Hello,

I am seeking input on what might be a good choice for my daughter. I am drawn to the idea of Montessori and have visited the few schools in my area. I think I am rudimentally educated about what to look for in facilities, credentials, etc. I have even attended a parents educational night at one of the local schools.

My daughter is 27 months. She has been in child care since August 2008 when I returned to work. I don't know if I would call it a "day care" or a "play-based preschool." It is an indepently owned school (not a franchise chain) but they are open year-round, not just the school calendar. She is happy there, she likes her teacher and the other kids and I have no complaints. They have a great facility with a terriffic park and will have a garden and water play this summer. (Some of the daycares around here have an asphalt pad for a playground.)

Although I am not ready to start with the "gifted" label yet, I do think my daughter is developmentally above average. She is tall for her age, good with her gross motor and fine motor skills, she has an extensive vocabulary, she knows her letters, colors, and shapes, (we're working on numbers), is very curious, she listens well, shows compassion for other people and is just generally happy and bright-eyed. But, her learning style is just emerging.

So, my question is: even though she is doing "fine" where she is, could she do "better" in Montessori? I am particularly drawn to the M way of teaching math as it seems like traditional methods of teaching math are failing, especially for girls.

But, my daughter loves crafts at school and it is my understanding that M schools do not do as much of the artistic/creative work. Also, she loves the outside play time and the M school we are considering seems to limit that to just 30 minutes a day.

My hesitation is that I don't want to mess up the good thing she has going for an unknown, yet I feel this draw to M school. I know I won't know for sure without giving a try, but I want to minimize disruptions as much as possible. If we make the switch and she starts being unhappy and saying she doesn't want to go to school, I will kick myself.

I am not thinking about switching until later this year (maybe Septmebmer)after we are further along in the potty training and she would be 2.5 then.

Thoughts? Thank you!

Thoughts? Thank you!

One thought I'd like to add is that this:

But, my daughter loves crafts at school and it is my understanding that M schools do not do as much of the artistic/creative work.

Isn't correct. At least in what I would consider a well run school.

I had the same concerns about arts & crafts, but dd has done a wide variety of activities. For the first few months she brought home paintings or rubbings nearly every day. The class made clay coil pots, flower arrangements, paper mache animals. Lately she's been doing a lot of mosiac/collage projects and drawings with the metal insets.

I agree, generally no scarcity of artwork. Also, many Montessori programs have outdoor work as a component of their program, so maybe that is something you could look for, if you haven't already picked a school? It's very particular to the school (and climate) IME.

I also have to say, though, that there's never a guarantee with any program. In theory, Montessori is fabulous, and I think you are perfectly right about the educational opportunities available in a Montessori classroom (in regards to not only math, but also reading, writing, spelling, zoology, botany, geography, culture, and so on). But in practice, there's a lot of interpretation, so it's all about finding a school that is a good fit for your family and child. It's not easy to see what's going to be really important to you from a few visits. When you start a new school, you are always taking a risk. Honestly, though, you don't hear about a lot of Montessori train wrecks.

Thanks for your replies everyone. I'll ask the school more details about the arts/crafts and outside time.

I know any new school is a risk. I'm concerned about both the transition itself and the transition to the M method at the same time.

Perhaps there are not as many "Montessori Train Wrecks" as "Daycare Train Wrecks." It just seems like the disappointment when M isn't a fit seems to be so much greater because the hopes and expectations are higher. (Not to mention the tuition.)

Add to the fact that there aren't many schools in my area from which to choose, and that's why I am stuck.

I appreciate all your input. Thanks!

For many academically gifted young children, Montessori can be a lifesaver. That in my opinion is because the 2.5-6 plus environment offers children a multitude of works at their interest level, while the overall social environment is at their level regardless (due to the multi-year format). Such that a three year old wanting to work on the trinomial equation can (using a concrete representation), while at the same time learning to figure out how to respond to an annoying other 3 or 4 year old classmate at circle time. And some very cognitively gifted kids are a little reticent socially, so that the 3 year or 4 year preprimary cycle can actually give them enough time to feel comfortable socially, so they can learn to speak up when they are not being heard, or when they feel things are not appropriate, to make them better. Luckily, the scope of the works across all the curiculum areas allow for the continued progress of the slower and the faster learners...with the added benefit for the gifted child of pursuing an interest for the sake of mastery rather than praise or accolades.