Montessori schools: Love them or hate them?

[mommy111]

I have been thinking of putting my DD, 2.5 yrs old, from her old traditional daycare into a montessori. The only issue is that she has finally adjusted to her current daycare and has bonded really well with one of the teachers who she now loves. Is it worth taking her out? I know kinda what the montessori teaching philosophy is, but are montessori's a whole lot better than traditional daycares, and how? Did some of you mommies notice that your kids learnt a whole lot more in montessori? Is it a warm and loving environment (her current daycare is). I would love some input from moms whose kids are in montessori as well moms who decided not to go the montessori route...a little anxious about the transition here since my DD doesn't do too well with transitions :(

[SnuggleBuggles]

Would this be for the fall semester or soon?

All the Montessoris in my area were too far away or inconvenient that I didn't actually pursue them though I was very interested in their teaching philosophy. I do love ds' preschool though so I have no regrets. :) Great staff, no turn over, parents can be really involved, and the kids seem to be happy and thriving. :)

My friend is now sending her 3yo to a Montessori and I have been pretty impressed with the things he has been learning (he knows all sorts of dif't types of birds, for example). But, I wonder how much that kind of learning (I'll call it "flash card learning" or memorization) really stays with the kid. Also, her school is really, really strict. Her ds was put in a 15 minute time out the 1st week of school and he hadn't done anything that merited such a harsh punishment (like he hadn't hurt himself, someone else or property). That could very well just be her school and not associated with the overall model.

What I want out of a preschool is a place for ds to learn social skills and have access to things that will aid him in his journey to school (like being read to, lots of opportunity for gross and fine motor skills development, and just exposure to the world around him). Personally I am not too concerned with the academics. I am more interested in learning through play.

Remember that not all Montessoris are created equally so visit and ask lots of questions.

I think that if she is finally adjusted, happy and doing well that you may just want to stay there at least till next year. No need to rock the boat.

Beth

[icunurse]

I think it really depends on your child and the school. I know two former teachers from 2 separate Montessori schools and the recommended that we NOT enroll DS into one. Both felt that they are overrated and were disappointed after they started working there. I can give your more insight, but I do not want to offend anyone with their views (which supported my gut feelings). I also know a co-worker with 2 children who enrolled her kids in a very prestigious Montessori for the first few years of school and ended up finding her kids very much behind on learned skills when they started kindergarten/first grade and had to get them tutored to catch up. I really think you need to do your homework about what the school's philosophy and method's are, what your goals are for your daughter, and how the two fit together right now. Too many people buy into the hype of a school or think spending the money means a better outcome, but every school is not a fit (or necessary) for every kid, KWIM?
DS - 2004

[californiagirl]

DD is not in a Montessori school because we adore her current school, but our two closest parent friends both now have kids in Montessori school. In my opinion, EVERYTHING depends on the school -- DD's school is a child-led developmental curriculum, and I think she gets a lot of the same stuff from it. And there are a lot of Montessori schools that I think are too rigid. I loved Montessori school as a kid (so did one of my friends with her kid there now, and that was a big factor in her decision). K, who's been in Montessori since November, is adoring it; it's a warm, loving environment and he's learning a lot more stuff (he was 2 in November, so we're not necessarily talking academics, but things like he blows his own nose). H just started this week, so there's no full report.

Good Montessori schools will also work with you on the transition. K visited A LOT, and then went part-days, before he went full-time.

[JBaxter]

Nathan attends the pre-primary program. He is speech delayed and probably w/ some impulse control issues. He is doing WONDERFUL in the program. What helps him is that he can choose to go from activity to activity the less structured invironment is a good thing for him right now. His fine motor skill , verbal skills and attention span has improved greatly. He will attend 3 days a week next year and we will evaluate either a 5 day a week program at the same school the year before kindergarten or he will also be able to attend our public PreK program because of his speech IEP.

For preschool at least I have been very happy.

[kcandz]

We recently toured a Montessori school and they were very up front about saying the school is not a choice for someone who is just looking for a preschool. They described 3 year chunks of school, I think pre-primary and primary. If a parent transitions their child for kindergarten, apparantly the transition will be extremely difficult, because of where the child would be developmentally in Montessori education vs. traditional. They said the transitions at later grades went much better, and in fact the Montessori kids often found themselves ahead of traditional educational philosophies. This is the school talking. I have no experience with it.

[writermama]

As PPs have said, it all depends on the school and thee child. Some Montessoris are very hard core method, some are flexible, and some are just day care that figure they can charge more if they buy a few materials and slap the Montessori label on their center.

