s/o: What is the best fit for Montessori?

[Anonymous]

I've had two very different kids thrive in Montessori.

Kid 1 is a total rules follower, interested in doing things the "right" way, kind of clumsy, and usually spends recess reading or talking to friends anyway.

Kid 2 needs significant time outdoors, running and playing, every day. If kids were puppies, Kid 2 would be one of those breeds that needs to run 5 miles a day just to behave the rest of the time. Not at all interested in rules, and probably a bit immature.

Even though the kids are different, Montessori worked for both. Kid 1 learned independence and really improved their "body awareness" in the classroom. Kid 2 learned that sometimes you just have to settle down and do the work, but the commitment to having kids outdoors helped a lot with Kid 2's need for physical outlets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd say if you have a kid who tends to be more anxious, Montessori probably would not be the best fit - you'd need someplace less structured.

And if you're a high maintenance parent, forget it. Most Montessori schools make no bones about not dealing with those types. Communication with parents is not a strong suit for these schools.

In fact, many kids with anxiety need more structure, not less. We rejected montessori for my highly anxious kid because it wasn't structured enough (or, rather, was structured in the wrong way). She would have found one lesson to do over and over and over again, which would have been allowed (at least at the school we looked at) but not healthy for her development.

That's interesting, and you make a good point. Maybe it depends on how the anxiety manifests itself? Our kid - who tends to be the super-perfectionist type - did not do well in a Montessori setting because she was so worried about doing the work the "right" way. But we are acquainted with another high-anxiety child and her family is sending her to Montessori because she likes being able to control her work and choose it.

[Anonymous]

I've had two kids go through Montessori. I'd say if you have a very task-oriented, focused, practical-minded kid, those types of personalities tend to really thrive in Montessori. One of my kids is very math- and science-oriented, and I think she got more out of Montessori than my other kid, who is extremely artistic and musical. She did fine in Montessori but, if I had to do it over again, I would have sent the super-artsy kid to maybe a Reggio-Emilia program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also kids who are less physical. Montessori is not great for high energy kids. Not surprisingly, boys are disproportionately booted out of Montessori programs.

Our experience has been the opposite. My very energetic, active boy did not do well in a play-based program because he didn't like being interrupted in what he was working on because now it was art time, or circle time, or whatever. He liked to work at his own speed and keep working on the thing he was interested in, and he could also move about the classroom to choose his work. So Montessori has been a good fit for him.

+1

PP with twins. When we did our classroom observation a few months ago, I noticed one benefit for the antsy, energetic kid. When they had to go and get a project, some of the kids would go and get the project in 1 trip, others would take 3-5 trips. One child did a stack of building blocks that you had to stack in order from largest to smallest and he got 8 blocks in...8 trips, one block at a time. The teachers just watched him and as long as he didn't interrupt the other kids working at their stations, they let him go. They did redirect him from just stopping randomly around the room and encouraged him to keep working on his project. The only important thing was that they had to complete one project in each of six categories within the 2.5 hour period. There was a lot of flexibility and independent control for the kid in how they accomplished this including incorporating a lot of physical movement for the child that needs to work out more energy. It's not climbing and running, but still and outlet for energy.

[Anonymous]

We have two boys in Montessori. Both very energetic, into sports, active, strong-willed. Montessori has been wonderful for them because they can pursue their interests without being herded around with the group.

And, FWIW, we've been at Aidan Montessori for a long time and we love it. We've had very warm, supportive teachers in both the classroom and aftercare, and we've found great friends among other parents there. It's certainly not perfect and it's also not for everyone, but it suits us.

[Anonymous]

I would add that the experience and temperament of the teacher and the class composition matters. In theory, Montessori classrooms have a mix of ages between 3-6, wherein the older kids help the younger kids. This helps offset the fact that the student/teacher ratio is high. In practice, many kids in DC leave their Montessori preschools at age 4 to attend public or private PreK. That results in a class of 20-30 three year olds with only one certified teacher. Large classes with children that young need smaller ratios than what Montessori often provides. Our experience was a classroom full of unengaged toddlers with one overwhelmed teacher. My anxious kid who needs direction and attention hated it. So, inquire about the *actual* age makeup of the classes and the experience of the teacher with that age group before committing to a school.

[Anonymous]

PP - Sorry, I just realized you probably weren't asking about preschool. So feel free to ignore if not relevant!

[Anonymous]

If you have a kid who is naturally independent and self-driven, Montessori feeds right into that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP - Sorry, I just realized you probably weren't asking about preschool. So feel free to ignore if not relevant!

OP here. That's ok, I still appreciate it!