learning styles and montessori

[shrinkmom]

I'm considering Montessori in a year for my four-year-old and want to make sure that it would be the right fit for him. He's a kinesthetic learner so I appreciate all the materials he can manipulate. That part is well suited to him. However, he also learns well by using his imagination and wants to immediately act out what he has learned or he wants to incorporate imaginative play while doing a work (I recently began Montessori homeschool for my 2 boys). For example, while completing the knobbed cylinders, he pretends the cylinders are passengers on trains and he puts them in their "coaches" and then wants to line up the entire set and push it around. How would he fit in a Montessori school setting and how would they address his behavior? At home I've allowed him to engage in his pretend play as long as he is completing the work and not disrupting his brother.

[PaxMamma]

from my experience, this would vary a great deal depending on the director/ess. i would speak w/him or her and find out exactly what would happen in this siutation. then determine whether or not this would be the best fit for your child.

[nkm1968]

I'd recommend observing in different Montessori classrooms, so you can get a feel for the director/directress and the environment. At my younger daughter's Montessori school (AMS), there are 5 preschool (3-6) classrooms, with 5 very different directresses and 5 very different environments. We have been thrilled with her experience, but observed each classroom twice before turning in our final application with specific request for a directress. And if she were not to have been placed in that classroom, we wouldn't have accepted the place, even though the other four classrooms were each excellent, it would not have been a good fit for her. That is my OPINION, though, not a fact or a criticism if some don't agree.

[MattBronsil]

It does depend a lot on the person running the classroom.

Based on a survey done by John Chattin-McNichols in the 1980s (?? Not sure of when it was), he found that most teachers would not interfere with that sort of imaginative play. I say "most." So talk to the teacher, observe the classroom, and get a feel for whether it's a good fit.

Generally speaking, Montessori teachers are not against this sort of creativity. It's when he's suddenly turning them into Superheroes where we begin to see the gray area. But again, it's all in how they interpret what they think is right. So it's best to talk to schools you are considering.

Matt

[Rose-Roget]

It sounds like your son has a pretty similar learning style to mine. Is it possible for him to try out a classroom or two for a week or so? My son will start in the fall and I am very excited! One thing I noticed during his trial week (from one of the schools, not as much the other) was that his creative play and story-telling at home became much more organized and elaborate. I don't know if he had just reached a period of development at the same time or if it was some effect of the organization of Montessori that supported him in areas that aren't "Montessori-esque."

[shrinkmom]

I didn't know you could do a trial week. Is this standard practice? Can you typically tell quickly if a child is or isn't a good fit with a school?