How can one be confident children are not being “left behind” in the Montessori environment? How will the Montessori children compete against children trained to test, in the current, standard U.S. high school and college environment in which testing is so important?

Were you not happy when you were in elementary school? Why?

I don’t know what a Montessori school is or how it differs from a “regular” school. Is there a description of it somewhere?

Wikipedia.com has a good, simple explanation. Maria Montessori’s books are the original sources: The Absorbent Mind, The Secret of Childhood, The Discovery of the Child, and others. More recent books by other authors include Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, Montessori Today, and of course Montessori Madness!

As far as not being happy in elementary school, that’s a great question. Montessori said that one of the measures of the correctness of the educational method was the happiness of the child. This often raises our hackles: “I don’t care if my kid likes it, I want him to learn it regardless!” “I don’t care if education is fun, he’s going to learn what we tell him to learn!” The answer to your question is no, I wasn’t happy in elementary school. Sure, there were fun moments with friends, but my happiest memories of learning were at home or on family outings or trips or exploring in the woods or going to museums or sporting events. Montessori schools recognize that learning itself is fun, it doesn’t need to be forced. I’m disappointed that I wasn’t in an enjoyable classroom environment. School doesn’t have to be like boot camp. It also doesn’t have to foster envy, cheating, and fear. Why do we design it that way in regular schools? Montessori takes the learning style of your first six years of life (when you learned to speak a language that was foreign to you at first, you learned to count, sing, stand, walk, run, skip, jump, communicate needs, joke, help others, you learned the customs of your native culture, and on and on–all before setting eyes on your first teacher) and extends and develops that style, allowing that ferocious pace of learning to survive its first encounter with a classroom.

As far as the concern of children being “left behind” in Montessori, I have that feeling too. It’s hard for me to give up my reliance on grades to tell me information about a student. I guess a different way to look at the same question is too ask, “How will I know that my child is going as far and as fast as he possibly can in traditional school?” You won’t of course, because there is one standard, one pace, regardless of the disparate natural abilities and interests of the humans involved. Faster students are not free to go at their own pace. We all fall on a continuum of abilities and interests. Montessori supports each child at his own pace (which is usually quite a bit quicker than traditional schools–it’s normal to see four-year-olds reading in Montessori). Thus if the student is slower than average, Montessori supports his developmental pace with absolutely no ranking or labeling of the student as slow or “a D student.” That pace is the pace that works for that child, and he is a valuable part of the community and can continue to learn from and to teach others. How can we best support him, regardless of the norm?

Regarding how they will compete against others in high school and college, my opinion is they will not. At least I hope they won’t. Bernie Madoff was competing against others, trying to make more money than everyone else. I hope Montessori students strive to be excellent people, using competition as a fun motivator, yet without any true meaning or value. Traditional schools make competition important. They make competition with others the sole means of determining your own value.

I do like the ability of the Montessori student to study a particular topic of interest for an extended period of time. When he has a great teacher, the Montessori student will be exposed to core proficiencies (in my opinion, mathematics and literacy) in the course of his study of the particular topic of interest, whether that topic of interest be the history of baseball, or gardening, or aviation, or whatever. However, I was fortunate enough to experience some excellent teachers in traditional classroom settings who were similarly able to pique student interest in particular topics of interest (even though the topics were set by the teacher instead of the student), and drive mastery of core proficiencies through study of the teacher-selected topics of interest.

I think the biggest asset to learning in the classroom is the teacher - not the money, not the books, and not the teaching style. If you get a great human asset in there, and you force one style or the other on them (Montessori or standard), you take away their ability to improvise and to create a classroom best suited to the students they have at that particular time. My vote is for recruiting the highest-quality people you can find, and let them have at it. If they want to use more Montessori or more traditional styles at any given time, that’s fine with me so long as they are given the freedom to use their talent and their good judgment.

While all aspects of a classroom experience are important, one thing that we forget is that our children are people, not objects. They have a level of capability that we, as parents, can easily lose sight of as we try to keep things neat, organized, and orderly. Montessori allows our children to become the best “them” that they can be through gentle guidance toward critical thought, kindness, consideration for others, appreciation for the world around them and all of its inhabitants, and commitment to completion of any task or course of study. They are given the time to be thorough which frequently promotes learning at a much higher level than a traditional environment can accommodate. Can you name the 7 continents? Montessori children can do that by the time they turn 4.

