how useful is Montessori for the 2 to 3 year old?

[neonalee]

My DS is in a "Montessori" daycare. Really it's a standard daycare with Montessori leanings. They go to the conference. They have small tables/chairs/sinks/toilets. They have Montessori materials and supposedly they do circle time. I don't think any of them are certified (which COULD be ok depending). When I read about what other kids are doing and see what they are not doing at his daycare.... It isn't an overly expensive place, so it's not like I'm spending more for the name. I just wonder, at his age would he be getting enough more out of a true Montessori school to justify the increase in price? It would be 200 or 300 more per month. Of course whether or not we could afford it is another question all together.

He just turned 2 beginning of August, so he would be changing class next year. I also wonder if it's better to just wait until he is 3. I guess I just don't really know what to expect at his age.

Opinions welcome!

[nyssaneala]

It's hard to say, not knowing very much about the two daycares/schools you are comparing. Have the daycare teachers had any training in Montessori? Do they introduce the materials in a Montessori way (3-part lesson)?

I would try to observe the teachers in both schools, as well as reading up on the Montessori philosophy, to understand what a Montessori school should be.

Some of the Montessori books I liked are Teach Me To Do It Myself, Montessori Play and Learn, and How To Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way.

[thehighernest]

Are you just trying to get an idea of what goes on in toddler Montessori room? I can share our experience last year. The 2-3 year old room was not 100% Montessori (though the rest of the school is an AMI school). This means that there were traditional Montessori materials -- but also a small handful of toys and puzzles (like Melissa and Doug types, etc.). Some toys would only come out on Fridays, but others would be available all week (like say the dollhouse). The children were still encouraged to do lessons; so, for instance, some of the things my child did that year was to punch pin shapes, lots of pouring activities, matching up little objects to the beginning sound letters (as in, he would match a little horse figure with a large sandpaper h letter), etc. Mine was still mostly interested in playing with toy cars though . But I can tell you from visiting the classroom there were also plenty of opportunities for art, lacing cards, beads and buttons, sorting activities, etc. They also worked on things like potty training, taking shoes on and off, good manners, etc. I hope this helps.
 

[neonalee]

Thank you it does help. We are considering changing where my son goes. Where he is is an acceptable daycare. Where we are considering is a good montessori, but also a couple hundred more a month. I'm just unsure if the difference at this age is worth the extra $. or should wait til he turns 3. Still thinking...

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[neonalee]

Also thanks for the book recs (my last post was interrupted, sorry). I think I might take my lunch time soon to observe his age group at both schools & look for differences. Not sure how I can observe his class without him knowing though, I'll have to ask. I'm also going to instruct my fiancé to start asking what kinds of things he did daily, which means an earlier pick up since his "teacher" usually leaves at 5 or 515. We were planning earlier pick up for fridays anyway since their after school activity that day is a movie

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[neonalee]

The daycare teachers are not certified in montessori. Supposedly they do follow the methods & get additional education at the yearly conference.

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[thehighernest]

Originally Posted by neonalee 

Thank you it does help. We are considering changing where my son goes. Where he is is an acceptable daycare. Where we are considering is a good montessori, but also a couple hundred more a month. I'm just unsure if the difference at this age is worth the extra $. or should wait til he turns 3. Still thinking...
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For us, it seems much more valuable in the current 3-6 class/group, but as we were looking for a new school the previous year and we didn't have to make too many changes, it made sense to just start him there in the 2-3 class and leave him there until K.

As it turned out, our school already had three completely developed 3-6 classrooms, but decided to open a fourth, where all the kids were just 3 years old and would become the foundation for that room. My son was only one of two boys placed in that room who had been at the school before, and it worked to his benefit. Because he was already familiar with some of the "Montessori ways" (sliding his chair back in when leaving his work table, carrying his work tray carefully, not disturbing another child's work, not running in the classroom, etc.), he emerged as a leader, and it really helped his confidence.

[thehighernest]

Originally Posted by neonalee 

The daycare teachers are not certified in montessori. Supposedly they do follow the methods & get additional education at the yearly conference.
Sent from my phone using Tapatalk, please ignore typos!

