Worried about too much school too soon.

[KBecks]

OK, so I just read this article and am worried about DS having too many hours at school too young. 3-4's get 1/2 days 5 years get full days.

I think M would be great because I think he is bored at home and that school will be great for him. Do you consider M to be 'play based' even if it is not play, it's work? KWIM? Do you consider M to be academic at age 5?

I expect there should be no pressure on my DS to perform at M school so he'll be fine, but at the same time I'm worried...

Is 5 too soon to start school?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/7234578.stm

A good friend from playgroup who is German says that in Germany all kids start 5 days a week at age 3. Do you consider M to be preschool at ages 3-4-5- even though the kids may be doing more academic work and showing more academic progress than their peers at the same age levels?

[gottaknit]

I don't think this article is anything to worry about with regards to Montessori. They are talking about conventional schooling; sitting in desks, raising a hand to speak, homework, exams, silly rules, standardized testing, etc... This is not Montessori. I wouldn't describe Montessori as "play based" (that's more like preschool/daycare), but I certainly wouldn't consider it "academic" either. It's its own thing.

[wondermama]

Well...I'm Waldorf not Montessori but...I think it sounds like too much! They have their whole (kid) lives to be in school, and my little one (when he was 3 1/2) would come home a bit stressed after a half day. I think, trust your gut -- does it feel like it's too much for your child? And, would you miss being with him all day?

[mightymoo]

I don't think its too much. My DD has been going 1/2 days (3 hours) since age 3, though she will stay with half days next year (age 5), many school systems in the area are moving to full day kindergarten.

I do think of montessori as both play-based and academic, but not in the way the terms are traditionally based. All the works teach the child something, so in that sense its academic, but they also are enjoyable and the child chooses what to work on, so in that sense they are play based.

I think the differences are apparent right at the beginning of the article "English children are ploughing through a fixed curriculum" - that doesn't sound remotely like montessori.

I also do buy the Montessori concept of sensitive periods. DD is fascinating by reading and writing, math and whatnot. She is clearly very receptive to these concepts at the time, no one is pushing her into anything and trying to teach her by rote. She is enjoying learning and does not have any serious responsibilities or grades to worry about, I don't feel like her childhood as been 'curtailed' as a result.

[KBecks]

Has your child ever been stressed by school? Or have there been any classroom concerns you have had to deal with? I so want my sons' first education experiences to be positive. Thanks.

[gottaknit]

The only stressor for us was separation anxiety right in the beginning. DS had never been to daycare or preschool or even left with a babysitter more than a couple of times. Our school started him off very slowly. The first several days were 30 minutes, then 1 hour, then 2 hours, and then after 2 weeks he started going the whole 3 hours.

The first two weeks he cried when I left every day. It would have been awful enough for us to quit if it weren't for the fact that I was able to watch through the window and see that he stopped crying within 2 or 3 minutes. Then he would become engrossed in his work, or just start playing/talking to other kids. (Our school is 100% open to parents observing through the one-way mirror any time we wish.) Anyway by week 3 he was walking right in without any problem, and it's been wonderful ever since.