Pros and cons of montessori method?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

The Montessori method is great for kids who are good at staying in control of themselves and focusing on single tasks. It is great for helping to instill independence in a child, as well as often good for self-esteem. Small motor and thinking skills are especially emphasized.

However, children learn best through play and the Montessori method does not offer a chance for dramatic play - playing house, doctor, fire fighter, school etc - where children learn much of the dialogue and problem solving skills they will use for the rest of their lives. They are also not offered as many free play options as in typical preschools that are necessary for physical growth and development. Lastly, many children are not ready for the structure of the Montessori environment, they are geared for more physical, active, messy, loud, and large group activities.

If you are looking at Montessori schools, make sure they are TRUE Montessori if that is what you decide will work best for your child. Make sure your child is ready for and happy in that environment (many children do thrive there), and lastly be very aware of the teacher and their style - it is truly that man or woman that affects the child's day, attitude about school, and self-esteem which will in turn affect your families' nights and days as well. Personally, I would look into the method only after the age of 4 for most kids.

Source(s):

Former Montessori teacher, 6 yrs preschool teaching experience in birth-3rd grade, BA in Early Childhood Education.

Answer 2

The Montessori method is ideal for precocious, self starting and independent kids. It gives them the opportunity to develop by themselves, at their own pace and without the "shackles" of a structured program. Because they are left basically free (with some supervision of course) the kids develop their own personal skills and the method promotes self confidence and pride in themselves and their accomplishments.
The Montessori method gives the right child a head start in life.

Answer 3

My child is in her 3rd year of montessori. She will be a leader this year. helping to set examples for younger kids, and helping to teach them as well. It is her turn to return what the older children in her classes in the past years helped her achieve. Children love to copy and learn what children a little older do. Also the way montessorri teaches is to encourage the child to make good decisions for themselves. They learn that they have work to do each day, how to respect each other. They learn social skills instead of just following. I highly recommend it, rather your child is shy or agressive or anything in between. The key point is to find a good school, talk to the teachers.

Source(s):

Parent of montessorri student

Answer 4

The Montessori system helps children to LEARN to stay in control of themselves. They learn to have self-discipline. Children in a Montessori environment DO learn through play, however the play is NOT WITH TOYS. The materials used in the Montessori classroom are all didactic, hands on learning. The children actually get to see why 1+1=2 before they ever have to put it on paper.

Each material that they work with is a foundation for a 'bigger' work. For example, the Pink Tower consists of 10 cubes (the children actually use the word CUBE and not block) graduated in size from largest to smallest. With the Pink Tower the child learns largest and smallest but it also is the foundation for the decimal system. Each material is in units of ten. If you took 1000 of the smallest cubes they would fit exactly into the largest cube, so you see there is the foundation for the UNIT and the THOUSAND CUBE, the hierarchy of the numbers.

Differences of Montessori and Traditional School System:

Montessori
Age span of at least three years in a class.
Children reinforce their own learning by repetition of work and internal feelings of success.
Method emphasizes becoming aware of One's abilities and social development.
Direct contact with multi-sensory materials.
Highly organized sets of graduated materials-mostly three dimensional and "concrete".
Develops wise use of free choice.
Learns about care of one's self and environment.
Environment and method encourage self-discipline.
Mostly one-on-one instruction.

Traditional
One age per class.
Learning is reinforced externally (rewards, stickers etc.).
Method emphasizes social development.
Much information dispensed by lecture.
Mostly abstract- books, papers, etc.
Very few choices.
Less emphasis on self-learning instruction.
Teacher acts as primary enforcer of discipline.
Group and individual instruction.

Source(s):

I am a certified Montessori teacher. For more information on the materials and the differences in Montessori education and regular education, check out www.manooch.com