montessori

[lochiebearsmum]

what do you think of the montessori curriculum... I was just looking at it and it sounds great, however a friend thinks that the education is not as well received or recognised in the workforce etc and is mainly based for children with learning delays...

[gotmilk]

I was looking into it and found some info that it might be hard for children to go to a different school as the learning is quite different there...
the transition might be hard if you decide to move to a non montessori school

[jaq]

Montessori IS very good for children with learning delays, because it allows them to work at their own pace, with sensitive, personalised assistance from the teacher.

Conversely, it is also very good for academic and gifted children, for the same reasons.

My dd1, for example, has the reading ability of a 7-8yo child. She has just turned 4, and if she wasn't at Montessori, would still be in 3yo kindergarden. Where - I have been told by the teacher - "we leave reading up to when they go to school, it's not something we teach at kindy level."

At Montessori, she does reading with the prep children, and brings home readers appropriate to HER level. She can participate in activities at ANY level, and the teacher has brought in stuff from the Cycle Two rooms (ages 6-9) especially for her, and pairs her with other bright children to work on that.

As to the argument that it is not well received in the workforce, the reality is that most Montessori children go back into the "traditional" system for high school, and usually do very, very well. (Better than the average because they have been taught to learn independently of their teaching.) So any qualifications are going to come from a private college or high school, same as most other people. Unfortunately, there are very few Montessori high schools in Australia.

And of course, Montessori schools must meet the same benchmarks as met by every other school (as set by the government and state education authorities). It's not to much WHAT they teach that is different ... it's how they choose to teach it.

[Ana Gram]

I would think your friend actually doesn't know what Montessori is, if that's what she thinks ;)

Jaq, with the reading level, how do you find out? I'm trying to work out what Ruby's reading level is but I don't know how to find out.

[jaq]

I would think your friend actually doesn't know what Montessori is, if that's what she thinks ;)

Jaq, with the reading level, how do you find out? I'm trying to work out what Ruby's reading level is but I don't know how to find out.

I cheated :devil: I looked up the website for her readers, (details usually on the back cover) and looked at what they recommended, then googled to find out what "DRA levels" actually were.

So if Ruby is reading the Red Rocket ones ...
http://www.redrocketreaders.com/Levels.htm

then go here (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4476)to "translate" that.

Annika's readers are generally on RR's Fluency Level 3, DRA 20-22, which according to that Leveling Resource Guide, is US second grade. I think!

I could have just asked at the school, but don't want to seem too much Mrs Proud and Pushy.

[Ana Gram]

Haven't seen those ones. I'll have a look for them next time I am at the library. We've been doing the Fitzroy reader series but that doesn't say what age group they are meant for.