s/o waldorf, what about montessori?

3003girl · March 2012

I'll be honest, DH and I both hated school. As children and adults. Therefor we are considering alternative schools for LO. We are not antischool or "unschoolers" - we want LO to have an education, but just have doubts that traditional public schools are for everyone. I think they work well for some kids, but not all.

We were considering Waldorf, but I'm definitely going to do some more research after reading the posts below. We are also considering Montessori through 8th grade. Does anyone have experience, good or bad, with Montessori for grade school?

Like I said, we are still in the research phase; and we are interested in hearing a variety of viewpoints.

3003girl · March 2012

I like everything you have described except "there really isn't much imaginative play. The activities should be done the way they should be done (i.e. you can't use the puzzle pieces and turn them into figurines for free play)."

Hmm.... I will look into Reggio-Emilia, but I doubt there is anything around where I will be living. Our choices are Waldorf, Montessori and other private-but-geared-toward-strict-academics schools. We are looking for something that structures the kids into blocks of age groups as opposed to single grades and is focused on experiential learning. We also want to some sort of foreign language at an early age.

Thanks for the response!

webMistress0609 · March 2012

I want to build a bit on Fred's last comment.

Ari started Montessori in January. I knew it was right for him, partly because he is very exact & orderly in his activities, but I was slightly concerned about the creativity aspect. Ari spends most of his time pretending to be various animals, a rock star, a construction vehicle, etc. He's very into pretend & make believe.

I toured 2 schools. The first was more relaxed, had outside time incorporated into the day (both free play & the children are allowed to work on the small, gated pation attached to the building), and has time set aside for music, art & gym. The second was really, really rigid & cold. Even though the first school is a 30 min drive & the second only 10 mins, I chose the first. It may be less "strictly Montessori" than the other school, but Ari is thriving there & it still has the Montessori aspects I was looking for.

Also, I think that since many of the works & materials are self correcting & the child has to figure out how to do it right on their own to a certain extent, that actually fosters creativity & problem solving skills more than worksheets & drills.

pottermommy · March 2012

We did montesorri with SD until she got to Kindergarted and we moved, there wasn't one in our area. I would strongly reccomend it especially if you are going to keep him there until 8th grade.

Switching her at Kindergarten was a nightmare, we had a horrible time teaching her that she couldn't pick her own activity anymore.

Now our school had a 2.5 hour session in the mid morning and a 1.5 hour session in the afternoon, but they had a half hour of just creative play, where they used paint playdough, sand and water, anything, they just had to have something to show for the end of the half hour.

I loved it Katelyn did too. I would reccomend a two day trial, to see how he does with the structure and teacher in the class.

jsillyfun · March 2012

I had a very bad experience in a montessori preschool when I was a child. I was very creative and was always trying to use my imagination with the toys, but was constantly being corrected and told I was doing things "wrong." My mom moved me to a different preschool and I thrived.

frlcb · March 2012

surprised2behereagain:
My daughter went to Waldorf for 12 years we loved it and she is a very well-rounded young adult there is nothing I would change in regards to her education. She did go to a public high school and assimilated very well but was quite a bit advanced academically and socially compared to her classmates

You are the only experience I have ever read where a Waldorf educated child assimilated into a public school setting and was advanced academically and socially.

MrsNash37212 · March 2012

My DH went to a Montessori school through 6th grade and I really think it benefited him, overall. He has the ability to hyper focus on a project or study for hours on end that I've never seen in anyone else. It makes him a very efficient worker and problem-solver and he is very valued by his employers.

I do have to say, though, that they did him a great disservice when it comes to standardized testing. He's super intelligent (graduated at the top of his class in a top 25 business school), but he can't take standardized tests (like GMAT, SAT, etc) for sh*t and it really hampered his attempts to get into, say, top 5 schools. I do think the benefits outweigh the downsides, but it still bothers him that he couldn't get into those schools because of his test scores and it's hard to replace that "not good enough" feeling, KWIM?

MadameFancyPants · March 2012

Atticus also goes to a Montessori school. At first I wasn't too keen on the idea of not really fostering creativity, but then I realized a few things:

A) all kids are creative! It's a great skill to be able to put your creativity in your pocket for a while and use it other times. In other words, creativity and imagination are what he is able to do a home, the playground, play dates, etc. Focusing on a task and doing it the correct way is what you do at school. This can translate to adult life, too. Sometimes you have a job where you are to complete a task a certain way. You aren't supposed to do it your way, KWIM?

