Should I keep my children in a Montessori school?

Question

My two youngest children, ages 2 and 4, attend a wonderful Montessori school. We plan to keep our kids there through kindergarten but don't know what to do after that since our school goes to 6th Grade.

Is it worth it to keep my kids at this school? (The cost isn't an issue). Has anyone out there transitioned their children from Montessori to public/private schools? I'd also love to hear from parents who have/had children enrolled in a Montessori school through 6th grade (or beyond).

Thanks for the Head Start recommendation but we don't meet the income requirements.

Secondly, how many lifelong friends have any of you retained from primary school? I am a product of public schools and I have, at best, three or four high school friends that I still keep in touch with. My husband went to private schools his whole life and ended up with about the same number of long-term friends so I don't see much of a difference.

Wow! Thanks for all the responses! We will be moving to a different part of town (in May 2007). The schools there are part of the city school system and I do not have a lot of confidence in them. So I will definitely not be enrolling them in the public schools in our new neighborhood. The issue for us is different teaching methods. I know that Montessori is a great method for very young children but we're concerned that they will have a difficult time transitioning to a "mainstream" classroom environment. Homeschooling is definitely an option, however, I feel that socially they'd be better off with other children.

There were a few answerers who implied that private schools (Montessori or otherwise) are for rich snotty people. We're not wealthy. Far from it. I feel very strongly that private education should not be a privilege reserved for the rich.

How do we do it? We budget well, work extra hard and do without a lot of "extras" (like summer vacations, manicures, eating out, etc.) My son, who is a high school sophomore, attends a single-gender boarding school and we are confident that he is exactly where he belongs. We work hard to make sure he stays. I know that one answerer responded that "$14,000 was just too much". My response to that is many "average" people won't blink an eye to spend $30,000 on a car, $10,000 on jewelry or $5,000 on a vacation. As I mentioned before, we are very disciplined in our spending. My income is strictly reserved for our children's education. It's a priority for us. This doesn't make us better or worse than others. It's just a difference of opinion.

Answer 1

I normally never answer featured questions but this will be my only exception, as I attended a Montessori school myself.
It actually was one of the first ones here and considered ideal for every child, all parents wished they could send their kids there.
However, I believe that Montessori schools don't suite to all students, especially nowadays that the system is not the way it used to be and it's mostly the name making the difference from other private or public schools.
Personally, I liked the way the Montessori school worked but when finally finished, I couldn't adjust to a whole new idea of learning and ended up being the worst studend. Needless to say, I didn't even attend college as I merely passed highschool. Maybe the system wasn't for me or I was just too stupid but there were more people who had the same problem.
Of course, lots of others have a successful career nowadays and Montessori school helped them in many ways but you'd better introduce your kids to the "traditional" way of teaching just in case.
Best of luck with you :)

Answer 2

It's really up to you on how you feel about the Montessori school. If you think that your children will get the education they need up until the 6th grade then keep them there if you think they would do better in a public/private school then send them there.
If I was you I would go a head when they hit kindergarten and send them to either a private or public school to make sure that they are on track with the rest of the kids there age. I would hate to keep my kids at a school then send them off to another to find out that the last school didn't teach them something they should already know. All schools have a different curriculum and teach kids different things at different ages.
As far as private versus public usually a private school is smaller then a public. So do you want your child to go a over populated public school or would you rather they go to a smaller school?
I only made one friend that I still talk to from school so I think that in a private school they would make just as many friends as they would in a public school.
Maybe to help you decide you could wright down pro's and cons of each school and then compare?
Good Luck

Answer 3

I have been fortunate enough to have had both of my children in Montessori in Santa Monica california. It posed the following as they continueed through school. They had more confidence, as they were NOT as restricted, but genuinely guided through their day. There were times I would bolt them from school to do a different kind of field trip than the school would do. It was a complete benefit. Montessori is NOT the same all over that i admit. We happened to have an exemplary School and teachers. They were great. if I chose to take them out, i idn't have the stats and the overbearing authorities of public Schooling down my neck. I teach too. As well of course I am their mother. Now I will say this......they were in Public School for a time and it simply was NOT a go. I was loathe to find that many of the teachers were slack jawed pencil pushers and we lived in a very nice section of los Angeles. They are both now in universities..one completing a Psycology degree and My daughter is an artist, a photographer as well as a prolific writer, published... and has been in 3 independent films. This may sound like a fairy tale, but it is the truth. They both have varied interests and I feel strongly that Montessori tho it can be an over priced babysitter, this one was not....and they have the formative drive to have more than one interest. For that i am incredibly greatful!
Everyone has a different story.....please go with your heart on this one. This is my story and oh I am greatful that it turned out so well. I feel that my children are renaissance people.
Thank You for asking the question.
Cheers!

