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134 Comments
- jcblitz, on 10/11/2007, -6/+56I went to Montessori school as a child and don't really remember it, just a few bits and pieces. But after reading that article, some things I do now are starting to make more sense to me. This is paragraph in particular:
"By the end of kindergarten, the Montessori students outscored the others on standardized tests of reading and math, treated each other better on the playground, and "showed more concern for fairness and justice." By the end of elementary school, the test-score gap closed. But the Montessori kids "wrote more creative essays with more complex sentence structures," responded better to social dilemmas, and were more likely to say they felt a sense of community at school." - jemass, on 10/11/2007, -0/+48I am an elementary Montessori teacher and also have experience teaching in a traditional classroom. The reason the test scores get closer together towards high school between Montessori and non-Montessori children is because those children ONLY went to Montessori for three years in pre-school. If they stopped attending a Montessori school when they were 5 years old, then it makes sense that 12 years down the road their advantage will not be so strong. If you wanted to look up these studies, look up the researcher Angelina Lillard or look on www.montessori-ami.org which is the official website for Montessori International.
- Oculus, on 10/11/2007, -20/+51"We drop the kids off outside the door and are tolerated inside rarely and briefly."
ANY place, I don't care if it's a school or any sort of institution, that does not allow me to come in and see what they're doing with my child any time I please, is not a place I want my kid. In my schools, there were usually parent volunteers in the majority of classes. I imagine teachers think a little harder about what they say or do with a parent or two sitting next to them. Parents were also allowed to walk through the school and look through the windows to see how classes were going as long as they didn't disrupt a class. I like having those options. - Kingfisherx, on 10/11/2007, -1/+30Most of the instructors renowned for teaching and training people from a young age to be brilliant people, whether physically or mentally, have this rule. Simply because having a parent in the room screws up the child's ability to focus. The child spends part of his/her time worrying about doing something wrong in front of the parent instead of having their complete focus on the task at hand.
- BillDoor, on 10/11/2007, -1/+29Sorry to bust your bubble but Montessori education predates hippies by a good 60 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori
- jemass, on 10/11/2007, -1/+22Generally speaking, when children are young and their parents drop them off at school, the parents also have separation issues and tend to stay too long, trying to talk to the teacher (so she is not doing her job with the students), talking to other parents, fawning over their child who really needs to get into his/her school day. This is inappropriate and gets in the way of a smooth transition for the child's work day. I have never heard of a Montessori school which forbade parents from entering the building in the morning and I think it is highly unlikely. In Montessori, parents are encouraged to learn more about the method by reading the books (which barely anymore does, honestly), attending parent education seminars (which a few do, but it is always the same ones- usually the ones who read the books) and by coming to the classroom for a very structured observation session. It is up to the parent to educate him/herself on Montessori and not to hang around the classroom at inappropriate times, which interferes with the learning process of the children, since it is distracting.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -2/+22I went to Montessori school as a kid, and I plan to send my children to one also. It's a great method of learning.
- tropican8, on 10/11/2007, -5/+25"The biggest problem for American Montessori education at the moment may be about identification. Any school can call itself a Montessori school, which doesn't bode well for quality control."
As someone who went to a pre-through-8 Montessori school, I would like to say that this is first and foremost the biggest problem. There were virtually no standards or benchmarks of any kind set on the students past fifth grade. The alternative methods for learning math caused considerable problems when the more intelligent kids wanted to move forward to advanced algebra. The necessary transition to normal textbooks was not facilitated at all by the teachers, and I have many memories of classmates not being able to actually interpret or follow examples given in books, or not knowing basic shortcuts with the fundamentals because more "hands-on" methods were favored in the early years.
Also most Montessori schools do not believe in a grading until 7-8 grade, resulting in students not knowing how to handle the basic pressures that tests and large assignments can produce. That in combination with the above results in miserable and competitive middle school students.
