Montessori preschool/ daycares

lexusolsen · June 2013

There aren't many in our area but I found a few. I checked one out on Tuesday and was underwhelmed with the lack of structure. I'm worried that Montessori sounds good on paper but is difficult/ impossible to execute. Does anyone have any experience with Montessori?

MrsWindyCity · June 2013

DS1 has been at a Montessori school for just about a year now. It's been great for him. I like the child-led learning approach (and so does he - he always tells me what he "worked with" that day), but that they also do a lot of stuff as a group that traditional daycares might not do - for instance, they garden and go on nature walks. The kid can name like 8 times more birds and plants than I can. It's taught him a lot of important skills and how to be more independent and he's just learned a ton in general. To be honest, we weren't necessarily looking for a Montessori but he aged out of his old daycare and wait lists here are insane for daycares. This was the first we were able to get into, and now that we will be moving in the next months or so, I definitely plan on enrolling him in a Montessori school in our new location.

DaisyJanie · June 2013

My son has been at a Montessori school/daycare since he was 3 months old, so I don't really have much to compare it to, but we love it. They do seem to have a lot of structure really, they start the day with circle time (stories, songs) then there is a period of "work time" where they're encouraged to play with the various puzzles and other toys. Then later there's outside time, naptime, etc. So the individual work time might look like a free-for-all sometimes, but usually the kids settle into their chosen activities and are calm and busy. The thing about Montessori is that there's no certification or approval process to be a Montessori school, anyone can slap that name on their school and do whatever they want. I know there are concepts of Montessori that our daycare doesn't use - for instance, Maria Montessori advocated a wide range of ages is one classroom, so they could all learn from each other. But ours splits them into 1.5 year increments. So when you're checking out schools, ask them what Montessori concepts they are using, and why they think those are important.

lexusolsen · June 2013

This place didn't do circle time for my daughter's age group, did some outside time but the teachers said "they just hang out in here and play with whatever they want". I'm hoping the next one in my list is more like the places you described! They sound like what I'm looking for.

Mustardseed2007 · June 2013

First, Montessori schools differ a lot. However, my cousin uses one for DC for her little boy who is 4, and we're on the waitlist for one so we're not in it ourselves but I like it b/c of what I've seen for my cousin. In some ways I found them to have MORE structure than other daycares and preschools I looked at b/c they do everything so purposefully, but it is more guidance than instruction. I think it's good for young kids who learn so much through play, but I don't know if I'd want my 10th grader doing it. BTW, if they are AMS certified they will have lower ratios than what most states require, which is something else I really liked.

Stella2008 · June 2013

My daughter attends a traditional Montessori preschool (not daycare, although they do offer before and aftercare that about 1/3 of the students attend) for kids 3-6. I really feel like the Montessori way of teaching is one that you, especially as a new parent, have to have faith in at first, and you will very likely see the proof of your patience as the months move along.

For us, the lack of structure was what I liked about Montessori--for me, it was important that my 3-4 year old was not doing table work most of the day, or just playing with toys (which is what we saw at some of the other daycare preschools we visited). I wanted to make sure she had the freedom to work on what she wanted, with who she wanted, in a non-classroom like atmosphere. I was not looking for a true "academic" experience at this age--that is what elementary school is for. She is learning through work and experiences she has with the materials rather than from worksheets and textbooks. Her classroom is "unstructured" from 8:30-10:30 for the kids to choose/do their own work with the classroom materials, and then from 10:30-11 they do line time and then go walk over to our local park to play before lunch.

I have been completely blown away with the academic progress she has made, in addition to the "life skills" she has picked up in her first year (she started right after she turned 3 and her class is a mix of 3-6 year olds working together). She knows all of her letter sounds and is using the movable alphabet to create simple words, counts (not just 1, 2, 3 but in tens as well), does simple math (knows addition and subtraction up to 10+10), and also has a great understanding of the world (continents and countries) and the solar system. As I said, this has all been icing on the cake for me because I really had very little expectation of academic progress while in preschool.

She is also progressing well socially. Because she has kids ages 3-6 in her classroom, she has the ability to learn from the older ones (and they get the chance to model, teach and lead behavior). She is also super self sufficient and independent-- at the age of 3, she was getting herself dressed/bathroom in the morning (including shoes and zipping coat), follows directions really well, and because of the "family style lunch with grace and manners" they do, has really great table skills (sets the table at home, clears the plates, wipes the table while we do dishes).

Very long answer--but I don't regret our decision (even with the hefty tuition checks we write each month) at all, and it has been a great experience for us. In fact, we have the option of switching her to a good Pre-K program at her future (private, Catholic) elementery school next year for half of what we pay now, and we are keeping her at Montessori for another year.

Netty_3 · June 2013

LO is in Montessori and DH is the head of school for one (sister school of LO's). I really like it so far for LO. I feel he's thriving there. That being said, like any program, it's not for everyone, you have to see about your comfort level and the type of personality your LO has...because everyone learns different, so what's best for one isn't best for another necessarily.

They seem to have a scheduled regimine despite allowing the children to choose the "work" they do. They have snacks/lunch/nap/outdoor and everything at a certain time, story time, circle time, and then the teachers allow kids to choose their work and work individually with each kid on different skills.

I also like the idea that teaching is part of the learning process for the kids to master skills. So, after a child has mastered a certain skill individually, they then get the opportunity to teach that skill to someone trying to learn it. I think it really helps them understand the skill when they have to teach it to someone else and embeds it in their minds.