Why bother pretending to water fake flowers or wash dishes in a toy kitchen when you can actually plant real seeds in dirt then water them to watch them grow or help wash up the dishes after helping to prepare snacks. If you are given the freedom to do the real thing then using your imagination isn't needed.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that there can be a balance. Unless, of course, you run your household using the Montessori model as well.

Jenny952 · March 2012

My DD is at a Montessori daycare. Now, granted she's only 3 months old and in the infant room, which doesn't follow the traditional Montessori methods. But when DH and I toured daycare, we were both very impressed with how orderly it seemed vs. other daycares. The kids in the toddler and pre-k rooms were doing work, being respectful and were all busy. It was orderly but in a good way. Right when you walk in, all their little boots are lined up very neatly. So far, I like montessori and hope that DD thrives in this environment.

jennyann28 · March 2012

This thread is fascinating! I just came over here to lurk & find out more about AP to see how it meshes with my parenting beliefs that I've formed in my years as a Montessori teacher. I went to Montessori school K-6 myself, teach 2.5-6 year olds, and work in a school that has an elementary program. It is refreshing to see that the parents of children in Montessori schools on here really seem to understand the curriculum. I really believe that that is they key to being happy with your child's school experience. A couple of things I'd keep in mind while exploring Montessori: 1.) Any school can say they are a Montessori school, without following a shred of the method. If you'd like an experience like PPs described, look for an AMS or AMI certified school. 2.) Like PP said, Montessori is not a play-based curriculum, so if that's what you are looking for, it is not for you. Conversely, it is also not a nose-to-the-grindstone academic powerhouse. A good Montessori teacher is not going to "push" your child, rather he/she will follow your child's interests and expand from there. Elementary programs tend to have little to no homework, and at all levels, we really encourage kids to just be kids when they're not in school. In all classrooms, we have works that allow for creative outlet, and lunch and recess are seen as a social development time. Just check out each school, take tours, and do your research on Montessori. A Montessori schoolmcan be a good fit for any child, but as much as I love it, it isn't always a good fit for every family. 99% of the time it is because the parents are looking for something that Montessori isn't. So long as you feel comfortable with the curriculum, I think you'll love it too (and sorry for the formatting, my phone won't let me make new paragraphs).

3003girl · March 2012

hmph. I will have to see what the one we are thinking of is like. LO seems to be very creative so far - as were her DH and I when we were her age.

This is all compounded by the fact that we are actually going to move to the area where the school is. We are looking at about 3 schools, all in different states.

Thank you all for your insight! It is fascinating and useful.

MadameFancyPants · March 2012

Gastro:
Gastro:
surprised2behereagain:
frlcb:
surprised2behereagain:
My daughter went to Waldorf for 12 years we loved it and she is a very well-rounded young adult there is nothing I would change in regards to her education. She did go to a public high school and assimilated very well but was quite a bit advanced academically and socially compared to her classmates
You are the only experience I have ever read where a Waldorf educated child assimilated into a public school setting and was advanced academically and socially.

So I have heard as well. I believe it may have been the Waldorf campus she went to itself because all of the children that I know of had similar experiences once they went "mainstream" but I have met/heard of kids from other Waldorf campuses that didnt fare as well in one area or another...guess its like anything else in life sometimes it works sometimes not. I feel very lucky to be on the end that wound up successfully
my husband went to waldorf until 8th grade then went to public high school in boulder colorado. excelled at the public high school even winning a statewide scholarship for student athletes. he went to an ivy league college and now is a very successful investment banker. two of his sisters went waldorf all the way...one is a sahm and one is a succesful artist and professor of art at a four year college. one of his other sisters went to a public high school starting from 10th grade and is now a social worker who counsels returning vets. all wonderful and succesful outcomes imo.

It's so nice hearing positive Waldorf stories. I'm always hearing and reading negative stories including those of my both my cousins.

m_and_m · March 2012

jsillyfun:
I had a very bad experience in a montessori preschool when I was a child. I was very creative and was always trying to use my imagination with the toys, but was constantly being corrected and told I was doing things "wrong." My mom moved me to a different preschool and I thrived.

I think Montessori can be awesome, but DD would not thrive in a Montessori setting due to her almost excessive creativity. Seriously, the kid doesn't accept limitations or boundaries on what things are intended to do/be. It expands way beyond that, but she's is always creating new things- stories, plays, letters and toys out of tin foil....

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