Montessori Schools

Contribute to the decline of our educational system in the US.

I can assure you the children enrolled in them are engaged in normal, healthful, broadening pursuits.

Chasten Buttigieg was teaching at one, I guess is on leave from one.

So in brief, what are they ?

Theyre safe spaces where kids only learn what they want...if they dont like math, they dont have to do it, etc...

They are for problem children in the 70s now known as special snowflakes.

pretentious and over-priced

Here.

I think Wills and Harry went to one.

They were created in Italy to prep working class kids for a career in the factories--thus the whole "working with your hands" mentality

My nephew went to one and now is at GW in DC. Graduates next year.

I think it was advantageous for him to be there.

He learned about Picasso and his “blue” period. Not many 3 or 4 year olds would know or would be taught that.

R11, I assure you his instruction on Picasso has nothing to do with his future academic success. Plus, he can’t even remember the Picasso stuff.

I have friends who didn’t go to Montessori and then graduated from Harvard and Yale.

I guess Montessori sucks

They produce absolutely insufferable brats.

INSUFFERABLE.

GW is a third-tier school and is full of trash from New Jersey, r11.

My cousin went there, she was a "gifted" child. Today at 22 she can't figure out how to work a manual can opener. I think they broke her brain.

I teach in one.

I’m not a Montessori teacher, though. I work with kids who are learning English.

It’s not what the above posters are crowing about. Kids still have to work through language and math every day, though they do get to choose when and sometimes where.

Teachers are very different from one another. Some are super traditional (old-school algorithms in math, lots of grammar in English), while others are big on showing learning through production using various apps.

For some kids, it’s a great fit. For others, who live to fuck around and procrastinate, it’s terrible.

I think families should visit one and consider how it might fit their kid’s personality.

My ex attended one as a boy. It came up in our relationship because he wondered if Montessori contributed to his defiance to authority, lack of discipline, and stubbornness.

Anne Frank went to one until the Nazis forced her and other Jewish students to attend Jewish schools. I think that the one that she attended was named after her, was it not?

Any school can call itself “Montessori,” so there are schools who apply the principles in a half-assed way. A “real” Montessori has either an AMI or some other designation I can’t remember. I think AMI is specific to the US and slightly less strict.

A Montessori environment is geared towards the child, but also requires the child to be active in maintaining it. For instance, there might be child-height working sinks, and the kids actually use the sinks to clean up after snack. They wipe down tables and put their work away. Yes, they can choose their own work, but in a functioning Montessori classroom, the work is appealing to the children and they are industrious. The Montessori philosophy is freedom within structure. A child can do what they want, but within the expectations of the classroom - which are very high.

I think some other posters here may have been exposed to “fake” Montessori schools. For instance, I was once in a so-called Montessori classroom where the coat hooks were adult height. That’s a huge no-no. The kids need to take care of there things. Another “fake” Montessori classroom had a teacher walking around while eating a cup of yoghurt. In a Montessori classroom, you can have a snack when you want. But you do it seated at a table, with a plate and napkin, and you clean up when you are done.

A well prepared Montessori classroom with a good teacher is a joy to behold.

Also - the original Montessori schools were for kids ages 3-6. Maria Montessori has a term for that period of like - the Absorbent mind. An upper elementary school with non-Montessori teachers isn’t really a Montessori school. It might be a great school, I’ve seen the approach adapted to older kids, but it’s not what you should judge Montessori schools by.

My niece goes to one. 5 years old and a nightmare. Serious rebellion issues. Constant battles with parents. Hard to know what’s the kid and what’s the school.

I went to one. Basically just went and played. I still do what I like, work on what I like.

Agree with R20. I looked at several options when mine were preschoolers - about 3 Montessori, regular “daycare”, church programs, etc... Focusing on Montessori: for all following this approach, they couldn’t have been more different. In fact, the one I was least impressed with was a Montessori: had a very Lord Of The Flies vibe, there were stations they could participate in but got to make their own decisions about which/when/etc, and I didn’t get the feeling there was much real learning going on despite the content implying it was educational.