I went to Montessori and loved it. I'm currently looking for a Montessori for my DD.

Properly applied, Montessori aims to give children a love of learning. They create a child-friendly atmosphere and materials for children to use in self-directed learning. Teachers provide guidance as needed. Self-discipline and independence are valued, however, social development is also fostered because of the multi-age classroom and kids helping one another.

I have toured 2 schools so far -- one I really didn't have good feelings about and another that I really liked -- and talked to parents with kids in 2 more schools (one is rigidly hard core, the other is glorified daycare). The differences between the 4 schools are huge. It can also depend on the individual teacher within a school.

The other thing is that Montessori profoundly influenced early childhood education -- expectations about what kids could do and ideas for encouraging child-led learning. Many non-Montessori have borrowed aspects of this.

If your child is in a warm and loving environment that offers opportunities for self-directed learning, she may be in a place just as good (or better, for her) than a Montessori. If you want to check out a few schools in your area (without your DD), you'd get a better idea.

HTH or at least makes sense.

[jess_g]

Thanks for posting this. I just visited a very strict Montessori school last night. It was not what I expected. It was a lot different than the daycare/preschool my son is in now. The room was all aranged with toys on different trays and the children were to take a mat and sit it down with one tray or one toy and play with that and then put it away and get another one. Each toy had a purpose to teach a letter or a number concept or to teach how to play a game or something. It was a very interesting idea but I wonder what type of child would best fit in that enviornment? It was just a bit too neat and orderly for me and did not seam to fit in with my son (who I do beleive is related to Curious George with all his climbing and jumping and getting into mischief). It would be perfect for the right kind of child but I don't know if my son is that child. It seamed like a quite and less active child would do better there. Am I right with this thinking? They do have outside time but still it seamed like the kids needed to be very quite and orderly throughout the day. Of course it was the best location ever (right next to my older sons school and the best hours too but I think my son would not last long there before the teachers got tired of his antics).

Jessica.

[muskiesusan]

>My friend is now sending her 3yo to a Montessori and I have
>been pretty impressed with the things he has been learning (he
>knows all sorts of dif't types of birds, for example). But, I
>wonder how much that kind of learning (I'll call it "flash
>card learning" or memorization) really stays with the kid.
>Also, her school is really, really strict. Her ds was put in
>a 15 minute time out the 1st week of school and he hadn't done
>anything that merited such a harsh punishment (like he hadn't
>hurt himself, someone else or property). That could very well
>just be her school and not associated with the overall model.

I wanted to clear up that the Montessori method does not use flash card or memorization as teaching tools nor is academics a focus at the preprimary level. In fact, the goal of botony in the classroom is not that a preschooler will have long term knowledge of birds, frogs, plants, etc. but instead to introduce an understanding, an appreciation, and exposure to the world around us. By using an interesting subject, the concept of patience is taught by discussing life cycles and seasonal changes. Also, many of the works done in this area promote prereading and prewriting skills.

I am also surprised to read that this school uses time outs as a means of punishment. The schools I have visited and the one Nick is enrolled in are big on natural consequences. They also teach the children to work out conflict with each other if it is possible.

To the OP, I would visit several Montessori schools to get a feel for how the school is run and also check out how the teachers are trained. In our area, most teachers have at least a bachelors degree in Montessori education and a masters is not uncommon (a local university has an awesome program).

I love our montessori school and we plan on sending Nick as long as we can (the school goes through 6th grade). In addition to the prewriting and prereading skills he is learning, the "works" he does reinforce patience through multi step processes, personal hygiene, social skills, respect for others and objects, and many other things I am forgetting! Almost everything found in the classroom has mulitple purposes and skills are being taught that you might not realise, so ask questions. Oh, and I love how they teach math in a very concrete manner through use of beads (instead of just talking about abstract numbers such as 1000, the child can actually see the number illustrated though 1000 beads).

Okay, I can go on and on, so if you have any specific questions, let me know. I really am pleased with the program and highly recommend it.

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[muskiesusan]

> It seamed like a quite and less active child
>would do better there. Am I right with this thinking? They
>do have outside time but still it seamed like the kids needed
>to be very quite and orderly throughout the day.

Of course, every Montessori school is different in how they operate, but in my experience, the Montessori classroom has been wonderful for my active child! Nick is constantly moving in the classroom (I get exhausted when I have to follow him around). The classroom is set up to encourage movement around the different areas as children this age cannot be expected to sit for long periods of time. Also, you will be surprised as to how well the children adapt to respecting the materials and putting them away when they are finished. I was a bit worried when I enrolled Nick as he is very active and not at all independent, but he has thrived in this environment for the past 1.5 years. Our classroom is not noisy, but I wouldn't say it is quite. More of a controlled chaos, kwim?

