This is an update to a previous post I wrote about Montessori Education for my Preschooler. I enrolled my daughter in a Montessori Toddler program when she was 2 1/2. The toddler program was excellent! She loved going to school and always had a smile on her face when I picked her up. She learned to paint, stamp, cut with scissors, care for plants, sweep with a broom and dust pan, draw shapes, match like items, pour, etc…
This year she started the Primary program for children ages 3 to 6 and I am so pleased with her development in such a short period of time (only 2 months in). She is writing most of the letters in her name, read the word “Boo” yesterday, draws a stick figure (all parts in their appropriate places!), and countless other skills that I am not yet aware of. However I am finding certain challenges that I would like to share that may be unique to a child in a Montessori environment versus a traditional environment. And for those of you with experience in Montessori environments, I would love to hear your thoughts and advice.
Social Development “Hiccups”
It is customary in a Montessori school for younger children to be grouped with older children within the same class. The belief is that children learn a lot from their peers and also gradually learn to become leaders once they have an opportunity to follow. It also helps encourage self esteem and allows for a greater level of social development by learning how to get along with children who may be older or younger. This is where our first challenge has come to pass. I’ve noticed her behavior when she comes home reflects frustration she has experienced during the day, especially on days when she’s been on the playground at school. I’m thinking it’s because this is the time when they are encouraged to work on social development and any altercations that may arise between children are to be handled by the children themselves with little adult intervention. Well, at 3 1/2, my daughter does not have the experience or fortitude that a 6 year old has in certain social situations. She also happens to be sensitive when it comes to her relationships with other children and gets her feelings hurt quite easily. She doesn’t quite know how to express this to me and that’s where her frustration comes to a head. In the afternoons it’s one tantrum after another from a child who in the past has been very easy going. I know this will eventually pass and is necessary to her social development but in the meantime, any suggestions for how to get through it would be greatly appreciated!
What Did You Do Today?
Montessori Education is a self-directed environment and therefore each child does different work according to their personal stage of development. There is no class sylabus or schedule. As a result many days I’m left wondering how my daughter spent her time at school. Occasionally she brings home her work, such as drawings and craft projects, however these are the only tangible items from her day. I ask her questions about what work she did, but the responses are brief (she is afterall only 3 1/2). I know that so much more goes on for her and it seems that the older she gets, the less I am involved in her day-to-day (I know…it’s just the reality of being a parent!). However because of the nature of Montessori it seems much more magnified. We are encouraged as parents to visit the classroom for an observation but it still isn’t enough for me. It’s not that I’m concerned about her safety or productivity while at school, but rather I want to know what she does every day and every SECOND of the day. Oh to be a fly on the wall…
Overall I’m very pleased with the Montessori Environment. It may not be for everyone but it works for us. Want to know more? The following is a list of resources to learn more about the Montessori Method and things you can do at home to help facilitate your child’s development.
Resources
Montessori.edu
Association Montessori Internationale
How To Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way
The Montessori Method
Hi…my son is in his 2nd year of Montessori school (primary, he’s 4). Our family experience has been great. We have a Directress/Assistant that are very informative. You have to be willing to simply ask when you pick up your child (unless of course they ride the bus home). There are about 30 kids in a class…and for them to give a daily update for all of them would be exhausting…so when I pick up my son I get feedback several times a week. Do you have parent/teacher conferences? Let them know you’d like more feedback then. Hope this helps! Lisa
I am very interested in sending my son to Montessori pre-school. Thanks for sharing this; it was very helpful.
I used to work at a Montessori based preschool and also found that a lot fo the frustration the children and teachers (and apparently parents!) were having was based upon the social interactions. The school I worked at was aged 2-5 and the two year olds needed a lot more teacher interactions to aid the social development than we could give, and a lot of 4 and 5 year olds still needed this same base. I am going to open up an infant/toddler program with a base in Montessori (purely because it was how I was trained-in that school) but to try and combat that problem I will be keeping the number per adult small.
Also, to alieviate the problem with the schedule, the school I worked at created a basic schedule with a lot of “free choice time” instead of everyone having to be doing this at this time or getting free reign. Of course, if a child doesn’t feel like circle time then we won’t force them!
I’m glad someone brought about these potential issues because they need to be addressed. Ultimately, no one way of teaching should be the “right way”, but more of a mixture of all. But, like you said, she is learning a great deal!