That “level of capability” surprised me about my first encounter with Montessori children. We often take it as a given that if you let students choose what to work on, chaos must follow. And in any other environment, it usually does! But Montessori is different. By purposefully preparing the environment of the classroom, by recognizing that children are capable, by setting the expectation that they will behave responsibly, and by having real confidence in the children, they miraculously rise to the occasion. I just wish there was a score we could assign to this behavior so we could more easily convince folks to come take a look for themselves. “See, my son got a 95 in capability.”

Trevor, I just want to congratulate you on this book and tell you how excited I am to see more parents coming out to support Montessori. I have long felt that the Montessori professional community needs to move out of the box and do a better job to connecting with parents…and that the only way we can encourage more good Montessori is by debunking the myths out there.

I look forward to reading your book, and have mentioned it on my blog, Educating for Life.

Wishing you the best of luck,

Lena Wood

(a Montessori child, elementary teacher in training, and current co-chair of the Oregon Montessori Association)

I work at a Montessori school (Admissions) in Chicago and had a meeting a couple of months ago with a Physics professor from Northwestern University. Knowing a little about Montessori education, he wanted to take a closer look at the classroom ‘in action’ and pick my brain a bit. He quite passionately described how sad it is for him to teach these extremely ‘bright’ kids (based on traditional testing and grades) whom have zero intellectual curiosity. He went on to describe how his students don’t want to know the ‘hows’ they simply want the information presented to them so that they can get the grade. Science. Isn’t this a subject of testing and figuring out the hows and the whys and the what ifs? He also said his “C” students deserved A’s based on the questions and interest they showed in class but unfortunately did’t have the capacity to ace the exams. He also said that his straight A students deserved the C’s because they didn’t care at all about anything other than the grade. Zero intellectual curiosity! He believes this is what the drilling and testing of “no child left behind” generation has produced, sadly.

My comment to one of the questions
regarding how Montessori students do later . . . is this. Montessori
students tend to level off with their peers in 3rd grade - 4th grade
but surge ahead again in high school. College professors love
Montessori students because so much of the work is “project-based”
and they know how to run with it. Students without that background
have not learned the independence and the “do-it-myself” skills as
strongly.

We’ve had our 2 kids in Montessori since age 2 through 6th grade (youngest child in 2nd grade now). They’ve learned life-skills, independence, intrinsic value to learning, responsibility, appreciation for big-picture learning, self-knowledge, and so many other things that I think would be hard to “teach” in a regular school like the ones I grew up going to. It’s just a beautiful system. I will say that I agree heartily with the earlier poster that who the teacher is matters aLOT, but especially for certain kids who may be a little more needful of the cues, structure, and responses that the teacher is there to provide. Other children could probably go through the entire Montessori program brilliantly regardless of the teacher. The beauty and wonder of Montessori, for us, is how well the whole thing functions, almost organically, with the children a part of the whole, helping the other children along with themselves.

I just received the e-mail about the book and intend to order a copy. I want to share my experience as a Montessori parent, which I was before I became a Montessori administrator. My daughter began attending Montessori Education Centre in Mesa, AZ at the age of 3. She absolutely loved it from day one. This year, she is a freshman in high school. I just received her final grades. She wrapped up her first year in high school, a school which is a college prep school, with a 3.86 grade point average. All A’s with the exception of one B. I attribute her success to her Montessori background. I feel that she can compete with anyone with her educational background. I believe that having learned to organize her time to complete her work throughout her Montessori education, she will have a much easier time when she moves into college. Montessori education teaches children from a young age to be self-starters. My daughter plans to focus her college education on a degree in forensics. Additional, both the school she attended and the school I work for are charter schools, not private. Despite relying on public funding, I feel both schools accomplish much.

Hi,

I love Montessori for my children, however, I don’t know what to do about my daughter. She is 5 and about to enter her 3rd year in a primary environment and consistently tells me that she doesn’t like the work in the classroom, that the only thing good about school is being on the playground, and today when we talked about what the word “tedious” means, she said, “that’s what my class work is–it’s tedious.” I feel so sad about this. I am keeping her home most of the summer so she can have a break from formal routine, but I expect her to go back to Montessori in the fall, and I want to find a way to help her be excited about it! Anyone have related experiences or have suggestions?

