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Post by irisheyes on Jul 22, 2014 4:31:08 GMT
A new charter school is opening 2 blocks from our house - a Montessori school. I got an email today saying my son - going into 6th grade - has been accepted for this fall. I have no experience with Montessori schools but have heard good things about them. We put him on the wait list with no expectation that he would get in, but he won the lottery, so now we need to decide. They need our answer by Friday. If we don't put him in this school, he goes to year-round school that starts on Monday. We had a bad experience with his neighborhood school last year, but he is supposed to have a better teacher this year. The bad experience was one reason we opted to even try getting into the Montessori school.
If you or your child went to a Montessori school, what was your experience - good, bad, indifferent - please share your stories.
Update: I went to a parent volunteer night and met one of the teachers who will teach my son's grade. She was hired from our children's hospital and is a teacher for inpatient children - those suffering from behavioral issues and seizure disorders. I found out yesterday that she will be my son's teacher. I am so happy about this.
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Post by lorieann13 on Jul 22, 2014 5:02:53 GMT
Did you check out the cost? Our Montessori, on the corner of the street we live on, is $890 a month, plus registration fee ($500) and then books, etc.
Ours has about 340ish kids prek-6th. They keep extremely small class sizes.
A philosophy of Montessori is small instruction amd then hands on exploration learning. So kids go out and figure out their world. They also do smlall group lightly guoded work and mixed age work (so an 8,9,10, and 11 yr old work together)
I was not impressed when I took a tour and looked into for my aspie daughter.
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Post by rebelyelle on Jul 22, 2014 5:12:23 GMT
Our son (who's 4) is in primary montessori, and he'll be enrolled through K. We all love it, DS included, and at the moment we intent to keep him in through 5th grade. Our school district has Montessori through 8th grade via the public school. The philosophy and teaching style fit very well with DS's personality and his learning style. However, I might caution a parent to immerse their child in this environment at an older age - I wouldn't advise against it, but more to know that what you're getting into will likely be radically different than the environment he's been accustomed to. How does he learn? How does he need to be taught? What are his strengths? Those are all things to consider.
Can you talk with the Montessori teacher in the next few days to and get his/her opinion on whether your child could get all that he can from the program? I don't think it's better or worse than "traditional" education, but it IS very different, and it's not for everyone. It's very self-directed in many aspects.
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 22, 2014 5:30:22 GMT
I was of the impression that Montessori only went up to 6th grade. Maybe it's different there.
I have 2 sets of friends who sent their kids to Montessori schools.
The first friend liked it and her 2 girls had not too much of a problem changing over to a "normal" school from Year 7 onwards. However they didn't send their son to Montessori, I'm not sure why.
The second friend's son had a REALLY hard time adapting to a "normal" school and they really regretted their decision.
I personally would not send my kids there. The teaching style would not suit me or them. And I would be really hesitant to send a child to Montessori at your son's age.
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Post by irisheyes on Jul 22, 2014 5:30:38 GMT
Did you check out the cost? Our Montessori, on the corner of the street we live on, is $890 a month, plus registration fee ($500) and then books, etc. Ours has about 340ish kids prek-6th. They keep extremely small class sizes. A philosophy of Montessori is small instruction amd then hands on exploration learning. So kids go out and figure out their world. They also do smlall group lightly guoded work and mixed age work (so an 8,9,10, and 11 yr old work together) I was not impressed when I took a tour and looked into for my aspie daughter. Because it is a charter school, it is free. Why were you not impressed? What about it didn't you like? I want to make the best choice for him and really appreciate your advice.
