Choosing A Montessori Education

Montessori or Public Kindergarten

When making the difficult decision of where to enroll your child in Kindergarten, observe

both programs carefully and try to evaluate the influence each might have on your child.

Do not hesitate to observe in both. The exercise of this legitimate right of parents is the

only way that you can get the first-hand information necessary to make a wise decision.

Begin by observing your four-year-old child in the Montessori classroom during the spring

months. Is he comfortable and happy? How does he interact with the other children?

How long can he concentrate? Which math operations is he able to perform? What

reading or language activities has he begun?

Next, visit the public Kindergarten your child could attend. What are their goals and

expected outcomes? Are all children generally engaged and enjoying what they are

doing? What are they learning? How are new concepts introduced? What math or

reading exercises are available as the next step to what your child is doing right now?

Are there opportunities for independent work, creativity and leadership? Assess the

environment. Could your child thrive there?

The next step in this sequence is to re-visit the Montessori school. This time, rather than

watching your own child, look at the classroom as a whole. What are the five-year-old

children doing? How do they compare with the children in the public school? What are

they doing in Math and Reading? Are they leaders? Are they self-confident? Is the

classroom a happy place, conducive to learning?

After this series of observations, give careful consideration to the long-range as well as to

the immediate advantages of one program over another. The “right now” benefits of

choosing a public school program, such as the relief from tuition and transportation

responsibilities are often very obvious to parents. The long-range benefits of another year

of Montessori are sometimes more subtle and difficult to recognize. Unwittingly, some

parents give up substantial long-term benfits for motives that are not always

educationally sound.

The Montessori curriculum is based on a three-year cycle. Each year builds upon the last

one, giving the children a solid foundation. The third and final year is a culmination and

integration of all that the children have learned in the prepared Montessori environment.

It is during this third year that the child becomes a “leader” in the classroom. The third

year allows the child to develop those leadership skills that will last a lifetime.

Five-year-olds in the Montessori classroom often help the younger children by modeling

appropriate behavior, and by tutoring and giving lessons.

Current research suggests that peer teaching is a very powerful way to encourage

subject mastery. One must truly understand a subject before it can be taught to another.

The Montessori classroom is a rich environment that has been specifically designed to

prepare the young child to “learn how to learn”. It is developmentally appropriate and is

in direct concert with what is being learned.

According to current research, hands-on experiential learning is the most effective

means of helping children not just memorize, but truly understand.

The concrete experiences and opportunities for exploration that the children receive in

their first two years prepare them for the abstract academic concepts that they learn in

the third year. Montessori is not based on superficial information – it involves a real

understanding of the processes in which the child is working.

Five-year-old Montessori children are normally autonomous, enthusiastic, and engaged

learners. They are excited about school and the learning process. Montessori children

who move on to other Grade One programs are commonly described as eager learners.

This is largely a result of the way children in a Montessori classroom are treated – with

honesty and respect – they are allowed to ask questions and to be active participants in

their learning. These are children who are becoming independent learners.

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