There are too many “pros” on this page and not enough “cons.” Thanks for spicing up the discussion, Kristen! I hope a Montessori teacher will jump in regarding this question, but until then I’ll give it a try…

First, have you sat in the classroom and observed your child, the environment, and the teacher? Unfortunately, the number of authentic Montessori schools is less than the number of “Montessori schools” if you catch my drift. Are the children in her class free to choose what to work on and for how long and with whom? When something is “tedious” it’s not enjoyable. It’s usually something we’re being forced to do. Is this the case? Children in authentic Montessori classrooms are able to follow their interests. If something were to become tedious they would stop doing it and find something else instead. Is your daughter following her interests? It sure doesn’t sound like it. If she says her work is tedious, then why doesn’t she put it away? She might need to be introduced to more complex and challenging uses of the materials, higher order operations, or maybe she’s simply ready for Lower Elementary.

Second, I’m not a psychologist, but is she getting something out of making you think she’s having a miserable day?

Third, she loves being on the playground. Fantastic! Maybe your daughter’s teacher could figure out a way to let her be outside for even more time–all day if possible. Seriously, why not?

Fourth, and most importantly, is confidence. Maria Montessori had a tremendous confidence in the child. She found that given time and given the understanding that adults had confidence in children, those children eventually pick up each of the areas of human knowledge offered in the classroom and learn about those subjects eagerly and enjoyably. But they do it on their own timetable and at their own pace. The child will naturally be excited about learning without the need for us to step in and “help.”

My suggestion would be twofold. Don’t step in and try to make her excited about going to school. Let it happen naturally. And go observe the class and talk to the teacher to ensure that your daughter is able to choose her work and follow her (for now) physical interests.

I have taught in both traditional public schools and a public Montessori school (Lower and Upper Elementary). I am now the Principal of a private Montessori school.

Teacher training plays a very large role in the success of a Montessori school. Because the name is not trademarked, any school can claim to be “Montessori” whether or not they are truly one. Montessori teachers are specifically trained to observe their students to know when they are ready to learn a particular concept. A child who is bored or finds the work “tedious” may have a teacher who has not observed that student’s readiness for more challenging work. The flip side of this is that the work may be too challenging for the child, and the child uses such descriptions as a way to avoid a stressful situation.

The teacher is responsible for determining not only what the child knows, but also what interests the child, and then must structure learning activities to meet the need of each child. If a child enjoys being outside, activities could be designed to allow that child to spend more time working outside. A very social child could work in a small group, leading others in the completion of a small (or large for older children) project.

Schools affiliated in some way with the American Montessori Society (AMS), the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), or another recognized Montessori group, are scrutinized more deeply than others. Membership in, or affiliation with such an organization is one way to ensure that the school is of high quality.

In addition, prospective or current parents should visit the school and meet with the teachers and administration to see exactly what is going on at the school. A parent who feels that their child’s needs are not being met should first meet with the teacher to explain their concerns (avoid becoming emotional or defensive). If the issue is not resolved, the next step would be to speak to the school’s administrator.

When visiting schools (before enrollment), ask if ALL of the teachers hold a Montessori credential. In some schools, only one teacher (or sometimes none of them) holds such a credential. This is critical to the success of the school, as a properly trained teacher is essential in a Montessori classroom. Unlike traditional schools, there are specially designed didactic materials and lessons that must be presented in a specific sequence. A Montessori credential ensures that the teacher is trained to teach the lessons appropriately and in the correct order. It also ensures that he or she has received training in the appropriate methods for observing and recording children’s progress.

Quite a few studies have been conducted regarding the future success of Montessori students. It is true that they do tend to level out around Upper Elementary, relative to their traditional peers. They do excel later on (in Middle and High School and college). However, even when the scores begin to level out, they are still much more creative thinkers and problem solvers than their traditionally educated peers. They are also more intrinsically motivated, and display a higher level of independence. These are things that cannot be assessed on a standardized test. People such as Bill Gates (Microsoft), Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google), Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com), Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia), Julia Child, and George Clooney, went to Montessori schools, so you can see that some of the most creative and inventive people in our society were educated in this unique way.

Parental involvement and concern are fantastic, and are critical to the success of a child. However, too much involvement interferes with the child’s ability to figure out a way to solve problems for themselves. it is very common for a five-year-old, for example to claim to be bored. Instead of simply taking the child’s word at face value, a parent should do some deeper investigating to discover the true root of the issue.

