The post monster just ate my post!
I've been reading (this thread, and others suggested), thank you very much for your replies.
I think I get the work thing now - sounds reasonable. I like the idea of doing one thing, finishing it and then puting it away, and respecting the materials. I have difficulties with finishing things so I'd like to avoid my daughter developing the same trait.
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| her independence and self-sufficience lend itself well to Montessori. Those self-sufficient/independent traits are the kind of thing that Montessori tries to bring out. |
This is exactly what she's like - the more I read the more I can see it suiting the way she is.
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| I'm not concerned about the lack of imaginative "fairy story" type play as we have fairies and elves at our house... |
, I agree - and we wouldn't be full time, so there'd be plenty of time for imaginary play for the rest of the day. I don't like the schools on the opposite end of the spectrum which tell them they will have fantasy and it will be fantasy brand x. It's OK if her imaginary friend is a talking vacuum cleaner, not a fairy!
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| The problem with Montessori is that Maria Montessori did not want to copyright her ideas, so schools take a little bit of this and a little bit of that and then say they are a Montessori school.. Any school can call themselves a Montessori school without having to honor the actual Montessori philosophies. So it really depends solely on the school and each school can be vastly different. I would suggest visiting the school you are considering and observing their practices. |
Good advice, thank you. Although this could work in our favor if we decided we wanted Montessori flavor, but not strict.
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| Another point the OP should consider, is that Montessori is not something that just happens when the child is in the classroom, but a way of life the whole family needs to be open to. The posters who have stated ways their child demonstrates independence and an interest in real involvement in the home life obviously find that this approach to human development agrees with their family and parenting style. Many parents do not feel they have the time to let their child 'do the vacuuming' (you KNOW you're doing it again later!) or help with food preparation, and do not see the long-term benefits of this involvement. |
That's a very good point, thank you. We actually don't know if we could afford a private preschool, now that we've seen what they cost, so I might end up with the reverse - two morning at our co-op preschool, and instituting Montessori principles at home.
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| This thread seems to be to come here and bash Montessori which I find strange - but it could just be my perception. |
Yes, Kailu, I did want to hear the bad side or bad experiences, too. You learn a lot from people who've had bad experiences, even if you disagree with them. I was looking at a another style of schooling, was quite enamoured of it from reading the pro- threads, but then reading people who'd had bad experiences horrified me. Some very important things about the philosophy and how it works were totally glossed over. So before putting my child into a situation for a significant period of time I want to know everything about it. I'm sorry if you find that confronting, but if you're secure in your decisions you should be able to accept that what you chose might not be right for everyone. However, it seems to be an overwhelmingly positive response - two people saying don't stay Montessori until they're 10, and it's expensive are all the criticisms I've seen.
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| but please don't belittle it in an area to share about this style - its just out of place. |
Sorry, I posted in Parenting, it was shifted to Montessori, not school comparisons, by admin. Ask them if you'd like it moved again. I didn't know there was a schooling forum when I posted.
Now I just have to figure out if we could afford it!
I'm not sure how he'll react when he hears he will be spending him mornings doing "work".
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