Over the past week, Mommy finished reading a book called “Montessori From the Start” by Paula Lilliard. She saw one of her non-pregnant patients reading this book and thought that this might be a good learning experience.
Mommy’s first encounter with the whole Montessori way of teaching started when a family member (who shall remain nameless) started Montessori since preschool. Mommy actually had a very bad impression of the Montessori system because this family member seemed to have many problems with learning and to this day (she is now in high school) still has many academic issues. However, there are also many of Mommy’s friends whose children have gone through the whole Montessori system and their children have excelled. Most likely this is all child-dependent and not at all related to Montessori, but Mommy wanted to see for herself what the entire Montessori philosophy was about.
The Montetssori pros are:
– Stressing that children be “free” to explore and discover things for themselves so that they can grow to be independent beings.
– Teaching you how to “talk” to children and when is the proper time to talk to children a certain way.
– Giving children “child’s beds” which is essentially a large mattress placed on the floor with a mirror and mobile rather than a restrictive crib. (Mommy wishes she had known this prior to buying a bed. It is far better to allow the child the freedom to explore the environment.)
– Giving children a cabinet with trays for each task, such as setting the table, painting, cleaning, etc.
– Giving children a “uniform” to wear for each task, such as an apron for cooking or a smock for painting. This way, children understand that they are in the mode for a particular activity.
– Giving children wooden toys rather than plastic toys. Giving children glass dinnerware and glasses. Supposedly wood and glass items have certain characteristics that can teach the child. Wood has scent, texture, and can make sounds. Wooden objects also are better quality. Glass has weight and are more substantial.
– Children only need three toys: a set of blocks, a stuffed animal, and a doll. (And Mommy thought she was being restrictive by allowing me to have eight toys!)
– Children do not need to be tightly swaddled or tucked in tightly. Blankets should be loosely placed over their bodies so that they can easily move.
– Mobiles that move with human manipulation are better than mobiles that move by a motor.
There are also some hokey things about Montessori with which Mommy doesn’t necessary agree:
– No strollers. (How the heck can Mommy and Daddy be expected to carry a 20-30 pound child around for hours?)
– No high chairs. (How the heck can they feed me?)
– Breastfeed until 9 months and then wean to encourage independence. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 1 year of breastfeeding, so Mommy has no idea why anyone can feel like they can trump AAP’s recommendations.)
– Buying toys, furniture or suppplies from Montessori websites. It is a solid waste of money because you can get similar things from other reputable wooden toy manufacturers or furniture makers.
As with most things, there are pros and cons. Montessori is probably good for a certain subset of children who are innately motivated and more independent. If children do not fit into that category or if a learning disability is recognized early in childhood, Montessori is probably not the ideal choice. It just seems like these children would get lost in the system for a long time.
Mommy & Daddy were raised in the public school system simply because there were no additional funds available to even consider Montessori or other private institutions. I think my Mommy & Daddy turned out okay and are productive members of society. But this always has Mommy thinking if attending private schools really matter. I guess there is still a few years before Mommy & Daddy have to make a decision.
In the meantime, I’ll be chillin’ in my “home” school. Not to be confused with home-schooling! Mommy would NEVER in a million years consider home-schooling me. Mommy just doesn’t feel like anyone who has not had a formal teaching degree (herself included!) can be adequate enough to home-school anyone. There is also something not quite right about not taking a school bus to school and learning with friends.
Way to voice your opinions, Mommy!