Conference moira::parenting_v3

    And does Montessori go beyond preschool?
    
    --bonnie

    I believe the Montessori has a program up until the 8th grade.
    Mentessori is a 'self-accellerated' program that lets the child
    learn and move on at his own pace.  Most of the learning tools
    are activity based..ie: learn by doing.  I believe it is a very
    beneficial program for children.
    
    I'm sure someone could tell you more about the specifics though,
    
    Pam

    I think it depends a lot on the school and on the child.  Mostly I've
    heard really good things about it.  The only two bad things I've heard
       1) one person commented that at least at one Montessori school,
          although they let the child decide what to learn, once the child
          decides what to learn, it has to be THEIR way.  For instance,
          math has to be done with the manipulatives, even though one
          person told me their child was very impatient, because he
          already understood the concepts and working with the
          manipulatives slowed him down.
       2) My sister's older son went to a Montessori school until 3rd
          grade.  He never "asked" to learn to read, and as a result,
          when he switched to public school in 3rd grade, he felt like
          a dunce because he couldn't read.  His self confidence was
          pretty bad for a couple of years until he caught up,
          but I'm happy to report he recovered reasonably
          (he's graduating from Harvard this spring).

    There are lots of notes in Parenting 1 and 2 on this.  As a matter of
    fact, I printed them out and had my husband read them when we were
    sending in Elizabeth's application to a Montessori school.  
    
    In a nutshell, Maria Montessori was an Italian physican who "founded"
    the Montessori method based on her observation of special needs
    children.  She felt that young children were motivated to learn and it
    was a teacher's job to shape the environment to facilitate that
    learning.  She also "invented" a variety of Montessori materials that
    helped children learn in a very tactile fashion.  (I'm probably
    butchering this...)
    
    A Montessori classroom is considered to be a "child-centered" rather
    than a "teacher-centered" classroom.  It's arranged with different
    "corners" for different activities and the children move from corner to
    corner choosing when to do particular activities.  It's the teacher's
    job to facilitate learning based on the materials in the centers.  
    
    The classrooms are typically mutli-age/multi-grade (for example 3 yrs
    thru 6 yrs, 1st thru 3rd grade, 4th thru 6th grade, etc.) the idea
    being that a particular child can progress at his/her own rate.  
    
    Although preschools are probably the most common, Montessori schools
    can go to "Upper Elementary" which is the 6th grade.  
    
    I known children who functioned very well in the environment and
    children who did not do well at all.  (But the same can be said of any
    educational philosophy.)
    
    Just my crack at it,
    Lois
      
    
      

    My 3-year-old has been in a Montessori program since last fall and
    we've all been very pleased with it. His school has programs up to
    3rd grade level; they prefer kids to enter the school by the time 
    they're four.
    
    One thing I've learned is that all schools vary somewhat in the way 
    they implement the teaching method, curriculum, etc. The best thing to 
    do is find a Montessori school near you and arrange a visit (or
    several).
    
    Lucy
     

    My niece was in Montessori from preschool through 3rd grade. She
    herself finally opted for public school, as she didn't feel stimulated
    any longer by the program. She did skip a grade when she entered public
    school.  BTW, this is in Oregon.
    

    I am certified as a Montessori teacher (AMS) and taught for 4 years
    in the 3-6 year classroom. I used to be a Montessori fanatic
    but I have changed my viewpoint over the years. First of all the
    Montessori name is not copyrighted and anyone can use it. I have
    observed quite a number of Montessori classrooms and the variation
    in quality is tremendous. The best thing to do is observe at the
    school you're interested in and ask a lot of questions - what are
    the teacher's certifications (do they have college degrees, where
    are their Montessori certifications from, what is their experience
    with children and teaching). Ask how closely they adhere to the
    Montessori "way" of doing things. My own personal philosophy is
    that children should be allowed to explore and use materials in
    any way they find enlightening. However, I have seen classrooms
    where children were reprimanded for not using materials exactly
    the way they were meant to be used (example: using geometric shapes
    to create free form designs rather than the triangles, parallelograms,
    etc. that the shapes are meant for). I recommend reading "The
    Absorbent Mind" by Maria Montessori to get an understanding of
    what her educational philosophy is all about. 
    
    Your note indicates you are being given a choice. Is this Montessori 
    program a part of a public school? 
    
    Because Montessori classrooms let children guide themselves I believe
    it is essential to have a low teacher/student ratio so that the teacher
    can adequately serve the needs of each individual student. I would not
    feel comfortable about an open classroom situation where the ratio is
    greater than 1/15. You will hear a lot of bullshit from administrators
    as to why a large classroom is Ok. It's mostly "Ok" for financial
    reasons, not educational ones.
    
    Also look carefully at the materials in the classroom - are there a lot
    of them and are they well maintained. Are all the curriculum areas
    covered - Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language, Geography, Art,
    Science, Music.
    
    I'd be glad to answer in detail any other questions you might have.
    
    Alice
    

    I enrolled my 7 year old son in Montessori Pioneer in San Jose,
    CA. less that 2 months ago and the change has been terrific.
    
    He's much more interested in "everything" school has to offer
    and his desire to *know* simply for knowledge sake has grown.
    
    Montessori has my vote.
    
    
                                      L.J.

    
    We enrolled our two sons in Montessori last August, and they have been
    doing very, very well. I intend to keep the five year old there at
    least until he is ready for first grade in public school (Fall, 1992), 
    although according to the way he is placed in the Montessori school, he
    will be in first grade in January 1992. From what I can tell, NONE of
    the children who are age appropriate for public kindergarten in
    September 1991 will be attending the public school - all are staying
    with the Montessori program ! Our school has classes through the third
    grade.  Some of the math papers Alexander brings home NOW are from a 
    first grade cirricullum book. Nicholas, our 29 month old, was enrolled at 
    21 months, although they weren't suppossed to take them until 24 months. 
    He has done very well also - already knows his colors, can count to 10, 
    knows the beginning of the abc's, sings songs like crazy ( they are having 
    a spring musical show in April ). The other parents that I have spoken
    to who have older children say that although it prepares them very well 
    for public school, the children appear to learn more at Montessori.
    
    Good luck with your decision.
    
      

    
    Since your node shows you to be in eastern Massachusetts I will
    tell you that there is at least one public system in your area
    that runs a Montesorri program and welcomes tuition students
    from outside the district. The Holliston Public Schools run a 
    3-6, and 6-9 age group program and also has a 4th grade classroom
    that uses the Montesorri style. If you're interested contact
    Dr. Savino (Sam) Placentino - Superintendent at (508) 429-0650.