Pros and Cons of Montessori education?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]My niece has a child in this form of school, the child is smart however i feel in her case she sent the child here because she is just lazy. the child cooks food and does everythin that has to be done for self. while she sits back and does nothing. this child isn't going to know what a mother is for. not sure i like this type of education in cases where you have self centered parents and lazy parents.[/quote]

This post makes next to no sense. Are you implying that Montessori is an option for lazy or self-centered parents? If so, you have no idea what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Our son is in Montessori since he was 3.5. Now he is 8.5.
We all happy we found this school and discovered this methodic of education. We see amazing results. Teaching team is absolutely extraordinary.

Together with science kids learn great respect to people and society; they learn values of the world.
Our son writes essays and poems - just give him any topic. He has many researches completed in different areas of science (physics, chemistry, history, biology, geography and so..); he speaks, reads and writes on 3 languages. Together with very wide and deep knowledge of different science, he learned photography, woodworking, cooking, design, drama and much more. Every day he surprises us with some knowledge which we even do not expect he could know.
He loves his school and we plan him to stay in this school for few more years.

I observe huge difference when he is rounded by same age kids from public schools.
We never considered getting him to public school as they give very low level of education and behavior aspects of public schools are not what we expect.
I am not sure why Montessori teacher who initiated this post misleads people. Probably she/he was involved to some negative story and now she/he want to revenge such way.

We never heard that somebody who had kids in Montessori school regret about such experience.
Greatly suggest considering this opportunity for your kids if you can afford.

[Anonymous]

PP-Which teacher post are you referring to? I am a Montessofi teacher who posted earlier but I have only good things to say.

Also- The statement about the "lazy parents" is cr Iazy.
Montessori fosters independence in children. It does not take place of a parent.

[Anonymous]

*crazy

[Anonymous]

Your Montessori school sounds great especially for your son but in no way is it the same as every other Montessori school and not every child has the same experiences. Some schools are better than others and some children do better in Montessori, especially those who are more independant and self driven. Not sure who you are criticizing, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. The OP was a mom or dad considering Montessori preschool mainly. Not a teacher.

"We're considering sending our son to a Montessori pre-school. Can someone explain the theory behind Montessori education, and perhaps how good it is for preparing a child for kindergarten? I'd also love to hear pros/cons or comparisons of Montessori versus traditional pre-schools."

Your child's school does sound really interesting though. Get the word out which school it is and why they do such a good job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We decided against Montessori school. Preschool is a time for kids to develop social skills and their imaginations, which forms the foundation of higher level thinking later. The schools near us do not seem to have much interaction, it is very individually focused. We were also put off by the rigidity of there being a "right" and "wrong" way to play with the materials. We were told for example, that if a child took a pot from the toy kitchen and imaginatively put it on her head as a hat, that she would be redirected and if she continued to "work" incorrectly she would be removed. I can imagine that it could be done differently. OP, having had a toddler and a newborn, I think that you are crazy to think of spending 90 min in the car per day, that is 7.5 HOURS per week. I also think that having your child so far away won't allow you to easily spend time there and get a sense of how it is working. Find a closer preschool with a nice playground and kind teachers. She is only 2. The school cut the tuition because they are not full, other people are passing on that opportunity.

No ma'am or sir you are incorrect, kindergarten or younger is the BEST time to learn multiple languages, the language centers of the brain are in overdrive, they may not actively acknowledge their ability to speak or say certain words but you can garantee that they are absorbing language like a powerful vacuum or sponge.

Math and reasoning skills are also language skills, and since younger children are able to learn this skills so early on they should be taught these skills early on so they LOVE math not hate it... Just because you hate something doesn't mean you can make statements about something you don't understand.

Stop limiting children, stop underestimating the human imparative/instinct to learn and grow.

[Anonymous]

My kids went to an AMI Montessori preschool and lower elementary.

Pros: Early math instruction was fantastic. My kids were very far ahead of "grade level." Science instruction was very good. Music and art and language were very good. Social studies was wonderful with an emphasis on other cultures and languages.

Cons: reading and writing were not at grade level compared to public schools. AMI curriculum goes a bit slower on this, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This post is scaring me away from montessori schools. I don't know much about them but it seems like a hinderance almost.

Please investigate Montessori for yourself and don't rely on a bunch of faceless strangers to make this decision for you. Real Montessori school is definitely not a hindrance--hard to believe anyone could think this about it, knowing what it is firsthand--though it is may not for everyone. Visit a real school--an accredited one with a good reputation for being faithful to the tenets of Montessori--and talk to real people. I imagine there are crap faux-"Montessori" schools out there that have no idea what they are doing and project chaos and God knows what else.