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Post by irisheyes on Jul 22, 2014 5:37:23 GMT
Our son (who's 4) is in primary montessori, and he'll be enrolled through K. We all love it, DS included, and at the moment we intent to keep him in through 5th grade. Our school district has Montessori through 8th grade via the public school. The philosophy and teaching style fit very well with DS's personality and his learning style. However, I might caution a parent to immerse their child in this environment at an older age - I wouldn't advise against it, but more to know that what you're getting into will likely be radically different than the environment he's been accustomed to. How does he learn? How does he need to be taught? What are his strengths? Those are all things to consider. Can you talk with the Montessori teacher in the next few days to and get his/her opinion on whether your child could get all that he can from the program? I don't think it's better or worse than "traditional" education, but it IS very different, and it's not for everyone. It's very self-directed in many aspects. Rebelyelle - good advice. I will call them tomorrow. Our son did not do well in traditional school last year, but his teacher struggled to work with his IEP. He has delayed processing time because of a seizure disorder and needs extra time to complete work. Last year was the first year that he didn't do well, and I feel it was the teacher he had - he was scared of her and hated her. I like the idea of more active learning, but he is easily distracted, so I am unsure if that would be a problem in a Montessori school. He also needs a teacher who is willing to ask if he is with the class and alert. He just finished a 48 hour EEG, so when we get the results back - not for a couple of weeks, we will know if he is still seizing. He has the kind of seizures where it just seems like he isn't paying attention.
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nickit83
Throbbing Member
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Jul 4, 2014 4:01:24 GMT
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Post by nickit83 on Jul 22, 2014 5:39:31 GMT
Montessori is a completely different approach to teaching. I think it works great for some kids and not so great for others. Maybe do a quick google of Montessori and it should give you the outline of the principles and you can see if you think they would work for your son and your family.
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Post by irisheyes on Jul 22, 2014 5:39:45 GMT
I was of the impression that Montessori only went up to 6th grade. Maybe it's different there. I personally would not send my kids there. The teaching style would not suit me or them. And I would be really hesitant to send a child to Montessori at your son's age. This school is just opening this fall and goes to 8th grade, so if he likes it, he could stay for two more years. I think I need to call and ask more questions tomorrow.
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nickit83
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Jul 4, 2014 4:01:24 GMT
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Post by nickit83 on Jul 22, 2014 5:40:19 GMT
Wanted to add, I don't have children so can't help with personal experience but chimed in as we studied Montessori in my Dip Ed.
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Post by rebelyelle on Jul 22, 2014 5:56:53 GMT
Given what you added, I would try and talk with the teacher first. As I said, it's somewhat self-directed learning, but that does NOT mean that children "design their own curriculum" or are left entirely to their own inclinations. We're only a year in, so take this with a grain of salt if you will, but the reason we love the Montessori program so much is simply because children are guided to learn at their own pace. There are milestones, for sure, not but ones that are as stringent as those in a traditional setting. In primary (ages 3-5 for my son's school) they are expected to hit achievements by the time they complete their 5 year-old year. Consequently, there are skills my son has superseded his peers in, lags behind in, and others where he's right in the middle of the pack. But, we know/trust that he'll make up the difference where he's behind by the time he's done the primary program, and the intent is that the skills he's already mastered he will continue to excel in throughout the program. That being said, I don't know much about the approach for the middle school years, so I trust that the teachers who are taking that on in your district will know better than me. Also, you'll get a sense for how much his teacher will buy into your son's special needs. My child doesn't have special needs - however this particular school year he's been sick a LOT - he missed over 30 days of school and has a suspected periodic fever syndrome, so it's been a weird year for us all. Anyway - his teacher and the school were wonderful in making sure his needs were taken care of given the amount of school he missed, and we had "buy in" from them in making sure that his academic needs, as well as his health needs, were taken care of. I think the buy in is more than half the battle when you have a child who has medical needs as well. I hope they give you some good guidance and that you find the right placement for your son.
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Post by lorieann13 on Jul 22, 2014 6:02:46 GMT
Did you check out the cost? Our Montessori, on the corner of the street we live on, is $890 a month, plus registration fee ($500) and then books, etc. Ours has about 340ish kids prek-6th. They keep extremely small class sizes. A philosophy of Montessori is small instruction amd then hands on exploration learning. So kids go out and figure out their world. They also do smlall group lightly guoded work and mixed age work (so an 8,9,10, and 11 yr old work together) I was not impressed when I took a tour and looked into for my aspie daughter. Because it is a charter school, it is free. Why were you not impressed? What about it didn't you like? I want to make the best choice for him and really appreciate your advice. That's nice. All of them in our area cost $800-1200 a month. I did not like the lack of structure. The "mini" lesson and then go out and do it on your own doesn't work for my aspergers daughter. She needs structure. She loves to explore and learn but the serious lack of structure would not work. I did not like the mixed age groups. I don't think an 11 yr old should work with a 5 or 6 year old. They were basically using the older child to help and teach the younger child. There was a special drop off mat. Parents were not allowed to go I to the gate to walk child to class and they limit parent involvement in school. There was really no tracking of their education through the year. Assessments but nothing like public school. I could see where a child could fall through the cracks with them. Oh and ours is prek-12. Prek-6 on one site and across the street 8-12
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 22, 2014 6:17:39 GMT
This makes me question whether it is a "real" Montessori school. From what I have heard, there is no copyright (if that's the right word in this case) on the term Montessori, so anyone can claim to be a Montessori school. Just make sure you do your research.