Netty_3 · June 2013

DaisyJanie:
My son has been at a Montessori school/daycare since he was 3 months old, so I don't really have much to compare it to, but we love it. They do seem to have a lot of structure really, they start the day with circle time (stories, songs) then there is a period of "work time" where they're encouraged to play with the various puzzles and other toys. Then later there's outside time, naptime, etc. So the individual work time might look like a free-for-all sometimes, but usually the kids settle into their chosen activities and are calm and busy. The thing about Montessori is that there's no certification or approval process to be a Montessori school, anyone can slap that name on their school and do whatever they want. I know there are concepts of Montessori that our daycare doesn't use - for instance, Maria Montessori advocated a wide range of ages is one classroom, so they could all learn from each other. But ours splits them into 1.5 year increments. So when you're checking out schools, ask them what Montessori concepts they are using, and why they think those are important.

In this case, I would look for memberships or affiliations with a program like the American Montessori Society or American Montessori International. I know at our school they have to have at least have one admin be Montessori qualified for programming purposes, and one teacher in the classroom (99% of the time the lead teacher) Montessori qualified. If the teacher isn't qualified, I'd ask how long they have been teaching in that style...they may have the knowledge just not the certification.

2chatter · June 2013

I just enrolled DS into the montessori I toured last week. DD attended a montessori and I was simply amazed at how much she grew when left to self select the items that interested her. I was very nervous about a three to four year old with a glass pitcher to pour water into a glass cup, but she mastered this.

The school you described sounds like either the person who did the tour is not qualified to provide the tour OR they don't really follow the philosophy. I would look at a few others before giving up - and another mom on this board suggested Yelp - I hadn't checked there and did, as well as Great Schools - and was pleased with the reviews.

abbieaggie · June 2013

We actually use an at home caretaker similar to a nanny/sitter. However, she has an AP/Montessori approach instead of a structured daycare or preschool. We did send our oldest to a small, private preschool after he turned 4. However the difference between him and two close friends that are the same age and went to a highly ranked (and priced!) traditional preschool are huge. Not only are my boys adapting and learning music, art and open play, but they seem to behave better than the other kids that were in a structured, rigid scheduled preschool that pushed and only focused on reading/writing.

We don't have a Montessori school in our area, so we skipped the traditional daycare and preschool and hoped our caretaker would follow our parental approach and she did. I know it's not perfect but sometimes at a young age, too much structure and scheduling backfires and kids don't do well in a traditional setting when its time for full day Kindergarten or 1st grade.

WhitWed · June 2013

During college I taught at a Montessori school and it was a great experience in my opinion. There was actually quite a bit of structure, but children-led activities. I taught science, and created fun learning games, for kids from ages 3 to 12. For the little children we'd do indoor projects, build things outdoors, learn about the sun and solar system, and garden. For the older kids we'd go on bug catches, hiking adventures, learn about clouds, do small chemistry experiments, etc. I think the kids of various ages thrived off of each other and each activity seemed to create a new leader depending on what activity peaked that individual's interest (which I thought was awesome because I could then tell the parents about their child's strengths and how they were growing independently). It might not be the best environment for all children, but I think if you have dedicated staff it can be worth it! Even though my career is in a professional science setting now, that will always be my favorite job that I ever had! Again, just my personal experience.

TMWarren85 · June 2013

My DD started at a traditional daycare and moved into a Montessori program when she was 2.5 (she's now 4), it is great for her as she is very independent, determined, competitive and driven. She has been in the same primary class since she started so there have always been older kids there for her to learn along with (hence the competitive streak). She will choose work over play most times (driven) and will do it herself. I know not every Montessori is the same, but my daughter can write, read small words (3 letters long), knows all the states and continents, can tell me about the solar system, mammals, reptiles, artists, and the digestive system.

Kids are sponges, so if you talk about the continents over and over for a week they will absorb it- the same applies to a traditional daycare. I found that some (not all) traditional daycares are just that- a place to drop your kid with supervision. While some do work off a curriculum, some just have playtime most of the day. Some kids do great with that, mine doesn't.

But- you walk into her classroom and there are no traditional toys- no dolls, trucks, balls, etc. It's all "work materials"- and she thinks that doing "work" is fun so she knows no different. My nephew is a very rambunctious four year old and would probably not excel in that environment because he is used to toys, movies, tv shows, etc.

Look at a few different ones; I looked at three within a few miles of each other and while they all follow the same curriculum, they were very different.

I did doubt the ability for a three and six year old to simultaneously coexist in a learning environment and both develop at their levels, but it works at our school.

My son started a few weeks ago, but he's only three months so I'm not sure what the infant program will be like.

honeybee111 · June 2013

DD has been attending a Montessori preschool for 6 months. I believe her school is a traditional Montessori school - all teachers and director are certified, she is in a multi-age classroom(3-6), I would say 90% of the materials in the classroom are Montessori. We chose this school because I really liked the idea of student led learning. We also like the inclusion of practical living skills and general social skills as opposed to a focus strictly on academics. DD is pretty independent and self-driven, so we thought this would be a good fit for her. In DD's classroom, the kids are helpful and respectful of each other. The teachers are calm, positive, and encouraging. If you walk in during their student led activity time, at first glance, it does look like there is not very much structure, but all the kids are engaged just with different activities. Anyway, DD has only been there half a year, but I am surprised every day by how much she is learning and growing. Not just the academic stuff, but she is so much more independent, responsible, helpful, and conscious of her actions.

lexusolsen · June 2013

It doesn't sound like the school I visited is a true Montessori school, at least not for the 2 year olds. I don't expect them to be at a table doing worksheets but if I wanted her to play all day without any type of learning then I would have left her at the inhome she was at. I feel like student led learning is the perfect compromise. I will keep looking. Thanks for the help!

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