Pros and Cons of Montessori education?

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

The cons that I have heard are that Montessori does not give kids enough free time to just play. Kids do a lot of learning through play. Play can be used to teach, which is the method that many nursery schools use. Also, Montessori has been said to be too rigid, not allowing the kids to reach their creative potential. Also, switching a child to Montessori from a high energy play school can be a bit of a challenge. The child can compare the two as my dd did.
The pros: The stifled creativity theory has been somewhat dis-proven. A study published in August or September 2006 (Scientific American) showed that Mont. kids have more complex vocabularies by 3rd grade. Kids learn self control at Montessori. They learn about their own potential and they are self paced. The materials allow for an experiential learning process which supposedly improves retention.

It is not an easy system to reproduce at home since the materials are expensive, so if you want it, you have to send your child in to school.

[Anonymous]

Maria Montessori believed strongly that children learn most effectively through play, actually. There is great variation in so-called "Montessori" schools, and it's difficult to sort out true Montessori schools from others that use the term more loosely (and primarily for marketing purposes, IMO).

[Anonymous]

Montessori kids may be playing, but it's (sometimes? always?) referred to as work. It's always odd to me to hear the parents of a young Montessori child I know refer to whatever activity she's doing as her "work," even something like playing (working?) with a toy kitchen.

[Anonymous]

The biggest difference I've seen is that Montesorri schools are entirely or almost entirely self-directed. Children pick their "work" (which looks like play to most adults) and learn through those things at their own pace. In this sense it is not rigid BUT there is a correct order and process for doing each activity. I think this is what people perceive as rigid. What you don't see at Montessori schools are "circle times" and group lessons led by the teachers to the group. Instead, the teachers circulate and coach individual children in their work.

The circle time is usually a small component for twos programs but grows by pre-K in other preschools. It appears to me to be all but non-existent in montesorri schools. I think this explains that pros of montessori (kids advance at their own pace in a mixed-age-group setting) and the cons (some say that the transition to regular teacher-driven classroom settings is more challenging).

I've also wondered about group play. My daugther does a lot of play with her friends at her non-montesorri school and it never appeared to me that Montessori rooms were set up to accomodate this type of collaboration (each child has their own work mat and separate "work" at all times). Of course, perhaps she'd be reading already if she were working alone--who knows.

Also be sure to ask about outdoor time. I've heard that at least some Montessori schools don't do as much free play outside. This would be a major bummer some kids, particulary if they're there for an extended day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Montessori kids may be playing, but it's (sometimes? always?) referred to as work. It's always odd to me to hear the parents of a young Montessori child I know refer to whatever activity she's doing as her "work," even something like playing (working?) with a toy kitchen.

14:00 poster here. Yes, that's true, because Montessori believed that play is children's work -- meaning that play should be their primary occupation.

I think there is more rigidity in some Montessori schools than others, and I myself don't have my child in a Montessori preschool because all of the good ones around me are 5-day programs. Nonetheless, I think there is value in Montessori's original concepts, and in Montessori education that is faithful to her vision. For example, I like the way the curriculum helps preschool children assimilate orderliness at a time when they're really striving for that developmentally. But I would like to know more about the perceived disadvantages of Montessori education as well.

[Anonymous]

I have a son in montessori this year. I think that most children will thrive in the environment. I am amazed with what he has learned. However, I do think that playdates are needed to help with "free play". I'm in the process of deciding whether to move him to a traditional school next year for that reason. At 5 mornings/week, it's difficult to add playdates into that schedule.

[Anonymous]

As someone noted above, each Montessori school is different. Franklin Montessori has circle time every day, as well as play in the school's indoor gym and outdoor playground and at a nearby park. Kids are also given the opportunity to "work" alone and together.

[Anonymous]

Montessori believed very strongly in learning from the natural world and in my experience most schools have outdoor time though probably not free play on a jungle gym like you may be used to. Circle time depends on the school most schools encourage small group collaboration.

[Anonymous]

For a 3 year old play is work. It is semantics. I always tell my kids their job is to play and have fun.

I think people are very misled about the self-direction thing. People have this idea the classrooms are chaotic and the kids are doing whatever they want. This is not true. They are allowed to do what they want, but they are monitoring and if a child has been painting for 2 or 3 days in a row without doing anything else, they will tell them the next time they have to choose another activity and herd them in the right direction. It is very organized and the classes are quiet.

