Montessori not always a perfect fit

This morning I left Genoa with Carol so I could attend the "showcase" at Alex's school.  I came home and wrote all about it over at The Mom Street Journal, but the gist of that post is that I'm feeling more and more like taking him out of school is the right decision.  Today was meant to be a big marketing day to encourage parents to re-enroll their children next year (and past preschool through the even more expensive elementary school years), but if anything, it had the opposite effect on me. 

Today I learned that instead of getting to work with the Montessori beads that teach kids math in a really cool way, he's been grating nutmeg and get this: cutting paper with SCISSORS.  We've basically spent almost four grand so our kid can learn how to juice an orange.  I feel slightly bamboozled.  I also feel like for whatever reason, the teachers aren't working with my kid enough.  I saw first hand what some of his peers have been learning and I feel like he's been left out.  I am certain he is capable of more and I had hoped the Montessori method would bring it out of him, but I think it's been the opposite. 

I'm sure some kids excel in a setting with a lot of independence and no competition from their peers, but Alex isn't necessarily one of them.  [For example, today he told me he would "grate more nutmeg than ANYBODY else!  It would fill up the classroom!  But oh how I wish it had been, "read more books than anybody else!"]  Montessori is also famous for its low-key quiet atmosphere, an atmosphere in which the antics of rowdy boys, I dunno, like MINE, tend to be looked down upon instead of channeled into other areas.  At his current school there is no outdoor (or indoor on rainy days) play time until AFTER the entire school day is over.  He's outside playing when I pick him up and I see him running around and getting all those willies out and I wish he had more opportunities to do that during the school day, instead of just at the end. 

So yeah, when they say that not every preschool style works for every child, I think it's important to PAY ATTENTION.  Montessori hasn't turned out to be a great fit for my child (although for some reason I think it would be perfect for Genoa!).  I hope the program we've picked for next year will be a better fit.  (They get outdoor play time during the school day and the academics portion of the class is a DAILY requirement of all the children, not just something he only does when he feels like it).  We'll see.  The price is certainly a better fit.

More and more, I'm looking forward to having my boy with me and to getting a bit of a preschool-like structure going at home.  I've already started listing out all the various ways I hope to fill our days, so I'll definitely be sharing that as it unfolds.

Comments

[Lia]

That is the hardest part of Montessori everything is about CHOICE. If your kid isn't going to choose academics then forget it.

Glad to here you are good with your decision.

[Velma]

I totally agree. I toured a Montessori-based preschool, and could tell after the visit that it wasn't going to work for my rambunctious son. At his current (afternoon, school district, integrated special needs) pre-school, they arrive and head straight for the playground or gym, and then go inside for circle and center time, etc. - a much better fit for him!

[heatherw]

My kids were never in a Montessori setting, so I can't really speak to that, but my issue is with boys and how they learn. It seems like a lot of little boys are expected to sit quietly, listen, read (which is how most girls learn). My daughter performed fine under those expectations. My son, not so much. After reading "Raising Cain" (and saw the PBS documentary), I am convinced that boys can't be expected to learn in the same way girls learn. Just like you said: boys have to move and get the willies out. Girls do to, of course, but boys especially.

[Rayne of Terror]

Ah, the montessori preschool my son went to had outside time 2-3x per day as long as it was over 32 degrees. That worked great for my on-the-go son. They did a lot of their sensory activities outside on the grass too, so they could do the activity, run around, do more of the activity, run around, etc.

[CP]

I can't speak to the Montessori style as I knew that wouldn't work with your family expectations. I bet Alex would just thrive in a school like this one www.ucds.org, where my kids go/went.

[Her Bad Mother]

This was SO timely for me to read - a commenter sent me over, as I JUST wrote a post about trying to decide about Montessori. This helps A LOT.

Thank you.