All About Montessori

[buds]

littleprince:

Hello buds, I'm new here and this is my 2nd post after reporting at newbie section

Ermmm hello too and uhmm... have we been acquainted before? :lol:
Your 2nd posting oredi target question for me arh? I'm quite scared
now , honestly... :scared: ... Are you one of those very fussy parents? :nailbite: :siam:

littleprince:

Erm,I was here from 9am until now and read through all 28 pages of this thread and am still as confused about montessori's way of learning.

Just to clarify... that whatever you have read in this thread is highly
more the sharings than anyything else. This ain't even my thread.. i
didn't start it but along the way when i do see some areas where i
can share or contribute, i will try to the best that i can. I am not the
expert here or the know-alls... mostly only humble sharings of some
experiences in the work force and now from a parent's point of view
as well.

littleprince:

Back in one of the posts,you mentioned about the differences in Montessori vs \"Mainstream\" pre-schools and one of them being the costs.Actually it is not so as some \"Mainstream\" pre-schools like Etonhouse,Pat's , Mindchamps are as costly if not more costly than some of these Montessori ones. Let's just compare between let's say a 100% Montessori school vs Pat's .Both are equally expensive.Montessori has their style of teaching, whereas Pat's is also based on learning thru purposeful play but based on a thematic approach.

If you ask anyone here who has had experience chatting with me in this
forum... there is this one thing i do not really like to do; that is... comparing.
Especially when it is with regards to education... cos simply
put : It is a people oriented industry. It's the people that matter, not
only the place, the brand, the price, the curriculum, the owner or the
beliefs/methodology and the practices that come with it.

You see littleprince, everything is subject to comparison as to how the
individual eye perceives it. It is very subjective. I have been on both sides
of the fence. ie. i have both mainstream and montessori experience... and
truth be told, there are merits in both learning environments which are
honestly beyond comparison. It would seem like asking someone to tell
you which child they love more than the other.

If you have read all the pages here... you would somehow understand a
little bit that ratio plays a big part between the two. Montessori takes in
less children in a class as you would compare to that of a mainstream. And
why? Because the Montessori methodology thrives on facilitating the
individual growing progress of each child holistically. A lot of observing,
guiding, preparing for each child is done at their individual pace. While
some centres may also include group activity, the Montessori curriculum
centres around their primary 5 areas. (Language, Math, Cultural,
Sensorial and Practical Life) With a knowledgable Montessorian and a
passionate desire to teach children, a true Montessorian would be able
to nurture a child to be an all rounder and an independent one to boot.
To hone the skill of not giving up at first try... at understanding that it is
all right to make a mistake and learn from it... then putting it to more and
more practice... one would eventually triumph out of it with personal
success at one's own speed and space.

A group setting in mainstream may for example allow for learning centres
where children are allowed to learn from one another... communicate with
one another... the teacher in this scenario provides the environment for
children to develop leadership skills, to share, to encourage problem
solving and to work well with others. In lessons, the teacher prepares &
delivers her lesson whereby all the children will listen & put into practice
of what's been taught as a group... All children conform to the pace to the
needs and to the level being presented by the teacher. Activities are pre-
scheduled and structured to suit the hours the child spends in the centre.

I won't be able to indulge you in the aspect of costs.. ie. to compare the
fees between centres. You have to understand that a lot goes behind the
structuring of a centre. Location=Rental. Branding=Commercialization.
Better trained teachers=Higher salary scale. Choice of curriculum.. choice
of food for our children.. air-con.. non air-con.. buy a curriculum.. make
own curriculum... adopt own methodology or franchise one...? Just to
name a few that is... there are a lotta things that goes behind the set
up of each individual centre that is almost impossible to compare the
whys and what nots. So to be fair to all practitioners, they each have
their own beliefs & preferred methodology of teaching the children in
their centres.. they each have a different vision of what they want for
that venture they have put their money into. Some may set up for the
sake of the money but not so easily either until really established.. some
do set up for the niche and the need of the masses.. and a few do set up
for the love of it.. while others may set up one just to try and see how it
goes.. A lotta things..

littleprince:

So if the theme is about colours for eg,May I know what is the difference in terms of teaching style in Montessori vs Pat's? Would you be able to give me an example so that I will be able to actually tell the difference?I'm hope I'm not being too bothersome asking all these questions.

