How to Choose the Right Montessori School for Your Child
A quick guide on what to watch for in Montessori classrooms
Choosing a preschool-- either for the first time or if you're switching schools-- for your children is a nerve-wracking and challenging choice. After all, schools are guiding, watching, and teaching your children during a massive chunk of the day when you're not around! In some cases, they may get more one-on-one time with your child than you do. So you want to make sure that you choose a school that will help your children have the best opportunities to learn, grow, and trust themselves in positive and healthy ways.
Montessori schools have a reputation for excellence, and for a good reason. The Montessori Method works to close not only the achievement gap but the equally impactful opportunity gap in children's education, mainly since many public schools now utilize the Montessori Method. So how do you choose a Montessori school for your child? By making sure it adheres to the Method with our checklist, and by trusting your gut.
Teachers
Teachers in Montessori schools do not act the way traditional teachers learn to instruct. Regular teachers are taught to guide the children towards learning on their own and at their own pace-- not at a predetermined, majority-rules environment.
Training
Many of our faculty have been teaching at Children's Montessori Academy for more than ten years, and their depth of knowledge about children, education and Montessori serve our families well. Each classroom has a Lead Teacher and an Assistant Teacher. Every faculty member is well trained in Montessori education and undergoes rigorous continuing education in Montessori education, which is held at the facility on the weekends by a prestigious Montessori Training company. Children's Montessori Academy employs a staff of over 18 Montessori qualified Lead and Assistant teachers.
Turnover & Tenure
It may feel awkward to do so but ask about teacher tenure and turnover rates. If you have the chance to speak to more than just the principal-- if you can talk directly and somewhat unsupervised with teachers-- ask them too. You want teachers who are going to stick around, so high turnover rates are a bad sign-- in other words, it's perfectly all right if the school is always hiring one or a few more teachers, as long as they're not replacing teachers who are leaving at the same (or a higher) rate. Consistency is a critical element of a child's education, especially early on.
Students
One of the key elements to observe when you can visit and tour a Montessori school is the students. A classic comment about Montessori schools is the lack of a noise level-- in the right way! If you're used to a classroom full of chaos and high decibels, you're in for a shock.
Students by themselves
The Montessori Method utilizes large chunks of time for students to learn independently, at their own pace, learning what they want to learn at that moment. The whole idea is for the child to follow their natural desire to learn, and for the Method to encourage them to learn through work that demonstrates the fulfillment of a job well done. So for typically three-hour chunks in the morning-- or at other times-- students will quietly work with cleverly designed materials to educate themselves. And we mean softly-- they're not interrupted, and they don't interrupt each other. They speak in respectful tones with each other and with teachers, often at a whisper or slightly above.
Age groupings
You should also see students grouped in ages that are three years apart. The idea behind this is that older students are modeling good learning behaviors to each other and younger students who look up to them. Students are expected to help teach each other -- each shelf of learning materials was designed for a specific level of learning, and students cannot progress to a different level until they successfully teach another student how to do the activity. All activity has a learning purpose-- this is not "learning through play," it is learning through "work experience" (in the sense that work well done is intrinsically rewarding).
Environment
A Montessori classroom should be quiet, clean, and full of attractive learning materials.
Clean and quiet rooms
The noise level is low because students are not competing for attention-- there are low student-to-teacher ratios, and a small, respectful voice is implemented early on-- and because students are absorbed in their learning. Teachers enforce habits of cleaning up after themselves, so students are responsible for mopping up what they spill and picking up any bits of paper or food that fall on the tables and floors.
It's also worth noting that whenever possible, Montessori schools have ample outdoor play areas. The need for time out of doors was recognized early on, so whenever the weather permits, the kids spend time outside. They sometimes have picnic areas to have lunch outside.
Attractive learning materials
The Method also encourages making everything an attractive learning opportunity. After all, if it's not pretty-- who wants to use it? Everything is provided in child-sized proportions, from lunch preparation materials to furniture, and all-natural construction materials are utilized. It's rare to find plastic in a Montessori classroom! Texture and appearance are essential to the learning process because the Method encourages hands-on learning. Who wants to touch something that isn't pleasant to feel?
While the Montessori Method is based upon the Scientific Method, arts are interactively incorporated into the classroom.
Finally, we'd like to remind you that as a parent, you know your child better than anyone. Make the time to visit and observe the classroom-- spend at least twenty to thirty minutes in a school, watching everything-- and move on if anything doesn't match the description above. And trust your gut! If something doesn't feel right for your child, it probably isn't.
Have you experienced with Montessori schools, either first-hand or through your child's experience? Comment below any advice that you have! We'd love to hear from you!