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[kelly ann]

I have had the same experience as Susan. In fact, DS gets a lot more physical running around time at his Montessori school than he did in his previous daycare. I believe the philospohy can work for any type of child. DD is very independent and would fit right in to the school seamlessly. On the other hand, DS is not too independent, but he thrives at the school and it is encouraging him to be more independent. Sure the kids may be quiet while in the classroom, but once they are in the gym running around the noise is deafening. I guess our school does a very good job of balancing the active periods with the more quiet/work times

[almostamom]

Just a little bit of info I thought would be of use. This is from www.montessori.edu

"The name Montessori is not legally protected, and can be used by anyone, for any purpose; it is vital that anyone searching for a good Montessori school or teacher-training center be aware of this"

With that said, determine what you expect from a preschool and find one that matches your wants and needs. The label on the door doesn't necessarily equal a learning or teaching style.

HTH,
Linda

[jadamom]

I love the Montessori school that my daughters go to. One thing that has been most important to me is that in the Montessori school, the teaching is individualized for each child. Each child works on materials that are right for his level of development. The curriculum is individualized for each child so that the child isn't bored by things that he has already mastered or frustrated by things that are too advanced for him. I love that they focus on nature and the global community. They play outside, swim in the summer, go sledding in the winter, go on field trips to the planetarium or natural history museum, learn about animals, geography, community, grace and courtesy, practical life (window washing, scrubbing, polishing, sweeping, washing dishes) in addition to math, drawing, painting, reading, and writing stories. I had to transition my DD from a regular daycare, where she was happy, in the middle of the school year to the Montessori program. I was worried about the transition because she cried for a few minutes each time I dropped her off when we first started at the daycare, but she transitioned beautifully. If you can find a good Montessori program that you feel comfortable with, give it a try!

[ribbit1019]

Susan,
We are going to an open house next Saturday for a school for Maddy. The program is from 3-6 which is perfect for us.
Do you have a reference or two I can read so I can properly judge this school? Or even some questions I can ask? Any help at all would be appreciated. :)

Christy
Wife to Richard
My Waterbabies
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[ribbit1019]

A,
The Solon Creative Playrooms Montessori is the one we are thinking of going to (closer to my parents so they can help with pickup if needed) They are having an open house next Saturday from 10am to 2(?) pm, call them for details. We are going on March 10th early since DS's b-day party is that afternoon.

Here is their info:
Creative Playrooms Childcare and Montessori Schools
32800 Solon Road
Contact: Kathleen Milliken, 440-248-3100
Hours: 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Total staff: 35
Licensed capacity: I-30, T-64, P-172, S-108
Lunch provided
Programs available: P, F, K, A
Registration is ongoing
Toilet training not required
Special programs & services: Spanish, indoor pool, chartered kindergarten, warm meals (breakfast and lunch)




Here is the info for the UH one (you prob already have it but JIC:

Montessori School of University Heights
23599 Cedar Road
Contact: Maria L. Wood, 216-381-8388
Hours: 9 a.m.-noon
Total staff: 4
Licensed capacity: T-5, P-20, S-10
Lunch not provided
Programs available: P
Registration begins Feb. 1
Toilet training required
Special programs & services: affiliated with the American Montessori Society, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, three-year program beginning at age 3 includes kindergarten


And the one in Little Italy:
The Montessori School at Holy Rosary
12009 Mayfield Road
Contact: Tina Schneider, 216-421-0700
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Licensed capacity: T-2, P-89, S-89
Lunch not provided
Programs: P, F, K, A
Registration is ongoing through out the year
Toilet training required
Special programs & services: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, AMI accredited through the sixth grade, close proximity to the cultural resources in Little Italy and University Circle


Christy
Wife to Richard
My Waterbabies
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[thomma]

Well put, Linda.

Kim
ds&dd 5/03

[miki]

My DD has been in a traditional sort of preschool classroom where the class does stuff as a group and the teachers are directing them to their activities. Now she's in a Montessori influenced non-traditional school where the activities during the day are more child-led. She is happy in both settings but I chose to put her in her current school because I liked the creative, artsy stuff they have available for the kids every day whenever the kids feel moved to make a mess. Now that I've seen her attend the two kinds of school, I agree with what her current teacher told me when I toured the school--all the kids are good at adapting and learning from their environment whether it's traditional or something else, they will make friends, and have fun no matter what; it's really the parents that have to be comfortable with the school and the teaching philosophy.

