Montessori anyone?

[Deleted]

We're starting Montessori playgroup next month and I'm excited for DS2.  We did it with DS1 and then he continued (where I dropped him off) until he was 3.  We went back there today to hand in some forms for DS2 and poor DS1 was so psyched, he thought he was going back.

Anyone else planning on doing some sort of Montessori program for LO?

[AndyCohen]

I would love to but the Montessori school is so expensive here. SIL sends her son to a Montessori school in Singapore.

[charlielove]

Claire's preschool implements a lot of Montessori practices, but I am not aware of anything around here for younger toddlers like that. What do they do at the play group?

[jaime183]

the montessori schools I've looked at start at 2.5 but I'm looking into them

[Deleted]

Jun 4, 2013 22:46:32 GMT -5 @chelsmonster said:

We are looking at sending DS to a Montessori school when he is around 3-4. I haven't heard of play groups- that sounds neat!

Yeah, it's just 1.5hrs once a week, and it's a structured group with a teacher.  Parents go.  It's for 14 months - 2 years.
DS2 hasn't had any activities yet so I'm glad he "gets" something that is just for him, instead of being dragged along to DS1's things.  

[Deleted]

Jun 4, 2013 22:49:33 GMT -5 charlielove said:

Claire's preschool implements a lot of Montessori practices, but I am not aware of anything around here for younger toddlers like that. What do they do at the play group?

They start with "circle time" with songs and something hiding in the box, etc, theme of the day (it might be a shape or colour, or animal) and then there are activities around the room arranged by type.  They call it "work time"  It's all natural things, sorting, pouring pasta, beans, shapes, picking things up with tongs (older toddlers), spoons, fitting blocks together, play dough.  And the kids are supposed to work with one thing at a time, so they have a green mat to put it on, and you encourage them to pack the activity away before taking out the next.  Finish what you started, one thing at a time, etc.

Then there's snack while the teacher reads a story, then outside time on the climbing/play equipment, then more circle time inside.  There's usually a max of 6 kids, plus one parent/carer each.

It doesn't work for some kids, the really active spirited ones, and they don't usually last long in the playgroup.  But my DS1 enjoyed it, he was serious and quiet at this age so it was right up his alley.  Hopefully DS2 does ok too.

[charlielove]

That sounds great and a very similar set up to Claire's preschool.

[Deleted]

Jun 4, 2013 23:03:51 GMT -5 charlielove said:

That sounds great and a very similar set up to Claire's preschool.

Will she continue there until she starts school?  Is it attached/affiliated with her primary school?

[charlielove]

Jun 4, 2013 23:07:36 GMT -5 @starbound said:

Jun 4, 2013 23:03:51 GMT -5 charlielove said:

That sounds great and a very similar set up to Claire's preschool.

Will she continue there until she starts school?  Is it attached/affiliated with her primary school?

Yes she has one more year there and then off to Kindergarten. It's private, and she's going to go to public school, but it's not affiliated with a school anyway.

[Deleted]

Jun 4, 2013 23:15:42 GMT -5 charlielove said:

Jun 4, 2013 23:07:36 GMT -5 @starbound said:

Will she continue there until she starts school?  Is it attached/affiliated with her primary school?

Yes she has one more year there and then off to Kindergarten. It's private, and she's going to go to public school, but it's not affiliated with a school anyway.

Aha.  Same situation as ours - I would have loved Cruz to continue Monti! oh well.

[EnchantedSoul]

DS1 has been in Montessori since preschool, he's entering the third grade in the fall. We actually just switched him from Catholic Montessori to a regular Catholic school for this next school year.

I really like the Montessori philosophy and style of teaching. His school was just chock full of weirdos and it became too much. Everyone was the same, no diversity whatsoever.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using proboards

[kdrake8]

Honestly, Montessori was my plan until my accidental KU. One more thing I do feel bad about for M. There's no way we will be able to afford it now.

However - our sitter who watches M two days a week was a Montessori teacher when her boys were younger and she does activities and things that are Montessori like with the babies... So that's as close as we can get right now

[teamhayes]

I would like to do this with the boys but it is so expensive here. Its more like ft daycare than a playgroup setting though. I doubt i will send them there for K plus but i liked the idea of the structured preschool. We will see.

[TrudyCampbell]

I'd love to do montessori but I can't find a reasonable place. Must leave NY!

[bebeetmoi]

If we are still in NYC when DD is preschool age, I am going to send her to a Montessori preschool (part time). 

[claralou]

Assuming we're accepted, Clara will start Montessori preschool in September 2014 (enrollment is available the Sept after they turn 2)

[laurack]

Its very expensive.

There is a place hubby went to and he REALLY wants to send Matilda but its just not a good fit for us as 2 working parents. It's only for 2.5 hours in the morning or afternoon for preschoolers then the full day for older kids is still like 830-230 that's no good. On top of this it costs a lot of money for such short hours, and we'd have to figure out transport and such and daycare the rest of the day.

anyway, I think its cool and would be great for her but its probably not going to happen.

[Deleted]

Jun 5, 2013 9:44:21 GMT -5 claralou said:

Assuming we're accepted, Clara will start Montessori preschool in September 2014 (enrollment is available the Sept after they turn 2)

have you done anything yet with it? I'm hoping that we will be in a different house by then, but I'm not sure what part of town yet so I didn't want to start anything yet.

[fryjack2]

Yes. I toured one a month ago. It has an infant class, but I think it was too expensive for what was essentially day care, so we will enroll them when they are 2.

Our plan is to have them go (10% discount for siblings, woo hoo! ha) until they are in 3rd grade. Then if we don't get into the public school we want here the city (lottery system), we will decide to either move to Brookline or continue to pay for private school at the expense of saving more for college.

[claralou]

Jun 5, 2013 10:00:41 GMT -5 @huahualove said:

Jun 5, 2013 9:44:21 GMT -5 claralou said:

Assuming we're accepted, Clara will start Montessori preschool in September 2014 (enrollment is available the Sept after they turn 2)

have you done anything yet with it? I'm hoping that we will be in a different house by then, but I'm not sure what part of town yet so I didn't want to start anything yet.

We did a tour in March, but that's it. Enrollment opens in January. There are several schools in town, but this one is closest to our house: www.montessoridenver.org/

I didn't know you were moving! Come over to the East side....... :-)

[EmmieB1025]

Can someone please explain what Montessori school is and how it is different from preschool? TIA

[jaime183]

Jun 5, 2013 10:43:22 GMT -5 EmmieB1025 said:

Can someone please explain what Montessori school is and how it is different from preschool? TIA

It is an educational philosophy that is child-driven not teacher-driven. A lot of preschools use pieces of it but a traditional preschool is more academic and scheduled. They also usually have only "natural products" like wooden toys not plastic ones or ones with batteries.
It's more discovery, imagination and creative play- which they then learn from. But they might not learn their letters and numbers and how to read like in an academic preschool.
There are other philosophies that are similar but all have differences as well- montessori, reggio emilia, waldorf all are more discovery and child-centered based on each kid's interests
Montessori has a very specific licensing process too