All About Montessori
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Hokay people, in general mainstream kindergarten or Montessori centre
they both will have their strengths... Similar to the fact that there is no
perfect job... perfect life... perfect man... it applies to the same - there
is no perfect school. In every office there can be the spoil market types.
In every life will have some rotten apples. Of all the fish in the sea... or
all the apples in the orchard, there will be some rotten ones.
Yes... there are rotten men!
..... and before you flame me :x .....
there are rotten women as well (to be fair)...
No one is perfect hence no place can be perfect.
Cause, a place is managed by people...
We give some, we lose some, okie..
Now back to business.
If you prefer routine...
If you prefer shorter hours...
If you prefer standard yet packed curriculum...
If you prefer to outsource for enrichment than
stay in one place for learning...
If you prefer slightly firm-er teachers...
If you prefer more written form of evidence of work / learning...
And most important, if you prefer CHEAPER... or mebbe a better
word would be... a more AFFORDABLE place of education for your
children... (well... being cheapskate isn't exactly appropriate lah huh..)
All in favour of the above, say aye... and go get kiddie registered for
a kindergarten of choice. Preferably, not too far. Travel distance is of
essence here people... especially when you're talking about a small
child going to school on a daily basis. If you're planning further than
within your area of residence - transport taking better.. Place should
be brightly lit, have learning corners, have own toilets and bonus if got
own playground area, have nice and conducive learning environment,
fairly interesting and up to date curriculum to prepare for P1 (hey...
if you're planning to stay faithful to one centre - will be good to know)
and most importantly you have checked that the teacher (no need all
the teachers lah... cos not always possible...) is a person you know
your children will feel safe with, have fun with and learn happily with...
Now, as with a Montessori centre...
If you prefer your children to learn at own pace...
Not cos they're slow but more that they can take their time but yet still
able to make it through in the end...
If you prefer un-structured purposeful work...
Not that you dislike routine, but more that they can also learn life skills
that is beyond the usual classroom...
If you prefer to have those gracious, non-threatening environment and
patient teachers who should not say words like NO and YOU naughty kid!..
Not that you dislike firm teachers, but just that you want your children to
be able to embrace learning to come from their hearts (and not forced...)
- IT IS POSSIBLE!!!
If you prefer to allow freedom of movement and the flexibility of learning,
and not that you want them to be freedom of speech kinda leaders... but
more to being confident of themselves and know that its ok to... like what
they like and do what they do, but within the constraints of certain set
limitations (to respect others and property)...
If you prefer more hands-on work will benefit your child due to the tactile
experiences, and not that you dislike paperwork or that your child cannot
write...
If you prefer to have all the necessary knowledge be imparted to your
children under one roof, cos Montessori covers Language & Literacy,
concrete Math, Sensorial activities, Cutural Studies (Early Science) and
Practical Life (Life Skills)... Not that you mind swapping centres ... but
more to... it wud be better to be on track with only one school of thought..
ala stick-to-one-kinda-man-till-death-do-us-part.. (ahakz! :lol: )
And finally, if you prefer to spend your wealth on constructive learning -
either you can afford, will try to afford at all cost, or mebbe can try try
for awhile until cannot afford... and not that you want to brag to people
you are the high class kind, but you believe in taking that different
approach to learning (other than rote learning / teacher directed learning)...
..... by all means, swing by your nearest Montessori centre .....
Buuuuutttt.... having said all that, regardless of the centre you will
eventually select out of the many choices you have yet to shortlist,
it's really an effective teacher who will groom the children.....
I received this on my 1st Teacher's Day celebration...
it was a blue mirrored frame that was engraved...
A good teacher explains,
A great teacher demonstrates,
But.. only a superior teacher INSPIRES.
Though the sender didn't clearly state which
kind of teacher i was, i'm hoping i'm the one
who inspired.... :love: :oops: :siam: -
About the part to know whether the school is indeed
a Montessori school, i seriously gotta get back to you
guys again another time... i gotta rest my back and
fingers now boy...
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THANKS a GREAT deal for the above BUDS :thankyou: Am gonna take time to digest it.
Yes, its so compelling to be teacher/parent directed. I'm an impatient person...not sure if can stay true to 1 method all the way to K2 or not -
soomum:
Hehee! It's understood dear... and you're most welcome!THANKS a GREAT deal for the above BUDS :thankyou: Am gonna take time to digest it.
Yes, its so compelling to be teacher/parent directed. I'm an impatient person...not sure if can stay true to 1 method all the way to K2 or not
Pre-school shopping ain't like how it used to be during our time..
