Montessori

[Anonymous]

Did any moms or dads out there attend a Montessori preschool growing up? If so, are you considering a Montessori preschool for your own child(ren), and why or why not?

[Anonymous]

I attended Montessori, but I am most likely not going to send my kids to one. If I were a SAHM I might though. It's just that with my work schedule (three full, long days), I would probably have to pay for the preschool, the aftercare, and then a nanny or other day care on top of it. And then there are the summers.

I'm happy with my kids' day care, which has a preschool program. Is it Montessori quality? I have no idea. I'd venture to say, probably not. But I like the teachers, the hours work with my schedule, and we do lots of (fun) work with our kids at home. I'm not one to stress about the "best" preschool. Our kids are headed to public school (or maybe Catholic, depending on how the school is looking as we get closer to that point). My goal is for them to be happy and have fun at this age, so I'm not going to move them. In other words-- I have nothing against Montessori; I just already have a situation that works for us.

[Anonymous]

I attended Montessori and intend to send my children to Montessori when the time comes. I have only vague memories of my time at Montessori (pre-K and K) but they are all happy. I also believe that those two years laid a strong foundation for later learning. My sister, feels the same way as well.

[Anonymous]

My husband attended a Montessori, and he does not want to send our son to one (though I was interested in exploring that idea). My husband felt that he did not end up with a good grasp of the "basics" and felt unprepared for academics in other settings.

[Anonymous]

To PP. How long did he spend in Montessori?

[Anonymous]

I have a very good friend who attended Montessori. Her 2 teenage children attended as well (as youngsters) and now her teenage son and daughter go to St. Stephens and Agnes. The children are very bright and well-rounded. She was always very happy, but they started more in the elementary school ages.

[Anonymous]

I went to a Montessori-style pre-school and would happily send my child to one. But most of the programs are 5 days, and I'm looking for a 3-day program; I assume that if we like that program, we won't want to switch after one year. I think Montessori is wonderful, but ultimately I think pre-school is mainly about socialization, so I'm not concerned that my son will be missing out on anything by going to a play-based program. The other drawback to Montessori, as someone else mentioned, is cost -- on a per-day basis, they tend to be more expensive than play-based programs.

[Anonymous]

12:58 here. He was in Montessori for preschool and much of (but I think not all) elementary. And it's not that he didn't catch up - he's very smart, and he has a JD, 2 MAs and was ABD on a PhD before switching to law - just that he still feels there are some gaps in his knowledge (for some bizarre reason, he still doesn't have the alphabet down - I suppose as long as you use the letters correctly, though, knowing which order they've been arbitrarily slotted into is not all that important, but it does bug him (not enough to take the time to learn now, though I suspect that as my son starts singing the alphabet song, daddy will pick it up too ...)) and, more important to him, he was unhappy when he switched into later schools and then college to feel that he didn't have some of the basic knowledge that other kids took for granted. He still preferred an independent private school approach that allowed very independent learning in high school to a more traditional school, but I think has regrets/resentment re: the Montessori education and thinks it very important that whatever else our son's school does, it must provide a good grounding in all the "basics."

[LouiseB]

I attended Montessori and will definitely send my daughter there. Montessori gave me a love of learning that has benefited me throughout my life. To this day, I still remember how to 'square' numbers by using a board and placing wooden pegs in squares (e.g. a 4x4 square) and then counting all the pegs to figure out the answer (e.g. 16). I remember my friends found it so odd that I liked school. I want my daughter to be able to enjoy this same exciting learning environment.

[Anonymous]

I attended Montessori for pre-K and K and still recall it as one of the most enjoyable educational experiences of my life.

I went on to graduate first in my high school class of more than 600 and to attend an Ivy, but those experiences turned me into more of an "A-paper" machine than a true learner. It was not until graduate school when I attended a program without grades that I again thrived in the thrill of learning and creativity.

[Anonymous]

Just want to echo 23:08 poster -- her experience/opinion is mine exactly. My son will be starting a play-based pre-school in the fall; wanted 3 days, found this program particularly attractive.