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[quote=Anonymous]We have twins and one (B) is currently in the Montessori pre-school that we want both to be in.  However, the other twin (A) is not potty-trained, a requirement for the Montessory pre-school.  Twin A is in a daycare/pre-school center near our home until potty-trained.  Twin A is  excitable, unfocused, has weaker verbal skills and hits to get attention doesn't follow directions as well.  Twin B used to be this way from their prior daycare, but has started to be calmer, more focused, has advanced his verbal skills more since switching schools and is learning different ways to vent that don't include hitting.   This has been over the course of 10 weeks since switching from their prior daycare and the main difference between the two has been the schools.  There was much more similarity of level and behavior prior to the shift.

We have taken Twin A to the "Show off your classroom" night where Twin B got to show us around the classroom, and show us the various projects worked on during the day.  Twin A loved it and talked about it for a week and definitely wants to go.  We've been using that as a springboard to encourage Twin A that if potty-trained, will join Twin B at the Montessori school.  We've made some small strides in the last week and a half since then.

As for what is Montessori?  In our school, the room is set up with a large open carpet in the middle, with several children's desk/tables on two sides.  Then along the walls are sections of various subjects (Nature, Math, Spacial Relationships, Letters/Spelling, etc).  In each section are bookcases that have several dozen projects that have some lesson to them.  Each student goes to a basket and takes a carpet mat that they spread out on the floor or a table space (larger ones for the floor, smaller ones for the tables).  Then each student can select a project to work on from anywhere in the room.  The teacher and assistant in each room go around from student to student and they talk about the various projects and help the student figure out what the goal of the project is and help them perform the task.

For example, for spacial relationships, there is a long wooden block that has various cut cylinders.  The cylinders are different diameters and different heights, but they go in order from smallest to largest.  The students take out the cylinders (each has a knob handle on the top) and shuffle them up and have to put them back into the block.  In letters, one of the projects is a basket of things that begin with the same letter.  The students have to name each object and then associate the objects with the letter.  For older, more advanced student they have baskets with items for 3 different letters and a card with the letters.  They have to sort the basket with the items for each letter.  they also have the option to take a sheet of paper, a colored pencil and a letter guide and they have to learn to draw the letter on the paper.  And many more.

One of the ideas behind the Montessori method is that each child selects the project/lesson to learn and is likely to be more interested in learning when they can select what they want vs when there is a set curriculum that is dictated to them.  We have certainly found that with Twin B there is more of an interest in learning than from daycare before.  [/quote]

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