Did you think your LO would be well-suited for the program, or did you put LO into the program because you wanted him/her to attend a Montessori school?
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A variety of reasons, but in general I believe almost all children can do well in a Montessori preschool. When they're older I think you need to take their personality and learning style more into account. but I think Montessori in general is very preschooler friendly!
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I agree that montessori suits most preschoolers but I put DD1 in a montessori school because I thought it would best suit her. DD is extremely independent, can concentrate on a single task for hours, is adventurous and likes to try new things, and does well at creating her own structure.
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So, a common misconception of the Montessori Method is that it's really free and unstructured, when in fact, it's exactly the opposite. The method was refined using children that had working parents and were left home alone. The idea was that they should learn how to do common chores around the house, which is why they call things "work."
There's a period of time, around 3 hours, where kids can choose the activity that they want to do. Before they can use it, they have to have a presentation and there is usually only one way to execute it correctly. Meaning, if your child is stacking using the pink blocks, the only correct way is to stack them in a certain size order ( I don't remember if there are extensions to this activity), not in any manner they please. They also have to master certain activities before they can move on to another one.
Just something to keep in mind.
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@Freckles: I actually decided not to send my LO to Montessori based on his personality. I really like the idea of montessori and looked into it as LO was not interacting with others and just doing his own thing in his daycare and I thought that the change might help him participate and interact with the other kids a little more. However, on looking into it, I felt that if anything montessort could make this concern worse and so we decided against it. But I think it can be greatfor a LO at the right time/personality. Our LO ended up moving to another room with slightly older kids in daycare and has been doing better.
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@looch: Yes, totally agree. It's weirdly structured and unstructured. Montessori peeps can definitely recognize Montessori kids because of the procedures they follow! Sounds a bit weird but I think it generally works.
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@Freckles: we put our son in Montessori because it was the best location of school for our work schedules and the highest quality center in our area.
@looch: I'm so interested to hear you say that about Montessori. Perhaps training programs give differnt information (although they shouldn't), but when I got my certification my courses gave me opposite information. I learned that activities are called work because it's a way to honor the importance of their play. It was also a big point that, while activities are presented a certain way, children may use the materials in any manner they choose as long as it's respectful. I also find that the day is less structured and very child-driven than other classrooms I've been in but I think that can vary from program to program.
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@JoyfulKiwi: I think that's part of the issue with Montessori training and application of the method in general...too much is open to interpretation and there is no formal standards board.
I am interested to hear what you've learned about doing an activity such as the pink blocks. What would be other appropriate extensions?
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@looch: yeah my certification is through NAMC (North American Montessori Center) but I know there are many programs to choose from. It's surprising that different trainings give such different information about the basic philosophy! For the Pink Tower I've seen many extensions that use the cubes and Brown Stair to create designs and my preschoolers construct all sorts of towers/buildings. They also like to order the cubes horizontally like the stair prisms. A specific example from my training was allowing children to pretend play that the knobbed cylinders are dolls.
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How old is your LO?
We recently enrolled our son at a Montessori daycare (he is 18 months old) and I am really loving it for this age! I feel that his teachers speak to him respectfully and they consider him very capable, even though he is young. He plays most of the day with open-ended toys, but also learns new tasks like clearing the table. They spend a lot of time outside in the yard and garden, which is his favorite thing. And the atmosphere is extremely calm, allowing him nap well (and he has always been a terrible napper at daycare). I think he feels very confident, safe, and secure there. Heck, I wish I could spend my days there too!
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@QueensBee: LO is 29 months and will be just under 3.5 if and when she starts at the school. I have to admit, i am amazed at how calm the environment is and also how well-behaved all the kids are.
@mamimami: @looch: @JoyfulKiwi: I was actually pleasantly surprised to see how structured the Montessori school actually is. DH was told "oh they are left to do whatever" when that wasn't the case at all! I find that there's quite a bit of emphasis on academics compared to regular preschools. It follows the Montessori principles pretty closely.
@luckypenny: I'm hoping the program will help foster some more independence!
@Aimed: I think it's great that you took your LO's personality into consideration before making a decision. LO also doesn't interact with others very well (i.e., she prefers to do her own thing) so that's something to think about - thanks!
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