Oh, and did I mention the fact that there's no homework? While this might seem good, as most schools load on the busywork, it's hell for a private school. Why? Because most of the parents who enroll their kids in private schools are wary of the public school system and plan send them to preparatory schools afterward. Boarding and Country Day schools are notorious for dumping as much work as possible on students in order to teach them how to "compartmentalize" their time. If a kid being sent there doesn't even have the basics public schools teach, he will crash and burn. - Porkinsred6, on 10/11/2007, -2/+21Maybe there is something wrong with the amount of work that the school system puts upon its kids, not that Montessori schools dont give enough
- beijingdave, on 10/11/2007, -1/+18We've been living abroad for the past couple years and our daughter goes to an IBO (international baccalaureate) school. Like Montessori, IBO has a passionate, almost cult-like following. I must confess, that after a couple years...I'm sold too.
If the US public education system would adopt some of these teaching methods and principles, we'd be much better off. But unfortunately, the US government is going in the wrong direction with programs like No Child Left Behind which create kids who are good at taking tests to the exclusion of thinking, understanding, or caring. - ackza, on 10/11/2007, -2/+16"Montessori classrooms, with their silver candlesticks (for polishing), beautiful toylike cubes, and child-size shelves and bins, seemed like the perfect romantic alternative to boring workbooks and rows of desks."
Is this an explanation for why companies like Google employ bright colors in their work space with large spaces to explore, also things like riding a bicycle or skateboard in the building or installing huge snack bars (complete with m&m dispensers where employees start to gain weight).
Maybe in the end one should realize that the office/corporate environment is still a place where you are always learning - MrBabyMan, on 10/11/2007, -1/+14I know someone who was so institutionalized by Waldorf education that when he finally attended public school he couldn't perform basic arithmetic without the aid of his little Waldorf acorn cap dolls laid out on his desk. As you can imagine, he got the snot beat out of him regularly.
- dbora, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13It really depends on the school. My daughter is entering 4th grade, her 7th year at a Montessori school and parents, and grandparents, are always welcome to observe -they're actively encouraged. One of the ideas behind Mont. is to engender love of learning, self directed work habits. When a parent comes in the room it should not disturb the kids at all, they should be able to continue their work undistracted.
I was going to pull her out before 1st grade and send her to public school but then I had the fortune of having her and my public school educated nephew in the same room one night. I started asking basic questions about science and grammar; my daughter blew doors, the nephew was lost. At 7 years old, my daughter could diagram a sentence and be a freak show at parties with her encyclopedic knowledge of the afore mentioned subjects.
Another thing to note, my daughter's best friend moved to public school and just took the Iowa test -scored 100%. She's a bright kid, I'll give her that but about par for our school.
My wife is completing her Montessori cert. and one thing she constantly tells people (tongue firmly in cheek) is that Montessori is not a cult. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -4/+16@linkedlist:
No, they said the score gap narrowed in secondary school, not closed. The mention of greater complexity in thoughts and words confirms it. True, the gap probably narrows further by graduation, but what about the aspects of a young adult that don't show up on standardized tests? How self-aware are our graduates? How empathic? Do they have a sense of justice and duty? A school should reflect the way we want society to be tomorrow, not the way it is today.
It is, as you say, however, a very positive article in the extreme. If it's too good to be true, it's probably too good to be true. There's a catch here somewhere. The trick will be exposing it. - geronimo, on 10/11/2007, -8/+18Dirty hippies who are way more successful than you will ever be.
- hans0, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10I, too, went to a Montessori school. I remember there were never tests, and one never got an A+ or D-. And yet, when I went to a public school (public as in government funded) I was at the top of my class (around 30 kids).