The only criteria was must be near. Must be cheap(est)! :lol:
On top of that, there weren't that many choices then either..
Hey, I didn't stay true to one school of thought either! So no worries..
A bit of both can be good too.
Important thing is at this young
tender age, going to school should be something fun that they will
look forward to (going) everyday..
There's also the trial and error to factor in upon the final decision.
The teacher you saw the first time was great...then found out she quit
halfway, teaching your child's class... or teacher was ok, but child did
not enjoy - kena bully... or cannot adapt that quickly - cry and cry for
long periods of the day... many many other scenarios. What i'm trying
to say is that, even through the best decisions (can be expensive ones
too!)... the child will show you how they like or do not like the place..
Unless you give the child time and the place a chance to try out, you
will not know if that is what works for him/her..
Happy shopping!
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hey there buds, enjoyed your postings as usual. really, i think you should get paid for being so \"on the ball\" with your replies. :lol:
anyway, my daughter is in a normal cc. a place where i can \"fang xin\" cos its a well-run place n they are associate school of a well-known brand. so i always tell people i pay half the price for the same curriculum. hehe. in my opinion, its not very academic-based. but i like to think that they focus on other areas like creativity cos they do lots of art and craft (still do at this age of 3) and i enrolled her for kindermusik etc. juz that i dunno if this is enough to prepare her for p1?
m considering josiah montessori in town. i've visited the place during the dec holidays but i do find tt the teachers r quite serious and strict. (was observing the k1 going on k2 kids) seems to me that the kids r well-behaved but kinda stifled-looking. (like not very happy?) academics-wise, i believe josiah is quite well-known for it so i believe no need to worry at p1. wat i like abt josiah is its montessori so my daughter can move at her own pace n not be taught the same thing that her friends r ready to be taught. ks mummy right? :oops:
i did read from a mummy who put her child in josiah that they very not open to letting the parents visit the centre. i agree fully cos i already experienced this when visiting the centre. upfront tell me when the child starts school i cannot sit in. i m like huh? then how i know wat she learn? n the timing i m allowed to visit the place is not lesson time. their rationale is dun want to disturb the learning time.
do u think its worth to change cc? although i m reluctant to since my daughter is well settled in her current school
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Heyya foreverj,
Yeeeaah, i suppose it wud be nice to get paid for it! :evil:
Wuahahahahaa! :lol: :lol: :lol: Eh seriously lah haa...
Your girl is 3 and you're here discussing P1 prepz with me.
Your kiasu-ism defeats my own... hehehehee..
Anyway, this is gonna be a rather long post...
just to provide a fair exchange on your current dilemma.
CAUTION : You may still be un-decided at the end of this post.
So... You've been warned.. :evil:
Like you said, she is currently in a very well managed place
and she is happy, now that IS very important. A happy child
makes a happy mummy, you see... All parents here will agree
with me on this - that..... we're happy to see our children enjoy
going to school and looking forward to it every single day..
No crying and negotiating be done.. They like wearing their
uniforms and they cannot wait to meet their teachers and friends.
Us being working parents or stay home ones can be at ease.. be it
at work, at home sleeping, at the gym working out or with friends
for breakfast/tea... (etc)
A few questions for you to reflect upon here... Help me out, k.
1.How long has she been in this current childcare?
2.How long did she take to settle into the childcare environment?
3.Half day or full day?
4.What's the distance from your home to the childcare?
5.And what is the distance going to be to swap to Josiah?
6.What is your thought on a more-academic based learning centre...
ie. what you wish your child can be learning?
Yes, while Josiah Montessori has been acknowledged by many parents
to really prepare for Primary education, there are parents who find the
nature of it stifling. In other forums, there have been talk that the
children seemed too well-behaved and everything so in order that it
didn't feel like a children's environment at a glance. Not to mention the
many feedbacks received that the staff can be rather uptight by just
about the mention of parents coming in for anything... From just
requesting feedbacks... or to just having a look... and stuff... The only
time you should get to really catch up with the teacher is during >
Parent Teacher Meeting... for evaluation of the child(ren)'s progress.
I have not been to Josiah personally so i am on the fence. Not cheering
for either sides but just to provide the two varying perspectives here, to
be fair to the school, based on feedbacks from friends, parents i've met
and parents in forums. So in short, all this is feedback and also yes...
hearsay to me, for now..
