Help with Selection of Private School

If you are looking at Highland Meadow Montessori in Southlake I would highly recommend AGAINST it. We went there for a year and then EVERY teacher quit. It should have been a warning sign but we stayed for the next year. What a waste of my child's time. They didn't prepare prior to the school year and it was two months into the year before the classwork began. Too much time was spent preparing for holiday programs and not enough time on basic learning. The Director/owner is very defensive and spends little time at the school. In my son's class several students did not come back because of complaints in the quality of education and supervision.

Not sure what area of town you are in, but I sent both my girls to Lakewood Montessori, which is on Mockingbird between Skillman and Abrams. I LOVE it (I can't write that in big enough bold letters - truly). At this point, they don't have a toddler program, so they start at age 3, but they do go through 6th grade. The classes are small, the teachers are fantastic. www.lmschool.org

I started my son at his Montessori School when he turned 1. He is 4 1/2 now, attends the same school and he is thriving there. I feel like I have given him the best educational start in his life! I also plan to enroll my second child in the same school when he is ready.

I do love the Montessori method of teaching.

Added plus about the school my child goes to:

1. Very small teacher student ratio
2. Very nurturing and a home like environment.
3. Caregivers are flexible and open minded to your requests around sleep, food, potty training to name a few.

Frankly I dislike the typical corporate run schools with stringent policies and procedures that try to fit your kids in a cookie cutter learning/care program and are worried more about liability than anything else.

I would say look for these things when you visit different schools.

Good Luck!

Hi. Just wanted to give you a gentle suggestion from a parent who chose a house because of a place to send our kids to school...

The first year the school was great. The next year, not so much. Teachers changed grade levels and as our kids grew the school changed too. The result: we aren't sending our kids to that school anymore and we feel like we were really expecting a LOT out of the school. Remember, no matter how awesome a school is, if your child has a bad teacher or rotten schoolmates, it can really make school into a bad experience. Just wanted to tell you this so you're realistic about your expectations for school, Montessori or otherwise.

Probably the best Montessori in the area is the one at White Rock Lake. There's also a Montessori charter school in the DISD you could look into.

We loved it for Our daughter and two nephews. Kids are able to play while learning. A while ago I read Montessori Today by Paula Lillard. It was fairly short overview and told me what props/toys to look for to indicate true Montessori school. A third of the schools I visited were calling themselves Montessori schools when they clearly were not. Also you will likely find that the teachers have been there for years. I took my younger nephew and there were still many of the same staff 3 years later.

Where are you looking? I only can speak to the ones in Dallas and I would recommend Montessori Children's House and School on N Abrams in Dallas or Lindsley Park in E Dallas.

From what I hear, Montessori schools are great. BUT, you have to get them in from the very beginning of their school career or the school will more likely reject them. Montessori schools are VERY picky.

They offer your child a taster day, at the end of which the school will meet with you and discuss whether or not your child is suitable for 1) their school and 2) the Montessori method of learning.

I have no first-hand knowledge of Montessori because my child was not suitable. She got 2 taster days just to make sure she wasn't just having an "off" day. Halfway through the second day, they called me to come get her. She has no behavioural problems at all. She just didn't fit into their Montessori mold, I suppose.

I didn't find out about Montessori until my daughter was 5 and it was too late already. Get your kid in NOW!

Good luck!