Please list your experience, good and/or bad and comment on how it is, if at all, better than a good public school education that has high rankings.
My children never went to montessori but I heard that they work individually on every child and with child's capibilites those children are ahead of children going in public schools.But I heard about it but personally I don't like the system as different age groups are working togehter and there is less social interaction between children which make them self center usually. For example like my daughter was quite shy when she went to school for first time and if I would have put her in montessori then may be her shyness never went.
Re: Montessori school education
I have had both my children go through Montessori school. Very different from traditional school teaching style. Read up on the Montessori Method as it is more individualized to your child's learning style and pace
Re: Montessori school education
I looked into it also but decided against. The focus is on academics and they work very hard at it so of course the little ones are further ahead than the children who had no pre-k or typical pre-k experiences. But by the time all the kids enter 1st grade, they're all at the same level whether they've gone to Montessori, regular pre-k or no pre-k. Its probably a good option for exceptional kids who would move on the accelerated or gifted curriculum and kids who enjoy academics. But most kids enjoy a more typical type of pre-k experience and do just as well in school.
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Is it true it only goes up to Grade 5? What happens after that? Kids go to a normal, public school and how are they able to integrate?
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Most public schools have a gifted/accelerated program for students who are more advanced. These programs are typically available (at least in the better school districts starting in grade school.
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So I understand they offer more personalized education...but isn't that a negative for later years when kids have to actually compete with each other?
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Noor has been in the Montessori program since she turned 3 years old. That means 3 years now and we are quite satisfied so far.
I don't know yet whether we should attribute that to the methodology that is followed or to her natural ability and level of intelligence but she is now in grade 1 (i.e. lower elementary in Montessori terminology) and has a reading skill level of kids in grade 4 and a math skill level of kids in grade 3.
She is a relatively confident young girl that enjoys interacting with children both older and younger than her. She has not yet exhibited any reluctance to mingle or to make friends outside of her close family/friends circle so I don't anticipate such issues in the future, insha-Allah.
She has been in swimming, karate, arabic and french classes since she was 4 years old so the focus has not been simply on academics.
We have re-enrolled her into a well-ranked, private Montessori school that will take her all the way up to junior high and then she can integrate into the public secondary school system if that is the best option then.
I like the fact that there are children of different ages in her classroom because this teaches her not only to help those younger and less knowledgable but to learn from her elders and those that have more to share. She will learn that a well-adjusted society is built on cooperation and team work no matter what our differences may be in age, race, religion or size and shape.
So I understand they offer more personalized education...but isn't that a negative for later years when kids have to actually compete with each other?
Not really Nikki because catering to the individual allows the teachers to find the appropriate media with which to deliver the messages/concepts they are trying to teach.
I'm sure you can relate to an experience where you could understand something when explained in a particular way but the same concept was not clearly received by someone else in the classroom. If the teacher did not deliver the message in, let's say different words to the other person, they might run a chance of being lost.
Once the basic foundation/concepts are strongly built in the child's mind it simply becomes a game of knowing which to apply when. As the child matures it becomes capable of making that call.
Noor is the first grandchild in my family to go through Montessori and I faced several obstacles and reservations when I made this choice. I am not 100% convinced that it is the correct one but I will continue to monitor and encourage the process as long as I continue to see that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
With respect to competition......I firmly believe that there is no better way that we can prepare our children for competition except to teach them to accept both victory and defeat gracefully. Be it academic or athletic or extra-curricular, I would want Noor to know that there is no victory without defeat and that where one person places first there must be another that places second and so on. She should understand that her victory is hollow if it is not the result of challenging herself and that her accomplishments have no honor if she regards them as triumphs over people other than herself. By the same token she must learn to accept defeat not as a burden of shame but as a challenge to improve herself for the next battle, if you will.