Although Montessori schools do not use letter grades, that does not mean that a child’s progress is not documented. Anecdotal records are kept for each child, and a four or five-point scale (a rating of one to four or five) is often used to evaluate the children. Parents should ask for specific details from the teacher about their child’s progress. If words such as “fine” or “good” are used, the parent should ask for specific details about what the child is currently working on, what they have mastered, and what they are struggling with.

The reason there are more “pros” on this page than “cons” is that Montessori has far more advantages than it does disadvantages. Because it is not mainstream, it is often misunderstood. People tend to perpetuate the misconceptions they have of this type of education, which does not help things at all. Is Montessori the best educational method for ALL students? Perhaps not. There are some students who need a higher degree of structure and guidance. On the other hand, in my opinion, a Montessori education would benefit most students.

I do not consider myself to be an “all knowing”, however, I do hold a Montessori credential (Elementary I-II), and I have experience that is practical, instead of presenting purely theoretical information. I also currently teach part time in a university-based Montessori teacher education program.

Thank you. I just returned from a lecture in which you spoke at Barbara Gordon Montessori School. My two children ages ~4yo and ~2yo attend there. As I mentioned to you when we spoke, I considered closing your book after the first chapter without reading further. I certainly would have missed out. Both myself and husband are “products of a quasi-traditional” education. We both had scholarships, multiple honors, and a valedictorian. While successful physicians, it is not clear what more we might have achieved had we had the opportunity to have a full Montessori education. (Or if we had enjoyed even more!). I say “quasi-traditional” because we both are grateful for that teacher/mentor who permitted a Montessori-like impression. We did not drown in the traditional system. We were fortunate to have parents and opportunities. Now, as a mother, I can see with enormous delight where my kids are and will be going because of their Montessori start. I believe that after one has selected a “real Casa de Bambino” for our children’s education, we as parents, may become our worst enemies. The way children learn and grow applies not only at school. If we as parents conform to the vague knowledge of the Montessori philosophy, but do not take the next steps to translate that way of guiding by example into the home environment, then we will be doing our children a disservice. We will be limiting something that could have been much more than a school- rather a way of life.

Greetings,
I am new to studying the Montessori philosophy, and am considering switching my children into a Montessori school from a “traditional” school. My children are 6 & 8.
I am interested to hear from everyone what they see as the potential pitfalls of moving them into the Montessori system at this age. Also the anticipated pro’s and con’s of the move. We expect that should we decide it makes sense, to keep them there through for the full duration of the program (avaliible here through 6th year, then they will return to the traditional system for middle school)
I look forward to your feedback -

Hi RG,
I will defer to other Montessori parents regarding your question. My children have been in Montessori from the beginning, so I have not seen firsthand what the transition effects were. However, I have not heard or read of any Montessori teacher or administrator recommend NOT bringing a 6 or 8 year old in. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. In Montessori, children learn to be independent, self-disciplined, self-motivated, community-minded, life-long learners. I have yet to find the down side. And if they go back to traditional school later, they bring this with them.

Thanks Trevor,
Does anyone else have experiences they can share regarding moving children at the later end of the developmental stage into the montessori program?

Hello Fellow Montessori Friends!

I was wondering if anyone has a child with Sensory Integration Disorder currently enrolled in a Montessori school? My daughter has been in the primary program for a little over a year, and after much discussion with her teacher, we took her to an occupational therapist and learned she has Sensory Integration Disorder. Is Montessori the right choice for a child with sensory problems? Any suggestions?

RG,

I am now the principal of a private Montessori school, but until last year, I was a teacher (Lower and Upper Elementary) in a public Montessori school. In the years that I was at that school, I received several students who were new to Montessori, having come from traditional public schools. My experience was that they fit in seamlessly. In all cases, it was virtually impossible to tell who the new students were, even after just a few weeks in the class. They needed some extra support with knowing what each material was for, but behaviorally, socially, and emotionally, they adjusted beautifully. In at least five of the cases, the children were in fourth or fifth grade (9 or 10 years old). The existing children really do a fabulous job of helping the new children to adjust to the Montessori way.

Ali, in the earliest years, there are a wide range of sensorial activities done with the children to sharpen their senses. The idea is that children younger than five do not really need to be directly taught. They will use their senses to learn from a properly prepared environment. While I do not have specific research close at hand (I am working on my Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, so I can easily locate it if you want) to give specific statistics, it stands to reason that a child with sensory issues would benefit greatly from a Montessori school because of the sensorial activities.

