Preschool vs. Montessori?

Question

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to make a decision between preschool and montessori for my child. He's only 1 but would like to enroll him in a half day program when he is 2. I hear good things about montessori schools but am wondering if it really is better than preschool or are they different but equal. Really what is the difference between the 2? Any advise and suggestion would be good.

Answer 1

i think you should start out with preschool first you don't want to rush things. when he is more familiar to school you can move him to a Montessori school.

Answer 2

Montessori is a curriculum, among the many kinds used in preschools. It is somewhat rigid and highly academic. It places a great deal of emphasis on working alone and does not value fantasy or creativity. There are wonderful materials that must be used only for the activities they were designed for.Your best bet is to visit a number of different programs and see which one seems to fit your child best. Remember that 2's need lots of opportunities to explore and language development is a big issue, as is learning to get along with others.

Answer 3

Take a tour of both.  The Montessori school in my town is so impressive.  They teach the child to read when he shows certain readiness traits, which means the child typically starts learning to read at age 3 1/2 to age 4.  No daycare center does that.  The child gets instruction usually once every 4 days  for a good 30 minutes.  the school I observed had a full time reading teacher and she kept track of each child and what they had learned and were learning.  It was well thought out and there was a particular procedure followed.  Very effective.

They also teach some math.

The kids learn to whisper and play independently.  They do interact with each other, it's just quiet in the classroom.

They teach the children in small groups of about 5, although reading is usually 1 on 1.   It can go to 5 kids, I also saw an exercise another day with several kids who were all at the same level.

There were 30 kids and 3 teachers.  

The children work with puzzles and other toys.  Just go observe--I think you will choose Montessori if you compare the 2 possibilities--dayscare or Montessori.  I was quite impressed!

About that language development and creativity other respndents mentioned--I think Montessori expects that the parents speak to their kids and that's where the language development occurs, at home.  Ditto with creativity.  Tell me how there is going to be much creativity going on in a daycare center.  Nor did I observe the Montessori classroom to be "academic".  Sure they had puzzles and stuff on the shelf and the kids picked up their activities on trays, which sets the boundaries for personal space and kids learn not to violate that.  But this nonsense about letting 2 year olds just "play", well that is what they did at Montessori school I observed.  They were outside a good hour interacting with the other kids and having fun running and exploring, etc.  

Just because a kid is taught for maybe 40 minutes a day, that is hardly a bad thing.  It makes me laugh when I hear this "let the kids have fun" line.  What, learning is not fun?  Since when?  Kids enjoy a challenge and they like to learn.  It doesn't happen often enough for the child to consider it boring.  You have to wonder what is wrong with poeple--what, don't they like to learn?  Where did the myth that it is "pushing" a kid to teach them to read young?  Just do it like it's a game and they are raring to go!  I did this, and my kids enjoyed the whole process.  It is all in how you approach it.

Answer 4

In our area, there is vey little difference in the Montessori schools and traditional pre-schools.  

When they are young, I think the difference is not as critical.  You should worry about the school, the teachers, their philosophy, and not the "title" it gives itself.

There are some that believe that although Montessori is great for some children - it is not for all.  To really "learn" a child has to be very self-motivated.  (I for one have seen too many Montessori children that although they are very bright and excel in some areas, are also lacking in some more basic skills.)

My child is very very bright, but he would lag behind in writing if he were left to his own regarding the skill.

And in our area we have a Montessori charter school that has yet to outperform, or even perform equal to, the rest of the elementary schools in the state test.

Answer 5

Pre-school is any school teaching children prior to kindergarten.

Montessori is focus more on learning. Most pre-schools focus on socialization skills, creative skills, and basic ABC, colors, and counting.

I had my children at the Child Study Center in Long Beach, I was able to observe them without them seeing me and I was able to observe how they were being treated.  While they were in school I took ECE classes at Long Beach Community College.

Go to the schools you are considering and ask to observe the classes, if they refuse don't give them another thought.

If they let you watch ask the director what do they focus on.

With information you can make the right choice for your child.

2-3 days are all a 2 year can handle.

Once you have your child enrolled, offer to help at the school.

It helps you know what your child is learning.

Good luck.

Answer 6

This is something you should definitely check into before putting him into a system.  Talk with the Montessori provider and see if they and you agree on discipline and growth, you may totally agree or you may find that they and you do not click.  Pre-school  is basically an opportunity for socialization and some learning, but the main point is the socialization at that age.  If I were young and had a child I would not put him into school before necessary and give him an opportunity to be a little one as long as possible.  That may sound silly, but keep in mind that your child will be in school for many long years and you will have only these few years to help him become what you think is most important.  You can provide the socialization by having friends over and letting him play.  You can also have a great time doing some of that playing with him.  He will have plenty of time to get "schooling" when he starts kindergarten.  (Of course, this is only an opinion and exactly worth the price you paid for it.)