I don't think it is right for every child or parent, but if you take the time to learn about Montessori and find the right school I think it can be a really great experience.

[Anonymous]

We were not originally thinking about Montessori for our child, even though I went to Montessori for pre-K and K and have wonderful memories of it. We just had the thought of wanting her to have the opportunity to stay lighthearted and there is a focus about the play in Montessori that is different than other schools.

However, we took her to see a couple of the schools, and she completely thrived in the environments and was taken by all of the tools and elements of play available. In other words, she seemed to choose it for herself at only 2.5 y/o.

(We also visited play-based schools, some of which she was clear about liking and others she was clear about not liking. But the Montessori environments were by far her favorites.)

We will likely be enrolling her in one of the Montessori programs this fall.

[Anonymous]

I am having the hardest time trying to decide whether or not to send my child to a Montessori school. I really love the idea of making learning intrinsic for children and I think my daughter who is quite a busy body could benefit from the orderliness. My problem is having 30 children ranging from 2-6 in one classroom; I'm scared my child would be bullied by the older children... My daughter is only two years old and not potty trained. I'd have to send her five days a week since the school is far and this worries me. Has anyone sent a two-year old full time to a Montessori school?

[Anonymous]

I am so glad do see this thread re-visited. I have no information on this topic from a parental standpoint, but I can give my 2 cents as a student of Montessori school. Seriously.

I can't tell you about the differences in methodology, learning theories, etc., but I can tell you that I went to Montessori school very briefly when I was 3 years old. I can honestly say that I have VIVID memories from that time period and can recall, with surprising detail, various things that I learned (or played, or "worked on"). I have a pretty good memory in general, and remember lots of things from when I was 4 and in full time preschool. But those memories are different and more social than educational -- like remembering the days that my mom came to help out in the classroom or the different friends I had, or who used to pick their nose or have "accidents."

However, my Montessori memories from an even earlier age are much clearer. I remember "playing" a game where we categorized cards with pictures of various foods based on whether the food pictured is eaten cooked, raw, or either way. I remember knowing that a lot of vegetables could fit into both categories, but I had never eaten cooked carrots before. I went home and told my mom that I learned that carrots can be eaten either raw or cooked and asked her to make me cooked carrots to try. I also recall learning about pinking shears through "playing" with cutting up fabric squares. If you had patent leather shoes (which I begged for), there was a real shoe shine kit that we used to "play" with, and you had to do all the steps to clean, polish, buff, and shine your shoes. I have lots of memories of stations or games like these, and all of my memories are of me independently working/playing at them.

I also remember doing things that I sensed at the time were tests or gauges of our abilities, like the teachers having us blow up balloons to play with or peel a banana to eat. Although, I always felt like we were being measured by how many steps we could do on our own before asking for help. Could you stretch the ballon to loosen it, then blow it up, then hold it in your hand without letting the air out, then (if you're really good) tie the balloon? Could you peel the banana without having the teacher "start" it for you? I'm also incredibly competitive, so this could have all been in my head...

So the point of all my reminiscing is that the "retention" argument in favor of Montessori seems to hold water, and simply that I have pretty great memories from my experience. For what it's worth...

Anyone else have Montessori memories of their own?

[Anonymous]

To PP 1:48, the class size and age range seem large for a Montessori school. My DCs went to a Montessori school but the school had a toddler classroom (2-3 year old) with 20 kids. The Early Childhood classrooms were filled age 3-6 with 24 (3 grades). We looked at a lot of schools. At most, a classroom had three grades. Montessori advocates the ideal classroom as 24 kids: 4 boys and 4 girls in each grade with two teachers. To answer your question about bullying, contrary to what is written about Montessori, the grades really just gravitate toward each other and largely ignore each other. So, there is really no more bullying than in a single grade classroom. I’d look for different Montessori school that separates the 2yo’s from the Ks and that has a smaller classroom.

[Anonymous]

They really are all different. My son attends a Montessori school. They have circle time, they have group lessons sometimes and small group lessons often. And they play alot. After about an hour and a half of Montessori "work", they have snack, circle time, music, outside/inside play. Many of the children stay for lunch and play and other activities (art, music, dance, outside and inside play) in the afternoon. There is an emphasis on the children being independent...choosing activities, cleaning up after playing with various materials/toys, going to the bathroom on their own, getting water when they are thirsty, finding things themselves. The older children are often asked to help younger children do things or learn how to do things. It's been a very nice, very social place for him.