Montessori schools

[norwaysaint]

I knew nothing about these really until quite recently. If I had heard of them I thought they were just something weird. We did a bit of research after constantly hearing bad things about our local school from other parents and I visited one to check it out. I'd consider myself a reasonable judge after 12 years of primary school teaching and 5 of upper secondary and I have to say they are really onto something. The social ability of the kids is way beyond anything I've seen at regular schools, the eagerness to learn is greater and they all loved the place. On top of this, as far as I've seen so far the academic levels are easily a match for regular schools. Of course as a paying school this might be to do with parental involvement as they try to get value.

 

As a rule I've never gone in for private education, but I live on an island and picking and choosing local schools wasn't an option. Just wondered if anyone else has experience of them and how they've found it. My eldest is well into her first year now an is way beyond what kids at parallel schools are doing and she loves it.

 

Any other experience out there?

[buctootim]

Allowing kids freedom of expression and a large measure of self determination is a great idea - as long as they can expect to earn their living independently without having to fit into the rules, expectations and team work most of us have to operate within. Montessori (or Steiner) schools make for a great environment for a six year old, disaster for a 14 year old imo.

[norwaysaint]

Yeah, I've seen some take their kids out of the system at that age, I'll have to find out more later. Do you have any experience personally or is it mostly hearsay? There are certainly rules and a lot of team work, so I don't know where that idea comes from, but the big thing is that they have some say in what they do. It also seems a system that caters well to both brighter and slower children.

[LVSaint]

My son started at a Montessori School from about 3 until he reached about 6 when normal elementary school kicked in. It cost only a bit more than daycare.

Overall very impressed that he started his education this way but glad he is in a regular school environment now. I was always impressed with the structure the teachers applied in the classroom and the hands on approach to solving problems and the social interaction between the kids and teacher.

I have not had the chance to observe higher levels of Montessori or been with kids that are having middle school Montessori education to compare.

 

There is now at least one non-fee Montessori school in town which is interesting.

[buctootim]

Do you have any experience personally or is it mostly hearsay?

 

Third hand mostly. My ex and a very good friend since university are both teachers in the state system. They have taught kids whose parents who brought them into the state system after time in Montessori (or vice versa). I know this because a few years ago we discussed options for educating our so and daughter. She was pretty down on Montessori and friend backed it up - despite them both being arty creative types and not rule bound. Consensus was they're not bad schools, just not really equipping kids for reality of the qualifications then get a good job model we all (mostly) work to.

Edited 22 March, 2012 by buctootim

[Marsdinho]

Anne Frank went to a Montessori school.

 

That's all I can add to this subject.

[buctootim]

Anne Frank went to a Montessori school.

 

 

Exactly. Great writer, very creative but poor at socialising with her peers and could never hold down a full time job.

[norwaysaint]

Anne Frank went to a Montessori school.

 

That's all I can add to this subject.

 

Hmm, another example of being taken out of a Montessori school as a teenager.

 

I discovered yesterday that the founders of Google, Wikipedia and Amazon all went to Montessori schools too. As did William and Harry although their achievements aren't so impressive.