[mommy111]

Christy,
Thank you so much! I am going to send you an email/pm later on in the day, you prob have a better idea about some of these places than I do and I would love some input.
BTW, those are ADORABLE photos of the kids, is that a new hairstyle on Maddy? I loved her little 'two pony tails' pic that you had before, but she looks so cute and poised in this one!
Ady

[mommy111]

Thank you all for your answers! Those were awesome! One of my problems, I think, was that I never 'observed' in DD's current daycare, so I have no idea how good it is, we had just moved and my parents loved it so I just put her there based on what they said. I think I may try, as some of you suggested, taking her to the montessori to see how she does for a day or so before making a final decision. I want her to be taught some of that pre-reading stuff etc, but also, I liked the discipline of having to get boxes from a shelf, then put them back, get a mat, then roll it back, that montessori instilled. Also feed the fish etc. Seems to me like that may instill some calm into her active life.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Definetly look around her current school. They may not be doing all these sorts of things with a 2.5yo but in our school the 3's+ have official daily jobs (that rotate) like head clean up helper, feed the fish, water the plants, line leader, "librarian," napkin passer-outter, cup passer-outter...they all have jobs to do every day to keep things running smoothly. And they love their jobs.

Most schools, from what I can tell, expect kids to be involved with caring for their space and having responsibilities over themselves and the classroom.

Beth

[ribbit1019]

A-I talked with the UH school and they are having observation from 8:30 to 10:15am this Monday/Tuesday, I am going to Tuesday I think, DH can't go, :(. But call Maria if you want to go (her # is in my post above)

Christy
Wife to Richard
My Waterbabies
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/steitzsmith/Other/jump.gif

[lizajane]

DS1 and DS2 go to traditional preschool, but i plan to look into montessori for DS1 for kindergarten, etc. because he is VERY active and i am concerned that the sitting still would be hard for him. after speaking with some montessori teachers (who i met randomly) it seemed to me that they used the child's interests to teach the basics. for example, knowing all the birds might be more about sounds of letters than biology. i mean, if the child was interested in animals, they might use birds to begin to teach reading. the different bird names reveal different letters and sounds to the child. because he is interested in birds, he is more likely to focus on learning the sounds because he is excited to learn bird names (and doesn't necessarily realize he is learning sounds.)

does that make sense?

it all sounds FABULOUS to me.

[madelinesmom]

In our area, most teachers have at
>least a bachelors degree in Montessori education and a masters
>is not uncommon (a local university has an awesome program).


I am curious about he local university you cited in your post. I went through Montessori training and certification in Houston at Houston Montessori Center. http://www.houstonmontessoricenter.org/ Betsy Coe PhD. is the Director and they are affiliated with AMS. When I attended their program I was a certified teacher going to work for a public school system that was implementing a Montessori program within a Pre-K program, 8 teachers were put through the 6 week training program. As far as I know there is no "bachelors" degree in Montessori education. A person with a high school diploma can go through Montessori training in six weeks and do a 1 year student teaching at an approved Montessori school with observations and they are a Montessori Teacher. The student teaching would be comparable to a paid aid position.

To the OP I found the Montessori classroom to be a wonderful environment. I taught in a Early Childhood class for 3 years. Children helping each other, usually always busy, and always working at their own level. Be sure to check each school for their credentials there is AMS and AMI, they are different.

HTH...

Madeline 1/20/03
Emily 11/29/05
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http://b1.lilypie.com/-FG1m6/.png

[muskiesusan]

Xavier University offers a bachelors and masters in Montessori education. Here's a link:

http://www.xavier.edu/montessori/

I understand that it is not common in other areas of the country to have teachers with this kind of a background. We are looking to enroll in Montessori through at least the elementary age and I am glad to have a resource of well trained teachers (as part of the Montessori degree, you also certified to teach in a traditional setting and take early childhood development classes). Honestly, I do not know how I would feel about teachers whose only educational training was a six week course (even with an internship), especially at the grade school level and for the cost of tuition.


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[muskiesusan]

Christy,

Mothering.com has a Montessori forum with a sticky that is full of great information. I would also read up on the differences between AMS and AMI certified schools to see which fits your style better (in a nutshell, AMI tends to be more strict in the interpretation of Marie Montessori's writings than AMS schools). I would also make sure to ask about the level of parent involvement in the school and how open the classroom is to you. Some schools are very strict about the parent not visiting classroom. Our school is pretty open and we have an observation window in the classroom (I love this).

