It is early, so.... Please excuse my typos!

iMO, sounds like your & brilliant, social butterfly" had a bad teacher. Plrase do not judge an entire philosophy by this classroom/teacher. In fact, one of the most important principles for Montessori is to "engage the child" (clearly your daughter's teacher did not do that. While Montessori does not work for all children, however, it works beautifully for others....WITH A GOOD TEACHER. Also, it is NOT for "little geniuses" (although some children may be a geniuses, but the vast majority are not, and are "normal" children. Actually, Montessori was first originated to suit the needs of underprivileged children, and children with special learning needs. Signed, proud Montessori teacher

Anonymous wrote:My child attend a center that had a Montessori approach. It was a disaster for her and she learned virtually nothing.

I think it had to do with the... fact that my child likes to be "taught" as opposed to pouring liquids back and forth. A lot of the stuff she did was boring for her and she just picked over and over the easiest stuff to do.

Montessori obvsiously works great for some kids but it won't work for every child so if you do choose this approach make sure to be actively involved and if it doesn't seem like your child is progressing or enjoys it, consider that the method is not best for your child and pick a different preschool with a different approach.

I couldn't agree more! My daughter had virtually the same experience for her first three months of kindergarten in a pricey, fully-accredited Montessori school. I yanked her from the program at the winter break and left behind a $2k deposit and placed her in the public kindergarten, where she was much happier.

Also, I resent the implication by some that the Montessori method is for little geniuses and that other kids and parents who don't like the method "just don't get it." In fact, she tested and placed into an exceptionally competitive gifted education program in our public school district in the first grade. However, she is a kid who is very creative/artistic and, if left to her own devices, will daydream and fritter away the day unless given very specific, task-driven goals. For us, Montessori was a complete disaster from beginning to end. Plus, the class was so small with a total of only 10 kids (with only three other girls, all of whom were quite socially maladjusted), and my daughter is a natural social butterfly who is very mature for her age. So she forged no friendships, to boot. The minute she transferred to the public school, she had friends and playdates galore.

Even though kid #2 won't go to kindergarten for another four years, I already know that I'll avoid Montessori like the plague.

As a public school teacher and a parent of 3, all of whom attended Montessori from age 2 through the end of K, I'd recommend giving Montessori a try if affordable for your family. My children are all in their late 30's now, and they still recall their Montessori years. Their Montessori school in Ohio had excellent teachers. My kids were each very different......the oldest (boy) was a follower, did average academic work, and was a very hard worker. Middle child (girl) was outgoing and willing to try anything, but she struggled academically. Youngest child (boy) was very bright academically but had a hard time accepting criticism & failure at any task. All very different personalities, but all thrived in Montessori. They learned to be respectful, kind, independent, and curious. 35 years ago Montessori schools were rare, and ours went through K only. Later that was expanded through grade 3, then through grade 6. I'm happy to read that these schools now go through grade 8. That would be quite a financial commitment by parents who have college tuitions looming ahead -- but if affordable for you, give your child the opprtunity to attend Montessori. I wish your child every success.

as far as I'm concerned, the main problem with the montessori system is that it doesn't seem to go past factoring quadratics-at least, Cedar river didn't.
still, I learned about prime numbers, base 2, and how to factor quadratics while 6 years old at that school... They also "forced" me to learn to write, in the sense that I had to make a journal entry before i was allowed onto the computer to play mavis beacon.

As for the quadratics?
I started factoring them with the algebra blocks (fairly normal), along with the explanation "nobody knows what x is"-which I accepted at face value (and, in retrospect, avoided all kinds of traps about "what does x mean")-and went to work. I fell in love-to the point where I got so fast, I couldn't rearrange the blocks into a rectangle before the answer was perfectly, totally clear to me. After that, I just stopped getting the blocks out. When I asked for what happens if you have "2x^2"-thankfully, i asked someone who actually understood quadratics-the explanation given allowed me to see into the more general case of x^n. sadly, that was the beginning of the end of my time there, simply because that was as far as the materials went in mathematics-the calculus books turned out to be a cube-counting dissapointment.

ah, fun times, fun times...


One last thing: the "big kids" pretty much kept to themselves, rather than paying too much attention to us little kids-if anything, they may have been secretely afraid to have any interaction with the "little kids", so...while there was some bullying, it was within the same age range, rather than big kids on little kids.


-fractal

Anonymous wrote:We're considering sending our son to a Montessori pre-school. Can someone explain the theory behind Montessori education, and perhaps how good it is for preparing a child for kindergarten?

I'd also love to hear pros/cons or comparisons of Montessori versus traditional pre-schools.

As the parent of a 1st and 3rd grader, I cannot distinguish now between which kids were Montessori in preschool versus which ones did just regular preschool (although you can most certainly tell which kids had no preschool at all). There's nothing in the long term that is a differentiator for Montessori.

My son (7 yo) is ADHD and my daughter (10 yo) is not. Both have been in Montessori since they were 3 years old. I will say that this education method has definitely been the best one for both of them.

However, an ADHD child is constantly in motion and the teachers have to be able to redirect and support the child. So we augmented my son's education with an ADHD summer Treatment program at the Cleveland Clinic (ran by a Dr Manos). This is an intensive behavioral modification program (medication is optional but not pushed). In this program my son learned how to control his own behavior and his teacher incorporated some of the program's structure into the classroom (levels and rewards... which are blasphemous to montessori).

