We left Montessori because it was killing my kid's natural interest in exploring things. She was not allowed to "play" with anything until she's been given a "lesson" on how to use that item, and innovation was definitely disfavored. That doesn't work with our family and parenting style.

We left Montessori because the environment was too cool and aloof for my extroverted, affectionate boy. He was trying to socially connect, and it was hard on him emotionally that the focus was on independent work and not the teamwork he desired. He plays for long periods by himself, so I wasn't worried that he needed to develop more independence. But the lack of warmth in the school environment was too difficult for him and I think left him feeling insecure. We moved him to a national brand, conventional preschool and he is thriving.

I was a Montessori kid and now know I had inattentive ADHD. It was a good fit for me, and yes I ended up being academically advanced.

However for my dyslexic daughter it likely resulted in a delay in our identification of her reading issues. It looked to the teacher like she avoided that work while excelling elsewhere. I don't think many teachers are great at identifying dyslexia as early as they could.

We left the school when it became obvious their strategy was going to be to encourage her to work harder in that area versus try to figure out what the challenge was.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering leaving Montessori after finishing the primary cycle with DD, when we thought we'd keep her there through elementary.

I'm concerned she is easily distracted and doesn't do well with so many kids working on different things in the classroom at one time. She's already expressed this to us quite clearly (she's entering her 3rd year).

Montessori is great. A good school and teacher won't let your child "fixate" on one topic. They guide them. The child always feels that he or she is choosing the work, but they are doing so from a very limited set of choices. At my DDs school they will sometimes give children a list of 3 items they can choose from in order to direct those who need at extra push to focus on the right topics. So the child still feels in control, and can go at his or her pace, but it's not as if they get to do whatever they want!

Yes, true for mine too. I was told by an educational psychologist that even kids with borderline ADHD can languish academically in Montessori.

OP here. This is interesting as I think I was borderline ADHD as a kid (back before we really diagnosed that) and I could not, for the life of me, sit and pay attention in a lecture style class. I did great working on my own and this is actually why I'm drawn to Montessori now (DC is is a lot like me).

pp here. Perhaps ADHD kids are a bad fit for any organized schooling? I was told that adhd kids need more structure, but I also wonder if, while that structure may increase academic achievement in these kids, it can negatively impact love of learning/school in them too? What is more important, love or school or meeting academic milestones? In 1st grade, in 2nd grade, in third grade etc.?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering leaving Montessori after finishing the primary cycle with DD, when we thought we'd keep her there through elementary.

I'm concerned she is easily distracted and doesn't do well with so many kids working on different things in the classroom at one time. She's already expressed this to us quite clearly (she's entering her 3rd year).

Montessori is great. A good school and teacher won't let your child "fixate" on one topic. They guide them. The child always feels that he or she is choosing the work, but they are doing so from a very limited set of choices. At my DDs school they will sometimes give children a list of 3 items they can choose from in order to direct those who need at extra push to focus on the right topics. So the child still feels in control, and can go at his or her pace, but it's not as if they get to do whatever they want!

Yes, true for mine too. I was told by an educational psychologist that even kids with borderline ADHD can languish academically in Montessori.

OP here. This is interesting as I think I was borderline ADHD as a kid (back before we really diagnosed that) and I could not, for the life of me, sit and pay attention in a lecture style class. I did great working on my own and this is actually why I'm drawn to Montessori now (DC is is a lot like me).

But there are no lecture styles preschools. Decent ones, anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering leaving Montessori after finishing the primary cycle with DD, when we thought we'd keep her there through elementary.

I'm concerned she is easily distracted and doesn't do well with so many kids working on different things in the classroom at one time. She's already expressed this to us quite clearly (she's entering her 3rd year).

Montessori is great. A good school and teacher won't let your child "fixate" on one topic. They guide them. The child always feels that he or she is choosing the work, but they are doing so from a very limited set of choices. At my DDs school they will sometimes give children a list of 3 items they can choose from in order to direct those who need at extra push to focus on the right topics. So the child still feels in control, and can go at his or her pace, but it's not as if they get to do whatever they want!

Yes, true for mine too. I was told by an educational psychologist that even kids with borderline ADHD can languish academically in Montessori.

OP here. This is interesting as I think I was borderline ADHD as a kid (back before we really diagnosed that) and I could not, for the life of me, sit and pay attention in a lecture style class. I did great working on my own and this is actually why I'm drawn to Montessori now (DC is is a lot like me).

Anonymous wrote:We loved Montessori and our daughter did really well there. She loved school, she learned to read, she was engaged in many topics and it was overall really fun to watch. The program only went through kindergarten and there was not a Montessori close by that continued into elementary.