Answer 7

It is so important to visit many schools in your area.  A well financed school, Montessori or otherwise, can offer a wonderful environment to a child under three years of age.  In most preschools children are separated by age due to the volume of students, and in Montessori that is not the case.  Check your local schools to see what the teacher-student ratio is.  Usually the deciding difference between the two is just that, how many students to every teacher.  The Montessori method is wonderful and proved successful.  I cannot emphasize enough, the importance of looking at schools over just research.  

Best of luck!

Answer 8

Preschool is pretty much where you pay to have a babysitter. Montessori is not only do they watch your kids but they make them do stuff to help with motor skills. So I would choose a montessori school.

Answer 9

Realize Montessori is also a preschool.  But there are many different types of preschools out there and the Montessori Method is one option.

I cannot say what is right for your son.  And I have to plead ignorance on many of the specifics of the infant and toddler programs (what your son would enroll in when he's 2).  But if you're thinking about Montessori in general, let me state a few of the basic goals of Montessori Education:

--Building up concentration:  A person learns best when they have the ability to concentrate.  Uninterrupted work time is very important in the Montessori schedule.  You might see a 3 year old focused on pouring seeds from one small pitcher to the other for a half hour.  He's watching very closely as they do it.  He might be focusing on the sounds and seeing if they sound different each time.  He might be trying to steady his hand to pour perfectly to where they all come out in the same speed.  He might be trying to balance it so one seed is left.  It doesn't really matter.  What you're seeing is a level of concentration that will carry over in to so many other areas.

--Believing in "I can do it myself."  The teacher is not a "teacher" in the Montessori classroom.  The teacher takes a hands off approach a lot more.  They will teach, but for the most part, the learning is left up to the interaction with the materials.  The child tries to go to the teacher to have the teacher tell them how to solve the problem.  The teacher tells the student to "keep trying."  Eventually, they get it.  Now they have the confidence that they can master anything in the classroom given the appropriate time.  They also learn a lot of creative ways to learn things.  I remember in high school, my brother had a history test with a lot of dates, wars, and names.  He made a time line.  He walked the time line 3 times and said everything that was on it.  He aced the test.  I'm not saying he couldn't have thought of that if he wasn't in Montessori Education.  Just saying that type of creative thinking - since the teacher tries to get the students to think of how to solve the problems - is something Montessori Education strives for.

--Freedom of movement in the classroom.  The classroom in a Montessori school is not like a normal classroom.  It really is the children's environment.  They are free to move around and explore.  As a result, they want to master what is in their environment and grow in it.

I feel I need to also clear up some misconceptions about what Montessori is.  Many incorrect things have popped up on the answers already given.

"When they are young, I think the difference is not as critical."

--The difference is critical.  Not necessarily at 2.  But I believe we have such a bad system of education now because we focus on education in the later years...when people have already signed out.  Get them to enjoy learning YOUNG.  Not when they're 16 and have to pass a standardized test in high school.  Too late then.  With that said, there are other good programs besides Montessori that do this well.  But don't just think "any old school" will do.  Look into any school you are interested in.

"My child is very very bright, but he would lag behind in writing if he were left to his own regarding the skill."

The child is not "left to his own" in a Montessori school.  The teacher's job is to observe children, not just assume they all need the same thing.  The teacher then can guide the children appropriately.

"Montessori is a curriculum, "

Disagree.  Montessori has a curriculum, but it's really a way of seeing the child and belief in what children need to grow. The curriculum is part of that.

"It places a great deal of emphasis on working alone and does not value fantasy or creativity."

Simply incorrect.  Montessori does place an emphasis on working alone, working with others, and creativity.  The idea that Montessori does not value fantasy is a question you can ask again in another question, but I know I'll be limited to only say so much each reply. So I don't want to go off on a tangent and not be able to post what I think.

"There are wonderful materials that must be used only for the activities they were designed for."

This is a philosophical debate in Montessori.  You'll get a wide range of agreement and disagreement on this one.  When you visit a Montessori school, ask them about their philosophy on this.  But it would be easier to do while visiting rather than discussing it over the phone.  With the materials there, you can see what the teacher thinks and how they would answer it.

"It makes me laugh when I hear this "let the kids have fun" line. What, learning is not fun?"

This is a perfect line from one responder.  I feel like I love learning because I went to a Montessori school.

One last note, because the school calls itself Montessori, don't necessarily believe it.  Go and see the place and see what it's like.  "Montessori" is not copywrited in any way, shape, or form.  You could open up a school that has desks where the children have to sit for 12 hours a day and recite the alphabet all day long and call it a "Montessori" school.  Check out AMS and AMI web sites for a list of schools.  ( http://www.amshq.org and http://www.montessori-ami.org )   There are some philosophical differences, but at least you have a good head start with them.

Matt