sure where you got this from my post? I believe that it's important for people to qualify how and where their opinions are derived from - you may not believe so, but I do. So, as a parent and teacher, my wish is that parents educate themselves in a myriad of ways, before making any educational decisions for their kids. It's so important to find the right educational pathway for our kids -whether that's public school, Montessori or religious based, for example. There are many different programs out there and that is the beauty of living in North America. Nowhere did I say my opinion was all that mattered, on the contrary. It is one of many that may hopefully help other parents who have to make the hard decision of what educational program is right for their kids. As a Montessori parent, and a teacher, I can attest to the fact that it is a sound educational philosophy based on the principle of educating the whole child and preparing him/her to be a citizen of the world.

Tiger

 

[mom2aredhead]

I am presently trying to decide on what to do with my dd4 for kindergarten and wondered about montessori education. If you have children in montessori or if you looked into it, what were your thoughts? How did you decide to go that way versus traditional education? Thanks.

My only thought is that if you are not planning on staying with Montessori a private school with a similar philosophy for the rest of their time in elementary ed, the difference is so drastic that it would be a tough adjustment going to public school. So if you're buying in, and committing K-8+, you understand the philosophy, how and why its different, how they will be learning, then go for it.

Unfortunately there are many people that want to send their child to Montessori preschool just to check it off of the "I am the best parent ever" list without knowing a thing about the philosophy or teaching methods used. Just because it is a "name brand" school and costs a lot of money does not automatically make it the best and only choice. Kudos to you for doing your research and giving it thought.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Did you read my entire post? I said as a teacher I have studied pretty much all philosophies, so I am pretty well acquainted with many different programs, so this, along with real world experience is how I base my judgments. Did I say Montessori was the end all, be all of education? Absolutely not! I guess you missed words such as it works for "many" students and the fact that I specifically mentioned that it is [U] not [/U]for everyone.

I still stand by original thought - you made a generalization based on your friends that Montessori is not a good educational program, and so I would need to talk to them about what it was that was not good, in order to get a fuller understanding of why they weren't successful. Perhaps I have misunderstood, but it seems from your response, that you have made judgments about Montessori based solely on your friends and what you've heard. Did you attend Montessori? Did your children? If not, then I stand by my point that there are many misconceptions about Montessori perpetuated by people who don't have direct experience with it. It is vastly different for you to make this judgment based on real world experiences with Montessori, and something else entirely for you to base it on what you've heard. Anyone can use the name Montessori as it's not trademarked; therefore, if your friends attended unaccredited schools, this could have been the problem as well. By the way, our Montessori school is AMS certified, and my daughter's early elementary classroom is a combination of Montessori curriculum and government curriculum - it is a great marriage!

Your comment that real life is not like a Montessori classroom, concerns me as well, as it shows that you perhaps do not understand the absolutely essential element of Montessori education - life skills, married with cultural, numeracy and literacy skills which educate the whole child. Does this mean other educational programs do not teach these skills? Absolutely not, but that is irrelevant as we are only discussing Montessori education. Remember, I am a public school teacher, so I live and breathe the government curriculum each and everyday, and in my professional opinion, the Montessori curriculum is much more about preparing the child for the real world, than public school curriculum is. My students will never use Shakespeare again, but my own children will definitely use the skills they've learned at Montessori, over and over again throughout their lives. On the other hand, there are some great things we do in public school, that Montessori doesn't cover as well either.

As an educator, who has studied other educational philosophies, as well as taught thousands of kids, and as a Montessori parent, I have real world experiences with it - does it mean that you aren't entitled to your opinion? Absolutely not - not sure where you got this from my post? I believe that it's important for people to qualify how and where their opinions are derived from - you may not believe so, but I do. So, as a parent and teacher, my wish is that parents educate themselves in a myriad of ways, before making any educational decisions for their kids. It's so important to find the right educational pathway for our kids -whether that's public school, Montessori or religious based, for example. There are many different programs out there and that is the beauty of living in North America. Nowhere did I say my opinion was all that mattered, on the contrary. It is one of many that may hopefully help other parents who have to make the hard decision of what educational program is right for their kids. As a Montessori parent, and a teacher, I can attest to the fact that it is a sound educational philosophy based on the principle of educating the whole child and preparing him/her to be a citizen of the world.

Tiger

As a parent and a well educated person I too have researched and become very familiar with many different educational programs. I think education is paramount. I did not make a generalization based on adults who said the experience was not helpful to them or that it even hindered them. I took their opinions into consideration when doing my research. I, like you do believe that not every situation works for every child. IMO based on what I have observed and researched etc. I do not think it is a superior program. I think there are some children that will do excellent in it but I think those are the kids who would pretty much do wonderfully in almost any situation. I agree with educating the whole child. I personally don't prefer the methods of Montessori. That is my personal preference. I am happy you had a great experience and I am also happy that you have a different opinion. That is what makes life interesting.
The OP simply asked what people's experiences were and I related mine and that of the people that I have spoken to. That is all.

 

[Tiger926]

As a parent and a well educated person I too have researched and become very familiar with many different educational programs. I think education is paramount. I did not make a generalization based on adults who said the experience was not helpful to them or that it even hindered them. I took their opinions into consideration when doing my research. I, like you do believe that not every situation works for every child. IMO based on what I have observed and researched etc. I do not think it is a superior program. I think there are some children that will do excellent in it but I think those are the kids who would pretty much do wonderfully in almost any situation. I agree with educating the whole child. I personally don't prefer the methods of Montessori. That is my personal preference. I am happy you had a great experience and I am also happy that you have a different opinion. That is what makes life interesting.
The OP simply asked what people's experiences were and I related mine and that of the people that I have spoken to. That is all.

