Montessori Elementary School

[DopeyDame]

Does anyone have a kid attending (or attended) a Montessori Elementary school? If so, what do you think? My DS is currently in a Montessori primary class and is thriving. His school goes up to 6th grade now, and is in the planning stages for 7th and 8th grades, so they will almost certainly be there by the time he gets there.
We have to decide about grade school soon and I'd love to hear some first hand experiences from a Montessori elem program.

(Please no "my sister's cousin's dog's best friend's aunt is a teacher who thinks the Montessori method lets the kids run amok and not learn anything." Thanks!)

 

[bananasplitkids]

I attended a Montessori school from the age of 3 - 6th grade. I think Montessori is an excellent choice. I loved the integration of grades. For example age 3-K, 1st-3rd, and 4th-6th were grouped together. The way it worked for me was the teacher taught lessons based on skill level in small groups, while some students were working with the para-professional, and others doing work on their own vs. many schools that focus on certain skills for everyone. This led for less confusion for students where work is too far advanced for them. The thing I really liked was the choice students have on the work they want to perform. For example each day we were given a list of activities we had to complete that day, but the order of those activities was up to us. The teacher would check frequently to make sure we were on track. In all I had a great experience with Montessori and after leaving I was able to skip certain classes in middle school due to me already knowing the material. I will say that Montessori is not for every child. My cousin also did Montessori and it did not work for her, she was too distracted by everyone doing different things. A successful program also depends on the teacher, a trained teacher will make a significant difference.

 

[Lisa71]

Each Montessori school is different and not all do everything the same way. Many only use part of the philosophy making a visit to each specific school a must. We have 3 within 10 miles and all are very different.

 

[Ladcassidy]

My Kindergartner goes to a Catholic grade school with a Montessori component. She LOVES Wednesdays, when she gets to go to the Atrium (the Montessori class).

 

[freepixie]

I used to work at a Montessori Charter school as a teacher's assistant.

Success of the program depends on the management and the individual teachers in the classrooms.

The one I worked at was a disaster, the managment was horrible, and the teachers belittled the children. I had to quit my job before the school year was over because I was on the brink of a mental breakdown from how I was treated by the lead teacher and the president.

For some children, it was a good experience, for others, the teacher in the room told them that they weren't smart, they would never amount to anything in life, etc. It was a horrible situation all the way around. I expressed all of these concerns over and over to fall upon deaf ears.

Just be aware of what is happening at your child's school. I know many Montessori programs will not allow the parents to enter the building- stop and wonder, why? Why won't they allow me to see my child? Pay attention to your child's moods, etc.

God bless you if you have found a great program! I do believe the method works and can work for many children, under the correct circumstances. Unfortunately many places use the Montessori name, but very little that happens in the room can be attributed to Maria Montessori.

If you have any questions about my experience, ask away, I have no problem talking about it

 

[EmJay2001]

My dd did casa and grade 1, my first son did casa and my last son is in casa right now. We really like the Montessori method of teaching, my first two kids are great students now and I blame Sue (their Montessori teacher) . We believe it gives them a really good starting base for learning. We only did Casa and dd to grade 1 but I thought Montessori teaching philosophy only goes to grade four?

 

[DopeyDame]

Thanks all!
My DS is there now in the primary (casa) program for 3 - 6 year olds and doing great. The definitely allow (and encourage!) parent participation, meetings with the teachers, etc. All of the teachers are AMI trained and certified, so I feel good about the school in general. I'm just really trying to think through the risks and benefits as he gets older.

bananasplitkids, can I ask you some more specific questions?
Did you have any trouble transitioning to a more traditional program for junior high?
Did you feel that the freedom you had left any glaring holes in your education?
How big was your school? My son's school is pretty small in the upper grades (~25 kids in 4th - 6th grade) and I'm concerned that that could limit his opportunities for making friends, extra-curriculars, etc.
Did you ever have a situation where you were stuck in the same class for 3 years with a kid (or teacher!) that you really couldn't stand? I understand, and really love, the benefits of the mixed ages, but I do have a fear about what happens if there's a classmate with whom your really don't click.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[DopeyDame]

For some children, it was a good experience, for others, the teacher in the room told them that they weren't smart, they would never amount to anything in life, etc. It was a horrible situation all the way around. I expressed all of these concerns over and over to fall upon deaf ears.

it

That just makes my blood boil. I don't care what kind of teaching philosophy you use, that crap is never OK.

