Has anyone had any experience with Montessori Schools? I just enrolled my 3 year old in one and amy reconsidering my decision. They seem somewhat disorganized and give very short notice for field trips, pictures etc. It is quite a bit more expensive than regular pre-school, but I was hoping it would be a good fit for her and she would get a good start to the school experience. She told me today that she didn't like going and would rather go to the babysitter. Any suggestions or insight would be greatly appreciated. We live in the Akron, Ohio area.
I previously looked into this for my daughter when she was going to preschool , but as I researched this with friends , noone in my area gave me a good review of the school , so I decided against it . We went with the Fairlawn Village preschool near Summit Mall . My daughter loved it , she made tons of new friends, and they do an excellent job of teaching and still make it fun for the kids so they want to go.
Hi M.,
Disorganization can be very frustrating for parent. But the bigger question would be...are they an accredited Montessori school? Are the teachers properly trained (not through an online course)? True Montessori schools offer an outstanding educational experience for children. I have a Masters in Early Childhood Education, attended a Montessori school through the 6th grade, and sent my own children to Hudson Montessori School. My advice to people looking for Montessori programs is to do the research and make sure you are getting a quality program. Any school can call itself a "Montessori" school. Any school can purchase the materials. It is a matter of having properly trained teachers: either Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) or American Montessori Society (AMS). If you would like to view an excellent example of a Montessori program, I suggest you visit Hudson Montessori School.
Hope this helps!
K. Heydorn
The Nanny Connection
###-###-####
www.yournannyconnection.com
Hi, M.:
Any school can call itself a Montessori school. Make sure the teachers are trained in the Montessori method and philosophy and the school is accredited as such. Go and observe, ask questions, talk to teachers and administrators. I have a 3 year old and a 20 month old. They both attend a Montessori school in Brecksville and they love it. You can check it out at www.ssmsmontessori.net. We live in northern Summit County so it is a manageable drive. Good luck!
Hi, M.,
Depending on where you are in Akron, you might be close to Spring Garden, in Copley. It's a WONDERFUL school, and while it is child based, it is not child driven, so they have a structured day for the children. I don't know of any children who have been there and do not love it. One word of caution - they believe in lots of outdoor play, so you will need to purchase rain coat/pants/boots as well as the winter outdoor clothing. They pretty much go outside in any weather, barring lightning! :) They also do lots of painting, so don't dress her up for school!
The phone number is ###-###-####. Ask for Amy, the admissions director, and she will be able to tell you if they have any openings. I hope you check it out - I am sure your daughter would love it!
J.
p.s. also, they do go up through the 8th grade, so if you like the school, she could stay until high school.
