Montessori vs. Primrose... Has anyone sent your toddler to primrose school???...?

Answer 1

My daughter attend Primrose in Peachtree City, GA, which is a somewhat affluent suburb of Atlanta. She's probably the poorest kid there. She's learned a great deal, but I think I could have done as well, had I the money to stay home with her. She's gone on interesting field trips and already has a strong phonics base (at 4), but there is a lot of pretention in the school. I didn't send her there for the "great" education, but rather, I wanted her someplace near me that was "nice" (as in not dirty or where she'd be neglected). The franchise owners will give you numbers to persuade you that your kid will do better throughout school if you spend the money to send them there, but I'm not so convinced. My daughter already has to wear uniforms and everything is so structured. It's not free and fun, like childhood should be.

I'm looking to move her out of the school next year, but didn't want to uproot her mid-year.

Overall, I think it is a pretty good school, but it wasn't what I was really looking for in a preschool.

Answer 2

My only experience with Primrose was when I called and asked for their cost, and they said they only discussed that after we took a tour. So, we took our daughter on a tour of the preschool, looked exactly the same as every other school, except for more expensive wallpaper in the hallways. We were then told it was $20 more a week than the other "top" preschools in the area. It seemed like the whole place was a scam. Let rich families think they are getting a better education for their child just because they are paying more.
Pick the school based on the people you meet, and whether you are comfortable with the environment. There is no special curriculum that makes one preschool better than another, you have to look at the experience and commitment of the teachers at individual schools. Also, most schools that claim to be "montessori" don't even follow the curriculum developed by Maria Montessori.

Answer 3

Primrose was not around when my children were in school but Montessori got my children off to a grand start. It's been eons, one is in law school and one a teacher. I believe their love of learning started with that method of teaching and highly recommend it.