Switching from Montessori to play based

[Anonymous]

My two year old loves his Montessori classroom and the teachers say he does well there.

Next year, I would like to switch him to the play based preschool at his older sibling’s school. It seems like a wonderful place, but to be honest my goal is to have one fewer pick up and drop off.

He likes pretend play, and being active outdoors, both of which are big parts of the new school.

Has anyone made this switch and how did it go?

[Anonymous]

Switching schools is a big deal that young, but honestly the philosophy had little to do with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Switching schools is a big deal that young, but honestly the philosophy had little to do with it.

Why do you think it’s a big deal relative to other ages?

[Anonymous]

He will be fine. I taught at a play based preschool and play-based doesn't mean zero teaching, it means making the learning fun and meaningful to the child. The students that I taught still learned their letters and numbers and colors and shapes, but they did it with play doh and wiki stix instead of worksheets and drills. They spent time outside observing animals and discussing habitats. They learned how to take turns and share and negotiate play and sit for story time and open their lunch containers and put on their own coat and shoes and pull their pants up and down--things that many Kindergarten teachers care more than if they come in reading CVC words.

If it's a caring place that your child feels safe, it will go well. Your job now is to not stress about the transition, kids pick up on parental stress.

[Anonymous]

IME it takes 3 or so months for kids to adjust to a new school at this age, maybe longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IME it takes 3 or so months for kids to adjust to a new school at this age, maybe longer.

I was kind of shocked how fast he adjusted to this school. He was at home with an parent until this fall.

I am not worried he won’t learn in play based. His siblings all did half day play based starting at 3. He’s just so happy at school, and I wonder if that will transfer to a new place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I taught at a play based preschool and play-based doesn't mean zero teaching, it means making the learning fun and meaningful to the child. The students that I taught still learned their letters and numbers and colors and shapes, but they did it with play doh and wiki stix instead of worksheets and drills. They spent time outside observing animals and discussing habitats. They learned how to take turns and share and negotiate play and sit for story time and open their lunch containers and put on their own coat and shoes and pull their pants up and down--things that many Kindergarten teachers care more than if they come in reading CVC words.

Our Montessori has every one of those things and we know of other so-called Montessori schools where the same is true. Outdoor playground time plus outdoor classroom, where they talk about how seeds become plants and then flowers, and then flowers produce seeds. Zero worksheets. Zero drills. Free play for long periods daily. Individualized learning, no pressure and no sitting in desks.

We have seen schools which say play-based be flexible and offer individualized learning. We also have seen schools which call themselves play-based which have daily worksheets and weekly drills.

At least in Metro DC, we find that the terms “play-based” and “Montessori” are largely meaningless. We have seen both flexible and rigid schools call themselves play-based. We have seen both flexible and rigid schools call themselves “Montessori”. One really ought to look at each school individually, and mostly ignore the labels.

[Anonymous]

When we moved DC from one preschool to another, we talked with DC about the change each day for about 2 weeks before the transition. For us, that seemed to help because they understood the change was coming. Not sure if it works for all kids…

[Anonymous]

I don't like Montessori. They like social skills and not enough play to stimulate exploration and creativity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like Montessori. They like social skills and not enough play to stimulate exploration and creativity

Comments like these are truly unhelpful and misleading. The focus on independence in Montessori does not come at the expense of learning social skills! The Montessori curriculum is infused with social skills--it is called Grace & Courtesy. And children "play" all day--play is the work of the child! As long as a child is not doing anything dangerous or destructive, they have the freedom to explore and be creative. And my kids' Montessori school has at least 2 hours of unstructured outdoor play per day.

If anyone is seriously considering a Montessori school, first check to make sure that it is an authentic program with teachers who are actually trained. Montessori is not trademarked so any type of program can call themselves "Montessori." A real Montessori early childhood program would not have any drills or worksheets!

OP: Based on child development theory, children between 0-6 do best with routine and consistency. But, if your child has already handled transitions well, it is likely that switching schools again won't be such a big deal. And if the additional drop off is currently adding stress to your life, your child is likely absorbing that stress, so it would also be beneficial for him if it helps your family overall!

[Anonymous]

I meant Montessori lacks social skills and most kids falls behind in math

[Anonymous]

Our Montessori has every one of those things and we know of other so-called Montessori schools where the same is true. Outdoor playground time plus outdoor classroom, where they talk about how seeds become plants and then flowers, and then flowers produce seeds. Zero worksheets. Zero drills. Free play for long periods daily. Individualized learning, no pressure and no sitting in desks.

What school is this? I’m looking for montessori recs

[Anonymous]

They make kids antisocial, with the lack of social play, too much individualized activities. Like an army

[Anonymous]

We switched from Montessori to Play-Based and it was the best decision we've made for our child. I'd say it's very much based on personality. Our older child thrived with the routine and structure of Montessori but not our younger child. I'd also say that a teacher with lots of experience at Montessori is key to the success. They need to have strong classroom management skills.