
I have been looking for montessori school options for my son who will be 2 in July.. I have looked at 2-3 and have found that some have all the montessori material for 2 year olds and some have less montesori material and have more non-montessori things such as toys etc.. Does anyone have any opinion on which one is better for 2 year olds or it does not make much difference at that age?
Any responce will be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance. |
Franklin Montessori is starting a toddler class next fall. If you're interested, you should call for an application soon. My son attends, and we love the school. They don't have toys, but seem to more more laid back (in terms of montessori principles) than other schools, like Aidan. |
There are three types of Montessori Schools
(1) AMI (e.g., Aidan, Lone Oak, Casa de Montessori, Aquinas) - AMI was set up by Maria Montessori herself to ensure that her principals were adhered to. AMI accredits schools internationally. These schools will be the most "Montessori" in their format. (2) AMI (e.g. Franklin, Wood, Barrie, and I have heard Manor just applied for accrediation of its Potomac campus) - AMS accredites only US Montessori schools and is somewhat looser in its interpretations than AMI. Like AMI schools, the teachers will be accredited and the school will not have "toys". (3) Non-accredited Montessori schools - Schools choose not to apply for accrediation for a variey of reasons, including difficulting in hiring enough accredited teachers and the costs of accrediation, but these schools run the gambit from very Montessori (e.g., Bethesda) to just sort of Montessori influenced (from what I understand Abington and Auguste would fall in this category). You should visit the schools but also read some books to see which of the versions feels right to you. For an example of AMI I suggest "Montessori from the Start" Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen and for an example of AMS I suggest "How To Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way" by Tim Seldin. And of course reading Montessori's own writings is a good idea as well. |
What is the definition of "toys"? |
I think Auguste Montessori is AMI accredited actually. |
Franklin is already full for the new fall toddler class--they're now putting people on a wait list. |
Having looked both at Manor (Bethesda) and Abigndon for my 2 yo, toys are not found (at least from what I could see) at Manor except if your kid stays for aftercare. There is actually a cart with mostly plastic toys. I got a chuckle out of it since my kid as some of those toys. It was really funny looking at everything wood or porcelain and then see a mound of plastic on a huge cart at the end of the hallway.
Unlike Manor, Abingdon has 2 rooms that have the 'toys'. Meaning a corner set up with a kitchen/housekeeping; corner with dramatic play; dressing mirrors; baby dolls, etc. I thought this was a nice mix, actually, to the Montessori environment. My kid loves to play with those things at home, which she could easily do even if she were at a more 'strict' school. She would get the 'toys' part at home. The materials Montessori uses at both schools seamed pretty identical. The movable alphabet, geographic map puzzles, sorting dishes, pencil cup holders, beading activities, etc. I found the materials really interesting and something my kid would gravitate to already. You can see what I'm talking about if you go to this website: http://montessori-n-such.com I don't know too much about the Method other than reading through literature and online and in person...but I liked what I saw at both schools. |
Thanks a lot for all the responses.. I have inquired at Franklin, they are full for this fall.
By "toys" i mean having building blocks, colorful blocks, puzzles etc I found these (mix of toys + few montessori material) at Apple montessori school.. I found that MSCC (montessori school of chevy chase) has all montesori material for 2 year olds.. I am not sure how it makes a difference in child's learning when the child is at 2 years of age.. I will go thr' the books that 13:14 recommended. Thanks.. |
13:41 here
From a Montessori standpoint "toys" would be items for free play. Each Montessori material is used for a specific purpose and teaches a specific skill, and most have a self-correcting component, which is why the student-to-teacher ratio can be higher. |
Thanks 13:41. Very informative. |