Question

New mom here.  What's the deal with Montessori way of child-rearing?New mom here. What's the deal with Montessori way of child-rearing? Sell me on it.  

Answer 1

It's self guided so each child moves at their own pace. Unlike the public school system that has very little wiggle room for students who learn differently, are slower learners, or are faster learners. Not sure yet if I'll put my kid in but I was in Montessori through 1st grade and ended up way ahead if my peers in public school. I also feel it set a great foundation for self directed learning and independence.  

Comments

@cobblestone interesting. Thanks for sharing. Could you please also explai as to why you are not sure if you will put your kid in?  

---

@tiu5 my son is 14 months and when I was looking for daycare the Montessori schools close to our home started at 2. So, I'd have to pull my son from his current daycare which I'm not sure I'll want to do. Also would mean 2 different drop offs if we have a second. And more expensive.  

---

@cobblestone ah okay I did not know this about the time. Of course that makes sense. Thanks for explaining!  

---

@tiu5 some schools do start earlier. I started at 6 weeks. back in the day, ha

---

@cobblestone lol wow that's early!  

---

@tiu5 the Montessori by me takes babies as early as 12 weeks old.  

---

@redeem yes I see they are all different. Good to know. I have heard great things about Montessori so far.  

---

Should I ever get a number 3, will definitely consider that :))

Answer 2

Montessori also offers much more hands on learning, introduces reading in a different manner, more in the manner we learn to talk. Allows the mind to learn how to think. I cannot (and will not) " sell" you on the Montessori approach. If you are not familiar with it, it is easy to enroll your child in a "montessori" school that does not follow the montessori approach. Please do your research.  

Answer 3

I went to Montessori through 5th grade. A lot of people hear "self guided" and picture chaos. It is not. The classrooms are quiet and busy. While self guided, the teacher moves around the room and works with students one-on-one, and the students still need to complete all of their subjects. They may just have choice like "Do you want to start with grammar or math? " But you still have to do both. There are hands on materials for math and other subjects like grammar (grammar shapes), writing (sand paper letters) geography (like map tracing) etc. In most Montessori classrooms, the students don't sit at individual desks. There are group tables or some kids have carpet squares to spread their work out on the floor. They may have more choice about where to sit unless they are not working, of course. You definitely want to find a Montessori accredited school. There are some out there that are only Montessori based.  

Answer 4

Our girls went to Aurora Montessori and I can’t say enough good things about our time there. Please do your research. Just bc the word “Montessori” is in the name does NOT mean it’s a true Montessori school.  

Comments

@pastor this! Theres no trademark a “montessori” school sent a three year old to the principals office and im like this isnt even developmentally appropriate no three year old knows the principal means punishment

---

@pastor checkout this link. There are accredited ones, also even when they or accredited some are different than others in style  
https://amshq.org/

---

@pastor/activity" class="qa-user-link">pastor @pastor/activity" class="qa-user-link">pastor thank you Amy! We loved having your girls! ❤️

Answer 5

Here’s a good link that explains Montessori. And also look up schemas, Montessori learning is based on a lot of the children’s schemas.  
https://youtu.be/KZEdP_RZhhI

Answer 6

I am not a fan of montessori.  

Comments

@photosensitive why? I would like to hear both sides

---

I feel its so unstructured. It didnt suit my kids. It was like we will go by what kids like. At the time of kindergarten one of my kids didnot learn letters or write or anything. I had a time traching.  

---

@photosensitive I believe that to be the point, though. We expect children to all learn the same way at the same rate when they simply do not. My son knew all letters by name at 2. 5 years old with no formal educating whatsoever. just by playing and observing life around him. My daughter did not know all of hers by name until about 5. They're very different kids with different needs when it comes to academics (also why we choose to homeschool).  

---

@coppock87 but some kids could learn faster with teaching. This way they are actually behind their potential. Time wasted

---

@steapsin I don't think there is such a thing as time wasted if the child is learning, no matter at what pace, especially when it's through play & exploration. Our expectations for the early years (before the age of 6) have skyrocketed in our country, with not much to show for it, statistically speaking. Kids who are expected to reach their 'full potential' before they even enter Kindergarten are often the ones who get burned out before they've even finished their Elementary years. The pressure is unreal these days. Just my two cents!  

---

@coppock87 not if you’ve got highly intelligent kids that thrive on it. Kids that want the challenge. Some kids that need the challenge. Some that won’t ever reach their potential without it. But I digress. Everyone is an expert in how to raise their own kids.  

