Looking for Tips To Choose The Best Primary Montessori? Read On
One unfortunate aspect of Primary Montessori is that, since no one “owns”
the name/title, anybody who wishes to can open up a preschool, put a pink tower
in the corner, and call themselves “Primary Montessori.” There are numerous
superb and amazing Primary Montessori schools… and there are also quite a few
not exceptionally great ones, and tragically, it is these lesser schools that
help spread disarray and deception of what Primary Montessori is and how it
works. When done well, a Primary Montessori education leads to children who
learn inner control. These children learn to respect their instructors due to feeling
understood and cared for, instead of out of fear. And Primary Montessori is one
of the most excellent forms of education I know of, for fostering and
expressing creativity, because it is the child who is in control and who guides
his or her own learning and discovery.
So how is a parent to know which schools as “good” and which ones are,
well, not so true to the Primary Montessori strategy? It can be tough,
especially if you yourself are new to Primary Montessori. For this reason we
have made a list of "markers" to look for when seeking a good Primary Montessori Ashburn VA.
Classroom Schedule
One of the first things I like to inquire about is the school’s daily plan
for the children. Some schools allow for as little as a single hour without
charge work time, filling up the rest of the morning with snacks, circle times,
and other structured activities. The issue with a short free work period is
that the children never get a chance to truly buckle down and center on their
work. I used to work at a school that only gave the children 1 hour to do work,
and the whole hour was a constant buzz of movement as the kids let out nervous
energy, fluttering from one short activity to the other. It was rare to see
anybody concentrated and forget about anybody wanting to take out a more involved
activity since there wouldn’t be enough time to complete it. It can be hard to
find a preschool that commits a full 3 hours of free work time, but I do highly
recommend attempting to find a school that gives the children 3 hours s to work
freely.
Mixed-Age Groups
I’ve really been shocked to see so-called “Primary Montessori” schools that
split up their classrooms into narrower age holes. Rather than having kids 2.5
or 3 years old all the way up to 6 years in one classroom, they’ll put 2 and
3 years old together and 4 and 5 year old together, or some other split. I find
this confusing and sad, as part of what’s so extraordinary about Primary
Montessori is the mixed-age groups and the opportunity it gives the children to
learn from each other.
Homework and Inspiration
Primary Montessori classrooms – at least the preschool classes – should
have no homework. There should also be no sticker charts, grades, or other
external reward systems. The child's best reward for work well done is his or
her own sense of pride in him/herself.
Observe The Classroom.
This is truly the most vital consideration of all. If you can do nothing
else, set up a time when you can watch a classroom at the school, if even only
for 20 minutes. Most schools should permit this, either by letting you sit in a
chair inside the actual room or they might have a special window for this
reason. If possible, see about scheduling some time to talk to the educator or
another staff member at the school to reply to any questions that emerged in
your mind amid your observation. Watching will allow you the finest sense of
what the feel of the full classroom is like. What are the children like– are
they working beneficially, or do they seem diverted and fretful? Are they
collaborating, or disrupting each other’s work? What about the teacher– how
does she respond to the children, and how do they respond to her?
How Does The Classroom Make You Feel?
Does it feel cold, or too rigid, or too wild? Or does what you see make you
feel warm and relaxed, and like this is a put where you need your child to be?
Because, when it all comes down to it, that alone is likely the most imperative
factor of any school you select for your child.
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