I have posted a sharing about colours in one of the pages. Cannot recall
which page now, but will find the link for you when i have time.
This thread has gone quite far already.. :oops: ... this auntie cannot
remember at this moment.

With regards to the difference in teaching, i cannot comment lah dear.. i
have not worked with Pats mah.. different centre different preferred
approach... not so much of right and wrong method... or better than the
other method... what drives our children to learn in a safe and fun loving
environment is the kind of environment that our children will benefit from.

littleprince:

So far,I visited Schoolhouse by the Bay,Pat's and Mindchamps and they are based on learn thru purposeful play with a thematic approach but haven't had the chance to visit a montessori centre.After reading all 28 pages,I guess it is pointless for me to visit the centre as they wouldn't want me to disturb their lessons and thus I wouldn't get to see how a lesson is being conducted.

It is also pointless to just believe what we read here or anywhere for
that matter.. for not all centres (Montessori ones included) impose the
closed door policy. It varies from centre to centre and also between the
different management policies. The centres i have worked with... both
mainstream and also Montessori all have welcoming approach of open
concept policies.. we would love for parents to visit us. It's like opening up
your home to friends... :grphug: Parents have to also make the effort to
do ground research ie. visit the schools they have shortlisted and run
some questions with the staff/teacher... read about the methodologies
that they adopt for their centres... sit in trial sessions where possible...

So far the Montessori in mention that has the closed door policy shared
here amongst other parents is Josiah.. and not meaning they aren't good
for that matter. They take their work with children seriously when they
mean they do not encourage parents to walk in and about the premise
when children are in concentration. A parent who may already have their
children enrolled in a centre may not like the idea of the class teacher or
administrator spending time to speak to parents when lessons are in
progress... it does at times disrupt the lesson when there are visitors
coming in all the time. Parents will want to ask more questions in relevance
to the methodology or the lessons, which will then take up the teachers
time away from the children under her care. As best as possible, parents
should give centres a try by going for trial sessions (some may come free
and others maybe at a small fee) as these sessions help you gauge the
teacher's level of spoken English... her disciplinary approach with the
children... the way she engages children with her lessons... (etc) ...

Give centres a chance to show what they offer and what they have before
we judge... that said, with such a growing need for people in this pre-
school industry... there will be many teachers you see out there... while
they have been mention once too many of the 'off-ones' take heart that
there are also exceptional ones out there.

While i'm not sure how this long sharing will help you littleprince, i hope i
have shed some light (or at least i tried) to the concerns you have raised
in your post above. Let me know if i can be of further assistance. I will try
to help where i can. Meanwhile should you be keen in exploring Montessori
for your child, i encourage you to read up about it just to find out more...
As for other mainstream approaches, the library also offers many selections
for either leisure reading or more in depth research into the different ways
teachers nurture our pre-school children.

I have to reiterate that in this people-oriented industry of pre-school
teaching, it is THE educator that matters. When a person believes and
has the heart for it, she will deliver... regardless of company branding,
regardless of management woes... regardless of office politics... and
regardless of the methodology the centre incorporates... he or she...
is THE ONE who will make it work for you and your child, no matter what.

Just my usual dose of sharings..

[RAchelmum]

:celebrate: I totally agree with Buds.


Not every opinion in the forum need to be sought & don simply take it
literally as one man's meat may be another's poison.

I am speaking from a parent who knows nothing about Montessori teaching
to reading various parenting forums & books; visiting centres, chatting &
emailing to Montessori directoresses/ principals, mainly in the NE area.

So far most centres allowed me to visit during the lesson time to see how
the classes are conducted, otherwise during the break/ snack time to
view the facilities if they found disruptive to the class.
I would write emails to arrange for appointment.
Ad-hoc visit is definitely not pleasant to any school.

A good tip from a non-montessori centre principal:
- Visit the centre at least twice:
1. Visit during school hours to see how activities/ classes are conducted
& how the teachers handle the students etc.

2. Visit during weekends/ time when there is no ongoing lesson.
This allows you have ample time to look at the environment, materials
and facilities & ask questions freely without any distraction of the
students.

*************************************************************
Some points to share based on my findings of what a montessori centre offers:

:idea:
There is no full montessori school in SG due to the addition of Chinese/
Mother Tongue Language etc. in the curriculum.
A full montessori school would have 2-3 hours of mat work or montessori
time while a SG kindergarten lesson usu lasts for 2.5-3.5 hrs. Given 30 to 45 min of monte time per day is considered normal.

