Montessori Centers

A., Be careful--all Montessori's are NOT the same. Go and visit and ask lots of questions. My 2 boys went to one in Warren and it was wonderful. They had a great foundation for school. K. S.

hi A.,
I worked at a montessori for a few years, I loved it there. They seemed to understand how much a child can learn, the children seemed advanced but its all about how they were taught. I would at least look in to it!

Hi A. -
Best thing we ever did for our daughter was to switch her from a day care center to montessori! I had a little trouble finding places Downriver that offered a program under 2 1/2 (and potty trained). I found one in Monroe & another in Allen Park. My daughter attends Montessori Children's Center in Allen Park. They offer infant thru 6th grade. They have an open house coming up. Given them a call ###-###-####.

Hi A.,

My son currently goes to "Sunny Daycare/Montessori" in Farmington which is a daycare center for the infants and also a Montessori pre-school. They are wonderful there. Teachers are highly qualified, the place is very "cozy" and always immaculately clean. It is run by 3 ladies who also work at the center and are always there. As a teacher, I have my own personal feelings about the montessori program itself, but I really do like it for the younger age kids, and I think your son would really benefit from the social interaction at his age. If you need more info let me know! Good Luck!

As an elementary school teacher, I've heard pros and cons. The pros are the type of activities. The children learn at their own pace and most activities are centered around academics. Unfortunately, I've heard that because the activities are so independent, the children have a difficult time in a regular kindergarten. If you can, ask the principal or kindergarten teacher where your child will be attending school and see if they have suggestions about the preschools that balance social skills and academics.

Angie I worked at a Montesorrie center, and my experience with it was lovely. They allow your child to find themselves. If you are looking for some type of dicipline they tend to not focus on that. But look into it if like.If you need one to look into let me know and I can give you a name of the one I worked at. The owner is a good friend of mine.

A., I am a retired Montessori teacher for 3-6 yr olds. I highly recommend Montessori for your son. The best way I know of to find a good one is to ask to observe. The classrom should be very neat and the children should be working on their own with very little noise. The teacher should be giving lessons one on one or in a small group. There should be pets and just a wonderful feeling of a childrens house in the classroom. My favorite in the area of Romeo is Romeo Montessori. The classroom that I observed when I was a student teacher was wonderful. You might start there even if its not in your area as a way of comparing. The classroom is the one separate from the main school. Just next to the building. I hope its as beautiful as I remembered. Good luck.
M.

A.,

My daughter is currently in a Montessori program (she is 3 1/2) and is doing well.I love Maria M.'s philosophy of manipulating the environment instead of the child - as children have the natural hunger for knowledge. I love the idea being able to work at your own pace. Kids who excel don't get bored nor hold themselves back for fear of getting teased. Kids who are a little slower to learn don't feel singled out. As far as teacher student ratio, in my opinion it is merely a number. If the child's needs are being met, I could care less about the student teacher ratio. The costs can definitely be significant (For this reason, I'm considering home schooling). My only gripe is the fact that my child is exposed to older kids as it is a mix age environment. It is not so bad for us right now as the oldest in her class is a 6 year old. My nephew who is 6 started elementary and is in class with children who are ten and has developed certain undesirable traits ( We're hoping this would pass soon).

If you're still in doubt consider these facts:

Larry Page & Sergei Brin , the founders of google, attributed their success to their early Montessori education.

My cousins, all siblings, attended a Montessori school in the Philippines. 2 of the 3 graduated from Georgetown University and the 3rd graduated top of his class at Yale University.

All this said, it really depends on your child. You may find that he needs a more structured environment. At this age they really should have fun and learn at the same time. My daughter and my nephews enjoy school so much ( Mine is begging for a full day) that if for a fact that it is academically driven, it should not be an issue if they're having fun.

BTW, if you're lucky enough to be in the UTICA School district, they have a public Montessori School. believe anyone can enroll for preschool. I found out a week after I cut a check to my Kid's school. They were cheaper by more than $1K.

My daughter attends St. Peter the Apostle Montessori(Harper Woods) and she LOVES it. The staff is wonderful. Great Christian atmosphere. Their Open House is on Feb. 28.

I am a big fan of Maria Montessori! I would also recommend that you read up about montessori education to form your own opinion, and then visit the centers to see if they follow the montesorri method and that you feel comfortable with the teachers and the classroom. What I like about montessori is that children learn at their own pace, in their own environment, and because of this, they love coming to school and continuing their "works". In many ways, they don't even realize they're learning. If you're looking for your child to recite his ABC's, 123's, and bring beautiful artwork home every day, then montessori isn't for you (and that's not a bad thing - some children excel in this environment!). I sent my son to Dearborn Heights montessori at 2 1/2 (he is now 4), and I was amazed at how quickly he learned, from being independent, cleaning up after himself, and respecting others, to learning to read (they use phonetics and write letters on sand to learn the texture), knowing about patterns, knowing how to assemble things, and knowing about the different parts of the world. I could go on and on, but like I said, it's best if you read about it first. Here's one of the many links I found on montessori. I hope it helps, and good luck!
http://www.montessori-namta.org/NAMTA/geninfo/whatismont....