I don't think any specific teaching methodology can achieve this; character building happens at home.
my daughter is going to montessori. its her 3rd yr now n shes in kindergarten. she started at 3 yrs from casa. So far i like it. ichose this prog bec ause of the freedom it gives u. i knew she wouldn't thrive in a traditional setting where teacher leads u in everything.
No they don't hav high expectations at all. they let kid go at his /her own pace. the 3 classes together setting is very helpful for weak n advanced students. u help younger ones n learn from older ones. my daughter has grown very social since being in this programme. she isn't very ahead or anything but for sure is developing a strong base which shows when i work with her at home. it's not individual attention, they get both individual time, works independantly n also in group. they allow 1-2 class orientations where u go and watch ur child work in the class. she's happy n so r we. her school is upto gr6. they don't go any higher because acc to montessori concept higher edu should on a farm setting.
at home i never know wat she does at school but on every orientation she just amazes me.
i knew she wouldn't thrive in a traditional setting where teacher leads u in everything.
Mabrook,
What made you think that she wouldn't thrive in a traditional setting?
Noor has been in the Montessori program since she turned 3 years old. That means 3 years now and we are quite satisfied so far.
I don't know yet whether we should attribute that to the methodology that is followed or to her natural ability and level of intelligence but she is now in grade 1 (i.e. lower elementary in Montessori terminology) and has a reading skill level of kids in grade 4 and a math skill level of kids in grade 3.
She is a relatively confident young girl that enjoys interacting with children both older and younger than her. She has not yet exhibited any reluctance to mingle or to make friends outside of her close family/friends circle so I don't anticipate such issues in the future, insha-Allah.
She has been in swimming, karate, arabic and french classes since she was 4 years old so the focus has not been simply on academics.
We have re-enrolled her into a well-ranked, private Montessori school that will take her all the way up to junior high and then she can integrate into the public secondary school system if that is the best option then.
I like the fact that there are children of different ages in her classroom because this teaches her not only to help those younger and less knowledgable but to learn from her elders and those that have more to share. She will learn that a well-adjusted society is built on cooperation and team work no matter what our differences may be in age, race, religion or size and shape.
You joined in 1970...donot tell me!!!
Re: Montessori school education
what exactly is the difference between public schools, montessoris and private schools?
can someone post a short pro/con list?
Re: Montessori school education
My mom works as a Montessori teacher for 3-4 year old kids and I typed all of her work to become a real teacher lol. While typing that crap I got some info bout the Montessori Method myself lol.
Public schools are just..basic schools, all have classes, all together. Private schools are usually segregated by gender and the Montessori education isn't exactly a school lol. Montessori schools let the children do everything freely, nothing limited. They work on simple tasks like identifying objects and naming things with simple activities. The teacher usually isn't allowed to just come in out of nowhere and tell the child what to do, like what most schools do. In Montessori schools da teacher only comes in when the child needs help or is like pissed off lol.
They teach all the manners and don't just focus on school subjects lol.
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Hmmm, Interesting input from all of you.
Just last week I had a chance to visit a Montessori on the local area. I saw how kids were doing activities alone and the teacher was sitting on a little chair watching them. They all had their own space.
They all seemed quiet, very quiet and the teachers looked very philosphical. Maybe every Montessori is different but somehow I felt the kids weren't being kids. Frankly I was a bit disappointed for the amount of money they charge.
My little one on the other hand goes to a private preschool with a reasonable monthly fee. A healthy snack in included and so are field trips and on site events. Maybe they don't have bamboo mats but the kids get to play and get dirty. They get to interact with each other, the teachers aren't quiet and unpredictable and they help pull up her pants after she's been to the bathroom. They also keep in touch with the parent via email every week for any updates.
I just wonder why the vast difference in the money...when I don't see much difference in the end product.
Please continue to discuss.