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Post by irisheyes on Jul 22, 2014 6:19:27 GMT
I appreciate your thoughts and comments. I will call and ask a lot more questions. He had such a bad year last year - the first time he has ever not enjoyed school - so he is gung-ho to try this new school, but I want to make sure it is a good fit for him. From what I have heard, if we stay with his current school, he is supposed to get a good teacher this year, but we had heard good things about the bad teacher from 5th grade,so I am torn.
I know my son needs extra help and patience and redirection often. He is a good kid, wants to please, and hates to get into trouble. His teacher during 5th grade would single out the kids who needed extra help and do things that made them feel less than. If we stay at this school, I will address this with the administration (that is another story - the administration needs some shaking up). We are currently paying a lot of money to help our son get caught up in math because his seizures occur in the math, reading, and music processing center of his brain. I have him back on grade level in reading, and he is just starting to be able to read music again (all the Mozart and Bach that he'd memorized got zapped). The loss of five years of music instruction made me cry because it was so hard for him to deal with the loss. Math - formally his favorite subject has become most hated because of all the memory loss - it makes it hard to go forward when you've lost your times tables and addition/subtraction facts.
The place where he is math tutored has a program set up just for him to fill all the holes, but they also use hands on learning and games and it seems to be helping. He enjoys going.
I want him to like school again, so I need to make the right choice.
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Deleted
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Oct 7, 2024 6:22:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 6:29:03 GMT
We did Montessori from age 4-13. Loved every minute of it. PM me if you want to discuss it. I wouldn't have changed a thing!
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Post by kristi on Jul 22, 2014 7:12:04 GMT
My daughter did Montessori from preschool to 4th grade. Some of those years were private & some were Charter.
The benefits of Montessori are that you work at your own pace. The advanced kids are challenged & the kids that are struggling in areas can focus on those before moving forward.
Some benefits at her school were working ahead, music, foreign language & field trips. They also had small class sizes, a community garden & can study things not on the curriculum in public school.
Some negatives were kids that were lagging didn't always catch up & got further & further behind. Little to no sports programs (other than basic PE). The lunch program wasn't set up at the beginning. Small library. They didn't offer band.
I have volunteered in Montessori classes for years & I would definitely speak with them to see if they have the resources to assist with his IEP. Many times, public schools can offer more assistance with IEP's.
I would also be concerned about transitioning in 6th grade. Montessori methods are based on hands on learning. There will be a learning curve for him although as kids enter middle school they start to move away from the math job learning tools.
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Post by lindywholoveskids on Jul 22, 2014 7:28:07 GMT
Definitely find out if it's a certified Montessori school. There are generally 2 branches - one branch is strictly adherent to the guidelines, the other is way more loose. If it's a public school it should be mandated to follow IEPs
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Post by Darcy Collins on Jul 22, 2014 7:38:24 GMT
My daughter went to a Montessori preschool briefly before we moved to a different state. I really liked the school and many aspects of Montessori. Exploratory learning and individual pacing were of particular interest for us at that age. I have to say regarding the above poster a 5 year old and 11 year would have never been in the same classroom at that school. They did 3 year blocks, which I believe is standard Montessori structure. so 4, 5, and 6 year olds are grouped together and then 7, 8 and 9 year olds, etc.
If we'd have found the right school, I think we would have continued through elementary school. I would hesitate to keep my children there through middle school, mostly for fear that the transition to a more structured environment may have a few bumps and I wouldn't want that to occur in high school.
