Montessori preschool for 3-year-old

[Powell-Karen]

I have been thinking of homeschooling my 3-year-old Daniel and was looking into the Montessori curriculum to do it. I even bought some Montessori games and puzzles for teaching him. But I happened to read some negative comments on 'Montessori schooling'. It was said that the 'Montessori kids' will have difficulty in a reception class and will struggle to settle in as they just aren't used to having to stick to the strict routines of a school like sitting at a desk for ages at a time or do set activities at the same time as everyone else. Should I reconsider my decision and send him to a traditional school instead? Please let me know your thoughts on this.

[motherbear]

Hi @Powell-Karen . Thanks for sharing your issue with us . When our little ones are toddlers we worry about the best route for them in terms of education and pyscho-social development.  It can be a difficult decision to make . 

You say that Daniel  is 3 . Are you thinking if homeschooling all though primary years ?  Or do you want yo start with Montessori, and then home school him with a regular curriculum ? I'm a bit confused .

ALL alternative curriculums have their negative press . Don't buy into it . If you feel instinctively that Montessori is right for your boy then go ahead with it . Children learn by doing and if a more physical task oriented style of learning is right  for him in your opinion them go head with it . All education styles have their pros and cons . The bottom line is he is happy and thriving and learning . 

I sent my children to a Steiner curriculum in a mainstream  school . While Steiner is a fabulous philosophy and was great for my girl my son  had a LD and it was not picked  up in Steiner because they did not hone in on the 3 R s soon enough . When we discovered he had a processing  problem I moved him to mainstream , so his  could get more intensive 3 Rs. This was only because of his need to work that particular "muscle " a bit more than he average child  

Steiner is one of the best educational styles around for kids who are typical average learners and above average . It's active , its creative and imaginative  as well as cerebral and academic . It teaches a child to be resourceful and literal thinkers . It's a jam packed curriculum which incorporates the development of the heart head and mind . Children learn to sew , knit , cook , play music , use their bodies in movement as  well as 3Rs .  It's time and pace structured so children learn specific things as specific developmental stage eg they start learning to read at 7 when their teeth fall out . 

Researching as much as you can about Montessori in your area is a must , and then... go with your gut . 

Best of luck !  I am sure you will make the best choice for your little boy . 

[Faob_1]

Hi I teach in a Montessori school in Perth, which sticks pretty closely to the M curriculum through ages 3-9. After that we tend to call ourselves Montessori inspired as the demands of the state high school curriculum mean we have to change the approach. NK most Montessori schools would ask you to do a couple pre entry classroom observations before you enroll so you can see exactly what goes on in a classroom. I feel the Montessori philosophy is a highly resourced and guided way of learning. Children do have to work with a partner sometimes, they do sit and listen to stories, they do whole class activities. So, my suggestion is to do as many observations as you want. No true Montessori school should object to that. We have a requirement of all our parents that do an observation at least twice a year, so it's not unusual for me to have a parent in my high school classroom! 

Good luck with your decision.