I am lucky to know several Montessori teachers (I went to Xavier, see below) and pretty familiar with the philosophy, so I knew what I wanted out of the school. It really is important to visit a few for comparision purposes. I thought I loved one school here until I visited another, kwim?

I will email if I think of anything else and feel free to do the same if any questions come up. I'm not an expert, but I do know what I like and don't like about my school and the one I visited!

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[Tracey]

We love our Montessori school. It's practically utopia as far as I'm concerned. All of the teachers are AMS certified. One has a masters in Geography, another has a masters in Oceanography, another has a masters in English Literature, and the rest have a B.S. in Early Childhood Education. These women are well educated and have a passion for what they do. This program only goes through K5, but I agree with you, I'd be concerned if these were 18 year olds with a 6 week course under their belt. I know for a fact that the other "Montessori" school in town does employ minimum wage workers with just a training course. As other posters have said...do your homework on the place because they are not all created equal.

[ribbit1019]

Thanks Susan,
I will definately look on MDC.
We have an appointment to observe on March 15th. I believe it is an AMI school and if so DH isn't likely to be into it. I am hopeful for the other school but because it is also a daycare am afraid it might be one of those slap on label kinda deals. I prefer Montessori, he prefers anything cheap, IYKWIM. I don't want to pay $6000 a yr (what another Montessori school costs, yikes!) but ew don't have anything free around these parts. ;)



Christy
Wife to Richard
My Waterbabies
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/steitzsmith/Other/jump.gif

[ribbit1019]

Thanks Susan,
I will definately look on MDC.
We have an appointment to observe on March 15th. I believe it is an AMI school and if so DH isn't likely to be into it. I am hopeful for the other school but because it is also a daycare am afraid it might be one of those slap on label kinda deals. I prefer Montessori, he prefers anything cheap, IYKWIM. I don't want to pay $6000 a yr (what another Montessori school costs, yikes!) but ew don't have anything free around these parts. ;)



Christy
Wife to Richard
My Waterbabies
http://lilypie.com/pic/070228/Yrlv.jpg http://b3.lilypie.com/H-lkm5.png
http://lilypie.com/pic/070228/sSDo.jpg http://bf.lilypie.com/tkq-m5.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/steitzsmith/Other/jump.gif

[madelinesmom]

Honestly, I do not know how I would feel about teachers whose only educational training was a six week course (even with an internship), especially at the grade school level and for the cost of tuition.
>

Susan,
I am really impressed with how Xavier has intertwined the Montessori Method throughout the curriculum, I am curious to google and see if other college does this. It is very unique indeed. I agree with your comment about the six week program and internship. Sometimes parents see the word Montessori and look no further. It is just a name and as always parents should do their research...

Thanks again for the link...

Jane
Madeline 1/20/03
Emily 11/29/05
http://b4.lilypie.com/l3-em6/.png
http://b1.lilypie.com/-FG1m6/.png

[supercalifragilous]

KIDS' COMMUNITY
I interviewed 6 schools, 3 of them Montessori, before choosing the current Montessori school DD is in now. During DD's "interview" process, I liked that the instructors observed her unobtrusively and how protective they were about the integrity the children's environment/community. In the particular classroom she is in, she was a good fit and got accepted. I love that they foster a sense of community. Each child feels "ownership" of the classroom and responsibility for keeping it clean and harmonious. I think it is a great precursor for them to care about how they fit into the environment and global awareness.

All Montessori schools are different and I can't stress enough along with the other posters that you should visit each school. When I stepped into DD's classroom for the first time, the "vibe" I got from the classroom environment and the teacher was instantaneous and I just KNEW it would be a perfect fit. She didn't do well with transitions either, but I could tell she immediately felt "at home" there and we didn't have any problems. I was shocked.

TRADITIONAL VS MONTESSORI
As for the method, I look at Montessori as personalized tutoring within a kid community versus a traditional classroom get-it-or-be-left-behind setting. Again, it is different in each school.

I actually like that they group the kids into the 3-year spans of preschool, preprimary, and primary - DD will be in the same class next year where she will be able to master her skills and be confident enough to teach others and be a leader. I agree that kids learn best by doing and learn well when taught by other kids. You don't necessarily *have* to stay in the same class for 3 years - since it is personalized to the need of each kid, they will be at their own pace in any classroom since that's part of the Montessori method. At her school, preschool is ages 3,4,5. Preprimary is 4,5,6. Primary is 5, 6+. Most kids stay in each classroom (preK, preprimary) about 2 years, depending on when they started the program.