Ali,

I am not familiar with SID in particular.
Our five year old has been in the Montessori Environment since 18 months, and is now in his last year of primary. He has/had quite a few sensoral things going on, can’t recall the exact definition. Very sensitive to loud noises, water on the skin, can’t express into words what he is trying to say, speech delay. We struggled for years trying to find out what was going on, Nuerologists, speech therapy, Occupational Therapy. He turned five in August, and since school started reads himself to sleep every night. I met with his guide for conference last week, and he is doing great. I saw examples of his work in the class, and also see the work that he brings home. He can write words, numbers, reads well, and she confirmed that he will move up to lower el next school year. I can’t imagine a better environment for him to learn.

Ali,

I have a son with SID. He was diagnosed at age 3 after some very hard work on my part getting professionals to listen to me and trust my instincts. My son is now 6 1/2 and completing his Kindergarten year in our Montessori School. Every year I have questioned whether this was the right path to take with him. Every year I have answered this question with a resounding ABSOLUTELY! Children with SID generally have a harder time with self-control, independence, concentration, and coordination. This is why occupational therapy is recommended. The main objective of the Practical Life and Sensorial areas of the Montessori Curriculum is to aid the child in developing coordination, concentration, etc. During his years of OT I have been constantly amazed at the fact that so many of the activities he does in therapy are the same or similar to activities he does at school.

When I ponder this question each year I try to think about what his needs in the classroom are and will they be met within a traditional setting. For instance, SID children have a greater need for movement throughout the day. Maria Montessori was very wise in that she realized children learn best when movement is incorporated into learning. That is why “bring me” or “distance” games are so often utilized in a Montessori class. These exercises provide much needed movement as well as help develop memory.

The most important factor for me, however, is how dealing with SID will affect my child’s self-esteem. I can fill pages with stories from parents of children with SID in traditional school having to deal with constant blows to their self-esteem from both teachers and students. Our school (and I would hope all Montessori schools) readily embrace Montessori’s philosophy of peace. We teach the children that differences are okay. Above all we teach that we always treat each other with kindness and respect. This has been very important for my child as we adapted his environment to help him. He wears a weighted vest to help his concentration. Rather than being teased or laughed at, the other children were very curious and wanted to try it. We let them try it and that was the end of it.

The best part of having him in the Montessori school is that the staff has been willing to learn about SID and work with our family and therapists to make sure he has the best learning environment possible. I believe that only comes from a school that is truly willing to “follow the child.”

I hope this helps as you make your decisions about your child’s future. I would like to suggest that you read the book “The Out-Of-Sync Child.” If you would like to talk further I can be contacted at mont.riddle@gmail.com

I attended a public Montessori school in CO through 6th grade. Based on my experiences as a student in Montessori classrooms, I think more students get “left behind” in traditional schools!

The Montessori curriculum relies on mixed age classes and hands-on materials that evolve in a natural and contextual progression. They are interesting activities because they are hands on and concrete. In class, students are helpers and teachers as well (which solidifies comprehension). Students are with their teachers for three years (ideally), and during that time the teacher is able to truly know a student’s personality, intellectual understanding, skills and interests. The teacher has the freedom to tailor individual lessons based on a child’s skills and interests. For example, the teacher can use a child’s love of rocket ships or trains to get him/her involved in art, literacy, science, and mathematics.

The biggest difference is that children in a Montessori classroom have the freedom to work at a level directly related to their skill set and interests, and none of those children are “left behind” because the teacher has 40 minutes in a given subject area to teach a group of children (with varied skill sets, interests, and comprehension) the exact same thing, whether they grasp it or not. Assignments are not done for a grade and then everyone moves on, regardless of how thoroughly they have understood it. When everyone is taught the same thing in a class period, some are bored and others are overwhelmed, and both of these students are lost in that they are not fully immersed in their learning. Not until your activities are just the right amount of challenge for your current understanding does real learning happen (and joyfully, with true opportunities to experience confidence).

I just finished reading the book, which is recommended by my child’s school directress and it was a great read. With my learning about this philosophy along with my child’s Montessori experience, I truly think that this is more than just a teaching method at school. It really makes me look back on my own behaviors and think about the impacts on my children. It’s a well-designed system that carries out the old saying of “Action speaks louder than words”.

