Montessori, I want to believe but...
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Anonymous
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How to put it? These days EVERYONE is talking about child-centered education. And I've seen it in very happy kids from Reggio Emilia to others.
Why does Montessori seems so odd to me? Are there different level of Montessori-sm? Can you share your Montessori experience? I'm afraid that if my child doesn't fit after a few years, it will be a shock to go into a regular school. Somehow, it feels a bit cult-ish... please tell me I'm wrong! 
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Anonymous
| I have a different impression. Mine is more that it has become a status symbol of some kind. I am not sure why. Maybe because it is not public and not parochial and yet also not "elite" prep private. It strikes me over and over that it is the "private" school picked by certain types of people--often those who fancy themselves openminded and freethinking (like people who want to be hipsters but are more like poseurs--like most of Del Ray). They won't just pick a straight up private like Holton, Potomac, G Prep, NCS, St. Albans--because those are for elitists. To some extent that is true but the people who eschew traditional privates and then turn around and spend the same price (can be as much!) to send their kid to montessori just strike me as elitist too. But they act like they aren't because they get in their hybrid and eat organic and shop at the local market. Blah blah. Not a cult. A status symbol. Kind of like Toms. Why did everyone have them? Not for the good looks for sure. Status. |
Anonymous
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During today's open house, the presenter stated that "Parents are expected to donate time and money".
Somehow I am OK donating my time, but... being asked for money at a public school just felt odd. Well, maybe if i had it! hahaha |
Anonymous
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This is the DCPS and charter school forum, which means the Montessori programs are free. If you get your kid in one of the sought-after public Montessori programs, it just means you're lucky and prefer that education approach (or weren't happy with your other public options).
OP, we're trying to figure out the same thing ourselves. |
Anonymous
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I agree it feels cult-ish. That is one of the reasons we never did it. I also agree it has become a bit of a status symbol. FWIW we are at a Reggio program and it also feels cult-ish to me. I guess anywhere where you can't challenge how they do things because it is the "way" of the philosophy is going to feel cultish. All of it is a little icky, and I wish we had more options in DC for good traditional neighborhood schools that weren't wedded to one philosophy or another.
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Anonymous
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OP here. I've seen Reggio Emilia first hand and, somehow, it feels less cult-ish. I dunno, I see them following some sort of curriculum and kids can come in or leave the program and any grade with no issues.
With Montessori, it's hard to decide if it's a good fit for your kids when all he wants is kick a ball and play with excavators. Leaving education in his own hands seems a bit, ahem, irresponsible! hahahaha |
Anonymous
OMG, we can start a Montessori-inspired school for kids who like to play with trucks and run around! I also want to include Forest Kindergarten (outside ALL THE TIME!!!) elements and hire teachers who are more cold-hardy than I am. |
Anonymous
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I agree that Montessori has a bit of a cult-of-personality around Maria Montessori, but that's probably to be expected considering her ongong centrality to the entire system. They're basically still using the activities ad progressions that she developed in the 1930s. It definitely stood out to us at first, but we have sort of gotten used to it. I will say that if it really bothers you, that feeling is never really going to go away.
Regarding work: the kids definitely learn things in a different order and at a different speed than they might in a traditional pre-K system, but I think that the idea of the undirected Montessori child who can read novels but not do math is a bit of an unfortunate stereotype. The teachers are there I direct the children's work and keep them making progress; kids aren't allowed to wallow on the same activities once they've mastered them, and they're pointed toward a wide variety of things. I will say to not expect immediate academic results; it's an accumulative system and kids are really spending the first year or so learning how to not to be little balls of I'd rather than learning reading or arithmetic. We were definitely nervous at first, but I'm glad now that out son is in the program. |
Anonymous
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Montessori curriculum was created by working with poor kids in Italy . Interesting that it has become "elite".
Perhaps the "cultish" part is that it is a non standard / non dominant style of education. Perhaps people feel a need to oversell it as a result. I think we as a society are caught up in a mass cult of grades, report cards and standardized tests. |
Anonymous
| Montessori is fantastic. I did it as a child in the seventies and loved it. dc did it four four years and now three year old is doing it. If u don't like it just move on. Plenty of people who want and love the approach will happily take your space. |
Anonymous
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I am new to Montessori. As I learn more about it the more I appreciate it.
I was a good student in a traditional grades based academic program. I learned a lot but looking back I think the external motivation of grades and the lack of individualized learning put a damper on my internal motivation to learn for learnings sake. I also am convinced now that if I had the mathematical base of the Montessori elementary curriculum I would have understood later math concepts on a much deeper level. |
Anonymous
We went to an open house and thought it was crazy. We never looked back. |
Anonymous
What open house? |
Anonymous
What open house are you referring to? |
Anonymous
| We turned down our spot at lamb because I just didn't get it. |