 

[cheer25mom]

It depends entirely on the program and the child. Not every program is a good one and not every child is suited to the Montessori concept. Mine was in a good program but HATED it. She much prefers traditional school.

 

[Robinrs]

We enrolled my niece in the Park Slope Montessori school in Brooklyn YEARS ago and it was the best decision we ever made.

She thrived there, not only academically but made life long friends with people she NEVER would've met in the school I went to!! Helped a lot when she grew up and became an investment banker.

When I had my son my thought was to enroll him in a Montessori here in Georgia. Unfortunately I heard nightmare stories about the ones in my area so I decided to save my money. Like the PP said, they're only as good as who is running it, and it's so sad that the one my niece went to closed last year. It was phenomenal back in the day.

 

[bananasplitkids]

Thanks all!
My DS is there now in the primary (casa) program for 3 - 6 year olds and doing great. The definitely allow (and encourage!) parent participation, meetings with the teachers, etc. All of the teachers are AMI trained and certified, so I feel good about the school in general. I'm just really trying to think through the risks and benefits as he gets older.

bananasplitkids, can I ask you some more specific questions?
Did you have any trouble transitioning to a more traditional program for junior high?
Did you feel that the freedom you had left any glaring holes in your education?
How big was your school? My son's school is pretty small in the upper grades (~25 kids in 4th - 6th grade) and I'm concerned that that could limit his opportunities for making friends, extra-curriculars, etc.
Did you ever have a situation where you were stuck in the same class for 3 years with a kid (or teacher!) that you really couldn't stand? I understand, and really love, the benefits of the mixed ages, but I do have a fear about what happens if there's a classmate with whom your really don't click.

Thanks again everyone!

The first couple of weeks were a little harder to get used to, which I think is normal for most kids. Especially with most of us this was the first time where we would be switching classes, having more than one teacher, etc.
My school was part of our local school district and was pretty big. The school had 6 classes per level (childrens, lower elementary, upper elementary) with about 20 students per class. The school also provided extra-curriculars such as boy and girl scouts, dance, basketball, choir, and orchestra.
I did have one teacher where the first year we got along fine, the second year not so much, but the third year we were ok again. I also had some instances where I was with classmates that I did not get along with. Usually these issues was handled with the counselor who was very involved in all of our classes. Also if issues persist the parents can arrange for a student to get moved to another class, or sometimes the school will go ahead and make that call if the issue persists. I know in some of my classes students would be moved after the semester or in year 2 or 3.

 

[mjaclyn]

My daughter began Montessori in Kindergarden and is now in Second Grade. She absolutely loves going and seems to be doing well. My son just started pre-school there this year and so far he's having a great time. The school goes up through 8th grade. I agree with the previous posters that NOT all Montessori schools are created equal. You really have to visit the school, ask about their qualifications, etc. Many schools claim to be Montessori but really aren't. I'm very happy that the school my kids are in is a good one. It's very small, but still offers a lot of different programs like Spanish, sign language, gardening, and cooking to name just a few. You just have to make sure it's right for your child because I can definitely see how some kids may need more structure in their day in order to learn better.

 

[cntrygal]

My daughter attended a montessori school for several years. It was the best thing for her, I wish she had been able to attend longer. Public school wasnt for her. She's homeschooling this year and is appling to college for the fall. Montesori really allowed her to self pace, which she really needed, as she was so far ahead of her age group, but still allow her for a while to be with her age group which was good for her socially.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I can't really contribute as my DD is only 10 months old, but she's currently attending the "infant" portion of a nice Montessori around the corner from where I work. I'm interested to see what others have to say about the program, although we're only planning to have her attend it through Kindergarten, at the most.