Preschool vs. Montessori?

anonymous · May 2021

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to make a decision between preschool and montessori for my child. He's only 1 but would like to enroll him in a half day program when he is 2. I hear good things about montessori schools but am wondering if it really is better than preschool or are they different but equal. Really what is the difference between the 2? Any advise and suggestion would be good.

mattfromasia · May 2021

Realize Montessori is also a preschool. But there are many different types of preschools out there and the Montessori Method is one option.

I cannot say what is right for your son. And I have to plead ignorance on many of the specifics of the infant and toddler programs (what your son would enroll in when he's 2). But if you're thinking about Montessori in general, let me state a few of the basic goals of Montessori Education:

--Building up concentration: A person learns best when they have the ability to concentrate. Uninterrupted work time is very important in the Montessori schedule. You might see a 3 year old focused on pouring seeds from one small pitcher to the other for a half hour. He's watching very closely as they do it. He might be focusing on the sounds and seeing if they sound different each time. He might be trying to steady his hand to pour perfectly to where they all come out in the same speed. He might be trying to balance it so one seed is left. It doesn't really matter. What you're seeing is a level of concentration that will carry over in to so many other areas.

--Believing in "I can do it myself." The teacher is not a "teacher" in the Montessori classroom. The teacher takes a hands off approach a lot more. They will teach, but for the most part, the learning is left up to the interaction with the materials. The child tries to go to the teacher to have the teacher tell them how to solve the problem. The teacher tells the student to "keep trying." Eventually, they get it. Now they have the confidence that they can master anything in the classroom given the appropriate time. They also learn a lot of creative ways to learn things. I remember in high school, my brother had a history test with a lot of dates, wars, and names. He made a time line. He walked the time line 3 times and said everything that was on it. He aced the test. I'm not saying he couldn't have thought of that if he wasn't in Montessori Education. Just saying that type of creative thinking - since the teacher tries to get the students to think of how to solve the problems - is something Montessori Education strives for.

--Freedom of movement in the classroom. The classroom in a Montessori school is not like a normal classroom. It really is the children's environment. They are free to move around and explore. As a result, they want to master what is in their environment and grow in it.

I feel I need to also clear up some misconceptions about what Montessori is. Many incorrect things have popped up on the answers already given.

"When they are young, I think the difference is not as critical."

--The difference is critical. Not necessarily at 2. But I believe we have such a bad system of education now because we focus on education in the later years...when people have already signed out. Get them to enjoy learning YOUNG. Not when they're 16 and have to pass a standardized test in high school. Too late then. With that said, there are other good programs besides Montessori that do this well. But don't just think "any old school" will do. Look into any school you are interested in.

"My child is very very bright, but he would lag behind in writing if he were left to his own regarding the skill."

The child is not "left to his own" in a Montessori school. The teacher's job is to observe children, not just assume they all need the same thing. The teacher then can guide the children appropriately.

"Montessori is a curriculum, "

Disagree. Montessori has a curriculum, but it's really a way of seeing the child and belief in what children need to grow. The curriculum is part of that.

"It places a great deal of emphasis on working alone and does not value fantasy or creativity."

Simply incorrect. Montessori does place an emphasis on working alone, working with others, and creativity. The idea that Montessori does not value fantasy is a question you can ask again in another question, but I know I'll be limited to only say so much each reply. So I don't want to go off on a tangent and not be able to post what I think.

"There are wonderful materials that must be used only for the activities they were designed for."

This is a philosophical debate in Montessori. You'll get a wide range of agreement and disagreement on this one. When you visit a Montessori school, ask them about their philosophy on this. But it would be easier to do while visiting rather than discussing it over the phone. With the materials there, you can see what the teacher thinks and how they would answer it.

"It makes me laugh when I hear this "let the kids have fun" line. What, learning is not fun?"

This is a perfect line from one responder. I feel like I love learning because I went to a Montessori school.

One last note, because the school calls itself Montessori, don't necessarily believe it. Go and see the place and see what it's like. "Montessori" is not copywrited in any way, shape, or form. You could open up a school that has desks where the children have to sit for 12 hours a day and recite the alphabet all day long and call it a "Montessori" school. Check out AMS and AMI web sites for a list of schools. ( http://www.amshq.org/ and http://www.montessori-ami.org/ ) There are some philosophical differences, but at least you have a good head start with them.

Matt

kennan · May 2021