I’ve also been trying to think of any “cons” of Montessori methodology as I’m in the process of researching kindergartens for my child and determine if he should continue the Montessori path. It’s not easy to find but here are some of my thoughts (not necessarily “cons” but rather things I would like to bring up for discussion:

1. Teacher plays an important role in a student’s learning no matter what methodology is used. However, I feel that teacher plays a more important role in Montessori environment. At a traditional environment, students are exposed to different subjects whether they like it or not. In a Montessori environment, it really depends on the teacher to introduce new subjects to students. If the students do not have a good teacher or if the teacher missed in her observation, the students could miss the opportunity of learning a subject area.

2. How does one “measure” the performance of a Montessori teacher?

3. I was intrigued by the paragraphs in the book describing the “would be” approach of teaching soccer. But in reality, how is sports, especially competitive sports, taught or is it included in the Montessori curriculum?

4. The book has a really good response on the “common criticism” of traditional Montessori method not encouraging imagination and creativity. I agree “making connections” plays a more practical role than pure imagination. But not everything has to be practical. Sometimes connections cannot be made without some crazy ideas. And what about free expression through art?

I’m interested in hearing others’ thoughts.

Kat

I have a 5 year old in Montessori which he attended as a 3 year old (a fully accredited AMI program)….but not as a 4 yr old (but back again as a 5 yr old). I have yet to read this current book (just recommended by our directress) however I have read many books regarding Montessori education(even some of the more technical writings)…and we have incorporated much of the philosophy at home. I can see the value in the overall method, however I would say my view is a bit more “tempered” now. And, I would say if one compares to average traditional schools (mainly traditional public school education)…one can see Montessori’s advantages clearly. However, there are private schools that use very progressive teaching (much of it is Montessori like)…that one can make an argument for (and many Montessori programs are compared against private schools by parents). I find much of the writing about Montessori not to be very self evaluating….critically looking at some things that could be looked at or improved upon.

I will cover what I consider to be the “cons” mainly in the primary years (the pros seem to be well covered) since those are the years I have experience with. My critical thoughts below:

1. The Montessori Method (particularly in AMI programs) seem a bit “dogmatic” as it relates to changing or looking at additional research that may enhance or even “counter” some of the research that Dr. Montessori did. EVERYTHING is not bad with traditional schools….there are some areas where Montessori teachers can gain from traditional teachers (particularly in the primary classroom).
2. There has been a LOT of strong recent research making a STRONG argument for more creative/dramatic play areas within a classroom…. in particular where children have to “organize the play, set rules, role play, etc (we are talking mainly the 3ys-5ys age group). There has also been some recent research that shows that children as young as 2 yrs old can recognize and benefit from pretend play (which calls into question Montessori and Piaget’s findings). However in the Montessori primary classroom (3-5) pretend play is “redirected”. You couple this with the fact that 3-5 yr olds are in more organized and scheduled programs than ever and it makes “food for thought”. Parents organize “play-dates” and scheduled activities, however children for the most part are not growing up in a time where they walk out their door or down the street everyday and play with neighborhood children and/or have extensive contact with a large extended family. This is different than Maria Montessori’s time.
3. I would also say that at least during the primary years children really like their parents to be a part of their learning….and I think there are arguable advantages for having that take place. However, in the Montessori classroom for the primary years parents are not encouraged (and for the most part are not allowed) into the classroom except for observations where interaction is supposed to be kept at a minimum (so as not to disturb their concentration, etc). It “feels” very removed and isolated in this day and age… for both the parents and for the kids. Couple this with the fact that 3 year olds go to school 5 days a week in a certified Montessori program. I do get the sense that the kids are craving more adult interaction in the primary classroom. Understand more parents work long hours today than ever before and most mothers work now…..adult interaction is less than it used to be. This is different than Maria Montessori’s time.
4. Lastly I would say ….this kind of goes along with both the creative play and the lack of parent involvement in the primary years…..that I haven’t seen (in my very limited view of the classroom) a lot of the verbal storytelling type of instruction and questioning…it seems very “fact based”….even the reading material seems very “facts based”. In regards to reading there is a saying….”in nonfiction there is facts, in fiction there is truth”. I would also say that in particular there is not a lot “adult” of verbalization for 3 year olds. Understand that many kids are not coming from a rich verbal environment like there was in the days of Montessori….where many of these skills could be honed just by listening to the “stories” of their families.