DIFFERENCE IN LEARNING ATTITUDES
Compared to DD's school last year (a co-op, whose teacher only went through the 6-week STARS program), I have seen an immense difference in the way DD learns. Last year, she was more about playing and absorbing what Ms. Jackie taught (which was next to nothing - she totally sucked!). If she didn't get a concept, she was off playing and forgetting the whole concept. It was an "oh well" shrug-your-shoulders attitude. Ms. Jackie didn't care, either - her attitude was that she did her job by presenting the material, "they're JUST preschoolers..." she said. My thought was, "Well then why do you even bother?"

This year @ Montessori, her curiosity level is different - she is calm and inquisitive and she loves to learn. She actually wants to work at something until she gets it. Granted some of that can be age, personality, and temperament, but I believe if she was still @ the co-op, it would be different. This Montessori school fosters her drive for learning/absorbing material and encourages her to think beyond the box. I wish I had started her last year instead of wasting time at the co-op, but she wasn't potty trained at the time.

MATRICULATION
I think the general consensus is that traditional and Montesssori education are about equal at around grade 3. Matriculation into conventional school is good at that time, and again at grade 6. It all depends on the individual, of course. We committed to staying in Montessori until at least grade 3 at which time we'll reevaluate where she is. It's hard to tell b/c Montessoris don't always participate in national standardized tests so you don't know where your child may rank in accordance with the other community schools. Usually Montessori schools like to brag that their kids are academically above their peers at that time. Again, each school is different though.

WORKS/LEARNING MATERIALS
Looking at the Montessori "works" or learning materials will give you a glimpse into the Montessori method. Ask the teachers to show you what they are and what skills they teach. It's amazing how the same materials are used all through their primary grades and applies a different, more advanced principle as the kids get older, especially when it comes to geometry and mathematical skills. They focus on laying a good foundation and teaching a child when the child is ready to absorb the concept, especially when it comes to botany, astronomy, physics, etc. Remarkably, they are usually teaching the kids stuff which I previously thought was "too advanced for their age." But they really don't underestimate the learning power/hunger of kids.

For instance, at DD's school, when teaching letters, they focus on teach the phonetic sound first, which I believe is a contributing factor to why they have some 2.5-year-olds who already know how to read simple 3-letter words. English is the only language that names their letters - in other languages, the "name" of the letter is actually the phonetic sound. Kids have to "unlearn" the A-B-Cs to learn the phonetic ah, buh, cuh's and that could be a hinderance, depending on the child.

There is a lot of good info out there but the bottom line is, you have to find out about the particular schools you're interested in. We are totally in love with ours (if you can't tell) and I wish you the best of luck in your search & decision! :)

[mommy111]

Thank you so much for taking out the time to type out that very comprehensive answer.....it really helped clarify, for me, the differences between montessori and traditional.

[mommy111]

Christy,
Sent you an email, what did you think?
Ady

[ribbit1019]

I think it would be cool if they were in the same school. :)

I don't have anything about Ratner or Horizon. If you have info I'll take it. I am in the beginning stages looking for fall which is not good since many of the school had an app deadline in Feb.

Christy
Wife to Richard
My Waterbabies
http://lilypie.com/pic/070228/Yrlv.jpg http://b3.lilypie.com/H-lkm5.png
http://lilypie.com/pic/070228/sSDo.jpg http://bf.lilypie.com/tkq-m5.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/steitzsmith/Other/jump.gif

[mommy111]

Well then, we're in the same boat, I'm calling up those places sometime this week to get appts for next week maybe (if tehy're willing to give me appts)!
I hear the fancy music school is pretty good, just don't know which one it is!!! (the advantages of being in a new city!!)

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

We send dd to montessori and she's doing very well. It is the International program and not the national. But i thought in this case i'd let DH respond since he went to mont. through 6th grade-so with no introduction:

As others have said, Montessori is very child-led and hands-on. The curriculum starts with real-world skills: washing, polishing, sweeping, that sort of thing, then moves on to more abstract concepts. Every activity is multilayered. For example, one of my favorite activities involved a block of wood with wooden cylinders of varying depths and diameters set into it. You pull the cylinders out and replace them. When you're seventeen months old, this is big fun. This teaches perception of varying size, and helps develop the fine muscle control and three-finger grip required for writing later on. Another one is the binomial cube, which is a puzzle comnposed of cubes and rectangles. It teaches problem solving, shape matching, and (eventually) quadratic equations. (It's a tactile representation of a quadratic formula: (a+b)3. When I got quadratics in high school math, I was able to factor them intuitively. Drove my teachers nuts.)There's more, but you get the point.