But the most important thing that I consider is how the Montessori method (or philosophy) can really bring values into people. Values like respect, responsibility, etc. I'm not saying that other schools don't do that, but up to this day Montessori schools are the only ones where I've really seen this values. And, yes, I have worked in Montessori schools now as an adult. - Porkinsred6, on 10/11/2007, -6/+15I agree. Having the right to see your children in school is very important. I certainly wouldn't feel very comfortable sending my child to class without knowing full well what was going on inside the building, but you cant argue with the results. There is a local Montessori school in the town in which i live, with only about 20 to 30 students. About half of these students have parents that are friends or acquaintance's of mine, an i must say, their kids are special. Maybe its something the school does, or something the teachers are doing. I am a full on supporter of public schools, after all, that's what i went through and i turned out ok. But these schools are very interesting, definitely worth looking into.
- pubbie, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9I went to a montessori school from 4th through 6th grade, I can recall that every week was dedicated to an artist and in that week we would read about their lives, listen to their music/look at their art and so on. I liked having free reign and being able to run around and study whatever subject I wanted to. Also, I think, once a day we had some sort of lecture... It was lots of fun. Oh, and we sat in a circle in a big room maybe once a day and talked about stuff (cant remember what the subjects were). If it is possible I will send my kids to montessori school, thats how much I enjoyed it.
- Illidan, on 10/11/2007, -2/+10@kmye, they accounted for this in the test - both groups tried to send their kids, the public school kids lost the lottery.
- cliffzdude, on 10/11/2007, -4/+12At least in the US, Montessori schools are by and large private. Private schools of any type have two huge advantages over any puplic schools. Firstly they don't accept special needs kids, actually many don't accept average kids, they only take bright kids up to uber genius. Do you think that helps with test scores? Secondly, kids whose parents put them into a private school are, on average more apt to participate in their child's education.
In all reality a child's parents make the difference with their education. Take good parents and a ***** school and they'll do what it takes to prepare their little one for college. Take ***** parents and the best schools out there and the kid will be far more apt to fail. - johnnykwest, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7We've got our daughter in a Montessori school right now. Being shut out is the exact opposite of my experience at my daughter's school. In fact, we are encouraged to get involved. One of the things that convinced me to put her in this school was their view that the parent's involvement and the parent's responsibility to participate was vital to the child's success.
And yes, the biggest problem with the Montessori system (up here in Canada anyway) is standardization and quality control. If you find a good one, the experience is wonderful, but you have to examine them, and not just blindly enroll.
I have found that my daughter's school encourages responsibility, a good work ethic and respect for others. And while I think you can get this from the public school system (I was publicly schooled all my life), it is much more difficult. Either way, the parent's make all the difference. - KMye, on 10/11/2007, -7/+13I went to a brilliant school in SLC, of all places, which, though it wasn't a Montessori school, had us doing multiplication tables in preschool. It was my parents' choice to send me there, and I believe that that school advanced my development very well. However, I would wager that a significant portion of the bump in the performance of Montessori students, as was mine, is due to the parents' existing disposition. If they care enough to pay to send their children to a certain preschool or kindergarten, this reflects an existing focus on education, which I'm sure is reflected at home. I'm not trying to discount a Montessori education's influence on children at all, but the parents' influence should be factored into its overall effect.
- jemass, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Montessori advocated respect for the child, not interfering in the natural development of the child, and giving the child the tools he needs to learn at his own pace, following his own interest. It stands to reason that if a child is interested in what he is working on, he will be engaged at a higher level of concentration, which means he will learn the concept that much better. Since children are allowed to choose their work and work on what they want for as long as they want, they are optimally engaged. In traditional schools, children have to wait for the slowest one in the class or wait for a topic they like to come along, which means they often get bored and act up, making learning difficult for everyone else. Montessori education also is peace education. It advocated respect and empathy for others and emphasizes that we are all part of one human race. This is partly why competition is not encouraged. Competition is also discouraged because a Montessori child learns and explores because he is curious and wants to satisfy a need within himself. Through Montessori work activities, the child builds who he is and creates in internal balance. Well adjusted Montessori children are polite, curious, compassionate, driven, energized about learning and independent. They are not agressive, lazy, or clingy.
