Montessori once a week - what to expect

[Tigerle]

The Montessori elementary school I am looking at for DS offers a once weekly K program for children who may want to enter the school for 1st grade but do not have access to a Montessori preschool program (taking part is neither a prerequisite nor a guarantee but we were told that children who had taken part for a year would usually get a place if they wanted one). As I very much regretted being unable to put DS in a Montessori preschool I asked whether they would consider having DS (newly four) enter early (and probably continue for two years) and they were fine with it, so we started a week ago.

While I am sure that a good Montessori would be a great choice for DS I am not sure whether DS will enter this particular school for 1st (I hear both good and bad); another strong option would be the local Catholic elementary with the stellar reputation that claims to blend a rigorous traditional curriculum with Montessori-inspired work cycles - not sure how that works but the parents rave about the program so they must do something right. So we may or may not be at this school for the long haul, but not only do I count on some kind of continuation in the elementary years for the Montessori foundation he's laying now, I really want him to get something out of it for this year!

The classes run 90 minutes once a week, usually 7 to 10 kids with two teachers (so far, there are only 5 kids enrolled in the afternoon class and only one teacher; they expect another child to enrol and announced they will probably have two teachers there after all). As it was the first session, I stayed to watch.They do a very short circle time, then a shortened work period, then a quiet exercise before the class is released. They are supposed to bring a plant to take care of and will cut apples for snacks. DS did very well in the first session in spite of being a lot younger. He loved the eyedropper work he was given.

I am wondering just how much of the foundation a child should get in primary can be replicated in a year-long once weekly program, and how best to go about it. How well can a teacher expect to get to know a child in order to have an idea what kind of work to present. Whether it would be a good idea to talk to the teacher about the child and at what point, whether to let them observe for a while before doing so. Whether to mention what the child might be interested in...and so on. Thoughts?

[MattBronsil]

Honestly....and I rarely say this...you stumped me. haha

My only thought is that they may have started an elementary program to let Montessori 3-6 programs move into that. This class may be more to help students develop a basic understanding of the Montessori materials? That's purely guessing. In that case, you might be right...the adults won't know the students as well as if they were in a normal classroom. That doesn't mean they don't know them well, though.

That said, I'd also point out that from a teacher's perspective, meeting with parents is great because I also got to know the students a little differently than I would in a classroom setting. I say meet with the teacher and talk to him/her to both learn about your child and to share what you do know.

[Tigerle]

Oh dear. Sorry for stumping you. I probably didn't explain very well. The local M association that runs the school in our town also runs two feeder 3-6 programs on the other side of the city. Students from our town don't have access to them due to zoning regulations (I live in Europe, with universal preschool, and all publicly funded preschools are subject to zoning regulations regardless of whether they're originally public or private) and our neighbourhood Montessori program is awful. Didn't want to overload my already lengthy post with boring zoning regulations.

While the zoning regulations for private elementaries are different and don't stop students from the city from attending the school in our town, it is simply a long commute for many and I am sure that a lot of the city parents, while liking M for preschool, prefer the free public elementaries for the grades for various reasons. Thus the K program is a way of widening their recruitment base (I have a hunch they are not at capacity and will have to tap a contact to find out why).

So you feel that a program like that cannot go further than giving students a basic understanding of the materials? That would be a pity, I was hoping he'd get more out of it, apart from having fun, which I am sure he will. I am aware of course that all materials are important for building specific skills but I was wondering if some aren't, um, more equal than others? For instance, some of the practical life and sensory stuff are things we are doing at home, too, and are emphasized in his developmental preschool as well. So I was wondering whether I should mention that I think he'd love stuff like the golden beads, or maybe the hundreds board, as he's been teaching himself how to count to a hundred recently (the other day, he joined DH in the workshop and used a folding yardstick to help him count, sometimes getting stuck at the joints), and is trying to understand numbers in the 100s and 1000s (for instance by checking out the temperature control on our oven, an activity I have regretfully had to stop for fear he'll set fire to the kitchen).

Don't make me feel sadder than I already am that the directress of the neighbourhood school is such a nutcase...

[carmel23]

Once per week is just not very much time, yk? Most schools like the kids to be there for at least 3 consecutive days, 4 to 5 is ideal (and it can be short days, 1/2 the day, it is just the repetition). A lot of M is focused on building self-confidence and internal order-- so a practical life exercise might be something that a child can do at home, but the child may still be drawn to doing it at school. I wouldn't dissuade a child from selecting this activity, yk?

And it would be helpful to suggest a child's interest, but in the end that is really up to the child. I think it is hard to judge which works are better then others, because they all go together. The pink tower, for instance, is about counting, but it is also about relationships. It is something to experience-- sure most children can count to 10, but to see and experience going from one to 10 involves all kinds of concepts. Same with sandpaper letters. My daughter was reading small words when she entered casa, but still loves sandpaper letters and 'writing' the letters in sand.

And I am very careful to respect the casa for what it is-- it is a space that belongs to children. It is their community. So sure I may want my daughter to spend her time a certain way, but it is up to her to decide, and cutting fruit might be what is best for the community, etc.

I hope this makes some sense.. :

[Tigerle]

Thank you, it does!
I can tell that stepping back like that would be the hardest thing for me should I become a Montessori parent...I hope I can feel that level of trust in the school (I do feel it in my child, I have to say).

So I wasn't going to suggest anything to my child or dissuade him from doing things, but I will mention this current interest to the teacher. And then step back. Ha. We'll see.

[MattBronsil]

Not saying there can't be much in terms of results. Just saying I have no idea! Never seen a program like that, so it's hard for me to really guess.