Reply to Montessori parents: how do you know kids are on track?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is a great question and should be a useful conversation.  We are at LAMB, with both lower elementary and primary students, and while I know my kids are progressing, it is an adjustment to not see grades on their quarterly reports.  I am not suggesting however, that I want them to get grades and there are benchmarks and assessments that they take.  For instance, they use one of the reading programs (A to Z? perhaps) that LAMB administrators believe has the best match to a Montessori curriculum and the reading levels do match up to a grade level. The kids read at their own pace and choose from a selection of books in the appropriate level.  They have small reading groups that you can participate in once you reach a certain level, but the kids are at a vast spread of reading levels between 1st - 3rd grades that it doesn't come across as differentiated learning.  [b]I am still working to understand how math is assessed because it is very different in Montessori,[/b] but they do have to Master skills before they can move on to the next skill.

Looking forward to following this thread.  I am thrilled with the Montessori system, but there is more I can learn about it.  [/quote]

Confused about this -- the math concepts taught in elementary are no different from traditional school.  If your kid is an elementary student they can tell you about learning division, long division, long multiplication, fractions etc.  My 1st grade lower elementary student is doing long division and long multiplication and learning about fractions (multiplying, dividing, equivalency etc).  She has a great understanding of the decimal system and does simple math in her head almost instantly.  I don't know what 1st graders are doing in other schools (or what other kids are doing in her class) but to me that sounds pretty advanced for a six year old, so I'm convinced she's "on track" without feeling the need for reports, tests or comparisons to her classmates.[/quote]

Yea, if I was you, I wouldn't be at all worried if my kid was on track or not.  It's those of us with kids in Montessori who are not doing things like you kid who start to worry if our child is on track or not. Those with kids in K who are NOT reading or writing or doing math DO need assessments and comparisons and reports.  I do wish my school provided me more of that and less "every kid is different" talk.[/quote]

Let me change this a bit.  You know your child is doing advanced stuff.  I know my child is behind (and I could use more specifics on the path forward from here and more reassurance that there are kids who don't seem to get it in K but later pick up steam).  But then there is a vast middle ground. What if your child is reading sight words at 6 but not books - is this right or should s/he be reading sentences?  These parents especially need more comparisons and assessments and reports.  Montessori, especially private Montessori's, are a bit reluctant (for good reasons - holistic view, child's own pace, blah blah blah) to provide this, but in today's parenting/schooling age, you really can't not provide it except to the parents of clearly advanced kids.[/quote]

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