The one I decided on was also a Montessori, but was much more structured with some old school ladies running it: they divided groups by development & ability rather than age (i.e., you stayed in toddler group until you were potty trained, the kid in an advanced language/reading group might be with a less advanced math group as appropriate for their ability), there was a daily schedule, everyone participated in their scheduled activities (so, everyone did math - they just tailored for each according to where they were....might be counting to 10 for one, using an abacus for another, and simple addition/subtraction for the next), parents received a daily written report at pickup, they had to clean up after themselves, and focus was definitely on learning and development (academically and otherwise). My kids entered kindergarten already reading, teachers have always complimented their manners and personal responsibility, etc...

So I think there are several that use the name to charge more, loosely apply the tenets, and you don’t at all get what you were paying for....and a kid who is going the be shocked when they get to real school, whether public or private, and they don’t get to follow their whims all day and adults don’t indulge them. I would advise any parent to look into where they are going to send their kid, and any program with nothing to hide shouldn’t mind you shadowing a while during a routine day. If you observe several my experience is that you’ll quickly see the differences.

If you want to see real wack-a-doodle education, check out a Waldorf school - the place for people who think Montessori is too stringent.

They discourage reading until a child’s “milk teeth” come in.

Wasn't the school Patrick went to in Mame a Montessori school? Oh wait. That was a school run by pedophiles.

R26 I delivered that joke much better in R2. It also wasn't pedophiles, it was a hippy/nudist/bohemian thing. It's one of the funnier scenes in the book. You're a killjoy.

I enrolled my little Jazzmyn in one and she excels at everything she wants to do.

Now, if I could only get her to stop throwing tantrums in supermarkets and knocking over displays, she'd be even more perfect than she already is.

My 3 cousins (siblings) went to one and my grandma used to say that Montessori “ruined” them. None of them finished college but they’ve all made careers in tech. They’re in their 40s but none are married or have kids. There was definitely a degree of independence and defiance there that my grandma couldn’t understand.

[quote] The kids need to take care of there things.

Uh, huh.

r25

Heaven forbid you should put in a link or even a one line sentence about what you say..

Waldorf vs Montessori schools

There is no question that sending your child to a Montessori school is expensive, but why? There are two main factors involved in the expense of Montessori: teacher training and quality of materials. Montessori teachers require extensive training.

If a school wants Montessori accreditation, having teachers, both leads and assistants, who have Montessori credentials is critical. Montessori teaching involves a specific approach not found in traditional teacher training programs.

“An ordinary teacher cannot be transformed into a Montessori teacher, but must be created anew, having rid herself of pedagogical prejudices. The first step is self-preparation of the imagination, for the Montessori teacher has to visualise a child who is not yet there, materially speaking, and must have faith in the child who will reveal himself through work.” ~ Dr. Montessori

Dr. Montessori emphasized beauty and high quality of materials. The cost of materials for the classroom as well as specific furniture for the classroom contributes greatly to the cost of Montessori. Materials are not manufactured in a factory (or shouldn't be) and are made with enormous quality of care.

Materials avoid plastic, thereby often defaulting to wood. The precision of the materials is also emphasized as you can see with materials such as the pink tower and the brown stair with their base of ten quality.

R33, there are public Montessori schools. I’m the EL teacher upthread and I work in one. It starts at age four, and most of the kids do not attend a private pre-school before starting at my school.

Montessori schools are neither monte or ssori, discuss!

Public Montessori schools are not any good. They require a lottery to get in or they are magnet schools, which means they are the equivalent of public housing for the school system

R25, I was counting the hours until Waldorf Schools were invoked. I will also say that much of what is written in the link at R32 is wrong. Even when it is right, it *only* applies to Kindergarten and not elementary school.

Waldorf schools are VERY structured. One hears the word "intention" used a great deal. Everything is a Waldorf School is dome with intention. Nothing is airy-fairy.

Yes, they do not teach reading until 7 years old (when the milk teeth *fall out*. Clearly you have no idea what milk teeth are.) This is actually common outside of the USA. They are taught words in first grade. While they are not taught to read full sentences, they do play with adding a consonant to "at" to make "bat", "cat", "rat", etc. This is one of the big differences. In grades 1&2 academics are taught through games and songs. Academics are taught. They are just taught in a different way. Starting in grade 3, academics are taught in a more traditional way. Children are reading books by the second half of second grade.

Also, children in Waldorf schools learn two languages other than English starting in the first grade. The thought is that learning one language other than one's own creates an Us/Them attitude. Teaching two languages creates more of a "we" attitude. Learning languages is very good for brain development. The fact that children in Waldorf Schools learn languages early is an asset once they reach high school.