Answer 4

I'm 13, I went to a montessori school from kindergarten until 5th grade. After that, I went to a regular school. I liked Montessori, there is more "freedom" than in another school. I think you should just make sure that youre kids actually do some work there, and not just take naps, or whatever.

Answer 5

I am a 15 year old sophomore that goes to a public high school. speaking from personal experience i would recommend keeping your children in their current school (if it is wonderful as you said.) I went to a Montessori school for.... 4 years and then switched to a small public school that Incorporated many of the same basic principals into the learning system. I do have many friends i am close with that i have known since Montessori and know that the environment helped shape me into who i am today. If you have any questions about my experience moving from a Montessori to a public school or even from a fairly small elementary/ middle school to a larger public high school feel free to ask!

Answer 6

I started montessori school when i was a year old and left after 9th grade, which was the absolute longest time that i could have stayed. I have absolutely no regrets about staying. My parents offered me the choice, many times, of going to a public or traditional school.

Our public school system is failing us terribly. Montessori offers a friendly, open environment where your children would be free to learn t their own pace, and, most importantly, experientally. I left Montessori school with a passion for learning that lasted through a traumatic high school experience and ultimately got me into an Ivy-League university.

Montessori offers your children an invaluable, unique gift that most children are not fortunate enough to receive. If you can afford to keep them there, KEEP THEM THERE!!!!!! I can't even BEGIN to tell you how much happier your children will be. They are also in a very good place becase they've had the foundation of Children's House and/or Infant Community that prepares them for Early Elementary. Transitioning them into a public school classrom when they've already associated school with a larger level of freedom could be traumataizing.

My friends from my Montessori experience are absolutely the best freinds in the world. They were, in essence, my brothers and sisters. Nobody bullied anybody (not to the extent that goes on in public schools, as the teachers always intervened early on), we spent all of our time after school with each other, and now that we've all gone our separate ways to some of the best colleges in the country - Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, Vassar, and Penn State Accelerated Med-School - i miss them terribly. I have never had friends like my Montessori friends.

Montesorri is not a hippie insitution. Your children will not grow up to be rain-dancing tree-huggers, if you're afraid of that happening. Many of my classmates were from typical, suburban, and, more often than not, republican households. Most parents intended on sendig their children for kindergarten and then putting them in the local catholic school, but always reconsidered when the time came and they realized that Montessori is, in almost every circumstance, a better choice. Many even pulled their children out of their other school mid-year and sent them back to Montessori.

I could gush about how wonderful Montessori is for hours, but I'll spare you that and instead offer you any advice to specific questions you have. As an alumna, I would be MORE THAN willing to talk with you (or ANYONE curious about Montessori!) in-depth about this. My email is: [e-mail] .

best of luck and hope to hear from you soon!

Answer 7

Oh my gosh........without hesitation I say keep the in Montessori school! Not only did I teach Montessori but my children attended Montessori. I know many children that attended Montessori and then went to other private schools or public schools in the 6th grade. Now, I know there are Montessori schools out there that are only Montessori in name. If you have found a school that is true to Maria Montessori's intentions your children will succeed in all they do. If you are not familiar with her work please read all you can. If the school your child is in matches what you read. STAY! If nothing else google Maria Montessori.
Your child will learn Order, Concentration, Coordination and Independence......a respect of your own space and self and a respect for others. I could go on and on!

Answer 8

I have a 6 yr old (soon to be seven) who has been in a Montessori school since he was 4. The school that he is at goes to eighth grade.