- SilverhammerMBA, on 10/11/2007, -3/+9True, the article is a little lacking in support but I don't think that it's trying to prove Montessori teaching vastly superior. Even if Montessori teaching proved completely equal to public school methods as far as results go, I would still want my children in a Montessori school because it's more creative and it's a form of education that children actually enjoy. And one can't complain about lack of solid proof too much because there are many aspects of learning that are very difficult to measure: creativity, social skills, work ethic, leadership, etc.
Having been educated in a Montessori school from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade, I can attest to the effectiveness of Montessori's methods.
In addition, while public schools are rigorously standardized, there exists no such system for Montessori schools. I know of a few "Montessori Schools" myself that are even more oppressively educational than public ones and in many aspects directly oppose the lessons of Montessori. This can lead to problems when trying to evaluate Montessori schools as a whole. - naughtyboy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6I don't believe you. You misspelled Montessori.
A Montessori pupil would never do that. :P - nogs00, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5this sounds more like a practice of /that/ Montessori school. i have been around several of these institutions and not a single one of them has required the same thing... it's not the schools philosophy to shut people out.
you must have forgotten about the "virtually no standards or benchmarks of any kind" that applies to the way academics are run in American schools, but jumped to the conclusion that somehow, they did standardize banning parents all across the board?? - CaptMonkey, on 10/11/2007, -5/+10I have to agree with some of the comments above, while it sounds interesting, the article was pretty slanted towards the Montessori Method. I think one thing that I never really see mentioned when people are arguing for or against a type of school (public, private, home school, etc.) is that children who have parents who actually care about their kid's education are likely to succeed regardless of the school type. I think this is one reason that children in special schools tend to have higher test scores; the kids in those schools have parents who are taking an active role in their child's education. Meanwhile, in public schools, you have a mix of children whose parents care about their child's education and those who don't, which inevitably makes their average scores lower than those in specialty schools.
I attended a regular public school and feel that I received a fine education from it, but I can't speak for all of my classmates. - Damhna, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5I just wanted to add that montessori education is not confined to educating children.
My biopharmacology professor used montessori methods (european university).
I have to say that the task based approach made the work much more interesting and I believe it bought out the best in people.
It allowed for more control over your own development and, imho, was a lot closer to realworld work situations that any other class.
There was no way to get through that class without a thorough and complete understanding of the subject matter.
There was no way to get through that class without proper logical reasoning skills. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6"The child is endowed with an inner power that can guide us to a more luminous future. Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities."
- Maria Montessori
- lorisa, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5I'm a Montessori teacher, and I didn't find this article to be very flattering towards Montessori. It seemed like the author was committed to the idea that Montessori is mysterious and hard to understand. Of course, it's not at all - there's tons of info available about it.
Her son's school isn't doing a very good job of parent education; that's so important. Since any school can call itself "Montessori", it's always good for parents to go observe before choosing a school. Here's what they should look for:
http://montessoriforeveryone.blogspot.com/2007/01/top-ten-things-to-look-for-in.html - Cutkomp, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Some people would see that as a good thing, the lack of adherence to government guidelines. My high school class had a dropout rate of over 50%, the majority of those that did graduate are now subservient slaves to the state due to their dumbed-down socialized education.
- audiowizard, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5I went to Montessori, and then came into Public School at grade 1.
I remember being waaaaay ahead of the other students in the educational material. - hooptydo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5My daughter is completing her second year in a Montessori preschool. Montessori is a fantastic method for preschool. At four years old she reads and can add and subtracts three and four digit numbers. She can do basic multiplication. What is truly impressive is the *way* in which these skills are taught. All these concepts are taught in such a way that she actually *understands* what she is doing. She can tell you why she has to borrow and carry over when doing math. She can explain what multiplication is all about. It is really amazing. Keep in mind that my daughter's accomplishments are not unusual. Most of the kids in her class are at this level.
A lot of people are commenting about the kids learning to be more empathetic. I guess, I really don't know. What I know is that my daughter knows and understands much more about reading and math that her peers that go to more traditional preschools. - endersadvocate, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5excuse me if i sound brash but...
how is bragging about the "abilities" and future plans of a 3 YEAR OLD relevant.
