Montessori ? - Chicago,IL

I have friends who sent their children to Montessori school until the end of middle school. They found that their mathematics skills are WAY behind those of their peers. They also found that there are chunks of education that the public school kids get that are missing in their kids. Not that they can't fill in those chunks, but there are huge adjustments and changes happening and now they have to play catch up.
I think that for pre-school and kindergarten, it's fine. After that, I'm not so sure.
YMMV
LBC

I am a huge advocate of the Montessori method. It is really hard to explain, but I strongly encourage you to go "observe": in a classroom. This is common practice in a real Montessori school so you shouldn't feel strange about it.

The focus of montessori is, instead of making all the kids do the same work at the same time, embracing the unique developmental stage of the child to allow them to be successful and really master each level of work. Teh goal is to develop intrinsic satisfaction in learning and a sense of being "proud of self" rather than relying on making mom and dad proud.

The work itself relies a lot on manipulatives. If you go to a classroom ask for a demonstration of a "lesson." I swear I didn't understand base 10 math really well until I saw it demonstrated on Montessori beads!!

Montessori is also a mixed age classroom where the kids stay with one teacher for 3 years (ages 3-6 including kindergarten). This is so great for teaching the kids to work together, respect each other, teach each other, and grow to be leaders.

I don't think that Montessori creates really advanced learners - people who send their kids their to make them gifted and put them far ahead in school will be disappointed, I think. But they will get kids who love school and who are inquisitive - and who have a much deeper conceptual understanding of math and reading concepts that will prepare them to be great learners.

Last, and maybe most important, Montessori really focuses on educating the "whole child." Montessori focuses on independent thinking, responsibility to self and community/environment and respect and "grace and courtesy.".

My older daughter was in a Montessori primary classroom through kindergarten and is now in a public first grade. She did adjust slowly, but for her it was more a social issue of being in a big class with new kids, not an academic problem - except she was way ahead in math. I wish we could have left her at her Montessori school for elementary school beacuse those kids do amazing things. But it was too expensive. Our younger daughter starts next year.

We alays joke that we notice when we ar out with a group of Montessori friends.the differences - one table at a restaurant will have kids literally wakling on the tables and our kids are waiitng patiently for their food and are having conversations with each other and the adults. The expeience, with parental reinforcement, really seems to lead to mature and self-assured kids in general.

I would struggle to find a con, but I guess you have to support the approach and set similar expectations at home. The kids I have seen not do well are the ones whose parents turn on the tv during dinner and don't read with their kids... that sort of thing, but those kids are in trouble anyway in my opinon. And yes, it is expensive, at least where I live - $7k per year..

We are having a great experience with our girls right now (they are in pre-k). I would just caution you to really check out the school. Anyone can say they have a montessori school - there is no regulation of the name so you can't just assume that all montessori schools are equal.

I'd be surprised if your kiddo would miss big parts of their education if they were at a good montessori school. My just turned four year old is doing even/odd, continent maps, parts of tree work, and learning about the solar system already.

We're going to a montessori daycare/preschool now and love it. They teach independence, they value the physical environment and order, and they foster an evironment of mutual respect. They treat the kids in a much more respectful and calm manner than many places.

Again, you really have to make sure you are in a "real" Montessori environment. Anyone, doing almost anything, can call themselves Montessori. I think that may be where some of the bad experiences come from. Also, there are two main types of Montessori, one that tries to stick closer to her original teachings, and one that has evolved in the US. Do your research and ask for credentials before you sign up.

That said, for older children I think it may have negative social implications. The fact that there is so much emphasis on individual work tends, in my experience, to turn out somewhat poorly socialized people. Of course, that is just on a few individuals I've met that I know went through the entire Montessori program for all their schooling. And I don't know how well their schools followed the "method."

Good luck.

My 3 yr old grandson goes to a Montessori school and loves it, so does my daughter. They teach independence, no bottles after 1 yr old, no sippy cups after 2, they learn to use big boy (girl) cups, and to cleanup after themselves if they spill. Potty training, put them in underwear after the first week or so, if they wet or mess themselves they have to clean-up with little or no help. They miss play time with the other kids so they learn quickly. This summer he will start pre-school with learning his letters and number ect. I'm all for it I wish I had known about it when mine were little.

Montessori is great for all the reasons mentioned. That being said, not all Montessori schools are the same. You really need to visit and observe to find one that suits your style. My children attended Chiaravalle Montessori School; it's a wonderful, well run school in Evanston for infant through 8th grade. We did parent/child, toddler and 3-6 including kindergarten. Well worth the money!