One of the big misconceptions is that Waldorf Schools are all about creativity and the arts. This is NOT true. Handwork/crafts are used to teach larger concepts. There is no creative art as we think of it. All children learn to knit in the first grade. The reason is as an introduction to math. Knitting is all about counting, adding, and subtracting. There is a lot of needlework, woodwork, and metalwork in Waldorf schools. This is a practical way of introducing math, biology, chemistry., color theory. It also teaches good work habits. If you look at the bulletin board or display case in a Waldorf School, you will see a set of virtually identical water colors or virtually identical models in wax. Each child is not encouraged to be creative. They are copyists. The "art" is used to expand on the main lesson subject. It is not there for creative exploration.

Waldorf Schools are based on a classical education. The students learn Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology. In 8th grade, the study Shakespeare and perform a play by Shakespeare. It can be very challenging academically.

Waldorf Schools do encourage the used of the whole body. Movement is part of every class day. Recess is sacred. It cannot be withdrawn as punishment. Reading or being inactive during recess is discouraged. The student have recess is all weather unless there is thunder and lightening. Noncompetitive physical activity is strongly encouraged. Many schools have a circus skills program starting in the 3rd grade.

I don’t think there are any public Montessori schools that require the teacher / asst teacher certifications that R33 describes. Therefore, there are no “real” Montessori schools.

There is a difference.

-R20

According to the North American Montessori Teachers' Association (NAMTA), A Montessori Teacher's salary can vary depending on experience and age level they teach. The average entry-level salary for a Montessori teacher of ages 6-9 in 2019 was $34,140.

According to the North American Montessori Teachers' Association (NAMTA), A Montessori Teacher's salary can vary depending on experience and age level they teach. The average entry-level salary for a Montessori teacher of ages 6-9 in 2019 was $34,140.

Montessori is not a trademarked name, which means it is a label often given to thousands of day cares and preschools across the country—whether or not they follow the Montessori method.

A Google search of preschools in any major city will return dozens of “Montessori” schools, but that doesn’t mean the schools follow the teachings of the method’s founder, Maria Montessori, or feature some of Montessori’s key classroom tenets—like an uninterrupted three-hour “work time”—or have teachers trained by an accredited Montessori teacher-training program.

Schools are affiliated with an accrediting organization, like the American Montessori Society or the Association Montessori International, which some experts say is the only way to guarantee the highest level of authenticity. Out of more than 4,000 so-called Montessori schools across the country, only 1,250 are affiliated with the American Montessori Society (and only 204 are AMS-accredited), and about 220 are recognized by AMI.

R25 Waldorf schools are insane. So pretentious.

r42

But those kids can all make one hell of a delicious salad

Yes and they are all sorts of experts in felt and felting.

[quote] Theyre safe spaces where kids only learn what they want..[bold].if they dont like math, they dont have to do it, [/bold]etc...

Sounds like heaven.

ROP

Chiaravalle Montessori Is the original. From last I heard, all teachers were trained through this one in Evanston, Illinois. It was the obvious and best choice for me to send my son there. He attended from daycare through 3rd grade he attended. Yes, it was expensive but I had peace of mind knowing my son was in a safe environment, being nurtured and allowed to breathe and be his own person. They were an easy choice for me as their philosophy aligned with mine. From there we moved to an area where the public school system was exceptional. My son loved his experience at Chiaravalle often reflecting on his time there. When we moved from Evanston, Chiaravalle began a huge renovation. This particular location was/is the special one really adhered to the teaching philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori. Like anything, through expansion and franchise, meaning is lost and reinterpretted which isn't always necessarily a bad thing. I honestly think it will depend on the are you live, and I've heard not so good things about other locations.

This is the only Chiaravalle Montessori. My sister-n-law wanted to send her sons to a Montessori based on how I raised my son and our experience there. They live in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and she was able to transfer both my nephews into a Montessori there and they don't have to pay a dime for it.

It can be mind boggling and heart-wrenching to make decisions when it comes to your child, always go with your gut and your child's happiness. Teachers make all the difference too, and sometimes they can be the wrong fit in the place that is absolutely right for your child.

True r44. The 7th grade felts their own slippers.

R45, I was shipped of the British boarding school from the USA. One of the joys was to be able to drop maths for the last two years of high school

ROP

Very interesting article. Jeff Bezos has invested $1billion into Montessori preschools.