Montessori is not a patented word, so some centres would mix & match with other teaching approaches. Or strange arrangement like Montessori for nursery level & other approaches for kindergarten level within a sch.

There is no such thing as modern or traditional or whatever styles of Montessori, the centres would like to call themselves.
:idea:
Montessori principles can begin from birth to teenage. Only offer for
preschoolers in SG, likely due to cost and lack of qualified educators.


To develop life skills, motor/ sensorial skills & coordination,
hence a sense of independence, responsibility and love of order.
The child can learn & encourage to do things by oneself (practical life
skills like self-feeding, changing, keeping things back in order after using, help to do house chores etc).

I got a cousin who is in Pri 5 & his mum is still spoon-feeding him all his
meals while he is glued to the computer screen. :stupid:

Monte schs are very neat & organised with open shelves.
Each set of work is placed in small tray with numbers/ dots to match the
shelf, so the child is free to choose the work & yet know where to put it back.

Say to teach about scooping, a set of work consists of 2 bowls with a
ladle/ large spoon and some marble/ large beads.
The teacher will do a presentation to show how the proper way is done
and place the items neatly on the tray after working.


To enjoy the joy of learning and interested in fact & fiction
Language, numeracy, science skills & geographical/ cultural knowledge
are introduced early through manipulatives, activities or field trips etc, to stimulate their interest.

To respect & listen
Children are respected as an individual adult, hence learn to be empathtic
& caring towards others & practice grace & courtesy.
Monte environments are usu calm & peaceful, unlike other centres which
might seem more cheerful or rowdy to some.

:idea:
There is no graded or marking system.
Children are assessed based on teachers' observation of their
individual progress/capabilities to accomplish the tasks or skills on the list
of progression activites ordered from easiest to hardest.

Hence it is good for the child who is advanced or slow to learn things at
their own pace. A pre-nursery level child can learn higher level skills if
he/ she is a fast learner; A kindergarten level child can be re-trained or
practise his/ her fundamental skills if not master well during the earlier
years.

For mainstream or traditional schools, one fixed set of syllabus is applied
for the children of the same ages.


:idea:
Teachers' Qualification
Majority of the local Montessori teachers are graduated with diploma from
MCI Montessori Centre International.

Rarely but a handful are holding diplomas from AMI Association
Montessori Internationale in UK/ US/ Netherland.

*************************************************************



I may not be expert in the area, here are some basic references which
had enhanced my understanding, even though I may not agree to every principle:

http://www.michaelolaf.net/FAQMontessori.html

Illustrated & simple to read books to introduce some activities at the comfort at home:
\"How to raise an Amazing Child The Montessori Way\" by Tim Seldin

\"Teach Me to Do It Myself\" by Maja Pitamic



Hope all parents found the suitable school that will nurture your children.


Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders of Google.com, Jeff Bezos of
amazon.com, and others, credit their Montessori Education for much of their success.

[RAchelmum]

[quote]\"trixter

hi there,

thanks for sharing. yes, i am thinking on enrolling him for the todl class so to prep for him proper N1 next year.

I am looking at the next term which is around june/july. meantime, i am checking if there are other suitable schools.

will u still be around next term? we could be \"classmates\"!

:celebrate:[/quote]Hi trixter,
Not continuing with Josiah as had enrolled my girl in a Montessori school nearer to home with non-aircon environment.
I would say there are passionate educators, endorsed by their brand name.

Little Prince
No doubt Josiah had a closed door policy, u can try a paid trial session to see if u like the teaching method.

I had been going ard trying various though not many trial classes and appalled with several centres which make use of
stickers or even candies as rewards when teaching.
Josiah teachers manage to guide and lead the children to understand that
doing things for a purpose, not for anyone or anything in return.
That's a key principle in Montessori teaching.


Expensive need not be the best but it is just happened that the cost of
starting a montessori school is usu higher than a mainstream one due to the extensive imported materials & manipulatives.
The low teacher-student ratio abt 1:5 or 1:6 also contributes to the high fees.

I am hoping that my girl would be a self-disciplined, independent thinker,confident, self-motivated and responsible individual
in the long run, as such i may save on tuition/ enrichment class fees and my naggings.

