What do you think of Montessori? - Page 3

[JuJu814]

love the philosophy

For us it seems like the perfect fit for our children, particularly my son.

As strong believers in homeschooling, I have held personally that it is the ideal learning environment..until I discovered our local M. school!

As far as how they rank among other children after M., standardized tests and so forth. I frankly don't care. You cannot measure a childs intelligence, knowledge and character by a standardized test. You can find some things out..but I place little value in them.

What I love so much about the M. method is the child is allowed to be who he is and progress at his own pace...and learning style.

I guess I'm biased as I am very anti public school.

I have been struggling with enrolling my small children in school as I really thought I would homeschool them but I just don't know if I can do it right now with running a home business and our two small children are soooo different than the older one. But, because our philosophy of education has been shaped so much through our homeschool experience with our older daughter, I could not bare the idea of placing them in a traditional school setting. That is why for our famlily, this M. school seems ideal.

It's also TWO minutes from our house~!!

Julie

[Lillianna]

Originally Posted by JuJu814

You cannot measure a childs intelligence, knowledge and character by a standardized test.

So true!

[TranscendentalMom]

Wow! I can't believe my thread was dug up and is still active.

Thought I would give an update. I ended up finding a wonderful Montessori school that is run by a woman who is Montessori trained but not licensed. She chooses not to be so that she doesn't have to follow rigid guidelines. IMO, I've found the best of both worlds. They do so much creative work - art table, costumes, etc. And she also has all the traditional Montessori materials. She's a wonderful teacher and ds is so happy there. Ds has been there 2 years now. The year he turns 6, I may move him over to the other Montessori school in town as this one only goes from 2-5. I haven't decided yet. I do love Montessori philosophy so far but I'm glad that I found a place that is a little more relaxed.

[ltr]

TranscendentalMom - what town/city are you in?? Just curious. My son is starting at a small Montessori school in W-S today!

[TranscendentalMom]

ltr I live in Boone, NC! Hi neighbor! Hope your son enjoys his new school!

[fireflies~for~me]

Hey TM...remembering you from when we lived in Asheville....I am thinking you have a pretty cool Montessori school up there where you are. Don't know personally, but I remember I liked what I saw on their website.

[Delta]

Digging this thread up again because this:

Originally Posted by NewMoonMama
IMO, Montessori can too be to rigid in terms of how the "work" is used. The material is set up to be used in certain ways and children are re-directed or asked to put it away if they are not using it "correctly." For example, the pink cubes are meant to be used for grading from smallest to largest. If a child is building them and knocking them down, he is disrespecting the material (according to Montessori philosophy) and is asked to put them away. IMO, there are many other ways a child could use a particular thing, and this is disruptive to that creativity.

describes perfectly my concerns with the Montessori that my son is about to enter. I considered myself somewhat familiar with the M method, but today I was a bit taken aback by the fact that there is really so much in that room that my son isn't going to be allowed to play/work with because he hasn't been given a lesson on it, or because he won't use it for its intended purpose. How does this work with 3 yo's in the primary classes? They are so curious and tactile and imaginative about EVERYTHING...at least my son is. I just worry that I am setting him up for something he can't handle.

[sparkletruck]

:

[JanB]

In my experience, it really depends on how the particular Montessori school approaches this issue. At the Montessori preschool where both my son and daughter attend, they do "present" works to the kids and demonstrate how they are to be appropriately used. They will also come and assist children who appear to be using the works inappropriately, sometimes. I have observed, and it's always done in a very gentle way: "Oh, Zeke, I see that you are working with the number beads. May I help you count to 10 with them?"

However, at our particular school, the teachers will almost never simply take a work away from a child or ban them from using it, simply because it is being used in a "non-Montessori" way. Heck, yesterday when I came to pick Zeke up from school, he had one of the sensory works out that has a variety of tubes that you can press on using different amounts of pressure (it's hard to describe this thing, sorry!) and he was picking them up and making little rocket ships out of them while they flew around in the sky. It was not a problem. Now, eventually a teacher probably would have come over and helped redirect him to use the work appropriately, but a certain amount of creative use of the works is definitely permitted.

This is probably one of those things that has a lot of variance between individual schools.

[Terabith]

My 3 yr old started in a wonderful Montessori school shortly after her second birthday. She loved it until this past September when a lot of her friends were moved up to primary, but as she was not three yet, she had to remain in the toddler room. (Per state regulations about ratios, not school preferences.) She became increasingly unhappy, didn't want to go to school, was acting up at school, and was very whiny and uncooperative at school and getting in trouble/ being disruptive/ etc. The very AP director urged me to listen to my heart and to the child and withdraw her. I am still very torn, because I really REALLY believe in Montessori (and have even set up our dining room as a mini Montessori room with various activities and apparatus), but I'm not sure Anna is cut out for it. She gets so belligerant when told how to do something. She does thoroughly enjoy many Montessori activities, but on her own terms. She might enjoy stackign the pink tower correctly, but she also might just as likely build it incorrectly and knock it down and object when urged to put it away/ treat it with respect. (And we have a set of unit blocks for regular building in the other room.) I would also really like to see a Montessori school with a room for Montessori activities, a Reggio Emilia style art studio, a Waldorfy dramatic play room, a large motor activities room, and an outside Montessori environment with a garden, with freedom for children to flow from one environment to another as they chose, with both a Montessori trained guide and a Waldorf or arts inspired guide. 30-40 kiddos from 2 1/2 - 6 1/2 and several adults. A 3 hour work/ play period, outside time in a playground or forest/ natural area, Waldorf style circle and stories, and if children stayed for the afternoon, after lunch (family and Montessori style, wash dishes, etc), and (optional) rest, organized activities in small groups (music, motor skills, art, Spanish, etc). More playtime indoors and out. Maybe I should get a business loan and start this school? Anyone wanna help?

[RomanGoddess]

Terabith, it sounds like your daughter just resents being stuck with the younger kids.

[Terabith]

That was certainly a big part of it. But she isn't the most cooperative in many other activities and situations. Im wondering if right now she just needs to be pretty unstructured for awhile. The five days a week was too much for her, too, I think. My current plan (not that I'm certain it is a good one) is to send her to a play oriented preschool a couple days a week next year and then back to Montessori for prek, along with her little sister who will be three then. They can be in the same class then, which I think will be good for both of em.