Columbia Baptist (or play) vs Montessori Hype, Transition to Kindergarten and Reading, Writing ...

[Anonymous]

Columbia Baptist appears to be an excellent pre-school but I have read a few things that caught my attention from various review on DCUM.

I read some Montessori proponents claim that kids coming from Columbia baptist won't be reading or writing where as Montessori students do by age 3. Further more they went on to state that there wasn't enough academic components and too much playing.

This brings me to my next question. If the child is going to Fairfax County or Falls Church City public schools for kindergarten would they be over whelmed by all the extra school work?

How did your child's transition from either a play based or Montessori school go?

Part of my gut doesn't believe a lot of the Montessori hype but I am willing to hear what they have to offer and ultimately what is important is the child's happiness, they learn and the transition to Kindergarten. I also don't mind a religious component.

[Anonymous]

Yes, many children leaving Montessori preschool programs do read. (please note that Montessori's concept is that "preschool" is ages 3 to 6 years old, so then your child would enter 1st grade, but many people do leave after 5 years old and put their children in kindergarten).

However, it's not necessary that a child be reading before kindergarten - not all children do and many children cannot really read until 1st grade. Unfortunately, we've pushed all of this down so there is a real pressure to be reading by the end of kindergarten, which means that we think there is something "wrong" with a child who isn't, when developmentally it's still appropriate to really "get" reading in 1st grade.
I wouldn't worry about your child reading before kindergarten. I would want you to choose a preschool program which has a philosphy you really agree with. So VISI, VISIT, VISIT!

[Anonymous]

Columbia Baptist sends HERDS of kids to FCC schools. If there was truly an issue with these kids starting K unprepared or feeling overwhelmed, the preschool would have long changed its program.

My kid entered FCC kindergarten from two years at (another) play-based preschool. Hit the ground running and never looked back. A child's work IS play; Montessori just takes a different approach to this. It works for some kids/families, but not for others.