Why Montessori?

A friend of my sister-in-law’s commented on my last post and suggested that I write a post on why I chose Montessori for Bennett over other programs.

I had decided that I would just comment back with my explanation since there wasn’t any really great research or comparison done. But then I started writing the comment and it started getting long and I realized, hey – why not make it a post? So here we are.

There are 4 main reasons for our choice.

Number 1: My Personal Experience

I went back and read my first post about Montessori and realized I didn’t exactly make it very clear that I went to the same school when I was Bennett’s age. Actually I think I may have been 2, because they didn't accept children under the age of 2 at that time. The director of the school is the same woman that was the director and my teacher when I was there, so I have a great deal of trust in her and the school. They have expanded from one building to three buildings over the years, but it makes me happy to know that Bennett's classroom is in the building that I went to long ago.

I didn't do any research on any other programs simply because I always knew I wanted him to have the experience I had at Montessori. When I started public school in first grade, I was one of the first students (and the only first grader) in my school to be involved in the gifted program called "program challenge." I continued to excel in school and have no doubt that it was in part due to my experience at Montessori School.

I can't remember ever not wanting to go there. The teachers were all very loving and encouraging, and I made some very good friends there (who also excelled in school later).

Number 2: The Language

The fact that my high school Spanish class was an absolute breeze can certainly be attributed to my Montessori experience. I have no knowledge of other Montessori schools' faculty, but the one I attended happened to consist of about 90% Latin American teachers. Spanish was spoken almost as much as English, and it was a huge part of the curriculum. Now more than ever, that is so important. I was very pleased to find it was still the same when I visited the school when Bennett was still an infant.

Number 3: The Environment

When I visited, I sat in on a couple classes and was amazed at how quiet the classrooms were. The children were so calm and content in what they were doing, and the teachers were soft-spoken and composed. Of course I'm sure they were on their best behavior, knowing there was a potential parent in the room, but since Bennett has started, I have never once heard a raised voice in the place.

The teachers appear to have the utmost respect for the children, the parents and for one another. It feels like you are a part of a very loving family when you go there. I know I am a little biased, having been a part of it so long ago and having such fond memories of the school, but I just can't stress how very comfortable I am leaving my child there. Right now as I type this I have a warm feeling in my heart, just thinking of the school and the staff.

Number 4: The Curriculum

I know each school/daycare/learning center has their own curriculum and approach to education that they feel is the best way. I'm sure if each parent had the knowledge and could choose, they would take bits and pieces from each and make the best curriculum for their child.

The thing I love about the Montessori method is that they focus on practical skills that the children will use everyday. There are activities that involve spooning beans or other small objects from one dish to another. This seems so simple, but it is a fun thing for the children to do (one of my clearest memories) and it does wonders for their hand eye coordination. Especially for Bennett and the smaller children who are just learning to use utensils to feed themselves.

All of the "toys" are educational. Every single item in the classroom has a purpose for being there. There aren't balls lying around or rocking horses; the children do not just play while they're there. While I can say that my cousin's Kids R Kids in Mableton is the same way, I think I can safely say that there are plenty of centers that just keep the kids happy until their parents come to get them.

In Bennett's classroom, they bathe baby dolls and dress them, wash their clothes and hang them out to dry. They take turns holding the snack tray and passing them out at snack time. Others then gather the plates and trash from snack and clean up the area. It's everyday things like this that children should learn at such an early age. My last post was about how Bennett now carries his dishes to the sink after every meal. I hate to say it, but I didn't teach him that. And if you read this recent post, you know that he's really only been there for a total of 7 days. I think it's phenomenal that he is already applying what he has learned there at home.

While I do plan to return to work, that is not the reason that we enrolled Bennett in Montessori School. It wasn't out of neccessity that we chose this program for him. It was a mutual decision that we wanted him to be a part of the Montessori program at such an early age.

Now the question is, how long does he stay in? At what point do we take him out and start public school? Do we start public school at all or try to afford private school? While I'm completely satisfied with our situation at the moment, we definitely have some bridges to cross down the road.