Each school is going to interpret things a little differently. My daughter's school is run by a woman who was my first teacher, way back in mumble-mumble(1971), and she does things differently from what I remember. The work is the same, but the structure of the day is different. There is a lot of social interaction in the classroom: older kids help younger kids, they prepare snacks for each other, often two kids will do the same activity together, so it's not just each child in private absorption in their activities. Best of all it teaches focus. You start a task, you work to completion, and you clean up after yourself. (My dear wife might say that last part didn't stick with me too well; I plead the Fifth.)Definitely observe a class or five, get a sense of the teachers and administration, and most of all see how your child reacts to the space. If she runs right over to something, takes it down, and starts playing with it, that's a pretty good sign. :-)

Vince

[mommy111]

Vince,
Thank you for the description. My one concern was that the montessori we were looking at didn't do a lot of the traditional 'colors, numbers, alphabet' etc thing with the kids in my observation sessions. I loved the 'you take out stuff, complete it, put it back' thing that they taught and the environment, but I was a little concerned academically. However, it sounds like a lot of layers of complexity are built into the system, and if it teaches them problem solving, that's a big, big positive.

[ribbit1019]

Here is the info:
The Cleveland Music School Settlement
http://www.thecmss.org/ec.shtml
11125 Magnolia Drive Cleveland, Ohio 44106
The registration process for the 2007 - 2008 school year begins with a new parent Open House, Sunday, November 12, 1 - 3pm. Call the Early Childhood Education Registrar at (216) 421-5806, ext. 305 for information.
Contact: Sylvia Easley, 216-421-5806, ext. 305
Hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Licensed capacity: T-28, P-128, S-18
Lunch not provided
Programs available: P, F
Registration begins Jan 1, 2007
Toilet training required
Special programs & services: traditional preschool curriculum with emphasis on the arts, science & literature, before/after school programs

I really want her to go here, but she'll be on the waiting list even if we were able to get in for an appointment. So stressful!!

Christy
Wife to Richard
My Waterbabies
http://lilypie.com/pic/070228/Yrlv.jpg http://b3.lilypie.com/H-lkm5.png
http://lilypie.com/pic/070228/sSDo.jpg http://bf.lilypie.com/tkq-m5.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/steitzsmith/Other/jump.gif

[supercalifragilous]

I just wanted to comment on these -

ALPHABET
I described above - at least at DD's school, they stress the phoneme instead of the actual name of the letter. Makes it easier to sound out words. They also practice writing letters. Instead of tracing letters, they do what's called Rainbow Letters (also Rainbow Numbers). Within an outline of the letter of the week, they use different colored pencils to draw the letter, staying within the lines. Each sheet has a picture to color that emphasizes the phonetic sound of the letter. For instance, if this week's letter was A, there would be a picture of an apple.

The structure comes where at the beginning of the week, the child does one sheet of rainbow letters, the next day it is two sheets (there are two outlines of the same letter per sheet). Then gradually they will compile their Rainbow Letter Book, which is four sheets of the same letter. In each outline, they have used different colored pencils to draw the letter many times. So basically, the work builds on itself. By the end of the week, the letter will be firm in their minds.

NUMBERS
Same thing with these - Rainbow Numbers. When you visit the class, ask to see the Golden Beads. Also the wooden spindles. Lots of kids know how to count to 30 (or whatever) but it's just memorization - they don't grasp the concept that 30 is more than 15 (quantity), only that it comes after it in order. The Golden Beads really help the kids to grasp quantity in measurements of units, tens, hundreds, and thousands. So if you ask a kid to show you 2546, they will pull out 2 thousand blocks, 5 hundreds blocks, 4 tens blocks, and 6 unit beads. The binomial cube that Vince mentioned earlier is also really cool. DD's class just started using that after Christmas break.

The cylinder apparatus that Vince mentioned was also a favorite of my DD's. The ingenious thing about Maria Montessori's inventions is that they have a thing called "control of error" - the work cannot be completed unless it is done correctly. It is impossible to cheat and get it right.

IMO, our children are rewarded from a very young age and they get to where they do tasks eyeing the prize. Worst case scenario, they learn to devise short-cuts or cheat in order to finish the tasks to receive the reward and not grasp the very concept the task is designed to teach. I think as a whole, we are a very reward-oriented society. Dr. Montessori's materials discourage that behavior - the child gets their reward by doing a job well done (which cannot be achieved unless it is done correctly and they must employ their reasoning skills to complete it).

