Does a child benefit that much more from attending a montessori preschool verses traditional preschool?

Question

We are trying to decide on whether to put our child in a montessori preschool or just a traditional preschool. We like that the montessori allows the child to learn at his/her own pace instead of trying to learn on a set schedule, along with learning indepence. Have studies been shown that a child starting at a montessori puts them academically ahead down the line? The montessori is much more expensive than the other preschools so we're just trying to decide if the child's experience at the montessori is worth that much extra money. We're willing to pay it if we know it will better benefit them down the line. How do the benefits of the montessori outweigh those of the standard preschool? How does it better prepare them once they enter elementary school? Any information or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

Most preschools do tend to have more of an "explore your intrests" approach.  When looking for my daughter, I didn't notice that much difference thruthfully in the schools I looked at for 3s.  I did notice more of a difference in 4s programs where there was more academic rigor in the traditional school - they seemed very geared towards kindergarten readiness.

But I do caution you about Montessori for K and up.  It is not for every child.  My son is very ver bright, and he learns vast amounts of information about what he is interested in.  If it weren't for tradtional school guiding him into learning what he otherwise would find boring (i.e. learning to read...) he wouldn't.  In our area we have a charter Montessori school that, since it is a public school, takes all the same state tests, and they are performing consistenly lower than almost all the other elem. in the district.

The child must be very self-motivated and value learning the skills rather than what he/she likes.  I've had Montessori kids in my classroom before - most were great thinkers and had a lot of "knowledge", but a lot lacked in the basic skills then I would expect.

Answer 2

umm...are you talking about the one close to hartford magnet middle school at learning corridor because i live close to that.try and take a picture so i could see which montessori

Answer 3

I think the best thing as a parent you could do is talk to other parents whose kids went to preschools in your area. That way you can find out what the program is like, with out relying entirely on what you read in pamphlets and so forth.

Answer 4

I think that it would be best if you let your child go to a montessori school during preschool. Based on my own experience the children who go to montessori schools have fun while they learn because of the method that they use. There is also more one on one interaction between the student and teacher. I know this because my niece goes to a montessori school and she loves it! Hope this helps!

Answer 5

Sounds like you've already done some homework, and you have some pretty good reasons for putting your child in the Montessori preschool environment.  

I used to be a teacher's aide at a Montessori school, and I do think this is a great approach to education.  It fosters independence and encourages curiosity.  Preschool children are FULL of curiosity.  That being said, I did encounter a few children who were just not suited for the Montessori way of things.  They needed more rigid structure.  

Think about your child and what his/her learning style might be.  It wouldn't hurt to try Montessori.  If you find it doesn't work for your child, then put him/her in a more traditional preschool.

Answer 6

One factor to look at is the curriculum of the "traditional" preschool. For example, I currently teach at a preschool that is not Montessori, but we do allow children to work at their own, individual pace. We have a high teacher-student ratio, and we individualize the curriculum as much as possible, utilizing learning centers where the children can explore in their own ways.

We may not be "traditional", but a lot of preschools are coming over to that format. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (the text that guides all NAEYC (http://www.naeyc.org) accredited programs, and many others) promotes individualizing the instruction and letting children work at their own pace. This is no longer a strictly Montessori trait.

Any good preschool should be working with your child, at their level, to create strong, confident kids who become life-long learners. Check out the other preschools to see if they seem like a good fit. If not, shell out the extra cash for the Montessori school. And remember, staying involved in your child's education is the best way to ensure success in school.

Answer 7

You may not like my answer, I am a recently retired elem teacher and I believe Montessori to be one good type of preschool, but be forwarned, that if they go directly from Montessori to public school, that "freedom" of doing what you want as you want doesn't transfer well to 30 kids in a room doing what the teacher says.  It is just something to consider for the future.  You might even ask some public school teachers near you about the transition.

Answer 8

My sister teaches first grade. Kids that come to her after a couple of years at Montessori schools have a harder time working in groups, they take her direction as mere suggestion, and are not working at the same pace as the rest of the class.

Since traditional schooling involves everyone in the class working on what the teacher has set in her teaching plans, it's important that kids learn to work when the rest of the class is working. The montessori kids may have some things down pat prior to the other kids, but the integration into traditional elementary school can be hard and even put them behind.

There are more choices than traditional or montessori; Private Catholic Schools are excellent, prep schools are terrific, there are great Jewish schools, too! Some catholic schools do not offer pre-k but many of the chrches do have it in our area. My kids went to prep school for pre k since it was the closest to us and they had space for my kids. It was terrific for them.

My kids are bright self starters that do well in school, they all read long before kindergarten, and all of them love to learn. A great deal of that is due to what they got at home, from me and their father.

Answer 9

I am both a pre-school and primary school teacher myself. I believe that Montessori does educate your child well, but i do not think it benefits them in the long run. When i was teaching a primary school class, the children who were in a traditional preschool had exactly the same capabilities as the children who went to a Montessori school.

I looked into teaching Montessori methods, but i chose to teach traditional instead. There are a few methods which i do not agree with (i won't go into them now)...

This is only your decision to make, but personally, i'd prefer a traditional school. I do not see the point in teaching addition, subtraction, multiplacation and division to pre-school children. It is beyond them and thy will learn it in the primary school anyway...

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!! :-)

Answer 10

From personal experience, I highly recommend Montessori preschool. My son started there at the age of 2 1/2. He was encouraged to learn at his own pace, and excelled. The rate at which children are learning at the age of 4, determines the rate they will continue at in the future.

He was reading 3rd grade level in kindergarden and exibited a great ability to solve different problems using common sense. By 7th grade, I could no longer help him with his math. It was beyond me. Granted, I am not a math scholar, but none the less....

I would greatly suggest you give Montessori a try.

Good luck, and good looking out for your child.