---

@steapsin I'm specifically pinpointing early childhood and the unnecessary 'need' we, as a society, seem to have for structured schooling in this age group. I'm not an expert, but I have been around/cared for young children half of my life and have witnessed the negative effects of academic pressure and too-high expectations for young children. It comes down to why we, as parents, want them to be schooled so early in life. If it's truly because they need it or if it's because we are afraid they won't be smart enough should we not follow the status quo and implement it for them. My son is one of those highly intelligent children that you mention. He just turned 6 and is about 2 years ahead in reading and math with only 6 months of homeschooling (and I use that word lightly lol) under his belt. I didn't do a darn thing other than have books and learning resources available to him whenever he wanted. No pressure, just opportunity. He is happy, thriving, and absolutely loves to learn. Those are my main goals for my own kids. My daughter would just create all day if I let her; she does do better with instruction, but not in the way public school offers it as she gets bored with routine VERY quickly (like her mother ). I think all parents have the best intentions when it comes to early education, but may need guidance finding the best path.  

Answer 7

Do children find it difficult to transition to a public school after being at a Montessori school? Where they have less say in the order of the day?  

Comments

@mycology84441 Small most kids tend to really thrive in kindergarten after Montessori. They need less direction. Montessori isn’t as hectic or unorganized as a lot of people think. It’s very well organized, just the tasks are presented differently.  

---

I was worried about that with my daughter but she did great!  

---

@redeem just curious about it we are trying to have a baby and whenever I see posts about schools and daycare I read them for future reference  I naturally am very unorganized so I wonder if that style would have been good for me or not. And then i envision a little me so just curious if it could have helped me.  

---

@mycology84441 Small check out this video, it’ll help!  
https://youtu.be/KZEdP_RZhhI

---

@redeem thanks!  

---

@mycology84441 Small hey there my daughter is 2. 5 and she has gone to both a regular daycare and a montessori daycare. They are very different from each other. I feel my daughter is absorbing so much in Montessori and I love the culture. There is a school right around the corner from south point called guide post. I am very pleased with their teachers who by the way are mastered level education. I will not put her in Montessori forever however at the toddler age I do feel it has been awesome. She is very independent always wants to clean up her mess put away her toys and loves story time. She can say her abcs and she can count to 10. I also feel the cleanliness is a huge difference the regular daycare was much less clean.  

---

@mycology84441 Small I did not have trouble transitioning work wise. I struggled in the sense I didn't want to move and switch schools so I resisted, but that had nothing to do with the type of school.  

---

@mycology84441 Callaghan Jackowski thanks!  

---

@odie0 thanks!  

---

I'm a teacher and many Montessori kids so have a hard time with the transition, especially the one who stay in past kindergarten. I taught middle school for 15 years and could usually pick out the Montessori kids.  

Answer 8

My daughter is now 6. 5, but she went to Montessori Children's Garden from 2 - nearly 6 years old. It provided a strong foundation for her and really instilled a love for learning. I now work at that school as one of the toddler teachers. Phrases you'll hear with Montessori are "follow the child" and "freedom within limits. " Follow the child basically means you're paying attention to their individuality and taking their lead on what it is they need. For example, when a toddler first starts in the classroom, there are many tears as it's typically the first time they're away from their caregiver. So we see if they respond better to a hug, just want to observe, can be distracted with a work, etc. Freedom within limits also ties in a lot with the "prepared environment. " The room is organized with shelves, and each shelf has a subject: language, math, science, sensorial, practical life, and art. Works (or what most call activities) are prepared on a tray or in a basket so the child can take the work to a table or a rug on the floor. The teachers are to think about the works ahead of time and make sure the classroom is organized, so that when children enter, they are free to choose a work from the shelf, and no matter what they choose, they can work on it focused and independently. We always strive for a peaceful environment with quiet music in the background, and Maria Montessori said that a teacher is successful when you could leave the room and the children would all continue to work. We obviously don't leave the room, but it's great when you can just be observing the children, and you're really gathering more information about their needs and where they're at. Finally, a HUGE piece of it is fostering independence. We let the child do as much as they can without getting frustrated. So they are self-dressing (a huge part of potty training), washing their own hands, eating with an open cup and fork, etc. Sorry I wrote a novel, but I could go on and on! Here's a video that's part of a series about setting up Montessori at home. Feel free to check out more of those on our page to get a better idea. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have!  

Comments

Here's a video of a child cleaning up after eating an orange as well. He's a young 2 in this video and I was silent the entire time I was recording and was not coaching him at all. He just knows what to do now! :)

---

@baklava10 omg!  that’s amazing I love it! I heard really good things too bad I couldn’t afford it when my son was little.  We found really good school too. But I would have to love to send him here.  