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^ thats unusual. but i do i think it isn't entirely fair to assume that all montessori is what it is just because you observed one class. perhaps you were observing quiet study time, niks?
my mom's a montessori teacher so perhaps i'm biased, but i know enough about it that i do want my future kids iA to at least attend montessori in their first few formative years. my mom worked with her kids in a much more direct manner than what i've seen in public school- presentations were given in groups of 2 or 3, or one on one. while my mom was presenting ideas and concepts to a group, the rest of the children were engaged in activities as per their intellectual level and skills, and were observed by mom's assistant (also a montessori-trained teacher). every child got the chance to learn with my mom throughout the day. and she also had group lessons.
her class was not segregated by age- she had 4-5 year olds all working alongside each other.
they had lunchtime and time in the playground as in most schools, and were just as precocious/rambunctious as non-montessori taught kids- i mean, really, kids are who they are, you can't repress that!
mom's class was super colourful and the kids all had a hand in keeping it that way. they'd do various projects for the classroom, take turns cleaning the chalkboard and their areas, and helping their teacher put away supplies. every child also had a cubby they'd store their stuff in, and definitely, either my mom or her assistant would accompany the kids to the washrooms and make sure they were ok.
oh also, her school went up to highschool, so i'm not sure if it continued to be a montessori for higher education.
the curriculum was also more advanced- by the end of their class, mom's kids were doing simple algebra and geometry, which i find pretty amazing since they were so young. its also a very wholistic approach- they were taught academics but also things like how to tie your shoelaces and put on your winter coat.
i think montessori is not suited to every child- if your child performs well in a structured environment, perhaps public school is best for them. if they perform better in a more free-flowing environment and like to work independently and with adults, then a montessori might be better.
in the end though, regardless of where you send your kids, a school is only as good as its teachers. and unfortunately, there is no guarantee that either kind of education provides a better teacher than the other.
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I agree with your very last paragraph.
Also, you are right that perhaps this was an unusual set up. The class was really all brown and beige. No color. And I asked the teacher if this is just one part of their classroom but that was it.
My other concern was the you have new arrivals from back home who come in and get their Montessori teacher certificate. They don't know much about life in US and have "strange accents." There's this one Montessori where my Indian friend teaches and she tells me that at least 40% of their teachers are from other countries. I respect diversity but I would be a bit concerned about what my child is listening to in terms of the local perspective, use of the English language...
Please note that I am not trying to put any system down but I really want to know the worth of spending so much money before I make a decision.
Hmmm, Interesting input from all of you. Just last week I had a chance to visit a Montessori on the local area. I saw how kids were doing activities alone and the teacher was sitting on a little chair watching them. They all had their own space.
They all seemed quiet, very quiet and the teachers looked very philosphical. Maybe every Montessori is different but somehow I felt the kids weren't being kids. Frankly I was a bit disappointed for the amount of money they charge.
The thing is most Montessori schools have those kind of 'sessions', you could call them, where they learn and do those kinds of activities. Especially with the toddlers. After that, they usually have a playtime period which is at least 2 hours max. So it isn't like the kids are in confinement or anything xD.
The Montessori school stuff ends at age 13. I went there from 8-10. While there in the summer, they would let us play, then some activity, sometimes they'd give us math papers to finish up and we'd then play and so on and so forth.
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Wow Nikki....that certainly does not sound like a very nice environment. It is definitely a very stark contrast from what I have seen in Noor's Montessori preschool and the current Montessori Elementary.
I have a meeting to jet to right now but I will be back to post some details on her school and what her day is like....
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Why does it cost so much? From my understanding, it's about $14K per semester. Multiply that by two and that is a lot of $$$.
What are the educational requirements for the teachers? In the public school system, you need at least an Honours B.A. to become a teacher. I know a girl who is a teacher at Montessori and all she has is an ECE diploma from college. I don't understand how that's even possible to become a private school teacher without going to teacher's college.
Do they offer French Immersion in Montessori schools, the way it is offered in the public school system?
I'm hoping someone can clear this up. I've been looking into this from now cause I need to know if it is really worth it given how much it costs.