After his first summer in the program and 1 month in his modified classroom my son was able to focus enough to do math and reading. Since then he has excelled in all of the areas of the classroom. This was after a year of him not being able to focus.

This was his second summer in the treatment program and he went back to school ready to learn new lessons. So in 1 year and 2 months he has progressed from:
- a non reader to reading large chapter books
- barely being able to add to doing division, multiplication, volume, angles and fractions (adding and subtracting).
-doing research projects on his own (reports, posters and diaramas)

-he is control of his own emotions, behavior and his learning. The ability for the classroom to be slightly modified and to incorporate traditional montessori learning approaches has served my son well. his teachers represent material to him as he needs it. But this is what they do for all children because it is part of the 3 cylce lesson. THe child masters the subject before he is given the next lessson.

PP here:

Chesterfield Montessori in St. Louis. The oldest completed primary and lower elementary before we moved. The youngest completed primary.

To PP - which school did your children attend ?

I loved my kids' Montessori experience. It was worth every penny.

Both of my kids attended an AMI Montessori preschool from age 2 through the end of K. They were both reading fluidly when they left. Both knew world geography very well. Both were familiar with a great deal of American history. (One developed a deep interest in Martin Luther King.) They both could do math 2-3 grades above grade level by the time they started 1st grade. They both had a lot of science and a deep interest in nature.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:cons:
- same teacher for 3 years sucks if the kid and the teacher don't like each other
- mixed age in the classroom could open the door to some bullying by the older kids
- little to no homework means kids lack study skills when they leave M school

I feel the exact same as this PP, also lack of team work it seems.

In my opinion, JUST NOT TRUE!!! Montesssori is based on respect for others & the environment, courtesy, and kindness.

Depends entirely on the school. My son was bullied by a classroom assistant at an AMI certified school. The assistant encouraged other children to bully him as well.

As a Montesori teacher who has posted on here previously, I believe that the Montessori philosophy has stood the test of time because many children throughout the world have thrived in a Montessori environment. Basic Montessori components work in present day because children learn by doing/muscle memory/through their senses, and so on...) However, Montessori is not for every child, therefore, not every child wil thrive with the philosophy. A good Montessori teacher ("directress") will use her instincts, knowledge, and "modernization" to update her classroom when neccesary in order to capture the interest of the child.... I do all of the time!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

22:14Reason 4: “True” Montessori schools follow the method that was developed in the 1900s. “Montessori based” schools are criticized by “true” Montessori believers. However, I want my kids at a school that is constantly evaluating their curriculum and modifying it. “True” Montessori schools don’t do this and the teachers/administrators hide behind any criticism to their approach stating that it’s not the “Montessori way”. In reality, kids in “True” Montessori schools are stuck in an educational program that was developed in the 1900s. I think it’s a great base, but should be reevaluated, expanded and updated.

As an early childhood educator, what is posted above is exactly my problem with "True" Montessori programs. Most preschools have adapted the best aspects of Montessori into their programs. Theory, methodology, and best practices constantly change. Good schools, teachers, and directors should be evaluating their programs every year, throwing out what doesn't work and adapting methods and materials that are new. Education is dynamic, it shouldn't be stuck in any one method or practice.

Hey! if it ain't broke . . .

There are waves in education. If a philosophy has been around for THIS long and people still agree with it, why would you question the methods?

I, too, am an educator. My daughter attended a montessori, and I will enroll my son when he hits 3. My daughter is now in K and entered with the ability to read, write, and understand basic phonics. Her teachers didn't "hide" behind any criticism, as the other PP stated.

I am surprised you have this attitude as an educator.

"If it aint broke don't fix it" Now there's an attitude that will keep us in the stone ages. I bet every one of us who uses a PC (or Mac) are SO GLAD that the R&D guys and gals don't take your attitude of settling for what works... Everything must evolve - therapists, teachers, and anyone else who take the approach of, "if it aint broke don't fix it" are truly doing us all a great disservice.

Anonymous wrote:I was a total devotee of Montessori until it turned out to be the wrong choice for my daughter. At 2 she went to a montessori toddler program and she liked it quite a lot. She is pretty boisterous and smart (she can read by herself and is only 3). Several posters have correctly stated that not all Montessori are the same. My daughter moved to a different one that was Spanish immersed at age 3 and it has been a DISASTER. She totally feels hemmed in and overly organized. The room itself is perhaps too small and the teacher seems to be a bit of a micromanager. It is set up that the children come in and then go to their stations and yes they pick among "the work" that they have had a lesson on but they can't choose to just play, which at 3 may be exactly what they want to do and perhaps need to do. My daughter loves ballet and so she might want to twirl her dress for a while and imagine being a princess but that is not allowed and will draw a "consequence" if she persists. They are to do "their work" and not interfere ie talk to the children around them who are doing "their work" Even the lunch is pretty regulated in the way you have to take out your lunch and lay out your napkin and place mat. I think I am going to look for a play based program for her which I never thought I would do but this is not working out for her.

Were you able to find anything more play based for your daughter? If so any particular program you would recommend? I have a 2 1/2 toddler boy and he's been attending a montessori school, however, I'm also rethinking that this maybe montessori program is not for him. Thanks for any info you can provide.

Loved this article. THANK YOU! I forwarded it to several people. I am a Montessori teacher, and it confirms EVERYTHING I believe in.