In your case OP, you have a child with some unique challenges, I'm not sure how the Montessori structure, or lack thereof would fit for your son - particularly if he is easily distracted. Definitely something I would want to explore further with the particular school you're considering.
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Post by lindywholoveskids on Jul 22, 2014 7:46:44 GMT
I agree with Darcy. I took training for the preschool level, and read a lot about the philosophy. My sense is that they are doing "Montessori Light" but I'm not sure of course. V You have little time to observe, and get info on this particular school. The best research shows that good teachers become connected to their students, regardless of the philosophy they are trained in. Our city has one Montessori school that goes beyond.3rd grade.
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CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 26, 2014 12:56:40 GMT
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Post by CeeScraps on Jul 22, 2014 14:02:01 GMT
I haven't read all of the responses.
Our dd attended Montessori until 1st grade. She loved it and so did we. She thrived in it and it was a fantastic learning experience for her. We moved her in 1st grade because the rest of her schooling wouldn't of followed Montessori. So, we didn't want her to have a hard time adjusting to real school rules and expectations.
I wouldn't put a child who is going into 6th in Montessori. There are too many things that 6th graders must accomplish in order to be successful in future schooling. I feel Montessori learning is great for the younger kids who are exploring to figure out things, not for older children who have to fulfill time line expectations.
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Post by LAM88 on Jul 22, 2014 14:32:07 GMT
I went to a Montessori school through the 3rd grade, which is as high as the school went. I did well during my time there and excelled in both reading and math, and my transition to traditional school was very smooth. I have my report cards from back then and the teachers made similar comments about how easily distracted I was and that they thought I would benefit from a more structured environment. I was a good student, but I was far too social and chatty for the looseness of the environment.
I remember our classroom was one giant room of 1st-3rd graders with different learning stations scattered around. We were given a paper at the beginning of the day which listed different subjects, and we had to fill it out during the day, writing down what we had completed in each subject. For instance, I would fill out how many reading labs I had completed for reading, or what math worksheets I had completed for math. So it was pretty much up to me to get things done.
IMO it takes a certain amount of discipline and self-motivation to be successful in a Montessori type environment, especially in higher grades. The upside is if you are that kind of student, you can really excel beyond what you can in a traditional class.
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Post by birukitty on Jul 22, 2014 20:26:03 GMT
What if you look at it this way? You son has won a place in the Montessori school. After getting as much information as you can by Friday why not put him in and see how he does? He might surprise you and love it there. Really what have you got to lose? Most of these schools charge tuition and this one is free. If you see it isn't working you can always move him back to the public school. But you can't do it the other way around. Start at the public school and then move to the Montessori school.
I know, change like this-and we parents making the decision that can effect the rest of our children's lives is scary! My son has severe ADHD, was in a private school from grades K-5 and by grade 5 he hated school with a passion. Absolutely hated it. Every single thing about it. I'd fought with the school for the last year over DS's IEP but because they were a private school they didn't have to adhere to any of it-so they didn't. I finally took a deep breath, did a ton of research, pulled him out and homeschooled him from grades 6-12. It was SCARY! I didn't know what the heck I was doing! What if I ruined his chances for college? What if I ruined the rest of his life? All of those questions go through your mind.
But you can't think like that. You have to take what is in front of you and make the best decision for your child and for his particular needs. For DS I knew sitting at a desk for hours a day was killing him. He need to move and explore. Hands on learning was best, is best for an ADHD kid. So that's what we did. Slowly but surely he learned to love learning again. His curiosity came back, and his hunger for knowledge came back. Today he's a senior at a University and is in the top 15% of his class. Never in a million years would I have guessed he'd come this far. Does that sound bad? I just mean back when I was sitting there making that choice.
Trust you gut, trust your child. Your his mother and you know what he needs. Find out everything you can about this school before Friday and I'm sure you'll make the right choice.
Debbie in MD.
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Post by irisheyes on Jul 22, 2014 20:36:35 GMT
Thank you Debbie. I appreciate your insight.
