Does anyone reccommend or have any warnings about Montessori Preschool?

Andrea - posted on 03/16/2009

My 3 year old son started pre-Montessori about a month ago and he loves it. He loves figuring things out on his own, so this was the right choice for us. His teachers quickly figured out his interests and find ways to challenge him. We haven't decided if we will keep him there for elementary school, but he will definitely go to Montessori for kindergarten.

Nicole - posted on 03/16/2009

I have a friend who's sister teaches at a Montessori school but my friend's sister does not have a teaching degree. I am still looking at the school but it is definitely something I will be asking about.

Laurie - posted on 03/16/2009

My 2 1/2 year old son loves it.

Marilyn - posted on 03/15/2009

We had good luck at a Montessori preschool with my daughter (now in 1st grade at a Catholic school). She attended through pre-k. We are getting ready to enroll my son in the same Montessori preschool now, and will follow the same path for him. Montessori until pre-k, and then Catholic school. 

Also, there are 2 diff. Montessori philosophies. Make sure you understand the differences and choose the right one for your child!

Autumn - posted on 03/15/2009

Hello Amber. Yes, I would recommend that you target a more structured environment for your son. I have three children - 9, 8, and 2.5 yrs old. The eldest is a girl and the other two are boys. My daughter had a few problems adjusting to public school(being very structured, no real attention to leadership, and no regard for independent thinking, etc.) Mykayla managed fine in her kindergarten year after coming from Montessori background. However, her brother Micheal struggled in kindergarten. He had real difficulty adjusting to the structure, thoughts/ideas were not welcomed, he just needed to follow the regiment and go with the flow. Montessori teaches independence, allows kids to find their way(very exploratory), and usually causes issues when they are mainstreamed to public school which has non-montessori curriculum. When they were smaller, I would hear comments often that Montessori was generally not a good curriculum for boys. I did not understand what was meant until I experienced it for myself. So now that I have one other son, he is attending Kids R Kids. Girls fair ok, but you take a chance with boys. Hope this has been helpful, Autumn.

Deborah - posted on 03/15/2009

Montessori schools are the hot thing right now. I have heard a lot of great things about them. But be aware that since they are so hot a lot of schools have popped up with the name Montessori but don't necessarily follow the orders. Just do your research. Be prepared to ask them questions about which order they follow and other basic questions. Also decide if the concept is fitting with your child. Some kids do better in a more social program and some thrive on the more academic.