One final point, I would say that as my son gets older Montessori education seems to become more “powerful” and “on the mark”. With that said it has made the choice harder than it should be (many schools are hard to get into if you don’t start at age 3). I think Montessori education could GREATLY benefit by trying to incorporate a few (mainly the creative play and verbal storytelling) changes (again that are based on some really strong research) in the primary years. Knowing facts and how to apply them is important in school….but it has a much more limited importance in life beyond school.

I agree with Amy’s points #2 and 3. Role-playing is very developmentally appropriate and beneficial to the pre-school age group. I also had similar thoughts about parental involvement, but then I just asked to go to community lunch, or see the classroom at the end of that day and the teachers let me. In my state, they can’t really say “no” to your request.
As for cons, I think that there is not enough reading aloud.

I have two children in Montessori. My daughter is in her third year of UE and my son is in his second year in the adolescence program. They have been in montessori since the age of 3. I also attended a montessori school from ages 2 to 5. I loved it then and I see the benefits of the education on myself and now my own children. My son has a great love of learning. He taught himself Japanese over the summer and will be attending a Japanese class in college this semester while completing his 8th year in the Adol. program. He loves math, science and electronics and as well, the arts. My daughter is very creative and confident in her abilities as an artist and loves to write. She is very social and confident. Her reading comprehension is 99 percentile, but has does not apply herself as much as I think she can.

However much I can go on about Montessori, I still have people come up to me and tell me, I need to mainstream my children. I had a psychologist recently tell me that I should have made the switch in 5th grade, and since I have not, I really need to make the switch at the end of the 8th year. ( I do plan on sending my children to the local public high school in their sophomore year). She gave me some examples and told me that these montessori kids have trouble in their 30’s with commitment to complete tasks, go from one thing they like to the next without thought on completion, she also told me that these children are so self absorbed, that they fail to think outside of themselves. She stated the longer they are in the montessori program, the more profound outcomes. This psychologist was a principal at a school. She counsels many children and their families. I am one to form my own opinions. The reason I am writing this, is to find out if others have come across similar statements, find this to be true or false. I would like to hear other’s experiences. Thanks

No sure if this has been mentioned yet, but all children in Montessori schools are also required to take each and every one of the standardized tests that children in conventional schools are required to take. So even though the focus is not on exams and you will not receive as many reports cards, you can be sure that your child is not being left behind And if they are, the tests will be an indicator

My 21 month old son is in the Toddler Program and we are SO happy with his school and teachers. Our son loves to go to school and will sometimes ask to leave an hour early just to see his teachers.

My question to the group is this (pardon me if this is not the right forum for this question): I went to an all French school and loved the smaller class size and curriculum.

My fluency in French has afforded me many opportunities in my adult life. In our home, there is not many opportunities to speak French on a regular basis as I am the only French speaking person.

I spoke French with our son for the year I was on maternity leave, however now that I am back to work I fear that he is losing much of his French comprehension. Our Montessori school has a French program in the elementary levels (age 6-9), however it is only 40 minutes a day.

I am stuck between putting our son into an all French elementary school (either in kindergarden or grade 1) or keeping him with the Montessori program for as long as we can (until the age of 9 which is the age limit of the programs offered by our school) with the limited French exposure. I would appriciate any feedback any other parents have. Thank you!

Our son has been attending montessori since the age of two. He’s now six years old and continuing to thrive in montessori. We’re looking forward to continuing his montessori education for his elementary years.

One thing I keep hearing is that the benefits of montessori start waning after third grade. I’m curious where this statement stems from and whether or not it’s accurate. I can’t imagine pulling him out of montessori at 4th grade and plopping him into a public school.

Also, earlier someone else stated:

“Quite a few studies have been conducted regarding the future success of Montessori students. It is true that they do tend to level out around Upper Elementary, relative to their traditional peers. They do excel later on (in Middle and High School and college).”

Regarding the part about excelling later on, does this mean if they attend montessori throughout jr. high & high school or simply from having the elementary montessori experience?

