How Do I Know If It Is Truly Montessori?

[mrs_oli]

Hi-
I've been checking out schools and have noticed that we have several Montessori ones around, but how do I know if they really follow the principles? I guess as time goes on I would realize it, but I'd rather have a way to gauge it near the beginning.
What are some key elements I should be looking for? Can any school call themselves "Montessori"?
Thanks in advance for any input and thoughts
Michelle

[alegna]

They can be certified by AMI or AMS- those are the two organizations that I would trust.

-Angela

[Lillianna]

Most of my experience is with Children's House, but here is what I know about El. (What level are you looking for?) Look for a clean, neat and spacious environment that is orderly and has many strange looking contraptions on the shelves. For elementary, a true M environment has a 6 year age range. She maintained that this is the only way to provide enough role models, variety of work displayed and respect for individual abilities. The children work together in small groups to research. They are making choices about what they study and with whom as well as for how long. There is a "going out" program where they are escorted out of the class (in small groups) if they need to visit an expert for their research or have some other sort of "experience" such as a concert or play. The work period should not be interrupted by "specialties" such as having each age group attend music or art class. These interest areas should be given equal attention in the class time, so that the child who is interested can practice and that the child who is not interested can do what is interesting to him.
This thread is mainly about the Children's House.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=452416
It is true that any school can call itself Montessori as the name is in the public domain. You can look for an accredidation from AMI http://montessori-ami.org/ for the schools most closely aligned with her descriptions and specifications or if your school is not certified, you can ask the Directress what organization she did training with. For example, our school is not certified at all and would have to take out the "specialties" to make it truly Montessori. However, our Children's House is prepared along AMI principles, because that was my training. AMS (American Montessori Society) used to be affiliated with AMI but made changes (accomodations) to the method and separated from AMI in the 60s. There are various other organizations that have sprung up by people who think AMI is "too controlling" or in some way trying to work against deciminating information about M. I think AMI is trying to protect her work from changes that these other organizations feel are necessary or based on someone's whim.

[mrs_oli]

Wow...great info Lillianna, thank you. I'm thinking of Fall 2007, which I would then have a 3rd grader, K, and pre school. We would be transitioning from HSing so I want to give us lots of time to adjust and prepare my boys.

I really like what I have been reading about Montessori and could definitely see my 4 yr old thriving in that environment. I did recieve a packet from one school, and it in they stated that older children who have not had M. schooling previuosly may need to be evaluated to see if they would do OK in the new environment. Makes sense. So I would definitely need to see where my 7 yr old would stand.

I plan on touring a couple in my area (anyone else on the LA/OC border?). Now I feel like I have more to go from and know what to look for. I hope it is a positive experience

[Montessori Mommy]

Certifications are great, to a certain extent, but it is still just a piece of paper. We have a *really* poor Montessori school in our area that is fully certified. : I would base my opinions on the school itself and the directresses. Most schools will let you sit in and observe the class, this is always helpful, and if they do not give you that option, I would be wary. A great primer for what to look for is the book: A Parents' Guide to the Montessori Classroom by Aline D. Wolf. Because the Montessori name is not copyrighted, anyone or anyschool can claim to be Montessori. If you are familliar with the materials and methods, you can tell if they are truely Montessori. One big thing I'd look for is the mixed age group classrooms, this is really important for the Montessori method to work, as kids learn from intrinsic motivation and their peers, not "teachers". Some schools have classes with only one age group, and this is not Montessori. The environment is also supposed to mimic a kids sized home, so no bi chalkboards, desks, alphabet wall banners, etc. It should have small chairs, tables, sinks, rugs, lamps, and shelves with materials easily accesible to the child based on their size. I would also strongly recommend trying to find parents from various schools and ask them their opinions. Good luck!

[Lillianna]

Originally Posted by Montessori Mommy

We have a *really* poor Montessori school in our area that is fully certified.

I am wondering why do you think it is a "poor M school"/for what reason(s) were you dissatisfied with what you observed? (purely for the sake of my own curiosity) Also, which organization certified the school?
Thanks.

[Montessori Mommy]

Oh boy, this post could be so long, but i'll try to be brief. It is AMS, SACS, and CASI fully accredited. My oldest went to this school for 2 years. The school is very "pretty" it was a brand new building, everything was tidy and organized. The first year went by beautifully, which I entirely credit her directress for. She was very experienced and my daughter loved her, we never had a problem that we needed to take to the administration. The second year was a complete disaster. Many parents left the school for the same reasons we did, it was a nightmare. Here is the short list:

Their administration was awful, didn't listen to parents, they went thru 3 directors in 3 years, each were equally underqualified to handle the large school.

Their teacher retention rate was and is very very low by any standards. I became friends with many of the teachers, and they left the school because of their poor treatment and inadequate materials.

My daughters class the second year went thru 5 teachers (3 lead and 2 assistants), we parents were never informed of the changes until after they happened, and only one of the teachers knew she was leaving (maternity leave) and actually said goodbye to the children. The transitions were very unsettling to the children and the parents.

They left my dd in the bathroom alone and unsupervised for large spans of time (she was just potty training, and would play in the bathroom, once flooding the toilet with paper). One of the times resulted in them forgetting her while the entire class went outside (no head count, obviously), she was found alone and crying by another teacher in her classroom.

When she was in diapers, they let them go unchanged for long periods of time (she had bad rashes) and often her diapers were on backwards when she came home, shoes were often also on the wrong feet.

One of their MACTE certified teachers (all of them are) was arrested on felony charges during the school year, parents were not notified, she continued her employment there after serving jail time, and she was witnessed nail grabbing the ear of a child who was being disruptive by another teacher, this was reported, and she still continued to work there.

Many more things I found out after we left that happened to other parents. The school has been sued 8 times already, and they are also suing teachers for leaving and teaching at other schools. It became obvious in the end, that their focus was no longer the children, but the money.

[Lillianna]

What a sad story. Hope you are now in better surroundings!

[Montessori Mommy]

we are, we followed the good teachers to a different school. i'm just sad for the parents who judged Montessori based on a bad experience.

[AmyLaz]

Just wanted to add that my kiddos go to a wonderful local Montessori School accredited by MEPI (Montessori Educational Programs International). It follows all of the criteria outlined by Montessori Mommy and Lilliana. So, IMO&E, that's a good one to trust as well!

[lerlerler]

Long Beach-er here with a 2yo - so I'm starting my search. LMK what you find!

Originally Posted by mrs_oli

Wow...great info Lillianna, thank you. I'm thinking of Fall 2007, which I would then have a 3rd grader, K, and pre school. We would be transitioning from HSing so I want to give us lots of time to adjust and prepare my boys.

I really like what I have been reading about Montessori and could definitely see my 4 yr old thriving in that environment. I did recieve a packet from one school, and it in they stated that older children who have not had M. schooling previuosly may need to be evaluated to see if they would do OK in the new environment. Makes sense. So I would definitely need to see where my 7 yr old would stand.

I plan on touring a couple in my area (anyone else on the LA/OC border?). Now I feel like I have more to go from and know what to look for. I hope it is a positive experience