Montessori Sycamore DeKalb

Planning on a Montessori Education?
Finding the Right School for Your Child

“Why is there so much variation from one Montessori school to another?
How can I know if I’ve found a ‘real’ Montessori school?”

Although most schools try to remain faithful to their understanding of Dr. Montessori’s insights and research, they have all been influenced by the evolution of our culture and technology. Despite the impression many parents hold, the name Montessori refers to a method and philosophy, and it is neither a name protected by copyright nor a central licensing or franchising program. In many parts of the world, anyone could, in theory, open a school and call it Montessori with no knowledge of how an authentic program is organized or run. When this happens, it is both disturbing and embarrassing for those of us who know the difference. Many of these schools fail but often not before they harm the public’s perception of the integrity and effectiveness of Montessori as a whole.

What should we look for when we visit Montessori schools?

The Teachers

Each class should be led by at least one ‘Montessori’ certified teacher who holds a recognized Montessori credential for the age level taught. The certification process should have included observation, clinical and/or internships as part of this process.
In addition to the lead Montessori teacher, each class will normally include either a second certified Montessori teacher or a Para-professional teacher’s assistant.
Generally students will be observed working individually or in small, self-selected groups. There will be very few whole group lessons.
Typically, we should see Montessori teachers inspiring, mentoring and facilitating the learning process more often than directly giving children lessons. The real work of learning belongs to the individual child.

The Montessori Learning Environment

Montessori classrooms should be bright, warm, and inviting, filled with plants, animals, art, music, and books. Interest centers will be filled with intriguing learning materials, mathematical models, maps, charts, international and historical artifacts, a class library, an art area, a small natural-science museum, and animals that the children are raising. In an elementary class, you will also normally find computers and scientific apparatus.
You should not find rows of desks in a Montessori classroom, nor will there be a teacher’s desk and chalk board in the front of the rom. The environment will be set up to facilitate student discussion and stimulate collaborative learning.
Montessori classrooms will be organized into several curriculum areas, usually including; language arts (reading, literature, grammar, creative writing, spelling, and handwriting); mathematics and geometry; everyday living skills; sensory-awareness exercises and puzzles; geography, history, science, art, music, and movement. Most rooms will include a classroom library. Each area will be made up of one or more shelf units, cabinets, and display tables with a wide variety of materials on open display, ready for use as the children select them.
Students will typically be found scattered around the classroom, working alone or with one or two others.
Teachers will normally be found working with one or two children at a time, advising, presenting a new lesson, or quietly observing the class at work.
Ideally a Montessori class is balanced in terms of boys and girls, as well as in the number of children in each age group.
Each class should contain the full array of Montessori materials considered appropriate for this level.
The furniture in the classroom will be the right size for the students.
There will be few, if any, toys in a Montessori preschool classroom. Instead there should be a lovely and extensive collection of learning materials that match the developmental capabilities, interests, and needs of the children enrolled in each class. These educational materials allow for multiple modalities of learning and discovery, offering a wide range of intellectual challenges.

The Composition of a Class

A Montessori program is composed of mixed-age groups of children within each classroom, traditionally covering a three-year span from the early childhood level onward. The levels usually found in a Montessori school correspond to the developmental stages of childhood: Infants (birth through eighteen months); Toddlers (eighteen months to age three); Early Childhood (age three to six); Lower Elementary (age six to eight); Upper Elementary (age nine to eleven); Middle School (age twelve to fourteen); and High School (age fourteen to eighteen).

Talk openly with school administrators, observe children working in a classroom, and ask the right questions. Keep questions like these in mind as you speak with the administration, teachers, and perhaps some present parents at the Montessori schools while you are observing in Montessori classes.

In what ways do you see Montessori as being different from other school programs?
In what ways, if any, might your school be distinguished from other Montessori schools in the community?
What do you consider to be the strengths of the school?
Are there any areas of the school that you see as needing additional resources or attention? How are these areas being addressed?
How would you describe a “successful” learner at this school?
What do most parents who are pleased with this school find most appealing?
What might characterize those parents’ values or expectations who would not find this school to be a good fit for them as a family?
If we apply to this school and are accepted, what advice would we receive regarding how to make this a wonderful experience for our child?
What opportunities does this school allow for parents to become involved in their children’s education?
What expectations would the school have for us as parents?

Observing in the Classroom Environments

As tempting as it is to enroll without a visiting a classroom, put this visit at the top of your to-do list. You will learn a great deal by spending thirty minutes to an hour watching the children at work. Ask permission to watch a “work period” first. If you have time, stay for a group meeting or come back later to watch this part of the children’s day.

The decision to enroll a child in a particular school, should be based on the parents’ and school’s mutual belief that this will be a good fit for the child’s personality and learning style, as well as with the family’s values and goals. There must be a partnership based on the mutual sense that each is a good match for the other. In determining which school is the best match, you will need to trust your eyes, ears, and gut instincts. Nothing beats your own observation and experience. The school that one parent raves about, may be completely wrong for another, while it might be a perfect match for your family. Try to trust your own experience far more than the opinions of other parents.

Find a school that you love, and once you do, remember the old adage: “It is not a good idea to try to fix something that is already working.” Some parents try different schools out for a year or two, and then move on to another. They do it with the best intentions, but it should be common sense that children who are educated in one consistent approach, and who grow up within one school community, tend to be more grounded and tend to get more long-term value from their school experience than children who have had to adjust to several different schools.

In the end, the selection of a Montessori school comes down to a matter of personal preference. If you visit a school and find yourself in love with the look and feel of the school’s atmosphere, if you can clearly see your child happy and successful in this atmosphere, then that school is more likely to be a good fit than one that leaves you confused and uncertain.

-The Montessori Foundation