Here's a PDF overview of some of the materials they use in a Montessori classroom:
http://www.edvid.com/materials.pdf

COLORS
In DD's class, they have combined the color lessons with the practical life pouring activity. They provide bottles of primary colors and the kids make their own colors (green, purple, orange, etc). My DD learned how to create the colors as she learned their names. Her teacher also knows sign language so she was taught that too, so the 3 (name, sign, and which colors combined to make it) went hand-in-hand.

It's just amazing how the curriculum builds on itself and teaches concepts simultaneously. That's what I mean by them not "dumbing it down" for the kids - they are totally able to grasp multiple concepts at once and in fact sometimes it actually helps it stick.

They also incorporate the concepts while teaching foreign language, zoology, geography, botany, etc. Earlier in the year they learned the 7 continents (overview - name the continents) and land & water forms (lakes, peninsulas, etc).

Now they are taking each continent and studying it extensively. For instance, South American rainforests, ecology, culture, language, plants (parts of plants/botany), animals (parts of the animal/zoology), things that we use in daily life that came from South America (like how cacao pods become chocolate), land forms of the continent, etc. The kids are really getting a well-rounded education. It's just amazing how much they fit into 3 hours a day!

[albertinamel]

I sent my daughter to a Montessori kindergarten after having been at a *wonderful* non-Montessori preschool program. Overall, we had nothing but bad experiences with Montessori.

First off, let me say that she started kindergarten already reading at a second-grade level and knowing most of her basic math facts. She is a quick learner and mostly taught herself to read between ages 3 and 4. (I wasn't one of those moms who sat down and devoted every waking hour to teaching my kid to be an early reader. She just picked it up on her own.) By all accounts, her other teachers have labeled her as "gifted."

Montessori had zero structure, and that was a disaster for her. She is very creative and artistic, so she spent almost all of her time on art. Even if they gave her the golden beads, she would just play with them. Since there was basically no instruction, she just floundered and came home day after day having done more art. At $1000/month, it was a complete waste of time. Any math or reading or writing she learned was all from her having learned at home.

Also, the social dynamic in the classroom was cold and unfeeling. None of the children seemed to actually laugh or have fun. There was one girl who taunted mine, and the teacher did almost nothing about it. She would use her calm, inflection-less, Montessori-teacher voice and tell the other girl that she was being "inappropriate," but she never actually punished children who were being naughty or showed them how to behave more kindly to other children. One child was kicked out of the class (he had major behavioral issues and would do things like pull down his pants and "moon" the classroom). When he left the teacher said to the children, "Montessori is a special place, and it was not a good fit for him." My reaction was, "B.S.!" There's nothing that special about Montessori, so get off your high horse. It's just an approach, and it's not even that great of a one from what I can tell. Plus, it wasn't a bad fit. The kid couldn't follow any rules, so he was asked to leave. Period. The funny thing is that for all the political correctness the teacher espoused, the kids knew the real scoop. My daugher said, "I think he had to leave b/c he was so naughty!" :-)

By Christmas, we withdrew her and placed her in the public school. From Day One she flourished. She had tons of friends and was laughing and bubbly about school again. (She is a very outgoing, loving little girl who typically has tons of friends, so seeing her personality sort of die on the vine at Montessori was distressing for me as a parent. It was great to see her so happy again.)

For all the public school detractors, I would say that it really depends on your school. The one area where my daughter is under-challenged at public school is math. She needs to work about a grade level ahead, but the teacher doesn't really accommodate her. I myself am a math tutor, so I just teacher her at home using materials for one grade ahead.

So that's my Montessori experience. It pretty much sucked. I lost a $2k deposit with I withdrew her, but I didn't care. Also, some may wonder why I had enrolled her in the first place. Well, I had heard so much about their great manipulatives for mathematics that I decided to give it a try, knowing that math was the weak spot in our local school district. However, the thing I realized was that any teacher (even a traditional one) can implement good manipulatives by ordering them online, but sticking good manipulatives in front of a kid with no instruction won't necessarily foster any learning. For mine, it just resulted in her playing with the tools.

Sorry to be the big downer on this thread, but I really wouldn't recommend Montessori to anyone. The kids I've known who have continued w/the method beyond third grade are actually way behind grade level when it comes to things that just have to flat-out mastered, like grammar & punctuation, long division, etc. They might have discovered some cool thing about botany on their own, but they actually are behind in the three Rs, imho.

[hillview]

DSs go to a montessori school and it is great. DS1 really needed a program like montessori. DS2 would have been fine anywhere but montessori works well for him too.
/hillary

[JBaxter]

Hillary... did you catch this is an 2007 thread?