Answer 9

A lot of people have already covered the basics, but I’ll chime in to add that it’s a great choice if your kid is naturally independent. My daughter is about to turn 2 and she’s thriving in part-time Montessori daycare. It totally suits her personality because she wants to do everything herself anyway. There’s also an emphasis on the kids learning practical life skills from a very young age. My daughter can put laundry in the dryer, puts dirty dishes in the counter, can cut up soft foods like bananas. It’s awesome to see her feel so accomplished!  

Comments

@lor4002 that sounds greats  

Answer 10

It's basically a child-directed way of learning. The child has more of a choice in their own learning, though the teacher does have some input. It worked well for both of mine but it doesn't work for kids who do better in a more structured learning environment.  

Answer 11

We love love love Montessori! If you’re on the south side Montessori of Plainfield & Frankfort is amazing!  

Answer 12

I will add to my comment above. perhaps research Dr Maria Montessori and her philosophy to get a sense of the development research behind her method. It was initially created for ages 3-6 (called Children's House in the Montessori world) and then she added primary grades of 1-3. There are schools that extend beyond. And just to say again - I recommend looking for an accredited Montessori school. Their teachers go through a specific Montessori training and certification beyond their degree.  

Answer 13

My son attended “traditional” daycare and preschool and then public school for k-2 and throughout it all we noticed he did not do well with the teaching style or the structure. He visited an elementary Montessori classroom for 1 day and he said “I found my school”. Education, historically, has been shown to work best with hands on learning and practices more in line with Montessori principles, however that practice is labor intensive and needs high levels of resources. It’s hard to scale up to our public educational system. Instead we ended up with textbooks, bell schedules, and testing. My son transitioned back to public school in 7th grade. Some of his Montessori classmates transitioned easily and some did not. He did not as he was not used to using textbooks to learn or being timed for tasks, assessments, and learning. He missed the independence and research. He met resistance from teachers that insisted he do math on calculators when he still wanted to do it all by thinking it through (he actually went through 8th and 9th grade math hiding from teachers that he wasn’t using his calculator because it was easier for him). And quite honestly, he’s bored by public education after being in Montessori and he gravitated toward his teachers that challenge him and allow him with higher level thinking and that assign projects rather than busy work. I know this goes beyond preschool. It’s just another side/experience of Montessori.  

Answer 14

I thought I would love Montessori but when I went for a visit it was so unstructured I thought there is no way my kiddo would be able to transition in a a public school. The Compass school in Naperville is based on Reggio Emilia which is similar to Montessori but for me more structured. In the Montessori school I saw a child who was working on writing number she was on the floor on number 500. they said she gets to keep doing that until she is no longer interested. I wasn't a fan of that kind of approach. Often kids struggle with transitions. At Compass, they would have the kids vote on different topic they were interested in such as bugs or transportation then all the math, art, and language activities would be based on that topic. They would also work on these portfolios that would show their work throughout the year so you could really see their progress. My oldest really did well in this environment and it was a easy transition to public school. Best wishes on finding the best environment for your kiddo!  

Answer 15

Is Montessori only for preschool ages?  

Comments

@partain30 some go up through grade school

Answer 16

I would read “Montessori from the Start”. It was a great book that talks about raising a child from birth with a Montessori philosophy. I am a Montessori administrator and have worked at Montessori schools that include the infant age. It’s about independence and exploration and allowing your infant to explore their environment within a prepared environment which is age appropriate and not over stimulating for their age. On me if you want to know how to get started but really the book is all you need to understand the importance of that prepared environment.  

Comments

@coppock87 Craig-Somerlot are you in the area? I want to enroll my daughter in Montessori school. The earliest I could find is one starting at 15 months. She is 11 months.  

Answer 17

Wonderful approach for the elementary years, but can lack the structure some students need to be competitive in middle-upper school. A lot of schools claim to be Montessori but are not quality examples of the method. Do your own research before deciding. Rogers Park Montessori on the north side of the city has a phenomenal program and has highly trained teachers who are dedicated to the Montessori Method. It would be a great place to just tour if you’re serious about the investment.  

Comments

@steapsin Pablo Rodgers Park is Amazing! Alcuin Montessori (the oldest in the area) is authentic. Seton Montessori is fantastic. But these are not next door. DuPage is great, Carmel is wonderful. Intrinsic motivation is what a good a Montessori should offer and an environment that encourages children to be life long learners without “competitive” academic pressure. Good luck. If you are looking for an infant program (6+ weeks) lol at Seton Montessori. If you are are looking for a program for toilet trained 3 + year old then there are several options in the area. It is really high school that becomes more of a challenge. There is Carmel Montessori or Beacon in Evanston.