Montessori - expensive and high student:teacher ratios

[Anonymous]

How about this, from a parent long past the preschool years.

Do what works for your kid, and pick a preschool based on what works for your family, not based on an internet argument about the "right pedagogy for the 21st century."

One of my kids did Montessori. Another did play-based and then Montessori. The salient factor here wasn't the pedagogy, it was choosing a school that seemed to care about my child's socio-emotional development as well as pre-literacy and pre-numeracy.

As it turns out, the Montessori emphasis on student problem-solving and conflict management was a really great fit for my sensitive kid, but that wasn't because it was Montessori - it was because they genuinely cared about giving the kids the skills to describe their feelings and solve their problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The higher ratios in a montessori classroom is very intentional to encourage teachers to be a "guide on the side" rather than a "sage on the stage"
For most of the "work period" the teachers are giving kids individual or small group lessons, and then the kids are working on the material by themselves or with one or two classmates. The older kids are modeling and showing the younger kids what to do.
That inter-age modeling and independence are really foundational concepts of Montessori, and if you'd like more direct instruction and more hand-holding form the teacher, you probably won't be happy with Montessori.

As for the creativity that always comes up.... sigh. Montessori classrooms are generally highly creative places, but they don't encourage "pretend play" So instead of having a pretend kitchen to pretend to make bread, the kids will actually make bread and prepare snack. Instead of cookie-cutter holiday projects, the kids have near-constant access to quality art materials.
Instead of being forced into circle time to sing the ABCs (thanks PP they are invited to sing along with the teacher or listen to quality music or hear a story if they want.

On the pretending thing, that is what I remember too. They were doing pretend play, but with real things. They had tea parties, but they actually made and served tea in china cups. They played house, but they were actually doing the chores while pretending to be the mom, the dad, etc. And they played "teacher" all the time. They pretended to be a rock band and actually wrote the songs; they pretended to travel the world with the international materials. And so on and so on.

Anyway, my kids are in high school now and do not lack for creativity or emotional intelligence or any kind of intelligence. So what ever you were told to be afraid of with Montessori, feel free to ignore the opposition marketing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Do what works for your kid, and pick a preschool based on what works for your family, not based on an internet argument about the "right pedagogy for the 21st century."

I'm a Montessori parent and the ballet PP, but I totally agree with this. We wound up sending to a Montessori preschool and elementary for reasons completely unrelated to wanting a Montessori education. There were specific other reasons the school was the best option for our family; I didn't know much about Montessori when my oldest child started there.
While I have grown to be a big fan of Montessori, it's not the be all and end all of anything. You have to do what works for your family and each kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about this, from a parent long past the preschool years.

Do what works for your kid, and pick a preschool based on what works for your family, not based on an internet argument about the "right pedagogy for the 21st century."

One of my kids did Montessori. Another did play-based and then Montessori. The salient factor here wasn't the pedagogy, it was choosing a school that seemed to care about my child's socio-emotional development as well as pre-literacy and pre-numeracy.

As it turns out, the Montessori emphasis on student problem-solving and conflict management was a really great fit for my sensitive kid, but that wasn't because it was Montessori - it was because they genuinely cared about giving the kids the skills to describe their feelings and solve their problems.

And you think play-based preschools don't have teachers that care about that?

My biggest issue with Montessori parents is how damn pretentious you are.

Also, my kid has made food at her preschool, so please stop it with your delusions.

[Anonymous]

We drank the Montessori kool aid for three years (including Kindergarten) at an AMS school and it was a huge waste of money. My child is so much happier and learning more in his current school than he ever was in Montessori. There are very few Montessori schools that do it right the rest are raking in the money by setting them up as Montessori schools. Don’t buy into the farce that the Kindergarteners teach the younger kids - they do not at all. Seriously save your money. I wish we had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about this, from a parent long past the preschool years.

Do what works for your kid, and pick a preschool based on what works for your family, not based on an internet argument about the "right pedagogy for the 21st century."

One of my kids did Montessori. Another did play-based and then Montessori. The salient factor here wasn't the pedagogy, it was choosing a school that seemed to care about my child's socio-emotional development as well as pre-literacy and pre-numeracy.

