| Frequently asked questions. |
Q: Will the Montessori Method work for my child?
A: One of the fundamental assumptions of a
Montessori program is that every child wants to learn,
and will do so best when allowed to learn concepts
that are timely and compelling to him. The
individualized nature of the Montessori Method
encourages each child to practice the work that
interests him, not work that is “scheduled” or
“planned” according to someone else’s agenda.
Montessori students have at their disposal appealing,
age-appropriate materials that are presented by a
teacher who is specially trained to explain their
correct use in a carefully monitored order. Skills
develop in a logical, orderly manner based on
experience and observation. This flexibility for the
child to be able to advance at their own pace makes
Montessori programs a good fit for children with a
wide variety of learning styles, interests and strengths
or weaknesses.
Applicants to Community Montessori School are
asked to participate in at least one classroom visit
prior to enrollment so that the parents, teachers and
child can experience first-hand how the Montessori
Method “fits.”
Q: Why are there children of different ages in each
classroom, instead of having all the three-year-olds in
one classroom, four-year-olds in another, etc.?
A: Maria Montessori discovered that putting older and
younger children together helps them learn from and
teach each other. This is good for the older children
because they can be helpful to the younger ones,
which not only reinforces what they have learned but
enhances their self-esteem as well. The younger
children, in turn, have role models to follow and are
smoothly integrated into the classroom with the help
of older, more experienced children.
Q: How do Montessori teachers compare to teachers
in traditional classroom settings?
A: The “teacher” in a Montessori classroom is often
called a “directress” or “guide.” The term “teacher”
is someone who passes along information that he or
she knows. The Montessori teacher or guide directs
the child toward what he needs to do to teach himself,
using the specially prepared materials in the
classroom. The Montessori directress has been
trained to observe children and to determine their
levels of development, and then provide any guidance
the children may need to progress to the next level.
Q: How much one-on-one attention will my child
receive?
A: In education, nothing works as well as individual
attention, and in Montessori classrooms children are
typically taught individually or in small groups. In this
setting the directress receives immediate feedback
about each child’s level of “absorption” and what
further needs he or she has. In a traditional
classroom, a teacher presents “one size fits all”
lessons to all children at the same rate for the allotted
amount of time, and when that time is up, often the
lesson is over.
Q: No desks, no tests…at some point my child will
probably need to attend a school program that is not
Montessori based. Will he be academically prepared
to meet the expectations of traditional programs?
A: Because Montessori students develop a true love
for learning, a great ability to focus and concentrate,
and superior ability to cooperate with others or work
independently, Montessori children adapt quickly to
and thrive in new school, work or social situations.
Q: Isn’t it a stretch to think that a three or four year
old has the judgment to choose what he needs to learn
and what work he wants to do each day?
A: One classroom visit will show that Montessori
classrooms are not in any way a “free-for-all” where
children run wild. Materials are presented to children
so that they understand how each piece of equipment
is used, then that work is available to be chosen by
that child. Teachers are well aware, however, of
what children are choosing and if a child is not
making good choices they are redirected and
encouraged to choose a different activity. One of the
beauties of the “prepared environment” with its
purposefully-crafted materials is that virtually every
choice is a good choice.
Time management becomes a natural occurrence for
Montessori students. In order to complete everything
that a student wants to accomplish in a day, they need
to plan their time well, or they will come up short at
the end of the work cycle! Unfinished work may be
carefully set out of the way and returned to at another
time, but new work can not be started until work-in-
progress is complete.
Q: What does a typical daily schedule look like in a
Montessori class?
A: As children arrive in the classroom they greet the
teacher and other students and begin to work. When
all children have arrived there is often a class meeting,
then students are dismissed to their first "work
cycle". The length of the work cycle depends on the
ages of children in the class, but ranges from 1 1/2 to
2 1/2 hours. During the morning work time, students
work and receive lessons, individually or in small
groups. At the end of the work cycle the class again
gathers, after which there is outdoor time, extra
activities (music, for example) and lunch. After
lunch, younger children rest and older children enter
into another work cycle or enjoy enrichment activities
such as P.E., Spanish, Violin, etc. After rest or the
afternoon work cycle, students go home or remain
until they are picked up by their parents.
| Questions and Answers |
| Montessori Musings |
Sometimes very small children in
a proper environment develop a
skill and exactness in their work
that can only surprise us!
-Maria Montessori-
a proper environment develop a
skill and exactness in their work
that can only surprise us!
-Maria Montessori-
