Montessori (Method) Education

  • Thread starter Thread starter prophetdaniel
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
P

prophetdaniel

Guest
Any thoughts? Are there major differences with schools that are religious based?
 
The Montessori method was something I studied heavily when I was in college to be a pre school teacher. It’s a different way of learning, but I think as a child I definitely would have preferred it to “normal” education.

It was at least interesting to study.
 
40.png
prophetdaniel:
Any thoughts? Are there major differences with schools that are religious based?
Click to expand...
My daughter is using the Montessori method with her children. I’m afraid I haven’t studied the method very much myself, but from what I see of her children, it appears to be a very good method. Her children are young yet, so much remains to be seen, but they have certainly gotten a good start in life, and are very happy and well-adjusted.

The only problem I can see is that it is very counter-cultural. It is my daughter’s intention to remain as close to Maria Montessori’s original method, and not to the modern adapations. It requires a lot of self-discipline, and time. They use TV and radio only for very special occasions, and the children don’t pay much attention to it. They actually don’t keep up with the news, and I don’t see that they are any worse off for it.

As for religious schools – all that I have attended and been acquainted with are organized on the same model as public schools. From what I’ve read and experienced with my daughter, it seems to me that Catholic schools would be better if they would organize themselves on the Montessori Method.

As I’ve noted earlier, Montessori is counter-cultural, and that is what we as Catholics should be. From what I read in this forum it seems to me that Catholics have gotten too adjusted to the culture we live in and don’t even realize it. We’ve gotten the beliefs of the Church mixed up with the beliefs of our non-Catholic culture.

God grant you peace,
Ruthmary
 
I was not sure how to answer this Poll. My children have been in Montessori Pre-schools and a Montessori-orientated primary school. When we decided to homeschool I gave up my job to become their ‘teacher’. Montessorians would say ‘director’ or ‘directoress’. We use as much of the Montessori method as possible and I have a number of Monetssori courses that I use. So in that sense I am a Montessori educator without being certified.

Maria Montessori was an absolute genuis at least 100 years before her time. Only to-day with the ability to conduct advanced brain scans are we finding out that almost everything that she said about child development 100 years ago is true.

This is the most ‘Catholic’ educational system that I have come across.

The Montessori Catholic Council (transporter.com/mcc/montcath.htm) gives a lot of information about Montessori and Catholicism.

God Bless

Christopher
 
I have read her book recently “The Montessori Method,” by the great lady herself. It is very inspiring. I took some of her suggestions and ideas and will implement them in my homeschool.

It’s very child-led learning, and in her opinion, a child will learn anything when ready, and the teacher should behave as more of an experimental psychologist than a teacher. You present the child with something to learn, and if they make a mistake, you do not correct or scold, you simply put away and try again another time.

I would recommend the book highly to anyone interested in a Montessori school or in homeschooling, not in the “school-at-home” way.
 
My son has been in a Montessori School for the last 3 years. I really like their way of learning and teaching. It is more hands on and works with the senses. And the child works at his or her own pace.

My son has learnt to do things for himself as well think things out.
He will be in the Montessori Program for another 2 years (Grade 1 & 2) before he joins St Michael’s Choir School in Grade 3.

At 6 ds is an independent child. He is reading and writing and constantly doing additions, subtractions, multiplication and division in his mind. Has a vast vocabulary. All this he would not be doing at this age if he were in a normal school.

We have worked on our faith, prayers and bible stories at home, so he has not missed out there.
 
My two oldest kids went to Montessori for preschool / kindergarten and then went on to traditional public schools. I think it was a great start for them. They developed a lot of independence and good manners there. I still remember the wonderful little prayer that they said everyday before lunch:

Help us as we work and play
to grow more loving in every way
Amen!

My daughter’s class would also say it in Spanish.

My youngest sister also went to Montessori for preschool / kindergarten and she has turned out to be a fabulous lifelong
learner and a very well-rounded adult.

I highly recommend Montessori.
 
I love Montessori education! My son has grown in his spiritual life, emotional ly more patient and mature, and the actual educational stuff has allowed him to learn at his rate (fast) and not hold him back. They really respect the absorbent mind. They also respect children and children and not small adults.

I do not know as much about secular Montessori, but the one we send our son to expects moral behaviors. The kids are really great at this school and I couldn’t recommend a better type of education.
here is a link to our little school’s website qams.org/

perhaps that site can answer some of your questions.
 
