Have you moved your child from a public school to a montessori school?

Question

My husband & I are casually kicking around this idea (if we can figure out how to afford it) & I wanted to hear experiences from others who did the same.

Why did you do it?

How did your child cope with the transition?

Do you believe that it benefited your child?

Answer 1

I think it's sometimes easier and gives a clearer picture if I can address what other people said in a response.  Denmark gave a well thought out response, but it's not a truly accurate picture of what one should be trying to get from a Montessori school.  After I answer that, you will have a clearer picture of Montessori and I can address your question more clearly.

Here's the response, with my comments:

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" While she likes the Montessori school, I'm not sure it's as academically challenging as the mom thought it would be."

My response:

The Montessori curriculum is far more academic than what we see in traditional school environments.  In fact, most criticism of the Montessori method stems from this fact.  Most criticism that does this fails to look at the method of teaching, but rather the outcome.  For example, they see children reading 3 years ahead of the their expected grade level and assume that the children were pushed to read - rather than looking into Montessori and seeing that children were simply provided with the materials, shown how to use the materials, and became excited about reading and, as a result, learned on their own.

What most people seem to be saying when they say it is not academic enough is that they mean they are not pushed to the academic parts.  However, let me address the next thing that was said as an example of why:

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So far, she's impressed with the classroom itself. She likes that there are working irons (I'm assuming at a very low heat?), tools, and other appliances the kids can use.

My response:

It seems like the mother is forgetting an important aspect of Montessori.  This is a place for children to develop.  Children who have never been given these opportunities of working on things considered "too grown up for them" are sucked right into them.  I have constantly told parents what to expect when a person enters a Montessori classroom later in life.  Expect that first year for you to pull your hair out.  The way we think about education is drastically different and we expect our children to produce some sort of artificial results that they can show us that gives us the impression they learned something.  In actuality, it really just gives us the truth that they learned how to fill out a worksheet...or remember rote math problems without understanding the concept.  Or read site words without knowing the phonics.

Montessori advanced materials take concentration.  A child in his or her first year is very unlikely to select the moveable alphabet or decimal math materials.  They do not have the concentration that is required.  They do not have the logical system of organizing the materials.  These things come in the practical life area and the sensorial area.  So while it may seem like the child is just pouring or scooping or ... whatever...the fact is that they are building up their organization, concentration, and fine motor skills.  These will continue on into other, more "academic" areas later.  However, it is important to note that these activities have VERY specific meanings to later activities in the classroom.  

The practical life activities are actually preparations for writing, reading, and mathmatics.  A child cannot progress easily into these areas of a Montessori 3-6 environment without having that foundation.  I hope her friend understands that clearly.

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She also likes the idea of having a mixed-age classroom. She also likes that there are only 15 children in the class.

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A smaller class in Montessori is actually harder, from experience and experience of others.  The more children there are, the more one can expect to see them interacting and helping each other.   However, a smaller class can still be a fantastic Montessori school.

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But I think she is finding that even at a Montessori school there are children with various levels of intelligence and abilities.

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Well...what did she expect?  In every classroom, there are children with various levels.  That is kind of a "no brainer" statement.  The difference is that Montessori classrooms have the ability to meet that challenge, where traditional schools do not.

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There are also some kids who are there because they were having "problems" in public school. There is one child in particular that is having some signifcant behavior issues and I'm not sure that the school knows how to address it.

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Why is that any of her business?  I'm sorry, but another child's behavior should not be discussed with any parent besides that child.  Nor should any child's reason for being there (such as transferred from another school).  

Quite honestly, many students (I'd even venture to say most students) have trouble with traditional school.  I don't know many people that look back and discuss their 12 years of schooling as being fun when they had to sit in desks all day, were graded on assignments, etc.  Research has shown how these things actually inhibit learning.  That's true with research study after research study.

Either way, the behaviors of other students is none of her business.  Aside from that, how do we know exactly what the behavior issues are?  Is the child autistic?  If so, isn't he thriving in that environment if they're just thought of as behavior issues by the ignorant parent of another child that knows nothing about the situation?