Fair enough, although it still seems from your responses that you have never actually been in a Montessori classroom. Perhaps I am missing this...?

Tiger

 

[Tiger926]

My only thought is that if you are not planning on staying with Montessori a private school with a similar philosophy for the rest of their time in elementary ed, the difference is so drastic that it would be a tough adjustment going to public school. So if you're buying in, and committing K-8+, you understand the philosophy, how and why its different, how they will be learning, then go for it.

Unfortunately there are many people that want to send their child to Montessori preschool just to check it off of the "I am the best parent ever" list without knowing a thing about the philosophy or teaching methods used. Just because it is a "name brand" school and costs a lot of money does not automatically make it the best and only choice. Kudos to you for doing your research and giving it thought.

ITA! There are parents at our Montessori school who have no clue about the philosophy, and they make issues with schedules, adminstrative expectations, etc. Just as with parents who base their opinions about Montessori on something they've read or heard, these parents who sign their kids up based on false pretenses of looking good to others, also do a big disservice to Montessori as well. Good point!

Tiger

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Fair enough, although it still seems from your responses that you have never actually been in a Montessori classroom. Perhaps I am missing this...?

Tiger

I have visited them.

 

[Tiger926]

I have visited them.

That's good you have observed, as this will help in making a decision, but it's best to actually have children attend in order to truly understand the whole Montessori experience, IMHO.

Glad you were able to observe as that is important, but for many, some of the Montessori methods upon first observation, might be confusing. I know some of my friends were this way, until I explained and showed them how the pin cushion or the sorting work that children are introduced to at the toddler stages, is for fine motor skills, as well as following instructions.

Best of luck to you and your children, Tiger

 

[Mouse House Mama]

That's good you have observed, as this will help in making a decision, but it's best to actually have children attend in order to truly understand the whole Montessori experience, IMHO.

Glad you were able to observe as that is important, but for many, some of the Montessori methods upon first observation, might be confusing. I know some of my friends were this way, until I explained and showed them how the pin cushion or the sorting work that children are introduced to at the toddler stages, is for fine motor skills, as well as following instructions.

Best of luck to you and your children, Tiger

I am sure you don't mean to but you seem to be implying that I am stupid. I would never sign my children up for somewhere and hope for the best without knowing everything there is to know about it. I was not confused. I am completely aware of activities that work with fine and gross motor skills. I have 4 children (with one on the way) and a college degree. I understand a lot more than you are implying. Again, I am sure you are not implying stupidity or ignorance but this type of approach is exactly what I am talking about. It is all about the "sale" of the school and insinuating that you are daft if you don't believe in the greatness of Montessori. Why not just say that your experience has been great there and you liked it because of X,Y,Z? Why go on about how people are "confused" because they don't think it so great?
I wish you the best.

 

[justhat]

MouseHouseMama, are you referring to an accredited Montessori program, or a school that says it uses a Montessori curriculum? Like I said earlier, HUGE differences. I also went to a Montessori school (accredited) from ages 2-5, I have ADD, and was more than prepared for elementary school. I also went to college and grad school for a PsyD in child psych, but I really can't say that is a direct result of my preschool experience as I am sure my later schooling played quite a role there as well. I can say, however, that I was very, very ready for K and was quite the 'helper' in school, loved showing my peers how to do new things, which was in fact a direct result of the Montessori atmosphere of teaching younger kids.

Also, Montessori schools really prepare kids more for real world situations than traditional schools in that you have to work with an age range, not just 6yos like a regular 1st grade, or whatever age/grade. You also have to learn to budget your time on your own. Unlike regular schools where reading is a 40 minute period, or whatever, then you are told to move on to math for 30 minutes, in a Montessori school you have to learn how to fit everything in on your own. Much like in a job (or earlier still, college), where you have a task to complete and must figure out how to get it done by a deadline on your own. I know at our school the kids must log the time of when they start a new piece of work, then when they end, which gives them a rough idea of how long they need for various subjects.

I'm not saying anything to the effect that you are stupid like you think others are implying, but unless you have been in a true, accredited program, specifically AMI or AMS, it's hard to really critique the philosophy overall. And not just a brief visit, but actually spent a day observing a classroom, or have a child in one, or speak to a grad of one (again, accredited only). I say this as someone who was initially critical as I didn't feel my preschool experience could possibly be so different from any other preschool until I spent time working in preschool classes, daycares, and Montessori classes.


To the poster with ADD who didn't do well, I have to say that is in no way an across the board thing. Like I said, I have ADD and my daughter likely does as well, but it hasn't affected us. There are a few other kids in her school with ADD who are thriving. Clearly, that won't be the case with everyone, like it wasn't for you, but it wouldn't keep me from looking into Montessori for an ADD child.


RachelEllen - My kids were both in the toddler program in our Montessori school. My daughter started at 18 months and my son was a couple of weeks shy of 18 months. My daughter had a tough transition but mostly because she had never been left with anyone other than family prior to the first day of school. My son, otoh, LOVED his toddler class. He went in the first day and never looked back. Both kids were there for 1.5 years (they move up to the Primary class within 3 months of their 3rd birthday, so my daughter in January and my son just last month) and were very prepared for primary when they moved up.

My own kids were never in daycares, but I did work in one while in graduate school. I don't have a bad thing to say about the daycare I worked at (and it was in the toddler room, so a pretty good parallel). The kids were happy and enjoyed it. There wasn't really dedicated learning time, but we read stories, sang songs, played with manipulatives (blocks and such) so I definitely would not say the kids missed out on anything.