As it turns out, the Montessori emphasis on student problem-solving and conflict management was a really great fit for my sensitive kid, but that wasn't because it was Montessori - it was because they genuinely cared about giving the kids the skills to describe their feelings and solve their problems.

And you think play-based preschools don't have teachers that care about that?

My biggest issue with Montessori parents is how damn pretentious you are.

Also, my kid has made food at her preschool, so please stop it with your delusions.

DP I don't think that's what the PP was saying at all. In fact, I think she was saying the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about this, from a parent long past the preschool years.

Do what works for your kid, and pick a preschool based on what works for your family, not based on an internet argument about the "right pedagogy for the 21st century."

One of my kids did Montessori. Another did play-based and then Montessori. The salient factor here wasn't the pedagogy, it was choosing a school that seemed to care about my child's socio-emotional development as well as pre-literacy and pre-numeracy.

As it turns out, the Montessori emphasis on student problem-solving and conflict management was a really great fit for my sensitive kid, but that wasn't because it was Montessori - it was because they genuinely cared about giving the kids the skills to describe their feelings and solve their problems.

And you think play-based preschools don't have teachers that care about that?

My biggest issue with Montessori parents is how damn pretentious you are.

Also, my kid has made food at her preschool, so please stop it with your delusions.

DP I don't think that's what the PP was saying at all. In fact, I think she was saying the opposite.

I'm the PP and I was saying the opposite - pedagogy doesn't matter, but good teachers do. There are thousands of preschools in the DC area. Some of those have great teachers and leadership, and some don't. Pick one with great teachers and administration regardless of pedagogy, and everything else will come out in the wash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Don’t buy into the farce that the Kindergarteners teach the younger kids - they do not at all.

Ballet PP here. Want to respond to this point. In my experience, the kindergarteners are not in any way tasked with teaching younger kids complicated things like math or reading. When my children have described giving a lesson to a younger child, it is always something from practical life, like sponge squeezing, laundry folding, food prep, color mixing, and so on. Most kindergarteners are capable of teaching these types of tasks to younger children, and it's a really positive experience for both when managed well.

The only other example where I've seen kindergarteners do a teaching-like thing is reading aloud to younger kids. But that is not really teaching.

When it comes to fundamental pre-academic building blocks like counting, phonemic awareness, and so on, it is teachers giving the lessons and guiding the kids. Although of course 2 or 3 kids may work together on a work.

Our school is not AMI or AMS certified, so I don't know if their practices are standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about this, from a parent long past the preschool years.

Do what works for your kid, and pick a preschool based on what works for your family, not based on an internet argument about the "right pedagogy for the 21st century."

One of my kids did Montessori. Another did play-based and then Montessori. The salient factor here wasn't the pedagogy, it was choosing a school that seemed to care about my child's socio-emotional development as well as pre-literacy and pre-numeracy.

As it turns out, the Montessori emphasis on student problem-solving and conflict management was a really great fit for my sensitive kid, but that wasn't because it was Montessori - it was because they genuinely cared about giving the kids the skills to describe their feelings and solve their problems.

And you think play-based preschools don't have teachers that care about that?

My biggest issue with Montessori parents is how damn pretentious you are.

Also, my kid has made food at her preschool, so please stop it with your delusions.

Dude. What's the anger for? PP was saying to find a school with teachers that care, regardless of the official pedagogy. Hopefully whatever school your kids go to work on reading comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Don’t buy into the farce that the Kindergarteners teach the younger kids - they do not at all.

Ballet PP here. Want to respond to this point. In my experience, the kindergarteners are not in any way tasked with teaching younger kids complicated things like math or reading. When my children have described giving a lesson to a younger child, it is always something from practical life, like sponge squeezing, laundry folding, food prep, color mixing, and so on. Most kindergarteners are capable of teaching these types of tasks to younger children, and it's a really positive experience for both when managed well.

The only other example where I've seen kindergarteners do a teaching-like thing is reading aloud to younger kids. But that is not really teaching.

When it comes to fundamental pre-academic building blocks like counting, phonemic awareness, and so on, it is teachers giving the lessons and guiding the kids. Although of course 2 or 3 kids may work together on a work.