I would be interested to know if anyone has read “The Mass: Explained to Children” by Ms. Montessori. I would be thrilled to read it but I cannot find a cheap copy.
 
I don’t think Montessori is great for all kids. Some children pick up very rude, disrespectful behavior when they aren’t corrected by adults and are taught to think “outside” the box all the time.

I know this is just one case, but I taught a CCD class (3rd grade) with one very smart boy who happened to go to Montessori school. He was forever interrupting me and the other teacher, disrupting the class, challenging what we were teaching. The other teacher and I agreed that he wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, but that his Montessori teachers had done him a great disservice by putting up with his lack of respect for adults.

There are important things to take from Montessori learning, but for most children, I don’t think exclusive Montessori education is the best way to go.
 
My four children attend montessori. It is a public colaborative school so it does not have religion in it any where.

I think that Montessori is great for all learners. They are grouped by grades so if they are ahead, they can go ahead and if they are behind they can work behind.

It’s much different than the public schools where everyone sits in a desk and listens to the teacher. There are times like this in the montessori classroom but most of the time children are learning at their own speed.

Funny that I should be a strong supporter of this program and be a public school music teacher.😃
 
This method seems very much “creativity centered”, though possibly often times, spiritually lacking, typical among many schools. You, as a parent, have to decide which is more important and if there is someplace that offers both. I say check out all the local schools near you before you decide.

Good Luck~~:)
 
I’ll never forget my first exposure to a Montessori student: When I was in the fifth grade, we got a transfer student whose entire education to date was in a Montessori school. One day, during the first week of school, he got up from his desk in the middle of a science class and walked over to look at a display in the back of the room, completely ignoring the teacher! You could almost see the question mark over everyone else’s head… check out the new kid…what is he doing???

The teacher had to ask him to take his seat, and he was very surprised when she did it!

Pete
 
40.png
vluvski:
I don’t think Montessori is great for all kids. Some children pick up very rude, disrespectful behavior when they aren’t corrected by adults and are taught to think “outside” the box all the time.

I know this is just one case, but I taught a CCD class (3rd grade) with one very smart boy who happened to go to Montessori school. He was forever interrupting me and the other teacher, disrupting the class, challenging what we were teaching. The other teacher and I agreed that he wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, but that his Montessori teachers had done him a great disservice by putting up with his lack of respect for adults.

There are important things to take from Montessori learning, but for most children, I don’t think exclusive Montessori education is the best way to go.
Click to expand...
It’s totally unfair to base a critique of a whole method of teaching by one student. Do you as a Catholic want to have the whole Church judged by one Catholic?

The Montessori method does not teach disrespect for adults. In fact, just the opposite: Montessori teaches complete respect for everyone. There are Montessori schools that are only loosely based on Maria Montessori’s teachings, one of which this child may have been a product. And each person has his own personality. Your post sounds as though you have a bias against Montessori. Are students taught in the present public school method of teaching perfect little angels? I think not.
 
40.png
sparkle:
This method seems very much “creativity centered”, though possibly often times, spiritually lacking, typical among many schools. You, as a parent, have to decide which is more important and if there is someplace that offers both. I say check out all the local schools near you before you decide.

Good Luck~~:)
Click to expand...
Since there is no requirement for schools which are based on Montessori methods to use all or any certain parts of what she believed, “Montessori schools” are all over the board, so it’s hard to know what is true Montessori. With U.S. society’s insistence on public education being secular, even Montessori schools remove spirituality from their curriculum. It is my personal belief that Maria Montessori would not be happy about this. She believed that a child’s physical and spiritual sides were both integral parts of his whole being.

“Language and religion are the two characteristics of every group of men . . . if we lack religion we lack something fundamental for the development of man”. Maria Montessori (The child, society and the world; chapter 3).

“If you have not got a vision of the child’s soul, you cannot help it in its development”. (The Child, society and the world; chapter 3: On recurring themes).
 
40.png
Pete2:
I’ll never forget my first exposure to a Montessori student: When I was in the fifth grade, we got a transfer student whose entire education to date was in a Montessori school. One day, during the first week of school, he got up from his desk in the middle of a science class and walked over to look at a display in the back of the room, completely ignoring the teacher! You could almost see the question mark over everyone else’s head… check out the new kid…what is he doing???

The teacher had to ask him to take his seat, and he was very surprised when she did it!

Pete
Click to expand...
If the child didn’t know the rules, that’s one thing, and I don’t think he should be faulted for that. The question is, was he obedient to the teacher? Did he learn the new rules he was expected to obey?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top