What a smug and comtemptious attitude to suggest that the school focus on not having a child with difficulties in the classroom.  Montessori teaches a much different value system than that.  It teaches respect for ALL people - regardless of whether or not they have any sort of difficulty.  I look back on my grade school years and one of my best memories of it was the fact that we had 3 children with Down Syndrome in our classroom.  I cannot tell you how much I learned from that and how much I wonder if they were put in a seperate class for "special education," how much I would now think down on people with a learning disability rather than thinking of them as a part of our classroom community.  If the mother honestly feels there is a problem with someone having "behavioral problems" in the classroom, she needs to take her daughter out of Montessori immediately.  She's just not "getting it."

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It's still too soon to tell if she made the right choice. The mom went back to work (sooner than she had planned) to afford the school - which I believe is about $11,000/yr.

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Prices vary.  Call around and ask.  Maybe you have Public Montessori schools in your area.

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I also did a broad search of private schools for our daughter and I have to say I'm very pleased we went with public school. They have the funds to hire specialists that I just didn't see at the private schools...(like a gifted and talented teacher that visits each classroom once a week, a reading specialist that works with both accelerated readers and those who need extra help, and state of the art computer centers in every classroom - just to mention a few).

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Why hire specialists to teach your child these things when the Montessori teacher can do it for the same price?  I don't understand.

This is the thing about Montessori - every child is different, so what is the need for specialists unless there is the need for a specialist?  (such as a child with several physical disabilities or, as mentioned above, a child with Down Syndrome that would benefit from a person that is more familiar with what they need and can spend more time with them in the classroom....)

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I guess it depends on your individual public school and what they have to offer. When you visit the Montessori school here are some questions I'd ask

1) What percentage of your student population transferred from public schools? and why?

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Why does that matter?  What you're looking for is a Montessori school for your child.

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2) How do you assess which students are gifted? How is the curriculum different for kids with different abilities?

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We don't assess which students are gifted.  There's your answer.  We treat each child as if he or she is an intelligent being and we go from there.  As far as different curriculum for kids with different abilities, all children have different abilities.  **EVERY CHILD'S** curriculum is different.

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3) Teacher credentials (this one is important to me...but not to everyone) I know of one school where the teacher quit half-way through the year and a parent stepped in to teach the remainder of the year. Nice gesture, but I want a real teacher teaching my kids.

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This is important too.  I would also ask if they're associated or affiliated with either of the two major Montessori organizations:

AMS or AMI

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Good luck and start saving! These school are a pretty penny : )

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Again, prices vary and you may find them in your public school.  However, you'll always consider the cost vs. beneftis.  

Sorry for that long rant.  Some answers simply give wrong information.  Some answers anger me.  That one angered me.  Back to your question.

1)  Why did you do it?

There are many reasons to go to a Montessori school.  The studies have shown the

Answer 2

i have not done it, but friends with gifted children did and their kids and they were both thrilled with the transition.  they all felt their child's needs were being met much better in the montessori school.

Answer 3

A friend of mine just made that exact switch about a month ago.  She pulled her child out of public school because she felt her daughter wasn't being challenged enough.  While she likes the Montessori school, I'm not sure it's as academically challenging as the mom thought it would be.  So far, she's impressed with the classroom itself.  She likes that there are working irons (I'm assuming at a very low heat?), tools, and other appliances the kids can use.  She also likes the idea of having a mixed-age classroom.  She also likes that there are only 15 children in the class.  But I think she is finding that even at a Montessori school there are children with various levels of intelligence and abilities.  There are also some kids who are there because they were having "problems" in public school.  There is one child in particular that is having some signifcant behavior issues and I'm not sure that the school knows how to address it.   It's still too soon to tell if she made the right choice.  The mom went back to work (sooner than she had planned) to afford the school - which I believe is about $11,000/yr.

I also did a broad search of private schools for our daughter and I have to say I'm very pleased we went with public school.  They have the funds to hire specialists that I just didn't see at the private schools...(like a gifted and talented teacher that visits each classroom once a week, a reading specialist that works with both accelerated readers and those who need extra help, and state of the art computer centers in every classroom - just to mention a few).  

I guess it depends on your individual public school and what they have to offer.  When you visit the Montessori school here are some questions I'd ask

1)  What percentage of your student population transferred from public schools?  and why?

2)  How do you assess which students are gifted?  How is the curriculum different for kids with different abilities?  

3)  Teacher credentials (this one is important to me...but not to everyone)  I know of one school where the teacher quit half-way through the year and a parent stepped in to teach the remainder of the year.  Nice gesture, but I want a real teacher teaching my kids.

Good luck and start saving!  These school are a pretty penny : )