Academically, she needs not be the best but character building not only starts from home.
The school plays a part to help to enforce, as children spend quite a substantial amt of time in sch.
Many educators had no time for that since their key performance indicators (KPIs) focus on producing students who attain academic excellence.

Of course, the parents must really spend effort & time to inculcate the right values & positive attitudes towards learning.

[golfer]

sorry to hijack.

whats the fee for montessori kindergarten?
can the K1 children read 5 letter words?

[RAchelmum]

golfer:

sorry to hijack.

whats the fee for montessori kindergarten?
can the K1 children read 5 letter words?

Here's a gd ref from MOE but do call up the centres for latest fees:
http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/preschool/files/kindergarten-profile.xls
in general up to 4-6x more than a PCF kindy.

More info on kindergartens:
http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/preschool/

Golfer,
Ability to read is not determined by the complexity of the words.
Children also need to learn sight words like 'The' or 'an' etc, to read complete sentences.

My girl's Monte sch will loan a reader on every fri for her to read over the wkend. I don see simply 3 or 5 letter words for Nursery 1 level.

She is reading words like 'hippopotamus' or 'rhinoceros' even before entering kindy.

Don wait for teachers to teach reading, but most kindy (even non-Monte) would had taught children to read phonetically by K1, so that they would
not be confused with Han Yu Pin Yin which is usu introduced at K2.

[buds]

golfer:

sorry to hijack.

whats the fee for montessori kindergarten?

No worries golfer.
It is still related to Montessori.
It varies from one kindy to another in terms of
set up, hours offered, directress-child ratio and
teachers' qualification plus how established in
terms of quality and also branding..

With a good Montessori centre & a passionate
+ knowledgable Montessori directress, your child
will not need external enrichment for Language, Math
and Science as all these are covered in the curriculum..
Plus the Montessori methodology offers soft skills and
character building that not many mainstream schools
have the time or ability to cover. Good values are also
important for our ever impressionable growing children,
apart from the academics' chase..

golfer:

can the K1 children read 5 letter words?

Our K1 Montessorian children can read simple books... not just words.

[Shera]

Does anyone know where to get the listing of the Montessori based kindergartens :?

[toddles]

RAchelmum:

Hi trixter,
Not continuing with Josiah as had enrolled my girl in a Montessori school nearer to home with non-aircon environment.
I would say there are passionate educators, endorsed by their brand name.

Thanks for your sharing. Any specific pros and cons of Josiah to share? What did you like or not like about it?

Also, if you don't mind sharing, where you decided to transfer your kid to?

RAchelmum:

I am hoping that my girl would be a self-disciplined, independent thinker,confident, self-motivated and responsible individual
in the long run, as such i may save on tuition/ enrichment class fees and my naggings.

Academically, she needs not be the best but character building not only starts from home.
The school plays a part to help to enforce, as children spend quite a substantial amt of time in sch.
Many educators had no time for that since their key performance indicators (KPIs) focus on producing students who attain academic excellence.

Of course, the parents must really spend effort & time to inculcate the right values & positive attitudes towards learning.

Totally agree.

I am not so caught up with academic excellence, so still wondering whether Josiah is the right place to put my kid. I stay nearby so it's high on the convenience scale. Josiah seems quite fixated on academic excellence and less on (learning thru) play?

Overall from your sharing, seems like montessori preschool is the way to go to achieve a 'balanced' self-motivated child. thanks!

[rainbows]

hi hi


i chanced upon this thread and thot maybe you could share with me also :oops:

may i know are all montessori childcare using the smiliar methods on teaching?

if so, anybody has their child in amazing star/shekinah montessri in sengkang?

i can't decide which one..

appreciate your inputs.

thanks

[wyou]

hi everyone,


wondering if it will be confusing for a child to start a montessori n a mainstream program at the same time? i can’t decide which is more suitable for my dd. Tot of letting her to try both 1st before i decide her N1 school next year.

My dd is shy n very quite in public or in playgroup class but actually very active, understands n able to converse quite well at home.( speaks in sentences) She is coming to 20 mths old.

Is montessori program has lesser interact time in class? Do they have more individual time with teacher? Am oso concern that she will not speak up when in big group ( mainstream school).

Any advise will be much appreciated. Tks!