Our school is not AMI or AMS certified, so I don't know if their practices are standard.

My kids are at an AMI school, and you've described it exactly right. I also *love* your ballet class analogy and will use it in the future if you don't mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Don’t buy into the farce that the Kindergarteners teach the younger kids - they do not at all.

Ballet PP here. Want to respond to this point. In my experience, the kindergarteners are not in any way tasked with teaching younger kids complicated things like math or reading. When my children have described giving a lesson to a younger child, it is always something from practical life, like sponge squeezing, laundry folding, food prep, color mixing, and so on. Most kindergarteners are capable of teaching these types of tasks to younger children, and it's a really positive experience for both when managed well.

The only other example where I've seen kindergarteners do a teaching-like thing is reading aloud to younger kids. But that is not really teaching.

When it comes to fundamental pre-academic building blocks like counting, phonemic awareness, and so on, it is teachers giving the lessons and guiding the kids. Although of course 2 or 3 kids may work together on a work.

Our school is not AMI or AMS certified, so I don't know if their practices are standard.

Well when you inquire how things work with 24 kids and one certified teacher some schools will claim that the third year kids are teachers too. It’s just not true at all. Actually in my experience they were terrible examples for the younger kids. I was very pro Montessori until my kid actually went to one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well when you inquire how things work with 24 kids and one certified teacher some schools will claim that the third year kids are teachers too. It’s just not true at all. Actually in my experience they were terrible examples for the younger kids. I was very pro Montessori until my kid actually went to one.

Was there only one adult with 24 kids or one "certified" teacher? As I mentioned, my children's Montessori has a similar number of children, with 4 teachers. One is an assistant teacher, not yet certified. Two have certain kinds of training, but they teach primarily those works that involve a specific foreign language and religious texts. Only one is a true full-fledged Montessori certified experienced teacher with a bachelor's and master's.

I realize our school is unusual. But do other Montessoris really have one adult alone all day with 24 preprimary kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My kids are at an AMI school, and you've described it exactly right. I also *love* your ballet class analogy and will use it in the future if you don't mind.

Don't mind at all! And thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about this, from a parent long past the preschool years.

Do what works for your kid, and pick a preschool based on what works for your family, not based on an internet argument about the "right pedagogy for the 21st century."

One of my kids did Montessori. Another did play-based and then Montessori. The salient factor here wasn't the pedagogy, it was choosing a school that seemed to care about my child's socio-emotional development as well as pre-literacy and pre-numeracy.

As it turns out, the Montessori emphasis on student problem-solving and conflict management was a really great fit for my sensitive kid, but that wasn't because it was Montessori - it was because they genuinely cared about giving the kids the skills to describe their feelings and solve their problems.

And you think play-based preschools don't have teachers that care about that?

My biggest issue with Montessori parents is how damn pretentious you are.

Also, my kid has made food at her preschool, so please stop it with your delusions.

Dude. What's the anger for? PP was saying to find a school with teachers that care, regardless of the official pedagogy. Hopefully whatever school your kids go to work on reading comprehension.

I know the PP was alleging a tolerance for all pedagogies, but then she was clearly implying that the Montessori school genuinely cared about the kids, as though other schools don't. There was hypocrisy implied in her post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We drank the Montessori kool aid for three years (including Kindergarten) at an AMS school and it was a huge waste of money. My child is so much happier and learning more in his current school than he ever was in Montessori. There are very few Montessori schools that do it right the rest are raking in the money by setting them up as Montessori schools. Don’t buy into the farce that the Kindergarteners teach the younger kids - they do not at all. Seriously save your money. I wish we had.

We toured Aidan Montessori and expected to be impressed, since so many DC families fight for spots there. We came away really unimpressed. The facility is old and worn. Our kid's suburban preschool has a much better facility and playgrounds (multiple -- Aidan has one small one).

But the bigger issue was just that the kids seemed either unhappy or weirdly brainwashed. Also, the parent who led the tour reprimanded a kid for wanting to come up and show us his artwork. She said in a stern tone, "go back and work."

It was just a weird, sort of cold, environment.