The studies comparing Montessori children to traditional children are few and weak. It’s almost impossible to set up a scientific study where families don’t know which method their children will be in, controls for socio-economic status, etc. Most parents of Montessori children are well-off and can afford the tuition, and they chose the school. That damages any study right off the bat. However, the Milwaukee study in the journal “Science,” and others have tentatively indicated that Montessori children do as well or better than their peers on tests. I don’t know where the leveling off and excelling later comes from. This area is ripe for researching. Surely some folks much smarter than me can figure out a way to compare these methods.
More importantly to Montessori parents, your child “is continuing to thrive in Montessori.” Too bad there isn’t yet a question on a test for this. As you know, it’s not just our children’s grasp of geography, history, reading and math skills, science facts, and more that amazes us, but the other skills and attributes that are never asked about on tests (but should be): leadership, independence, empathy, ability to work well with others, the enjoyment of learning, comfort with asking questions, responsibility, the desire to do difficult things. These are the qualities you and I see and make us say, “Wow. My child is thriving.” These things just don’t show up on a test and can only be compared to others when you observe your child playing with others in the neighborhood, or in some extracurricular community activity, or interacting with adults. It is then that we say a quiet, “Thank you Montessori!”

To all,

So much is said about the right schooling technique. I come from a family that owned their own businesses. At the age of six I being the oldest went to work with my father. I did not attend much school in the twelve years that most kids do. However, I was the richest kid on the block and I organized all the trips that us kids in our youth took. Many of those trips were not supervised by anyone older than 18 years of age. We mostly went to Montana to fish or California to see the young ladies at the beach. We lived mostly in Utah and Idaho. When I thought about going to college I took a CLEP test and scored high enough to skip the first two year of college. I went to a year of college and got very bored so decided to go to Japan to study their culture and meet, learn and exchange ideas with the Japanese people. To learn the language I went to Hawaii for a two month crash course in Japanese.

The first two and half weeks in the Japanese language training program I failed so completely that the president of the program asked me if I want to leave. I was very sad but I did not want to leave. I told him that I could not learn the way they were trying to teach me but if I could go into a closet and study on my own I might do better. He agreed to let me try. To get to the point of this, I was the first student out of my class of 220 to completely finish the course of Japanese in the remaining four and a half weeks. This included reciting 85 pages of Japanese language content frontwards and backwards in front of the student body verbatim. Which I do not think anyone else have ever since or before accomplished. In that closet I developed a game for myself to learn with and it lead me to developing a photographic memory.

The point of all this is that humans are all capable of doing things far beyond what we realize. I have been a foster parent to intellectually handicap teenagers who have committed felonies for over 30 years. And I have been able to help them overcome their road blocks in many different ways. But many times I have also been in their way as I see it now.

What I suggest is we start looking at letting humans learn on their own and stay out of their way. We can now do this with out much risk. Risk is the thing that has caused us to try and lead children in their learning process. My father lead me by giving me an opportunity to work along side of him and many other adults. I learned by watching what was going on and how I could use it to make more money so I could do the things I wanted such as fishing, riding motorcycles and traveling. My father was impressed with my work and let me go on my own from 12 year old on. I owned a rifle and shotgun at the age of twelve, I had my own motorcycle at age eight, I was driving cars and trucks at age twelve and traveling on my own at age 14. I made the plans to go to Japan and I spent two years there living and learning from that tremendous experience.

When I return to the US from Japan I made up my mind that the world needed to change and a very wise man told me that first I had to get knowledgeable and gave me a list of books to study. Then he said once I was knowledgeable I had to become active. I did not know it would take 30 plus years to become knowledgeable. But it did and now I am active in making the world tic in a better way for all.

That better way is to eliminate schooling as we know it today and give all youth the opportunity to pay their own way in life by working. Yes, we will have to rewrite the child labor laws and I am working on that. Many will not agree with me but our economic situation is going to force it on them. It is interesting how nature rights itself. If we were living correctly we would all be wealthy beyond our ability to imagine at this time. We would also not be bound to this earth but be creatures of the universe constantly exploring and adding to our unlimited capability.

Learning by doing; learning by watching real-life activities; adults and children working side by side; the competence of children; progressing at one’s own pace, and learning in the manner appropriate to that particular individual; teachers getting out of the way of their students; the tremendous potential of humans: all these are very “Montessori.” I wish you well in your pursuit of changing the child labor laws. I hope more children have the opportunity to flourish in real-world, empowering environments like you did. I would only caution that we must be wary of the tendency to exploit children for their labor in a way that does not empower them, but traps them and stunts their growth.