Montessori Schools

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any experience with sending their child to a Montessori school in the Northern VA area? Why did you send them there?
Were you and the child happy with this decision for a preschool? I am trying to evaluate whether or not this is the right type of school for our 3 year old.

I am not sure I buy into the self directed (lack teacher direction) train of thought. Montessori seem to teach basic life skills and practical life lessons, how to clean up, etc. and not typical lessons of ABCs and ciriculum that preschoolers need before they enter kindergarden. I guess I am confused on what is best for a child who will enter kindergarden at age 5/6. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with their kids?

[Anonymous]

We started Montessori this fall. We have 2 kids attending Reston Montessori. One is 3 and the other is 5 and in kindergarten. Here's what I will say: we are completely amazed by all our 5 yr old has learned. I wish we'd been able to start her at 3. I can hardly wait to see what our 3 year old is able to do by 5. We love the school and the teachers. I was skeptical, but I'm a believer at this point. Our school has a mandatory program for new parents. It is 3 sessions over 3 months and it teaches us about the Montessori method and what they are doing in their classes. Fantastic! It makes complete sense and is not some crazy off the wall idea.

As you can tell we're pretty happy with our decision!

[Anonymous]

We love, love, loved Montessori for our daughter from ages 2 to 5, and incorporated some Montessori approaches at home as well. She came out of preschool with a journal full of poetry, plays, and stories that she had written, and spent the summer between preschool and kindergarten reading Nancy Drew chapter books and playing math games and making up puzzles. They didn't know what to do with her in kindergarten so they skipped her to first grade. She's doing fine, and we just think the educational approach of letting children do whatever they are capable of and choose to do was exactly right for her, because she turned out to be highly gifted, and I don't think a traditional play-based preschool would have been as fun and stimulating for her. It really depends on the child, though, and Montessori may not be for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, if you don't buy into it, it's not the right place for your child. It's a philosophy that needs to be followed at home and you need to believe in it. I wouldn't put my kid in a program b/c of the hype if I didn't really believe in the philosophy. It's just going to be confusing and frustrating, and you'll always be concerned that he or she isn't learning what they need to be before kindergarten. Every child can be a Montessori child, but not every parent can be a Montessori parent. And there's nothing wrong with that.

[Anonymous]

We have 2 children in a Montessori school (preschool and 1st grade) and don't do anything special at home to accomdate their Montessori education. Here's a link that describes how to set up a home to be supportive of Montessori. I think it's pretty simple. We do most of these things naturally.
http://www.beachparkschool.org/new/montessoriathome.htm

We did one year in public school before switching to Montessori. We've found everything that they say about Montessori to be true. It's much more organic and peaceful than in the traditional classroom.

[Anonymous]

OP here again. How did you and your child find the transition from Montessori to the traditional public school classroom?
I am just wondering how kids will adapt/adjust to listen to authority from a teacher in a public school environment if they have
gone through 3 years of self direction in Montessori without the teacher leading the class. Is this a big change to them or am I overthinking this?

[Anonymous]

My kids' Montessori teachers are the authorities in charge in the classroom, the one who gives them permission to go chose their work or do other things. She is definitely correcting them when they need it and giving them small-group or one-on-one lessons.

They would have more trouble in a non-Montessori classroom understanding why all the students have to do the same thing at the same time, such as a math lesson. In Montessori the teacher is giving lessons to small groups all day long, so the kids learn that they have to do be doing other work while the teacher is giving lessons to other kids. (and older students are giving one-on-one lessons on how to do some sort of work in the classroom).

It would help if you observed a Montessori classroom. We observed for 30 minutes a few weeks ago and watched our 4 year old chose to polish our shoes (using a little dropper to put on drops of polish, which requires good eye-hand coordination which our daughter struggles with) and create a story with her teacher by picking wooden letters to make words on a big mat on the floor.

[karacal]

I am the product of Montessori education (from age 2 - 5). When I was 5, I started fist grade. Didn't even go to kindergarten. I could read and write and do math far better than any of my classmates. I had no trouble adapting to public school except that I wondered why people were teaching me things I already knew! By 2nd grade, I was working at a 4th grade level. I ended up graduating highschool when I was 16. I was never pushed by my parents, either. I just LOVED to learn.

As one of 5 kids and the only one who went to Montessori, I can say I had a much easier time in school, with academics and socializing than my older siblings.

I can't wait to send my daughter to Montesorri (she's 4 mo. now so it will be a while).

that's just my experience.

[Anonymous]

I am the product of Montessorri school from pre-k to 6th grade. I LOVED IT and have wonderful memories of school and friends, who are still good friends now that I am in my 30's.

I don't think the child should be the worry transitioning into regular school, if anything you should worry that he/she is placed correctly. Just be cause she/he is a specific age which indicates, he/she should be in a particular grade, should not be the reason. My math skills were far more advanced than my 7th grade class when I moved to middle school and I was bored. I did my work, but not how the teacher was teaching it so even if it was right, it was wrong because I was not doing it with the same steps she was showing...I think this could happen no matter if you are a montessori student or not...Montessori taught me well, too well, I think.

I hope I have the opportunity to send my children to Montessori. I remember learning to count, ABC's and to read when I was there.

Oh yeah. My parents did not have Montessori system set-up at home. We were 5 girls, dad was busy working all day and mom was busy taking care of us.

Your child will learn, just at his/her own rate....he/she may surprise you!!!

Good luck,