Public school has not kept that love of learning in her. Her first grade teacher was a disaster. She was bored. The work was so many worksheets and glueing letters on paper. Second and third grade were a bit better.

Hindsight, I wish we had figured out a way to stick with Montessori.

I feel like this is typical coming from a great preschool, regardless of whether it's Montessori or not. It's just so much better than public elementary school in the early years.

We loved Montessori and our daughter did really well there. She loved school, she learned to read, she was engaged in many topics and it was overall really fun to watch. The program only went through kindergarten and there was not a Montessori close by that continued into elementary.

Public school has not kept that love of learning in her. Her first grade teacher was a disaster. She was bored. The work was so many worksheets and glueing letters on paper. Second and third grade were a bit better.

Hindsight, I wish we had figured out a way to stick with Montessori.

I have found that with many Montessori families there is a fixation on acceleration or "working at their level" as is often quoted. But I found the "acceleration" to be superficial. In this community though, it was very important for parents to feel like either a.) Sally was allowed to work at her gifted level or b.) Montessori magic was turning Sally into an advanced student.--so, as long as this appearance was maintained those parents were happy. I found it to be an angsty culture. I felt like there was a lot of backbending to keep up appearances, even after kids go on to other schools. Almost all kids leave Montessori and go on to traditional schools in elementary and do grade appropriate work. While I have heard horror stories, most kids I have known transition fine. My oldest was actually a model Montessori student, which looking back was probably the best indicator she needed a different environment to stretch her social needs better.

Anonymous wrote:We are considering leaving Montessori after finishing the primary cycle with DD, when we thought we'd keep her there through elementary.

I'm concerned she is easily distracted and doesn't do well with so many kids working on different things in the classroom at one time. She's already expressed this to us quite clearly (she's entering her 3rd year).

Montessori is great. A good school and teacher won't let your child "fixate" on one topic. They guide them. The child always feels that he or she is choosing the work, but they are doing so from a very limited set of choices. At my DDs school they will sometimes give children a list of 3 items they can choose from in order to direct those who need at extra push to focus on the right topics. So the child still feels in control, and can go at his or her pace, but it's not as if they get to do whatever they want!

Yes, true for mine too. I was told by an educational psychologist that even kids with borderline ADHD can languish academically in Montessori.

We are considering leaving Montessori after finishing the primary cycle with DD, when we thought we'd keep her there through elementary.

I'm concerned she is easily distracted and doesn't do well with so many kids working on different things in the classroom at one time. She's already expressed this to us quite clearly (she's entering her 3rd year).

Montessori is great. A good school and teacher won't let your child "fixate" on one topic. They guide them. The child always feels that he or she is choosing the work, but they are doing so from a very limited set of choices. At my DDs school they will sometimes give children a list of 3 items they can choose from in order to direct those who need at extra push to focus on the right topics. So the child still feels in control, and can go at his or her pace, but it's not as if they get to do whatever they want!

Pp again - Sorry, I realize you wanted the opinions of those who had left Montessori. We had such a great experience that I wanted to give you the other side.

A school is only as good as its teachers, no matter the curriculum.

We loved our Montessori preschool, OP. Years later their Montessori teacher they had for 3 years is still my children's favorite teacher. Montessori is not a protected name, so verify that the school is affiliated with a Montessori organization.

It was wonderful for my kids to relax and eat while listening to classical music. A little conversation was allowed, but enjoyment of the music and food was encouraged. Same for all the activities - the students were taught that there is a time and place for certain behaviors. Recess was a loud, energetic period! The Kindergarten class was a perfect tableau of children working on advanced multiplication, reading chapter books and writing sentences, usually very calmly. The 3 and 4 year olds were given tasks according to their skill and concentration levels. Children could start with the task they wanted, but had to complete a certain set in a day or a week.

My kids were quite advanced compared to their peers when they went to a well-regarded MCPS elementary school, and we've worked to make it stay that way - easily, since for those three crucial years they were taught that study is a normal part of every day and that learning is fun.

Because the kids had to be silent when they ate. I like conversation at meals.

I am very intrigued by Montessori and think DC may be very well suited for it. That said, having done lots of research on the topic, I still feel a bit uneasy. We're very much traditionalists in our household and have had very little exposure to this style of education. I worry that DC might fixate on one topic and come up weak on critical skills (math) that s/he finds less interesting. I also worry about transitioning over to more "standard" classroom settings later in life. If Montessori did NOT work out for your child, what were some of the reasons why and what things do you wish you had known beforehand?