Is Montessori worth the money?
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Anonymous
| NO!! |
Anonymous
| Yes |
Anonymous
| Sí |
Anonymous
| No its a way to make you feel better |
Anonymous
| Seriously, it can be a great thing for some kids. It gives a foundation that you won't get elsewhere. Kids gain confidence that lasts. My child understands math concepts in ways that other kids don't and for this I credit the Montessori preschool and his amazing teacher there. |
Anonymous
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My 3.5 year old is in a Montessori school, which we picked largely for location/aftercare options. There are many things that are great about the Montessori approach, including teaching independence, allowing for free-choice of activities during the day, teaching life skills, etc. There is also art and nature and gym time. There is early introduction to letters and counting, but not in a overly academic way. It is a very thoughtful approach to virtually everything that goes on in the classroom.
That being said, my impression is that the 4 year olds get more out of it than the 3 year olds. For the first half of the year, I don't think my son did much of anything in terms of the "Montessori" materials. He liked to draw, paint, etc. I still liked the deliberate approach to learning. Also, all the teachers are highly trained and experienced. This is a different class of teachers than day care workers. |
Anonymous
it was just a simple comment, don't be rude ,,,if you decided Montessori school , that's your choice and your money |
Anonymous
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Montessori is more expensive because their licensing requirements for both the facility and the teachers are very specific and stringent and the physical materials used in the classroom are made of solid wood and durable real materials - it's not cheap to stock up a Montessori classroom. The Montessori certification is not as common as a degree in education, so those teachers obviously earn more, just like a yoga instructor with a prenatal certification gets paid more - it's a less common, but highly sought after certification.
That said, whether it's "worth" it or not to you & your family depends on what you're looking for. My child would be happy to attend any of the preschools we toured - she loved going to all the open houses with us. But she also has certain things she's interested in learning that the play-based schools don't incorporate into the day until you're in the 4's room. She's 2, so I don't feel it would be right to send her to a school where it's assumed that she should wait two years to learn the things she's interested in now. Montessori makes the materials available and the structure inherently offers a great deal of flexibility as to when a child might take on the task of learning a new skill - there's not a strict sense of "not this until 3, that until 4"; my daughter can work on her letters as soon as she's interested and doesn't have to wait two years to get started. For us, that's worth the extra cost. |
Anonymous
This comment is really sad. I get kind of sick on DCUM of people always accusing one another of projecting. But really, what drives you to sincerely believe that the only reason other parents have made the decision to send their kids to a Montessori is to make themselves feel better? Are you actually so pathetically bad at empathizing that you can't understand someone could feel differently about its value than you do? Or are you really that insecure that you need to delude yourself into thinking this? Either way, I feel bad for you. |
Anonymous
I totally agree |
Anonymous
| I think it could be worth the money if you feel your child will thrive in that environment, like many have said. Ultimately, we are deciding to wait at least a year and do play-based for now because, at this point, dd is not even 1, and it's an awfully large financial commitment to make when we are still discovering what kind of learner she is. |
Anonymous
| ^^She will be 18 months in the fall. That's when she will start. |
Anonymous
Kids are very smart, I thinking is too much money by pushing a little one in Montessori school at this age. |
Anonymous
| Montessori is expensive because they must pay more for rent where as religious preschool gets a hug reduction in rent. The extra money isn't going directly to the staff or program |
Anonymous
Agree. The extra money goes to the owners, so they can travel, build houses with marble floors, etc. |