I always love when critics say that "real Montessori" schools are great and the ones that are bad aren't "real." I'm a critic and my kids went to an AMI certified school.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]My niece has a child in this form of school, the child is smart however i feel in her case she sent the child here because she is just lazy. the child cooks food and does everythin that has to be done for self. while she sits back and does nothing. this child isn't going to know what a mother is for. not sure i like this type of education in cases where you have self centered parents and lazy parents.[/quote]

Montessori is supposed to teach children life skills. My kids did learn some cooking at their school. If the child is learning to take care of herself, that's excellent.

[Anonymous]

I was office staff at an ami certified Montessori toddler - K program. My own children who are now in elementary school went to a play-based program. These are my observations based on my own children's experiences vs. 7 families we know well who did the Montessori program (all these kids switched to public in K and did not complete the full Montessori cycle). We are all upper middle class socio-economic status.

To me the major pros of a certified Montessori program are that you are getting highly trained teachers, specialized learning material, and a set, proven curriculum. Everything the children do, has a learning purpose in Montessori. You can get a so so teacher in any learning environment. At least in a Montessori environment you know that this teacher has committed to a training program and is following a proven curriculum (whether you like Montessori or not, it is a curriculum that has stood the test of time and been studied in rigorous research studies).

I also think the learning of motor skills through activities like table wiping, cutting, folding etc. are genius. It does give the children a strong sense of accomplishment while teaching important life skills and developing their gross and fine motor skills. I wished my play-based pre-school had incorporated some of these skills into their program.

The kids I knew came into Kindergarten at least one grade level ahead in math. Reading was a mixed bag, with some being able to read and others not. All were Kindergarten prepared, knew letters and letter sounds. Only one was below grade level in reading by the end of K (I'm sure he would of struggled regardless of his pre-school program). Since none actually finished the Montessori curriculum I don't think you can actually make any judgements about whether they were ahead or behind based on Montessori alone. Now that these kids are older and have been in public school for a few years there is no discernable difference between the "play-based" pre school kids and Montessori kids in terms of academic achievement. There is at least one research study showing that for low income children a Montessori education provides better educational outcomes. To my knowledge there is no similar study for upper middle class kids. I also think that transition issues are more personality based than environment based at the Kindergarten level. Plenty of children in play based programs have difficulty transitioning to Kindergarten. The only nightmare transition story was definitely personality and a bad home environment rather than a Montessori issue.

My only con for Montessori is the cost. You are paying for expensive learning materials and trained teachers. I would make sure that your school has both.

At a good Montessori program I think you are getting an excellent program for your money (if you can afford it). I would not go into debt to send a child to Montessori. The school I worked at did have a few special needs kids and even though the school is a strict Montessori, were able and willing to work with these children by slightly modifying some aspects of the curriculum. I would not hesitate to send a sn child to Montessori as long as you could work closely with the director and have a good teacher.

[Anonymous]

At our Montessori school in Tyler, Texas, children are given two or three opportunities a day for outdoor play or indoor "fun work" when weather prevents outdoor play. Children attend half-day, regular school day, and extended-day schedules. So, free play is included in the daily schedule. Children have to have group communication/imagination time. It would be too much of a struggle for the children to expect them to stay quiet for four-ten hours a day.

[Anonymous]

There are some wonderful youtube videos of her method. Although, her method was more practical than theoritical, the children are encouraged to learn independence and master skills at their own pace. All the materials available to the children are usually natural, and are to promote curiousity. The furniture in the classrooms, are always child sized, and the rooms have a home like atmosphere. Montessori was ahead of her time when it came to nature education. Many educators believed nature was a waste of time, but Maria Montessori knew that the children were curious about nature, and if they were able to engage in meaningful experiences, they would develop a love of nature. Google image her classrooms and you will be amazed what you find.

[Anonymous]

Montessori classrooms are definitely more peaceful and beautiful than the traditional classrooms with numbers and letters all over the walls. I will give them that. Less is more.

[Anonymous]

I think Montessori excels in early childhood education. We currently have our two boys in Montessori, both in primary classes. I do feel that at the end of 1st or 2nd year of lower elementary however, the benefits are no longer there.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. I feel the opposite way, but just can't afford to send my children to elementary Montessori. I like the elementary program where children can move around and work in groups on project based work. Luckily the public school also does this to some degree, but I think the Montessori schools still do a better job here.