What's the story, Montessori?

Currently looking at childcare options for the beginning of next year when maternity leave finishes and, though we hope to manage things between us by going part time at our respective jobs, we're also looking at daycare nurseries and childminders. Seems like there are scads of Montessori nurseries near us - does anyone have experience of them (IIRC at least one ILPPer went to Montessori schools herself!)? Is it worth paying more to get V into one?

What age? We have just taken Howie out of a Montessori nursery -- he is nearly 2 1/2. It was too formal and school-like for him and he never really settled -- the staff didn't make much effort to get to know him, they were too busy chivvying the children into various set activities. It was very structured -- children sitting on chairs in groups doing the set Montessori activities -- and he wasn't ready for it at all.

OTOH the kids there seemed very well-behaved and seemed to be enjoying it. I think it would suit a certain type of child who liked that kind of structure and routine, and it seems a great way to get them ready for school, but I don't think many kids below the age of 2 1/2 or 3 would benefit from it.

Howie is starting at a mainstream pre-school in September and I think it will suit him much better, it's more of a free play environment where he can just hang out and do finger-painting or play with cars or whatever.

V will be 9 months in January, so a childminder will probably be the best bet immediately - especially since we're hopefully only looking at one day a week. Though one nursery we're looking at apparently takes babies full-time from 6 months...

I know nothing about Montessori (though did attend Steiner school for four years). But I can highly recommend the both working part-time option from a sanity/family bonding angle if not a financial one.

Montessori is highly structured but not necessarily in a formal way. I've been on training courses with people from Montessori schools and my understanding is that the environment is kept very structured but the children are supposed to be relatively free within that environment. Activities are stored in little boxes and children are only supposed to take out one activity at a time, but they're free to choose I think. It's supposed to be good for concentration, deep play and interacting with other kids in a calm, measured way.

That's my experience of a couple of schools within the UK. I don't know what applies elsewhere. There's good things to be said for it, but I personally wouldn't be a huge fan. I don't think it's as rigid or unspontaneous as it sounds - you'd really have to go and experience a school for yourself to get a better idea - but I think it privileges certain kinds of learning at the expense of others. Every good pre-school should have a lot of thought and structure built into the environment, it just doesn't necessarily have to look that way. Also I think a degree of conflict is important for childrens' development, just as much as learning to resolve conflict.

I did Montessori for pre-school and kindergarten and thought it was fantastic. Among things we did were experiments that taught us about copper oxidation and how plants hydrate themselves.

That's the thing, though. Do two-year-olds really need to learn about copper oxidation? They're going to spend enough of their life in formal education later on.

I thought doing all of that stuff in Montessori was a bazillion times more fun than the rest of my educational experiences all the way up through high school.

Howie's Montessori nursery was very big on 'spooning' activities. I saw a little girl of about 3 sat at a table, intently concentrating on spooning rice from one bowl to another and back again. I did think, is this a great way to spend one's childhood?

Hi Dere: Of course that's totally fair enough, a lot of children obviously thrive in the Montessori environment. For my own two-year-old, though, I am happy for him to spend his pre-school years just faffing about and playing.

okay wth at the spooning thing, that makes no sense

it is a sisyphean metaphor

A quick Google throws up this post which sums up my issue with the Montessori approach -- their idea of fun is using green rice!

What, no! It makes perfect sense!! I just watched my nephew pour water from one cup into another, then back, then to the other one, then back again -- spilling most of it in the process, and frequently pouring into a cup that was ALREADY overflowing. I don't know why exactly, but for some reason it was fascinating to him and completely self-directed. That is a busy brain, altho the exact preoccupation does elude me as an adult.

it's true that I had a capacity for focus as a child that completely eludes me as an adult

X-post: but Laurel, presumably he was doing that by his own volition, and not because his nursery teacher told him he had to sit down and do it for twenty minutes?

I guess what I'm saying is that Howie can learn the same thing by me plonking him in the bath with a couple of jugs, without paying £13.50 per session for the privilege...

Montessori-educated kids are supposed to be better at focusing/sitting still etc, it's true. I don't want to seem like I have a total downer on it. Just that this particular nursery's interpretation of it didn't suit my kid.

X-post to Archel: Steiner school, eh? Did they mention a lot about the gnomes?

What, no! It makes perfect sense!! I just watched my nephew pour water from one cup into another, then back, then to the other one, then back again -- spilling most of it in the process, and frequently pouring into a cup that was ALREADY overflowing. I don't know why exactly, but for some reason it was fascinating to him and completely self-directed. That is a busy brain, altho the exact preoccupation does elude me as an adult.

― Like most people my age, I am 33 (Laurel), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 16:09 (13 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I have watched many small children doing these kind of activities. It does seem to be a natural behaviour that helps develop concentration and co-ordination, which I presume is why the Montessori types like it.

X-post: but Laurel, presumably he was doing that by his own volition, and not because his nursery teacher told him he had to sit down and do it for twenty minutes?

in my experience, the teacher doesn't tell you to do it, you choose to do that activity from a wide variety of available activities.

i went to montessori from k-3rd grade, and when i transferred into public school, i was way ahead of the other kids, but not in a jerky, self righteous kind of way. i think my experience was great and made me really self-sufficient, but i've seen another montessori school (a public montessori in buffalo) that makes me wonder if they're even on the same philosophy.

Yeah, the whole "choosing to do it" bit is pretty crucial to Montessori philosophy.

also, all the kids that went to montessori with me ended up being some of the highest achievers in middle and high school.

but yeah i am a stan for montessori so

my girlfriend went to montessori school till 4th or 5th grade and is smart as fuck, and credits her montessori school education for giving her critical thinking abilities and a love for learning, which were valuable qualities to have in catholic school where she went for the rest of her education