We got to an AMI certified school, but I think the toddler 2-3 year room is the exception. All the 3+ main teachers are certified, but only some of the assistants are.

[Momtessorian]

Hello there,

I am a Montessori elementary parent and a trained AMI Montessori Toddler teacher. Whether or not montessori is worth it, depends on what you want for your child. The montessori method is most beneficial and ideal for the younger child. The earlier you start, the more beneficial it is. Most people are unaware of the benefits for the toddler age Montessori students.Whats happening from birth to three?

Language development, psycho sensory motor development, practical life ( care of self, others, environment), 

grace and courtesy

The child's first introductions to math, and the acquisition of functional independence.

Go visit other schools where the teachers are AMI trained and see if there is a difference. If you are paying for montessori education, that is what you should be getting. 

Let me know if you would like to know more, I am happy to help. 

[Momtessorian]

Also, there should be no toys in a montessori toddler classroom. If the school is AMI and the education authentic montessori, yes there are puzzles to refine the grasps and development of wrist flexion, but these usually have different size knobs. The materials in this area are known as psychomotor development materials. AMI primary classrooms have puzzles as well. A certified AMI recognized montessori toddler community will have trained teachers. If the teachers are not trained, maybe the program is fairly new.

As a trained montessori teacher, It is my duty to share my education and experience with other. Highernest, I apologize, but I must inform you that the program your child attended was either and AMS school or not a montessori at all. If the board of AMI directors saw a dollhouse in a montessori classroom, there would be no license or recognition. Montessori is expensive, our school is around 1600 a month, but there is no reason the authentic side of montessori should not be offered.

[thehighernest]

Originally Posted by Momtessorian 

Also, there should be no toys in a montessori toddler classroom. If the school is AMI and the education authentic montessori, yes there are puzzles to refine the grasps and development of wrist flexion, but these usually have different size knobs. The materials in this area are known as psychomotor development materials. AMI primary classrooms have puzzles as well. A certified AMI recognized montessori toddler community will have trained teachers. If the teachers are not trained, maybe the program is fairly new.

As a trained montessori teacher, It is my duty to share my education and experience with other. Highernest, I apologize, but I must inform you that the program your child attended was either and AMS school or not a montessori at all. If the board of AMI directors saw a dollhouse in a montessori classroom, there would be no license or recognition. Montessori is expensive, our school is around 1600 a month, but there is no reason the authentic side of montessori should not be offered.

You do not need to apologize , but I assure you it's a school with AMI certification; however, they make it absolutely clear that their toddler program does not fall under the AMI umbrella. This was actually a perfect fit for me, as my one big issue with Montessori (my opinion) is that the children do not play, in the very sense of the word, enough.

In fact, the school recently reported, and I quote: "Our governing body, Association Montessori International, recently conducted their on-site evaluation of our school. They were full of high praise over the levels of focus and concentration our students showed! They also complimented our teachers and assistants, commenting on their control of the class and high level or work being done. They loved our beautiful facilities, too. Overall, a great visit and evaluation!"

Also, the school hosts a teacher training program in the state, where graduates receive the AMI primary certificate. And you can find them listed in the official AMI USA page in my state: http://www.amiusa.org/school-locator-2/

So I don't think they've taken too much offense to the 2 year olds playing with dolls!

The 3-6 year old rooms are 100% Montessori though (and they also have an elementary program).

[JoyFilled]

I wouldn't care until he is 3.  As long as you are happy and he is happy save your money.

[neonalee]

just saw the notifications on this thread. momtessorian, I appreciate the professional input, even though I saw it late. so, just to wrap up, we just switched after winter break. we waited as long as we could to help with finances, but when I got a small raise at work it put us in range & we went for it. I'm SO GLAD and wish we could have done it sooner. we can already see a difference. we loved his teacher at the old place and have become very friendly with her. she's part of the reason we held out as long as we did. but the truth is that she was overworked, the "school" was chronically understaffed, the lunch program was junk. changing schools is worth every penny. I also wish we had switched sooner because he literally started talking about friends by name about a month before the switch, so that part has not been easy.