Regardless of whether or not the child will attend a Montessori school, your post does not contribute anything to the discussion. - endersadvocate, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I think your right...
Around 13-16, kids decide what they want to do for the next 5-10 years.
A large portion want to appease their parents (almost always college grads) and do the work just to be able to go out on the weekend.
Thus, when they get to college and mommy is not there to scold them, you see another split between the self motivated and those that care less about learning. - naughtyboy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3It's an in-cult school organization, based on the Montessori philosophy and education. It's pretty much the same thing, except that they also teach the teachings of the ascended master.
BTW, In SL, She is now regarded as ascended master Maria Montessori. - nogs00, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3that is what priviledged college kids get to do in many American colleges [build their own curriculum], this existed in my university in TX. there is no reason to believe it would be harmful to implement this at an even younger age.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Interesting, I can remember as a kid in Montessori, having spelling and math tests every Friday. Heck, in first grade I remember having to spell words such as rhinoceros, I know some of my co-workers couldn't even spell rhinoceros. :-P
- tkstock, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3@captmonkey
I somewhat agree, but the article does specifically say they compared children whose parents TRIED to get them into the Montessori school - the only ones that didn't were the ones that didn't make the lottery.
So, in this case, all the parents could be said to be equally involved, just half of them were unlucky. - MourningZoo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I went to a Montessori in Iowa City for 2-3 years. Loved it :)
- Sheff, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I teach at the college level and I have encountered enough poorly educated high school students to scare the bejezus out of me.
I am frightened by the caliber of student that I am seeing that is put out by local high schools. To that end, when my daughter reaches school age, I am considering what my alternatives are to finding the best education for her. - Veritate, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3My research into Waldorf so far has suggested it's not generally worse than public schools, and does have some advantages -- better language training, better artistic training, and better at encouraging the arts overall. They do have a reputation for being "fruitcake", but there are a significant number of professors in the sciences with Waldorf backgrounds as well.
Of course, Waldorf also has the whole anthroposophy thing, which is pretty new-agey. - Hormelinator, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3parents Montessori'ed me .. where I learned to be a good worker bee and think creative.
and apparenlty instilled in my the desire to comment.
there is probably a coorelation between the parents desire to educate their kid and performance. (parental involement is a much more significant factor) - geronimo, on 10/11/2007, -5/+7"Montessori is hippie-era ideas about education."
This is true, and it seems to work. Some of the most interesting and intelligent people I know are hippies. Steve Jobs even went to India on a spiritual journey. - lhbaker, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2We were lucky enough to have a Montessori elementary school built about a mile from our home. The school had recently moved from a local strip-mall after receiving charter school status. My daughter, now in first grade, has been attending since she was three. My three year old son starts in the fall.
In the elementary model, the students get the same teacher for three years. The students aren't limited to grade level, so they can engage in whatever activities strike their fancy. When my daughter was four, she corrected Mommy for mistaking an ellipsoid for an oval. She regularly draws charts at home, and blows me away with her love for everything science related, because I know she didn't get that ***** from me.
As far as the mystery goes, it's just that parents in the classroom is a big distraction. The teachers have complete control, and they wield it kindly. In most schools, parents are welcome to volunteer, be it pulling weeds or helping the kids with their reading skills.
I have little doubt that my daughter is getting a better education than I got. - Cutkomp, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I live a stones throw from a Montessori, I hope to be able to send my kid there someday.
- Superflks, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2What is your issue with Montessori Schools, Dawg?
Did one of them touch you as a young child? - hfactor, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5@junk
And I tried to argue with you troll on the other thread... Consider yourself blocked - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Your child isn't gifted. Sorry to burst your bubble.
- eclosis, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I was about to say the same thing.... I went to a Montessori school as a kid and after reading this article, I can see how it has probably impacted my life. I think I'll consider Montessori school for my kids if I ever have any.
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