Does anyone have children attending a Montessori school? Feedback please (Houston: apartment, credit)

[Alex's mom]

Considering placing my toddler in a Montessori school a new one is opening in Richardson...Is there a big difference and how does it work when you transfer the child to private or public school for kindergarten/1st grade..My son is a late baby (October)

[masalamomma]

I had my two younger children in Montessori School when they were little - one in Houston and one in Denver. They loved it and were very happy. The difference is the free concept. The children are free to roam around to different centers - like reading, toys, water play, etc.. They do have group time as well, where they sing and do other things. The one complaint I had was that there was little emphasis on education - like learning ABC's etc... When my children eventually went to kindergarten, they were behind their counterparts.

Where is the new Montessori in Richardson? My husband is interviewing for a job in Richardson very soon.

THANKS

[serenity19]

I have one daughter who attends a Montessori school and she loves it! I love it as well. The learning is individualized for each child they start by learning practical life(table washing,etc) and move to more sensorial work. It's important to learn this things first because of how the montessori method works and when they do more challenging work later on. My daughter has been in Montessori for 3 years she is currently in her Kindergarten year she is writing in cursive, print, reading, can compute 4 digit addition/subtraction, division and multiplication,science and has a respect for the life/world. It's a match for us because we want these things instilled in our child. So yes I think it's worth it.

I have talked with several parents of children who left montessori after Kindergarten year to enter traditional public schools and are extremely happy with where they place with the other students.

The problem is a lot of schools can call themselves Montessori but may not truly practice Montessori philosophy. I would make sure the school is AMI http://www.montessori-ami.org/ or AMS http://www.amshq.org/ accredited before I would place my child in a Montessori school check out the websites and look into what the schools should offer,etc. To make sure they are true Montessori.

[sonshinelife]

I'm an educator in a strong district and quite honestly have to say that many of the children we have received from montessori schools after 1st grade struggle and are not prepared for public school academically. They often have very high verbal scores which is great for the cognitive skills we are teaching in the classroom, but when transferring those skills to a more structured environment it is difficult for these students.

If you elect to go the montessori route I wouldn't stay longer than kinder and I would make sure I selected a quality montessori. As serenity19 states make sure it is a reputable montessori school.

[KantLockeMeIn]

But does that mean that our public education system is evaluating the right skills? I think we place too much emphasis on regurgating information and less time on actual learning.

[sonshinelife]

I guarantee you that the CFBISD schools are looking at higher order cognitive schools and that they are striving for life long learning. I can't speak for all districts but I can for CFBISD. We do much more than TAKS. We use the state curriculum and go beyond to develop minds and prepare these children for the future. CFB strives to encourage from PK on... that all children go to college. We won't stop at the basics... we strive for the best!!!! I happen to work in a school that serves mostly apartment children which unfortunately often gets sterotyped. My particular school is an exemplary school. Yes, TAKS got us this classification, but what we do outside of TAKS is what really makes us exemplary. We set expectations high and expect only the highest level of learning to happen. Public schools just need to think big. Can't just look at TAKS and stop.

[P.Griggs]

What school do you teach at sonshinelife? I think CFBISD gets a bad rap.

[kjackson227]

Originally Posted by Alex's mom

Considering placing my toddler in a Montessori school a new one is opening in Richardson...Is there a big difference and how does it work when you transfer the child to private or public school for kindergarten/1st grade..My son is a late baby (October)

My granddaughter attended a Montessori school for three years, BIG MISTAKE!

[skyblu]

My son attended Montessori Pre-K for 3 years and it was awesome. He was ahead when he entered Kindergarten. I think quality of the experience will depend on if the teachers are formally trained in the Montessori method by credentialed schools. Some schools call themselves Montessori, but aren't certified. It is not as useful in 1st grade and beyond on unless you have a highly motivated child.

[millicentp]

I went to 2 Montessori schools when I was young and I loved both of them. Looking back on my education, I learned so much more in the Montessori atmosphere than in regular public school. I struggled for a little while with the transition back to public school because the teachers do not give you the individualized attention that Montessori does. Education begins to come from textbooks only, while I was very used to the hands-on approach in Montessori. I remember in the 5th grade learning trig functions on a peg-board. That's years before most children are even exposed to the concept. While most children are just learning fractions and division, we were learning higher mathematical equations. A very unique learning environment.... I plan on having my children attend Montessori schools in the future.