All of these positive posts about Montessori school sound so excited to me. I would love to have DD try it out.
Now I just need to find the right school, convince DH to accept it and save money
One question:. One of the M school I asked about tuition is $400 more (a month) than a high rating traditional preschool. Does it worth it?

"Spatial relationships" is the SENSORIAL area of the Montessori classroom. The activity you described is called "knobbed cylinders."

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.

OP, have you posted about this place before? I remember a similar post a while back and I have a feeling my child might go to the same school. It seems like you really hate it, but how does your child feel?

Anonymous wrote:Please don't base your opinion of Montessori on this one school. Our school is not like what you described. The Montessori method is amazing.

+1 We toured 5 different Montessori schools and they were totally different form each other. We picked the fun one!

I loved our Montessori school and my kids in upper elementary school still talk about it from time to time. They had a great experience.

*more focus on respect for each other, their surroundings, and themselves
*great math and science - public MCPS didn't catch up to Montessori K level until 3rd grade! I was really impressed at how they taught concepts without pressure and without dumbing things down
*lots of outdoor and nature time
*learning phonics early on rather the sight words worked for them and helped them be early readers
*drama and art teachers were very good, not just silly crafts but let them do art in a fun and very effective manner

OP, I'm with you. I was completely in favor of the Montessouri method. We tried it for a few years, with great success. Then we got "that" teacher. Awful, awful, awful. The school had no idea how awful the teacher was. There were favored students who were clearly nothing short of disruptive.

It blew the whole thing out of the water. We changed to a program with more academics, more socializing, and more TLC, and never once looked back.

Where are you?

This is ironic as Maria Montessori initially started the program for poor learning disabled kids in Italy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taught years ago with a K teacher who had a Montessori classroom. Nothing on the bulletin boards. NO decorations in the class and it was super quiet.


I have no direct experience with montessori instruction, but I definitely prefer the calm feeling of the clsssrooms over the crazy overstimulation and disorder I have seen in many regular preschools. Kids do not need to be constantly having their senses assaulted.

Understandable to a point. When you have students who have very poor language skills you need a little noise.

It is generally not recommended for speech delayed kids. And, they don't want kids with delays. (well, one we found was supportive but several we looked at were not). I like calm and structured but there needs to be a balance.

Give me a break! My DS has speech issues and his Montessori school and teachers bend over backwards to work with his speech therapist to help with his issues, and go to IEP meetings to help devise a plan for him. The Montessori kids I know are very articulate and well spoken.

It probably depends on your child's issues. There is a big difference between articulation issues vs. MERLD, especially with poor receptive skills. We looked at 4. One as willing to work with us and I considered it strongly. One seemed like a warehouse vs. a real Montessori program. Another lead us on but after our second meeting with them, while the director was ok with it the assistant director clearly was not. The other one was creepy as others have described. If well spoken and articulate are key to Montessori, my bright kid would have stuck out like a sore thumb. There are some great programs that will cater to special needs, but most are very set in their ways. If we had not chosen the program we did, which worked out well, we would have gone to the one Montessori. I was concerned at their academic style allowing children to make obvious mistakes without correcting and letting them self correct later. I get why that is done but it was not a good fit for my child and his needs.

Second time Montessori mom here: I am not sure that it was the best fit for my son who often refused to pick his own work. However, their method for teaching the kids to read was extremely effective! He went to public school in first grade with a pretty easy transition and able to read anything. Now in second grade, he amazes me with the words that he can read--thanks to the Montessori teachers!
My daughter is pretty happy so far with the button sewing and table washing! The kids also do, or have the option to do, music, soccer, spanish, etc. so it is not all "work!" The teachers are also really warm and loving, which is a prerequisite anywhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taught years ago with a K teacher who had a Montessori classroom. Nothing on the bulletin boards. NO decorations in the class and it was super quiet.


I have no direct experience with montessori instruction, but I definitely prefer the calm feeling of the clsssrooms over the crazy overstimulation and disorder I have seen in many regular preschools. Kids do not need to be constantly having their senses assaulted.

Understandable to a point. When you have students who have very poor language skills you need a little noise.

It is generally not recommended for speech delayed kids. And, they don't want kids with delays. (well, one we found was supportive but several we looked at were not). I like calm and structured but there needs to be a balance.

Give me a break! My DS has speech issues and his Montessori school and teachers bend over backwards to work with his speech therapist to help with his issues, and go to IEP meetings to help devise a plan for him. The Montessori kids I know are very articulate and well spoken.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please don't base your opinion of Montessori on this one school. Our school is not like what you described. The Montessori method is amazing.

what exactly is the montessori method?

I read the below and I'm like "what?" what does is actually mean in the classroom?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is the Montessori Method of Education

This system of education is both a philosophy of child development and a rationale for guiding such growth. It is based on two important developmental needs of children:

The need for freedom within limits
A carefully prepared environment which guarantees exposure to materials and experiences.

Through these developmental needs, the child develops intelligence as well as physical and psychological abilities. The Montessori method of education is designed to take full advantage of the childrens desire to learn and their unique ability to develop their own capabilities. Children need adults to expose them to the possibilities of their lives, but the children must determine their response to all the possibilities.

The main premises of Montessori education are:

Children are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals who differ from each other.
Children possess an unusual sensitivity and intellectual ability to absorb and learn from their environment that are unlike those of the adult both in quality and capacity.
The most important years of childrens growth are the first six years of life when unconscious learning is gradually brought to the conscious level.

Children have a deep love and need for purposeful work. They work, however, not as an adult for the completion of a job, but the sake of an activity itself. It is this activity which enables them to accomplish their most important goal: the development of their individual selves – their mental, physical and psychological powers.

NP here. + 1. School me, please.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please don't base your opinion of Montessori on this one school. Our school is not like what you described. The Montessori method is amazing.

what exactly is the montessori method?

I read the below and I'm like "what?" what does is actually mean in the classroom?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is the Montessori Method of Education

This system of education is both a philosophy of child development and a rationale for guiding such growth. It is based on two important developmental needs of children:

The need for freedom within limits
A carefully prepared environment which guarantees exposure to materials and experiences.

Through these developmental needs, the child develops intelligence as well as physical and psychological abilities. The Montessori method of education is designed to take full advantage of the childrens desire to learn and their unique ability to develop their own capabilities. Children need adults to expose them to the possibilities of their lives, but the children must determine their response to all the possibilities.

The main premises of Montessori education are:

Children are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals who differ from each other.
Children possess an unusual sensitivity and intellectual ability to absorb and learn from their environment that are unlike those of the adult both in quality and capacity.
The most important years of childrens growth are the first six years of life when unconscious learning is gradually brought to the conscious level.

Children have a deep love and need for purposeful work. They work, however, not as an adult for the completion of a job, but the sake of an activity itself. It is this activity which enables them to accomplish their most important goal: the development of their individual selves – their mental, physical and psychological powers.

Anonymous wrote:Please don't base your opinion of Montessori on this one school. Our school is not like what you described. The Montessori method is amazing.

what exactly is the montessori method?

Anonymous wrote:...The other hitch is that they hold two months of tuition in advance, so we could be out big bucks...

is there no way around this? i guess there's some language in the contract prohibiting a refund?