I used to be a teacher -- I have a BA in English Lit and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Secondary English and Reading k-12. We live in Ohio, and high-stakes testing came here before Bush and before "No Child Left Behind" -- I had big issues with these tests (still do) - because one test cannot assess the ability of a child -- no matter what the age. I quit before I was a mom (not expecting to be a mom) because I really did not agree with this on so many levels. Then I became a mom about 2 years later.... and it just happened that his learning style is very hands-on, and by the time he was 2 I was searching out alternatives. I didn't find (or think about) Montessori at first -- researched a lot of others.... but once I found this school, and have seen him grow on so many levels, I am glad that I have found it.

There have been a lot of testimonials from our school from families that had to move, or for other reasons leave the school, and what is said is

1. teachers in the public schools are amazed at how "centered" and self-sufficient students from MAC are -- they are also surprised at their levels of understanding in math and other subjects.

2. children might have a time transitioning, but usually fall into the different learning situation ok...

For ourselves, we *want* to keep our son in this school until 8th grade -- but I'm not sure it will be possible. He was diagnosed with low muscle-tone issues and sensory integration disorder (both on the mild side) and has been going to OP/PT -- and is almost done with this. The environment he is in right now is the best for him to learn the skills he needs before he has to do everything "on demand" at the same time, in the same way as everyone else.

The research I've done about Montessori has made me even think about getting certification in it... I believe it is a educational philosophy that really deals with the entire child, and it most closely aligns with my beliefs in education. Montessori education is about allowing a child find the internal motivation to question, to learn, to live, to be independent, without the need for "incentives" and "stars" and other things meant to coerce a child to learn. Children don't need to be bribed to learn. They want to learn. And when they are in an environment that honors their questions and attempts at discovery, they continue to want to learn.

Answer 9

I have graduated from a Montessori high school. I went to a public school prior to that. I personal was amazed on how much I was not prepared to go to a Montessori. The students, who went to the program before high school, were all caught up. It was easy to get caught up with the level that they were at. They were hardcore in making sure we learned what we needed to in order to go onto college. They made it interactive. I didn't just sit in a class room for hours learning from a board. In my geometry class we built a mini golf course and used geometry to help get a hole- in- one. In biology you grew fish. In English you didn't just read a book, or memorize a bunch words, but learned the in depth behind it and what the words meant. I was able to learn at my pace, whether it was slower or faster then other kids. It was an awesome experience. I managed a 26 on my ACT, which shocked me because I have a fear of standardize tests. I was ready for college and unlike my brother who went to a public school; I didn't overwhelmed and returned for a second year at the same school. I guess what I'm saying is from a student who is from a Montessori school, then I would say keep them in the Montessori school.

Answer 10

As a few others have said, I Envy You!! I have been looking into Montessori preschools but there aren't any in my area. It is true that sometimes kids may have a hard time adjusting to a different teaching style, and may even resent the structure. however, that struggle isn't as bad as it all seems. EVERY child struggles when moved from one structure to the next. From elementary to junior high to a full highschool is all an adjustment that takes time and patience.

You have a distinct intuition about your children. You know them better than any of us here on Yahoo, so use your best judgement. Personally I'd keep them in Montessori for as long as possible, they'd have to adjust to a junior high setting anyway, and keep your patience about you. Montessori teaches great lessons on self-esteem and problem solving. Your children should be better suited than most!

My cousins went to Montessori schools all the way through highschool! They never regret not being in the public system, and they made friends just as easily as the rest of us. The transition to college was even easier for them since they were used to self motivation to GO to class and absorb the lessons. They also had better study skills than I did, it made the whole thing almost painless for them.

If you are still in doubt, talk to your children in a year or two and ask what they would like to do.

Answer 11

I went to Montessori and it was great. Im now in gifted but i dont think that Montissori has much more then a head start. I remember graduating, going to public school with honors, and going back to visit my old teachers. I was amazzed some of the old kids were there! I talked to them and they said that they wanted a transfer. They said the teachers dont know how to teach older kids, and they didnt like having recess with pre-schoolers, were they would have to play softer. Im sorry to be the barrer of bad news. I still applaude you for begining your children in Montessori, and advise that you visit the following link, if you wish to learn more!