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RosieKat
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Jun 25, 2014 19:28:04 GMT
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Post by RosieKat on Jul 22, 2014 21:11:53 GMT
One caution I will give is that I was advised to stay away from a charter school until it has been around a few years. There are just so many growing pains, and it seems like a lot of them fail pretty quickly.
That having been said, we are sending our kids to a Montessori-influenced charter school next year. It isn't a "Montessori school," but they do incorporate many of the principles, along with many other more progressive learning styles. As I described in my thread earlier today, my kids are both pretty severely ADHD, and have some other difficulties as well. DD is a slower learner, and definitely learns through doing, so she was beginning to hate school in a very traditional environment. She will need an IEP for her needs, which she wasn't able to have formally in our previous (private, parochial) school. On the other hand, DS will probably qualify as gifted, and we anticipate they'll be able to meet his needs as well. Both will definitely benefit from being hands-on, having more active learning, etc. They do combine ages, but only in 2-year groups. DD, for example, will be with 3rd and 4th graders. She is someone who will likely benefit from the mixed ages. DS was fine in pre-K at the previous school, but in pre-K, they still get lots of wiggle time. By 2nd grade, DD was missing recess often to finish work. The new school REFUSES to keep kids in at recess for things like that - they'll send it home if necessary, but firmly believe kids need breaks, too.
One thing that will be hard for me is the mix of families. Speaking in stereotypes, we'll be going from a school with moderately religious helicopter-ish parents to a school where people are largely named things like Rainbow Sky, don't believe in car seats, and have strong recommendations on what you're allowed to bring for lunch. This will be interesting! (Particularly as I'm kind of a weird mix of the two types, lol!)
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Post by *sprout* on Jul 22, 2014 21:15:35 GMT
I was of the impression that Montessori only went up to 6th grade. Maybe it's different there. In a neighboring city to mine, there is a Montessori high school.
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Post by irisheyes on Jul 22, 2014 22:09:02 GMT
I just got off the phone with the director of the school. She talked with me for nearly an hour, and I will go to a parent volunteer meeting tonight to meet her, other staff, teachers, and parents. She was so helpful and answered all my questions. We are going to give it a try and see how he does. From what she said, they will work with him, create a new IEP, and take into account the information from his latest EEG. The director is a special ed. teacher as well, so I feel good about that. He is excited to be one of the first in a new school. I've been googling all morning, and I feel good about this choice.
I appreciate the advice and experiences you all shared with me, as it really helped me make this decision.
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RosieKat
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Post by RosieKat on Jul 23, 2014 0:38:40 GMT
It sounds like it might be a great thing to try out! As someone above said, it's easy to switch him back to his "standard" school, so it sounds like this could be greatly worth any risk. Best wishes and best of luck - sounds like it might just be a perfect opportunity for him!
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georgiapea
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Post by georgiapea on Jul 23, 2014 0:55:11 GMT
My great grandson, 2 years old, goes to a Montessori school in Milwaukie, WI. The only way to have him be eligible for K on up was to enroll him at 2 years. There are far more parents wanting their children to attend that there are slots. I would urge you to investigate this as a possibility for your son. Free is WONDERFUL. You could always withdraw and return to traditional school.
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Post by birukitty on Jul 23, 2014 17:55:26 GMT
I'm happy to hear about your update. Sounds like you're excited about the school and it's fit for your son. Yippee!
Debbie in MD.
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Post by irisheyes on Aug 2, 2014 5:58:40 GMT
Update in the op
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J u l e e
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Post by J u l e e on Aug 2, 2014 14:48:05 GMT
I am Montessori certified 3-6 (ages, not grade level) and my daughter has been a Montessori student her whole life. She is entering 7th grade this year and will hopefully finish through high school here (depending on open enrollment, blah, blah, blah). Middle School Montessori is entirely different than PrePrimary or Elementary Montessori. It doesn't work the same at all. So, I'm not certified above age 6, but know much about how the different age levels and classroom philosophies are supposed to work based on my daughter having gone through the various levels. It does sound like it may be a Montessori-like program. At a very minimum I would want to see Montessori certified teachers, a true 9-12 classroom, and individual pace and mastery. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions. Montessori is one of my passions!
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