Montessori Schools -- Good or Bad?

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I’ve just been asked to donate an item to a fund raising raffle for a Montessori school. Being single with no children, I have no idea if donating to this type of school is a good idea or not, and why. Any parents out there with any insight to share?

Thanks in advance,

~~ the phoenix
 
As a teacher, I’m not really sold on the Montessori method. I think it works best for preschool children and possibly Kindergarten. It does not work as well for school-age children because in practice, the concepts they absorb through play or self-directed independent activities with manipulatives aren’t always explained to them later. It’s like showing a kid a pyramid and expecting them to notice, fully understand, and remember that all the sides are equal without ever telling them. This is why the true Montessori method is rarely used as children move up through grades - they have to incorporate traditional teaching methods or the children won’t learn the large amounts of information they need as they progress. When properly used, however, I think the method can be effective for certain children in the younger grades.

There’s nothing wrong with donating money to a Montessori school, though! There are children there who need funding for school supplies and activities just like at any other school.
 
Our son went to a small Montessori preschool that was run in a very family-oriented way. As an observant Catholic, I never noticed anything that would be troublesome from a moral or religious perspective. We also visited a larger Montessori preschool that was organized into classrooms, but decided we preferred the smaller family-run environment.

The outcomes of that preschool were that our son was reading quite well before he entered public school kindergarten and was considered very well-behaved and well-mannered by all his subsequent teachers. Our parish pastor is also extremely complimentary of him for his contributions to CCD activities and choir. (In fact, I am planning to donate a bunch of toys and books to them this week after the latest round of cleaning out our basement.)

Praying for us all,
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We also sent our daughter to a montessori preschool, and loved it. We probably would have continued through at least kindergarten, but we moved before the start of that school year.
 
In learning about education I realized that most countries outside of the US think we’re nuts for how early we introduce former education to children. In some contries they don’t teach kids to read until they are 7 or 8. By age 14 they test the same or better than “average” kids who started schooling at 4 or 5. It is actually better for boys.

Everyone has their own opinions on education. Mine is that the less formalized schooling before 7 or 8 the better. I think the Montessori schools are WONDERFUL in this regard because they encourage kids to be kids and use their own facilities to explore, learn and grow.
 
the_phoenix said:
I’ve just been asked to donate an item to a fund raising raffle for a Montessori school. Being single with no children, I have no idea if donating to this type of school is a good idea or not, and why. Any parents out there with any insight to share?

Thanks in advance,

~~ the phoenix
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A little background: Maria Montessori was an Italian Catholic physician who started schools for underpriveledged children with learning disabilities about a hundred years ago, at the turn of the 20th century. She was a Catholic who taught in a very Catholic country. She even wrote a book called “The Mass Explained to Children”.

Her methods–and variations on her methods–are now widely used in various educational settings, often in pre-schools as others mentioned. However, few Montessori schools in the US are Catholic, and the religious elements are not usually present in schools that claim to be Montessori schools. (I wonder what Maria Montessori would think of that?)

There are Montessori organizations that oversee some of the schools that use her methods, but membership is voluntary. The name “Montessori” implies a certain style and a certain quality, but there is no guarrantees based on the use of that name alone. I have no idea about the particular school is that asked you for a donation. You cannot tell how good or bad a school is based on the term “Montessori” alone.
 
“Unschooling” movements in general often stem from the thought of the Enlightenment, particularly Rosseau. Needless to say, the Enlightenment was very anti-Catholic. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all aspects of the movement are bad. The problem with just letting your children experience things on their own and educate themselves is that there is no guarantee, with our fallen human nature, that they will do so.

I’m not terribly familiar with Montessori in particular.
 
We sent my daughter to a Montessori school pre-school through fourth grade with most excellent results. She learned to read at 4 and still has outstanding critical thinking skills that her public school teacher remarked on. I would recommend it to anyone who can afford it.
 
Montessori Benefits

It is said that Montessori teaches a child “how to learn instead of just what to learn”.

Here are some of the reasons why the Montessori Method will benefit your child:
  1. Allows the child to acquire habits of initiative, concentration and self-discipline.
  2. Promotes the child to work at his or her own pace.
  3. Emphasizes order while the children is learning.
  4. Establishes the foundation for reading, writing and math.
  5. Teaches respect and dignity to the child.
  6. Develops positive self-esteem through personal achievement.
cypresscreekmontessorifrisco.com/montessori.php
 
My daughter is going there and it is truly a great school for her. So yes, it is good.
 
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