Montessori School Education

Mangoaddict

I was wondering if any of you have kids who are in montessori schools beyond the age of 6 years old. I am talking about 6 years plus to high school. What has your experience been? Would love some advice.

Mangoaddict

I was wondering if any of you have kids who are in montessori schools beyond the age of 6 years old. I am talking about 6 years plus to high school. What has your experience been? Would love some advice.

Tailea

I've only nannied for children who go to Montessori schools, since I do not yet have children of my own. I have taken courses that go pretty in depth with this type of learning, and based on that and how the kids I've nannied for have liked the schools and done well in them, I can say that my kids will be going to a Montessori school!

LuckyLeprechaun

every school is different. I have seen Montessori that are excellent, I have seen disasters. my advice is check out the school you are particularly interested in, and ask a lot of questions. observe in the classroom, do your homework checking out the achievements of the former students. any school worth their salt will encourage these types of inquiries. if they don't wanna answer questions about their former students, that's a red flag. if they won't let you observe, do not send your children there.

Maria Montessori started her schools working with mentally retarded children, so every school that is for typical kids that calls itself "Montessori" has made changes and adaptations to the Montessori method. Sometimes this works very well, sometimes it creates schools without much framework or substance. I taught in a montessori, there was no homework, no grades, very little accountability for the outcome. I had a conversation with a sixth grader that went like this:

Me:ok- can you name some of the continents?
6th grader:Uh, what's a continent?
Me: Well, like this, (pointing to a globe) can you tell me the name of this piece of land? (africa)
6th grader:Um, I think that's Texas.

this was a school with $1500/month tuition. :noway:

but like i said, they are all different, so check thoroughly-

Tailea

Me:ok- can you name some of the continents?
6th grader:Uh, what's a continent?
Me: Well, like this, (pointing to a globe) can you tell me the name of this piece of land? (africa)
6th grader:Um, I think that's Texas.

:noway: :noway: :noway: Wow. There are two Montessori schools that I've been to/observed for classes/had kids I've nannied for attend here in Massachusetts and they were both fantastic. I'm in total shock that a child in 6th grade would think Africa is Texas! I guess these schools can differ widely!

Mangoaddict

Yeah- the school I went to go observe, kids were very well educated and had worked on maps for a while. They were also doing spanish and music. I find that weird that a 6th grader was clueless about africa. In the 3rd grade class, where I went, the kids were naming african countries like it was their own continent. Thanks for the input.

Tailea

Yeah- the school I went to go observe, kids were very well educated and had worked on maps for a while. They were also doing spanish and music. I find that weird that a 6th grader was clueless about africa. In the 3rd grade class, where I went, the kids were naming african countries like it was their own continent. Thanks for the input.

One of the schools I've been to was like that! The very young kids (I'm talking 3-4 year olds) were learning about black holes and totally understood the concept.

Mangoaddict

Tailea:- I was told that the start day at montessori is basically by talking about how the earth came into existence. In public school, first graders start their first day of school talking about them, their family, their life etc. Huge difference in philosophy!