Pre-school or Mother's Day Out?

I had these same questions about a year ago. What I found out was that Montessori is a more non-traditional approach to learning. The different age groups are allowed to mingle and I think it's a less structured, more creative/personal discovery approach. Here is the best description I have found: http://www.austinmontessori.org/ I don't know of any other types of schools.
As far as MDO, my 2 1/2 year old daughter is in one right now 2 mornings a week. They go over letters, numbers, sing songs (learning months, days, counting in Spanish), do art projects, and have lots of free play, too. My daughter loves it! Almost every MDO is through a church. The only one I found that is not is Kids Day Out (www.kidsdayout.net). They rent space from a church, but church is not part of the curriculum. They have an optional chapel session once a week, but you can opt out. This is where we go, obviously, and I am very happy with it. I don't think there is another kind of program called Kids Day Out, that's just the name of this program.
In general MDO programs are a few hours a day 2-5 days a week. They are much less expensive than preschool (even part-time preschool).
This is perfect for us. My daughter gets some socialization with other children her age, learns things, and mommy gets a much needed break. I highly recommend it!

I think you just have to ask each pre school or MDO program what a typical day looks like. Talk to the teachers and ask to observe the classroom before you sign up for any program. More important than the program is how the adults interact with the children. You'll get a feel for the atmosphere. Do the children seem happy? Are they well supervised? Is there structured play time and free play time? Do they teach the alphabet, colors, number 1-10? That is pretty much what 2 year olds learn in any program. There should be lots of artwork displayed that incorporates learning. Ask neighbors for recommendations of where they send their kids. I'd pick some place that looks clean and cheerful, with activity centers that are clearly organized. They should also be able to provide you with schedules that they follow for each day, so you get a clearer picture of what your child would be doing during the time they spend there. Good luck.

Here are some ideas that may help you in your decision. I'm in preschool education and there are many good MDO, Montessori and other programs to choose from. The link below has more info also:
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2009/08/06/...

With so much information about preschools available to parents, it can be difficult to choose the right program. One approach to evaluating a school that can help parents choose is the level of emphasis on learning through play. For young children, play is the natural way to learn, according to the experts.

In fact, research studies confirm that children who are allowed to play function better later in life, both socially and academically.

“Young children who learn through play are more ready to make their own decisions, advocate for themselves and use creativity to solve problems as they grow,” says Dr. Kyle Pruett, a Yale University child psychiatrist and consultant to the Goddard School, the fastest-growing franchise preschool program in the United States.

In Leander there is an MDO at Summit Christian Academy. Its not affiliated with any particular church. However, many won't take the children until a certain age or until they are potty trained. Montessori is also wonderful as they tend to give a teaching experience in a "home" type atmosphere. Montessori term (named after Maria Montessori) can be used loosely though. They are really good at teaching life skills through every day activities. Best wishes!

check out St Marks Day School at St Marks episcopal church . Its off of South Lamar and Barton Skyway . Its one of the best in Austin and priced very reasonably . If you want more info please contact me

Hi there,

We have our daughter in a Montessori school and she has really been thriving there. Essentially, the Montessori approach is structured in that kids do Montessori "work" (really, a form of structured play), mastering tasks and lessons at their own pace. Our program is a bit of a hybrid in that there is an after-school program which she also attends four days/week. The kids play outside on one of three playgrounds, each specific to the age group of the kids (our school is 18 months thru kindergarten though our daughter). They also do activities during the after-school part of the day. If you'd like to know more about her school, I'm happy to talk offline. My email is ____@____.com
You really need to look around if you are considering Montessori. They range from totally purist Montessori schools like Austin Montessori to varying kinds of hybrid programs that vary in quality. Costs also vary pretty widely. There's a lot to read about the Montessori approach. You might start, if you haven't already, with a simple Google search. My daughter was in an unstructured totally "free play" pre-school first and that just didn't work for her. She wasn't happy and I thought a lot of that had to do with not being challenged in ways appropriate for her age and abilities. There are lots of options other than totally free-play or Montessori, too. Good luck!