ROP

The rest of the world is shutting down. But Montessori is still having there world-wide conference with countries from all over the world in Dallas on March 15.

That is independent thinking at its finest.

Latest breaking news. Apparently if you are a Montessori Alumni or currently enrolled in a Montessori program, you will not contract the coronavirus.

The Flu will be long over by May, who gets the flu in the summer?

Those who live in the Southern Hemisphere.

I am the teacher in a public Montessori school.

All the classroom teachers are fully trained from Montessori programs.

And yes, r36, it is a magnet school with a higher poverty demographic than a private school. The lower-income kids are largely the ones I work with. Fuck you on behalf of all them.

I went on a few dates with a Montessori teacher. It was ALL he EVER wanted to talk about, like it was a cult or something. Deal breaker.

I went to Montessori school for 2nd thru 4th grade. I was ahead of everyone when I went back to public school for 5th grade. I ended up skipping 7th grade and still becoming Valedictorian. Didn't get into Yale or Princeton though. Went to University of Michigan.

As for what the school was like, there were games and flash cards around the classroom and you did what you wanted to. On top of that, there was P.E. & French, music, and dance lessons.

Oh and we got a science lecture once or twice a week. It was so boring.

a relative of mine attended a Montessori School during her formative years. she went on to attend public schools, graduated from the college of her choice (on full academic scholarship) and had a six figure job waiting for her after she graduated.

r53

Anyone can use the name Montessori so you don't have to be certified to run one or teach at one.

So unless you're school is certified by a Montessori certifier, you're full of it.

r57

I know a guy from the ghetto who did that, what's your point?

Montessori, sounds like a cheese.

Is that what they does? Feed the kids cheese?

[bold] The One Where Older Gay Men With No Children Expound On Programs Having To Do With Children That They've Heard About Third-Hand [/bold]

R61, there are at least two teachers here and its is rather retro to assume that gay men do not have children nowadays.

Well they say they are teachers. But really who'd be stupid enough to work for 34K a year

[quote] rather retro to assume that gay men do not have children nowadays.

Except that most DLers are of the age to have GRANDchildren

And gay men rarely had children when the average DLer was 30

R63, well, I guess that would be me.(Waldorf School Teacher.)

R64, I have a daughter.

r65

LOL Kaspar Hauser is a historical known liar

Dr. Maria Montessori was a groundbreaking physician and educator. Her Wikipedia page is interesting.

Steiner is good when the woo is removed.

My boyfriend’s son goes to one in London. They are so woke that they thought it would be a great idea to take all the little ones out to the Italian art museum on Thursday. When we objected they acted like we were idiots who are overreacting. It is very expensive and he’s a great kid but I’m not sure that he’s any more advanced than any other kid. Everything he has to do for his advancement is extracurricular like violin class, tutors, mandarin, tennis and what not. Nothing is really offered within the school so it’s basically all helicopter parents like my guy’s ex.

R69, just be clear Montessori or Waldorf?

Sounds like a cult

I went to one in Chicago for a year in 1969? 1970? I loved it. Then my parents rudely yanked me out and put me in Catholic school. I'm an atheist now.

[quote]Then my parents rudely yanked me out and put me in Catholic school.

That means he got kicked out for pulling himself in the toilet.

For all the documented problems with the Catholic clergy, a Jesuit education is still the most successful at creating high-achieving individuals. That's why they still thrive and parents didn't pull their kids out at the height of the scandal.

R74, especially for low income kids. Most stay out of legal problems, go on to higher education and are community engaged.

Jesuit priests were always so much cooler than Franciscans.

Are there any famous success stories that went to Montessori?

Here’s a list of some famous people who attended.

Are they all closed?

I wonder who has the better track record: those that go to Montessori or those that go to Head Start.

Catholic school ftw.

R79, mine is.

The younger teachers, especially of the older kids, are mostly ready to go with online learning.

The older teachers, especially of the younger kids, are really struggling with how to do Montessori instruction as distance learning.

It’s really a difficult situation for the older teachers, a few nearing retirement, because people are afraid to hold in-person tech teaching.

I have a bunch of Apple sessions to do today. I’m not a tech wizard, but I’m hoping I can apply what I learn with the kids without too many stumbles.

Montessori sounds EYE-talian.