Montessori Schools - Fort Lauderdale,FL

I am a HUGE supporter of Montessori education and think it is one of the best methods of instructing the whole child - academic, social, emotional. My 6 year old just finished her thrid primary year and is about to start 1st grade. Absolutely love it!

Here in VA , they are all private schools and yes they cost quite a bit more. I can't speak to your location. Some public schools have Montessori teaching styles and I so wish our's did. Our school experience was that the kid wer eenrolled 5 days per week but mornings only. Ratio was fantasitic - 18-22 students aged 3-6 with a lead teacher and an asistent and 9 kids and 3 teachers in her kindergarten class. Quick explanation: she went to her primary class for about three hours every morning for three years. In the last year she stayed for "kindergarten only " activities until 3.

I will say however, I htink the accent thing seems like sort of a odd reason to move your child. Many of my daughter's teacher's were not native speakers - kids are adaptable. And i actually think it was good fo her to see such diversity in people's cultures and experience here in America.

Montessori school's encourage "observation.".Go sit in the classroom and watch a class and how it works. Also ask the teachers to giv eyou "a lesson" where they show you haw to use the learning materials so you can see how they facilitate learning and progress with the child's age. I htin a lot of people misunderstand the montesori method and experiencing it is an easy and fun way to see wha tit has to offer.

My son was in Montessori from age 6 months till he went to Kinder. My daughter is there too and has one more year to go.

I loved the care they provided from infant to toddler to preschool. It was exceptional and both my children loved the learning experiences there.

My son transitioned to regular school Kindergarten with some problems - mostly because he had a hard time handling sitting at a desk and sitting on the rug while keeping his hands to himself. These were problems I was expecting having talked to other Moms who's kids transitioned, but they were not major issues and I think these were problems that other kids dealt with who were not part of a Montessori preschool.

Overall I was very happy with it for the early years - but did not feel compelled to keep the kids in a Montessori system in elementary school.
I'm not against it, but our situation changed and there was not a local elementary Montessori that would have been convenient for us.

I do think it is a good choice and worked well for us - but even in our local area - Montessori's varied. I think it is important to spend time there, interview the director and the teachers and see how you feel about the "fit".
That is what swayed me versus other daycares when I was looking originally. When I went to meet them - the director engaged my SON (5 mos old) as well as me. The other places I visited - only talked to me.

Daycare and preschool are tough choices to make - but I was very impressed with the Montessori I chose in the end.

Hope this helps.

We love Montessori Institute of Broward in Davie. They do have Spanish people there but the kids learn to adjust to their accents. All directions are given in English unless a kid is new to the language. It is less expensive then some pre-schools I checked and it is a great school!

Montessori schools teach by the Maria Montessori method which is basically "freedom within limits". It is also defined as "a method of educating young children that stresses development of a child's own initiative and natural abilities, especially through practical play." Montessori is a more hands-on approach to learning and can sometimes include classrooms with children ranging in age, so that the younger children can learn from the older children while also fostering social cooperation. Bottom line: This method IS NOT for every child. Depending on how you child learns, especially if they function better in a more structured environment, I would do more research on what school's curriculum would best fit your child. If you do think that your child would excel in a Montessori environment, you could expect to pay a little more. I think this is mostly because Montessori schools are not considered "daycare" and are typically private. Once again, research, research, research. Some of these kinds of schools especially ones looking to boost enrollment might be willing to negotiate their tuition price. Remember to discuss this when touring a facility by simply asking about scholarships (Yes, even for 3 year olds!) and more about their pricing structure. Personally, I just finished doing a lot of research on this topic for my own 3 year old and she started school this week at Pine Island Montessori (and LOVES it!). This school in particular was the best fit for my child because of the smaller class size, family environment, and their unique approach to the Montessori Method. Some other great Montessori schools in Broward County are Candil Jacaranda, Summit-Questa, and the Montessori Institute of Broward. Sorry for such a long post & Good Luck!!

I'm thinking about putting my son in a Montessori school next year as well ( I live in Boynton Beach) and am interested to see others responses :0)

Hi D.,
I attended Alexander Montessori in South Miami as a child. My Mom says she kind of wishes she hadn't kept us in the school for as long as she did (I was there through 5th grade), but I think I turned out OK (LOL!)

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