Experiences/feelings on Montessori schools?

Question

Please share. What you know of them, have your kids attended one, do you plan on it? Know anyone who's kids attend one etc....

Answer 1

I attended one for pre-school. It was ok but I didn't like learning to read and write. They did really well on teaching discipline, though.

Good luck! ;*)

Answer 2

I think Montessori is FANTASTIC for the pre-school age but...sucks (really can't think of any other word)...for elementary school age.

For the younger children, they teach them a lot about independence and responsibility. It's amazing to watch a 2yr get a toy off a shelf, play with it at a table and then put it back when he/she is done. They master skills such as reading, writing, counting, pairing etc at a young age, something a lot of pre-schools don't do. The children use all of their senses and a lot of their lessons are abstract/tactile. (meaning a child gets to use their hands) Students learn at their own pace and are in a classroom with others ranging in ages of 2-5yrs, regardless of their own age. This way a child who is very advanced at 2yrs always has something to do and a child who isn't as advanced at 4-5yrs isn't left behind. Theres ALWAYS something to learn and do at a Montessori school. A child should never be bored.

The program for the elementary school is very similar. Children from 2-4 grades are put together in one class. They are each given a list of assignments/tasks to do each week depending on their skill level/grade which includes independence work, group work and instruction. It is there responsibility (with some help) to make sure everything is done.

My 4yr son is currently in a Montessori pre-school program and loves it. He has become more responsible, is able to read simple words.

Down fall: Montessori does not teach students how to write in print...they go right to cursive...which means it is EXTREMELY hard to read a young child's handwriting. If you plan on sending them to another school program for K-1+ you need to teach print at home.

I am a teacher with a degree in child development and early childhood education. I have observed Montessori Elementrary Programs several times and just don't like it! I feel that they use a lot of older methods and terms for things we no longer teach children. Each time I've gone, the children have been diagraming sentences...something I haven't seen since I was a kid!  The class is waayyy too structured in some ways and not enough structured in others. For example, when the children are doing an activity, the room is ALWAYS quiet...to the point where it's too quiet too often. No discussions are held in a Montessori classroom between the class and the teachers, which is a big down fall socially. Also the students have the freedom to walk around and are very rarely sitting down and working, which leads to problems when kids are then put into a regular school system and need to sit the entire day   I also feel that there is just too big of a difference between a 7yr and 10yr for them to be in the same class. There isn't a Montessori High School program and the adjustment for a child to go from an elementary Montessori schooling program to any other school is usually a hard transition.

Some parents swear by Montessori schools and others aren't fans at all. I think the pre-school system is wonderful and if you have the money/one close by, I would really consider looking into it. The elementary school program is a complete waste in my book. There are too many downfalls.

Best Wishes =]

Answer 3

i attended one till 4th grade and personally i think it is a great idea to an extent, too heavy a reliance on the hands-on materials does not always offer adequate preparation for most American high schools, my school actually became divided and split over this issue when i was in 4th with a large group of families forming their own school that weaned students off the Montessori method by middle school in order to prepare for high school. but honestly for pre-school, kindergarten up till 2nd or 3rd grade, its great stuff......of course there are probably some who would disagree. montessori taps into the abstract thought (math: understand the numbers, visually see the numbers, once you understand it do it) most schools are very concrete (math: see numbers, do math), so i suppose montessori is probably the most ideal location for the abstract thinker after a certain point, the only problem, like i said before, is that very few highschools share a similair mind set.

Answer 4

This website has a ton of information. Good Luck!!

http://www.eduqna.com/Preschool/1078-pre...

Differences of Montessori and Traditional School System:

Montessori

Age span of at least three years in a class.

Children reinforce their own learning by repetition of work and internal feelings of success.

Method emphasizes becoming aware of Ones abilities and social development.

Direct contact with multi-sensory materials.

Highly organized sets of graduated materials-mostly three dimensional and "concrete".

Develops wise use of free choice.

Learns about care of one's self and environment.

Environment and method encourage self-discipline.

Mostly one-on-one instruction.

Traditional

One age per class.

Learning is reinforced externally (rewards, stickers etc.).

Method emphasizes social development.

Much information dispensed by lecture.

Mostly abstract- books, papers, etc.

Very few choices.

Less emphasis on self-learning instruction.

Teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline.

Group and individual instruction.

Also, I work for a family that has their two kids at a Montessori school. They are very well adjusted kids that are very above average educationally, but a little behind emotionally.

Answer 5

I attended Montessori schools from preschool to eighth grade. I learned a lot and for the most part it's a great program, however it does have it's downfalls. Many of the kids I went to school with had a trouble socializing outside of the Montessori environment when they went to High School. Others were later diagnosed with ADD, that may be a result of not really having to focus while learning.

Edit: And what the person said above me is correct. Most of the kids were advanced educationally but lacked socially and emotionally.