Dear Mommas,
We just found an interesting pre-school in our area. Our son is a very curious and intellectually inclined child. He also loves physical activity, music/dance and playing with others. For instance, at the park, 1/2 the time he will go on the slides and ladders. 1/2 the time, he will sit with leaves and sticks and form all the letters of the alphabet.
We are debating putting him in a Montessori pre-school. The environment was very stimulating for him and encouraged his independence. There is a bit less structure and strict discipline.
Any thoughts or insigthts? Experiences that could be helpful.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Jilly
It's awesome, go for it. My daughter was in Montessori from the age of 21 months until she was 8 years old and now she is in the IB program a year early. It's a wonderful beginning for a young child. Highly recommended.
E.
I would encourage you to take your child to several pre-school environments to see where he interacts best. Try montessori, faith-based, play-based etc. You will know when you find the right fit for him. GL!
m
Maybe look into Waldorf?
My son is 2 1/2 and has been in Montessori since 18 months. He too is extremely active. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the montessori environment for young kids. He has grown so much since being there. It is a nurturing environment that allows children to discover on their terms (ex: instead of showing a child how a toy works, they will give the child a toy and let them figure it out. The teacher giggled and told me she would have never dreamed of some of the ingenious outcomes children do, just by allowing them freedom.)
I disagree with VM in the since about motor movement. Our schools keeps them moving around both indoors and out.
Check your local one out. But caution, be sure it's an accredited Montessori. The name was never trademarked and many schools say there are, but in fact are not.
Best of luck!
my experience has been that montessori isn't best for those that need large motor movement. Don't be afraid to ask ask ask to observe. If it's a good program they should have a way for you to see what is going on in the clasroom with out interfering with the kids learning
DS is 5 - he has been in Montessori preschool for a year and will continue in kindergarten at the same school in the Fall. He is happy there and has learned a lot - he is reading well, doing addition, subtraction and multiplication. He has a very visual/practical grasp of math, I believe because of how they learn through 'manipulatives'. They do art, music, Spanish and gym as well. They go outside and play 3 times a day when it is nice but only once a day in the winter. When they can't go outside, they do have active play time the other two times. They are also outside from 3 pm until I pick him up. IMO it is more structured than it seemed from our initial visit. It is not in any way play based. If you also have a Waldorf school in your area, I would look into that as well.
Montessori and Waldorf Schools are excellent. They both teach to the whole child and not just the ABC's so to speak. We go to a Waldorf school and the experience has been absolutely amazing for my daughter's development. I know there is one in Miami too. good luck and extra good luck for you the first time you drop him off :-)....it's a big step in both your lives!
Montessori is awesome. I home schooled my daughter and then put her into Montessori, it really worked for her. She loves the hands on learning and the fact that all can be put on the floor, you work in teams, you pick your interests, you learn to be in control of your learning. There is discipline, just that it's not authoritative which isn't great for social structure anyway.
Our 2 daughters have been in Montessori since they were 10 months....they are 3.5 and 6 now. Our oldest is in Kindergarden and will continue on there for 1st grade. We could not be more pleased with the program. It's a boat load of money, but so, so, so worth it.
I could go on and on about what I love, but I will just name a few...
Respect: Montessori teaches respect...respect of each other, of themselves, of the environment (both the classroom and the earth).
Structure: The students have a strict routine, but they know it and are ok with it. My 3 year old sits on the line for group time for 45 mins...that's a LONG time for that age, but she (along with the other kids) have no issues doing it. My 6 year old had a "Contract" to complete each day that consists of Math, Language, Reading and Cultural. She knows what she has to get done and she has to manage her time to get it done. Great life lesson. If you get your contract done Mon-Thurs, you have free choice on Friday. If the contract is not complete, you have to work on it Friday.
Unique approach to learning: Kids sew buttons on burlap...this teaches them to hold a pencil properly. They learn the sounds of certain letters in a certain order...this helps them learn to read. They use beads for Math.
I would certainly take a tour and ask to sit in the class for 45 mins to an hour...you will be amazed. I feel like the kids are like little robots in there, but on the outside, they are just regular kids.
