Daycare vs Montessori

I've visited Montessori schools while in college studying, and they are absolutely wonderful places. If you can afford it, I say absolutely go. I know there is one in downtown Houston (I can't remember exactly where now, anymore) and they were just wonderful. Good luck to you.

Definitly check out Montessori. I went from the time I was 2 through 3rd grade and loved it. My mom also taught at one for several years. Be aware that Montessori schools are excellent for independant children. However, if your child needs more structure Montessori may not be for her. I think 3 is a good age to start because their language skills are more developedand it is easier for them to comprehend rules and to express themselves. Also, avoid schools that advertise a "Montessori based curriculum". They are not Montessori schools nor are they near as good. Your child would learn just as much in any other preschool program. You are correct about the waiting list. Most Montessori schools give preference to children of the staff and children that are going to stay with the program though it's duration to whatever the highest grade offered is. It's grest that you are thinking about it well in advance. That will make it easier for your child to get in.

This is just my personal experience, but my daughter started a Montessori school in the Bear Creek area when she was 16 months. She absolutely hated it. I don't know if it was the people or the program, but it did not work out for us. She is now attending a church early childhood education program that is very structured and she LOVES it. This is my second experience with church programs (the first was a mother's day out program) and I have had very positive experiences. At this particular program she is attending right now they teach them about manners, sharing, colors, shapes, animals, letters and numbers. She is two and in the toddler program and I am amazed at how much she has learned. Good luck searching.

L.

I have three children and used the same day care for 9 years. My oldest two did fine with day care but my youngest began to have issues soon after her third birthday. I finally identified that the day care was not a fit for her so I enrolled her in a Montessori program. She is not always excited to go (because it means being away from Mom) but she has excelled since she has been there. She is learning the same information that my 5 year old is learning in kindergarten. My only regret is that I wish I would have placed my older children in Montessori instead of leaving them in day care for five years. My daughter really needed structure and consistency and that is what the Montessori program has provided her.

Hi A.,

My son will be 4 in a couple of weeks and I just started him in a Montessori school last week. He'd been in daycare until then and, like you, I'd been pretty happy with the daycare. My husband and I decided that we really wanted more structure to encourage our son's inquisitive and exploratory nature, so we decided to look at Montessori schools. When we found the one we liked and took our son to "check it out" he liked it so much that he cried because he wanted to stay. It's really neat and has been a really good experience thus far. I highly recommend looking into them now for when your daughter is a bit older. Good luck!

i am currently looking to find a preschool for my daughter that is about to be three. I found out yesterday, after visiting with many places, that there is no curriculum for children until they are three. I don't know if it is true for all places but it was on all the ones we visited. So changing you child may not be the answer. You could go ahead and get on the waiting list but you may need to just stick it out a little longer and see if she starts learning stuff once she moves up another class. I hope this helps.

Montessori schools are great I think. We do not have one in this area but my nephew went to one in the Dallas metroplex area. He learned alot. But one thing you can do is also look into Daycare's that are learning centers. We have Daycares and we have Daycares that are learning centers. The ones my kids went to, taught them memory verses, basic sign lanuage, colors, alphabet and to count to 20. And this was all done by the age of three. Then they go to preschool.

Hi A.,

Montessori is the best way to go. I started my son in montessori when he was 3 and he left when it was time to start Kindergarten in public school. He has exceled in every way possible. By age 4 he could read, do multiplication, name all of the continents, play piano ( he can read music). I could go on and on but hear are a few things they do differntly.

The child is given choices on what activity they would like to do. Evreything is tactile. When the child is finished with an activity, thay have to roll up their mat and put everything back in it's place. Everything should be neat and tidy in the classroom. the teacher/child ratio should be no more than 1/15. They should also have additional calsses like PE, music, Spanish and computer lab.

The best advice I can give you is to set up an appointment to visit a school. You should be allowed to sit in in a class with out your child. The next step is for your child to visit with a teacher and explore the classroom.

Where do you live? I live in Kingwood and tried two differnt Montessori schools. My favorite is Pines Montessori. the teachers and staff realy care for the children. The money you spend on a montessori education is an investment for a great head start for your child.

My son goes to a montessori school and I truly believe it has had everything to do with how smart he is at 3. He has been there since he was 15 months old and he knows a lot!

My husband and I are totally for montessori schools. We have found one in our area at an elemantary school, but have not found one that starts before. Our little boy is about to turn one and we would like to get him started in his education in a montessori school.

Hi A.,

We started our son at Little Rock Montessori when he was 22 months. I was in the same position you are that I didn't think he was actually learning anything at daycare. The 'teachers' were more of babysitters. When he started at LRMS he was not speaking much, maybe 6 words. And his doctor was starting to get worried. Within the first 2 months he was there his vocabulary increased by leaps and bounds. It could be a mixture of timing and environment but I give tons of credit to his teachers. He is now in the primary class room and is doing great. He turned 3 in October and already recognizes his letters and numbers. He can count to 20 (working on 30) and he is learning his letter sounds. He LOVES math and is generally very excited about going to school. He talks non-stop now. He uses complete sentences and corrects me if I say something wrong. He cleans up after himself, gets himself dressed and goes to the potty without any help. Montessori teaches the kids to be very independent. He likes to try things by himself before asking for help. He even helps his brother do things.
Our 17 month old starts in August. And we can't wait. He's already copying his brother. He throws things in the trash and puts his plates or cups in the sink. He doesn't talk at all yet. So I'm really looking forward to getting him to Montessori to let them start working with him.

I could go on and on about how wonderful I think Montessori is. It has a lot to do with the teachers. And the ones we have are devoted to the children. They are there by choice and that makes a huge difference.

Good luck making this decision.

A. K

I was raised in Montessori, I started at 2yo, and went untill I started 1st grade at 5. I loved it and was WAY ahead of everyone else in my class in 1st grade because of it. I am absolutely going to do the same thing with my daughter. I also was never in Daycare, as my parents hired a college student to be our nanny. (I have an older brother and sister)

JMO, hope it helps

Our son was in a daycare until he was 3 and then we moved him to a Montessori school. He is now 4 and can read and write, do simple addition and subtraction. He can also count and recognize colors in Spanish. He came home after his first week and told me the names of all the continents. I was floored to hear that from a three year old! Four children that 'graduated' from his school last year were able to skip Kindergarten and go directly to first grade. I wouldn't do that with our son but with the teaching he's received over the past year and a half, it's definitely possible. I would definitely consider the switch, it's totally worth the investment for you child. Good luck to you!

We just moved our three year-old to a Montessori from daycare and have been really impressed at how he's soared. I definitely recommend the transition if your child's personality is suited to the program.

Montessori is definitely the way to go. I recommend St. Catherine's Montessori. Check them out at www.stcathmont.org For children younger than 3 look at Little Red Schoolhouse 713-728-LRSH. I've raised an 18 yr old with the montessori method from age 2 through 15. It was really wonderful for her. Now I have a 2 yr old and a 5 month old and both of them are thriving in the montessori environment.
D.