can anyone give me info on montessori child care?

Question

my son is 2 and we are moving to a new city. i was looking at a website of a montessori school. it looks like they are a non-denominational christian based program. anyone out there have experience with montessori daycare/schools and when is a good age to pay the extra money to send your child to one?

Answer 1

I taught preschool for 9 years. Most preschool want them to be potty trained before they will except a 2 year old unless it is a school also has daycare classes in it. Make sure when you contact the school to find out what they require. I taught at a Christian preschool that was thru a Southern Baptist Church. We started off with the Wee Learn program that taught more socialization skills and used learning centers, then we changed over to the Abeka Program which is a really good program also. I taught 4 year olds and with the Abeka program you are introducing colors, shapes, numbers, learning to write and even read. I really like the program. My only concern is that we don't over do it and not let the kids be kids and expect to much out of them. This day and time if you don't start preschool by the age of 3 when you get to Kindergarten you are already behind and having to play catch up.

I did find a website of a Montessori School in New York City. I listed it below. I would call them and find out about them and also see if they will let you come in and observe for an hour or how ever long you would like to. I would also talk to some of the parents that there kids go there and find out how they like it.
Our kids are a precious gift from God and if they aren't happy Mommy isn't happy.

Good luck on your search

Answer 2

Both of my sons went to a wonderful Montessori pre-school. When it is done right (make sure they're really Montessori certified) it is a fantastic, natural way for kids to learn. I still try to incorporate some elements of it in my high school teaching. Religious affiliation is not necessary, but if you find one that fits you, that shouldn't get it the way. I'd say 2 1/2 or 3 is a good time to start. Good luck!

Answer 3

I have never heard of Montessori day care, but my daughter went to a Montessori school. I might comment that it really has nothing to do with religion or christianity. It's excellent for children who master the skills being taught at their grade level, and allows them to move ahead in higher learning without being removed from their fellow classmatesl. One suggestion though....if you find one that also carries the middle grades, such as 7th and 8th, let your child go into the regular school. By the time they get into high school, they are very unfamiliar with their fellow students and how and what they have learned. This comes from my daughter who experienced this, and she definitly recommends that the Montessori experience end after the 6th grade.

Answer 4

Montessori is very disciplined and self-motivated based. They like to have a child at six weeks. I worked for them in the 2 and 3 year olds class and they had to sit in little desk and attempt to manipulate pencils, attention spans beyond their age range, etc. I found it to be a little more than what I felt 2 and 3 year olds ought to be doing - there seemed to be little unstructured fun. Everything, even the "fun" was motivational and had an ulterior learning mode. I didn't teach their for more than three months because I just couldn't buy into the restriction of letting children be children and looking for the teachable moment instead of demanding the teachable moment. That was my experience and it may be one of a kind. It wasn't a program I could teach and it wasn't one I chose for my son. I did put my son in a private school program that was pace level learning, but it was also more relaxed and had lots of "children" expression time that didn't set the stage for failure if the outcomes were not exactly as pre-established. I felt it was high-pressure perfectionism, not only on me as a teacher, but on children as well. (And at that point in my life, I had a tendency to be a perfectionist - now I've learned the errors of my ways and love the freedom of expression that comes from just following the Lord instead of always having to have a motive.)

Answer 5

Montessori is a comprehensive educational approach from birth to adulthood based on the observation of children's needs in a variety of cultures all around the world.

Beginning her work almost a century ago, Dr. Maria Montessori developed this educational approach based on her understanding of children's natural learning tendencies as they unfold in "prepared environments" for multi-age groups (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and 12-14).

The Montessori environment contains specially designed, manipulative "materials for development" that invite children to engage in learning activities of their own individual choice. Under the guidance of a trained teacher, children in a Montessori classroom learn by making discoveries with the materials, cultivating concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.

Today, Montessori schools are found worldwide, serving children from birth through adolescence. In the United States, there are more than 4,000 private Montessori schools and more than 200 public schools with Montessori-styled programs. The Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), founded by Maria Montessori in 1929, maintains Montessori educational principles and disseminates Montessori education throughout the world.
http://www.montessori-namta.org/NAMTA/geninfo/whatismont.html

Common Misconceptions about Montessori Education
1. Montessori is just for preschool children.

While the majority of Montessori schools in the United States are preschools, Montessori programs exist at age levels from birth to fourteen.

2. Montessori is just for special learners—the gifted or the learning-disabled.

The methods used in Montessori schools are highly effective with both learning-disabled and gifted learners; the reason for their effectiveness, however, is that the learning environments have been designed to ensure success for all children.

3. Montessori schools are religious.

Many private American Montessori schools do have a religious orientation because it is such a common practice in America for private schools to have religious support. But Montessori itself is not religiously oriented and finds itself quite at home in public settings where religious instruction is inappropriate.

4. Montessori is only for the rich.

This misconception is due to the fact that the American Montessori movement that began in the 1950s was primarily a private preschool movement, supported by tuition. Now, however, Montessori education is available at approximately 200 public schools in the U.S. in addition to about 4,000 private schools.

5. Children in Montessori classrooms are relatively unsupervised and can "do whatever they want."

Montessori is based on the principle of free choice of purposeful activity. If the child is being destructive or is using materials in an aimless way, the teacher will intervene and gently re-direct the child either to more appropriate materials or to a more appropriate use of the material.

6. Montessori is a cult.

Montessori is part of the educational mainstream, as evidenced by growing numbers of graduate-level programs in Montessori education (such as those at Cleveland State University and New York University) and the increasing popularity of Montessori in the public schools.

7. Montessori classrooms are too structured.

Although the teacher is careful to make clear the specific purpose of each material and to present activities in a clear, step-by-step order, the child is free to choose from a vast array of activities and to discover new possibilities.

8. Montessori is against fantasy; therefore, it stifles creativity.

The fact is that the freedom of the prepared environment encourages creative approaches to problem-solving. And while teacher-directed fantasy is discouraged, fantasy play initiated by the child is viewed as healthy and purposeful. In addition, art and music activities are integral parts of the Montessori classroom.

9. Montessori classrooms push children too far too fast.

Central to the Montessori philosophy is the idea of allowing each child to develop at his or her own, individual pace. The "miracle" stories of Montessori children far ahead of traditional expectations for their age level reflect not artificial acceleration but the possibilities open when children are allowed to learn at their own pace in a scientifically prepared environment.

10. Montessori is out of date.

While appropriate changes have been made to the original Montessori curriculum (including the introduction of computers and modifications to the Practical Life exercises to keep them culturally relevant), the basic pedagogy has not changed much since Dr. Montessori's lifetime. Contemporary research and evaluation, however, seem to be confirming Montessori's insights.
http://www.montessori-namta.org/NAMTA/geninfo/miscon.html

Answer 6

no longer too confident about Bowlby, under no circumstances studied him. have you ever tried Maslow, Erikson, Piaget, or Gardner? All very sturdy theories. an easy google seek for ought to take position more effective than sufficient records on them.