Our four year old son is enrolled in the program at Ferndale Montessori. They have a toddler program starting at 18 months and the preschool program starts at age 3. He has been there for a year and we could not be happier with the program. Montessori is not the best fit for every child but our son is absolutely thriving there. Different centers may have slightly different takes on the Montessori philosophy so you should visit a few and see if one feels right to you and is in line with your own philosophy about parenting and education.

Check the school out very carefully. My son was in a montessori daycare/school and they did not follow state guidelines as far as student teacher ratios and outside time. We had to remove him after I picked him up and then had 1 teacher with 12 children (under 3). In theory it is a good program, however, the object of pre-school is really learning through play and socialization. Most pre-schools can accomplish this. I think at 2 1/2 a caring teacher is most important.

All three of my daughters attended Montessori Schools for preschool. One went through kindergarten. I couldn't have made a better choice for them. Their reading skills and sense of order were well developed by the time they went to regular school. I would suggest reading up on the Montessori philosophy. It is a bit different than other methods. Visit a Montessori classroom as well as some other preschool classrooms so you can see the difference for yourself. It should be very clear. If a preschool doesn't welcome observing, cross them off your list.

If you are a stay at home mom, I would check into the Co-Op Preschools in your area. I really enjoyed working in the classroom with my son's class when he was 3 and 4. They are always excited to have Mom's who are willing and able to be in the class.

However, they are not as focused on acedemics as a Montessori...

Hi A., I would say that it depends on your son, and perhaps on which Montessori. I have two sons with ADHD, and
our experience was mixed. My older son went to a "purist" Montessori at age four. The staff were dedicated, but he had
to stay after school every day to finish his work. My younger
son went to a different Montessori (both were in Farmington Hills). I had to pull him out after a month to six weeks, be-
cause he was in the time out corner every day and was getting
quite depressed. If your two year old is precocious in his ability to focus and sit still, it may work out well for him,
but if not check out the school's expectations very carefully.

Our daughter will be three in April and she attends a Montessori in Canton. We are very happy with our decisson to send her there. The education she is receiving is GREAT! The Montessoiri is very structured (we were worried it would be too much), but is is a good structure for the children. A lot is required of the kids, but again, it's in a good way and it is preparing them for the future. I really think our daughter is ahead of so many children her own age and it's because of her school. Montessori is NOT cheap, but we are certainly getting what we are paying for. Good luck with your decission.

Hi A.! My name is J.. I have 2 young boys that attend public schools, but....my neice has been attending the creative montessori in Southgate since Kindergarten and she is now in 2nd grade. I'm very close w/ my neice, and this school has helped her tremendously. I would definitly recommend it for your child. My oldest is in kindergarten and I plan on enrolling him into the montessori school after this year.

I sent my daughter to Life Montessori in Warren when she was 18 months old. Once she was 2 1/2 she was considered preschool age. I personally could not afford the preschool rate, and it was only 2 hours a day. I truly believe the Montessori method is great for kids who are inquisitive, independent thinkers, or passionate about their learning. I personally don't believe the cost of the preschool program is worth it unless you were going to pay for daycare anyway. That being said, I would send my daughter to Montessori for kindergarten and beyond. It's a fabulous learning method for her that she responded well to in the past. If I had the money, I would do it.

I will say that some cities have free Montessori school, but they are hard to get into. The in Utica (Messmore elementary) has a 4 hour window on ONE day that you can call in to register your child. It was in such high demand this year that all spots were gone in 2.5 hours!!

I live in the rockwood area and i have sent my Grandson to the flatrock pre school and they were great there,,they had a great program,the one on gibraltar road..but that was couple years ago, but still have heard lot good things about that one.

A., Montessori is a very individualized learning philosophy. I used to work at a Montessori school in Ann Arbor, MI and saw amazing things happening with the children who start at a young age.

Montessori is a hands on learning technique, allowing your child to work at his own pace. It is student driven, not teacher driven. There is very little "circle" or "group time" in comparison to a typical preschool or kindergarten setting. There is more opportunity for your son to think for himself and create a logical frame of thinking.

Unfortunately, I didn't learn about Montessori until my daughter was in the 4th grade. She still benefitted from the setting, but I saw a clear difference between her and the children who had been in Montessori since early childhood. The children who had been in Montessori since early childhood had completely different thought processes and understandings of their environment.

Montessori is not for every child, as some children need to be driven externally rather than internally. But if you are truly interested in the possibilities, I would highly encourage you to continue to research and visit a Montessori classroom. A good classroom will speak for itself and make your desicion much easier.

I personally haven't been to a Motessori center, but I do know that they are pretty expensive. I believe at least 200$- $250 per month. If that is in your budget, I know people who are happy sending there children there. It depends on what you are looking for in a pre-school. My son goes to a Christian pre-school that isn't even of our faith but is an excellent school. My older son went and my youngest is in his last year their and we have loved everything about it. I guess what I am saying is that there are a lot of options out there and you should check them out before you decide too quickly. Good luck!

A.,

P*L*E*A*S*E let your son just be a little kid! You can work with him at home.....just read, read, read to him! Gradually add drawing and coloring as you see fit. Then, if you really must, send him to preschool do so at age four or so for the involvement with kids his age though even then I am sure you can find groups of moms that hang out and interact with each and their kids. Good luck!