Now for the other side of the fence, these are supporters of good habits
and routines for children. Them being well-behaved just help parents
along with their home schedules as well. Children also learn to be
independent at a very early start. Stricter or more stringent rules from
the centre imposed on parents may also reflect that they are dead
serious with regards to the development and progress of the children's
education. They do not wish to tolerate instances where parents keep
coming in to take a look at their environment, and hence disturbing the
concentration of the working children.
In a Montessori learning environment, it is true that this can be
frustrating. The working children are not for show really... cos parents
wish to see for themselves if the learning environment is a happy one and
that the teacher is of good quality... That is quite understood for us being
parents, but may not be so for the staff of the centre... and if the teacher
in charge has to be taken out of her class or lesson too many times in a
day due to impromptu visits from interested parents, it can be a strain on
them as well.
Parents of the children already enrolled in the centre may not like it either
that, their children could be shortchanged on lesson time... with staff who
may seem busy with enrolment issues when it is supposed to be time with
their children on the lessons.
Hence the initiation on trials for some centres and also afternoon visits,
where its less packed and more flexible to speak to parents and if we're
lucky we may even get to personally meet the teaching strengths as well.
So, you see... always two sides to a coin. And a case where different
individuals prefer different things in life or prefer different styles how
children should learn.
I have not really answered your question but just this for now... until i
have more updates from you, ok... It will be worth it only if you are
happy that your child will be happy in whichever place she is in.
Does the centre provide trial or weekend lessons? Bring your child...
Try something out and see how it goes.
Catch up, ya..
Looking forward to hear
from you soon, foreverj.
Wish you a good Tuesday! -
hi buds, thanks. i know i can count on u for a comprehensive review!
buds:
Heyya foreverj,
Yeeeaah, i suppose it wud be nice to get paid for it! :evil:
Wuahahahahaa! :lol: :lol: :lol: Eh seriously lah haa...
Your girl is 3 and you're here discussing P1 prepz with me.
Your kiasu-ism defeats my own... hehehehee..
aiyah, have to plan early whether this should be the school i should keep my daughter until k2 mah. dun want to have to change last min in k1.
Anyway, this is gonna be a rather long post...
just to provide a fair exchange on your current dilemma.
CAUTION : You may still be un-decided at the end of this post.
So... You've been warned.. :evil:
Like you said, she is currently in a very well managed place
and she is happy, now that IS very important. A happy child
makes a happy mummy, you see... All parents here will agree
with me on this - that..... we're happy to see our children enjoy
going to school and looking forward to it every single day..
No crying and negotiating be done.. They like wearing their
uniforms and they cannot wait to meet their teachers and friends.
Us being working parents or stay home ones can be at ease.. be it
at work, at home sleeping, at the gym working out or with friends
for breakfast/tea... (etc)
actually my daughter is very close to me, so sometimes when she did not have enough sleep, i may stil have to \"throw\" her to teacher heartlessly (although thank God this is seldom nowadays). n i love the fact her cc has no uniform, one less thing to change and get ready in the morning, hehe. i work half day so is always home for her when she takes school bus home in evening. i know she's happy in school cos when i fetch her from school bus, she's always smiling n generally happy feedback from teachers is that she's very vocal in class and one of the more chatty ones. this observation is consistent with mine as i sit in for her enrichment classes on weekends.
A few questions for you to reflect upon here... Help me out, k.
1.How long has she been in this current childcare? one and half years.
2.How long did she take to settle into the childcare environment? well, she stopped crying during class by end of first week. but like i said, even now sometimes she may tear when saying goodbye to me.
3.Half day or full day? full day. she requested for it herself after six months.
4.What's the distance from your home to the childcare? twenty min drive
5.And what is the distance going to be to swap to Josiah? abt the same but josiah is at hubby's workplace so no issue. but josiah also more tricky cos she will end up coming home much later ie. less time to rest at night.6.What is your thought on a more-academic based learning centre...
ie. what you wish your child can be learning? more academic means more concrete homework, establish good routine and train the child well so that well-prepared for p1.
Yes, while Josiah Montessori has been acknowledged by many parents
to really prepare for Primary education, there are parents who find the
nature of it stifling. In other forums, there have been talk that the
children seemed too well-behaved and everything so in order that it
didn't feel like a children's environment at a glance. Not to mention the
many feedbacks received that the staff can be rather uptight by just
about the mention of parents coming in for anything... From just
requesting feedbacks... or to just having a look... and stuff... The only
time you should get to really catch up with the teacher is during >
Parent Teacher Meeting... for evaluation of the child(ren)'s progress.
I have not been to Josiah personally so i am on the fence. Not cheering
for either sides but just to provide the two varying perspectives here, to
be fair to the school, based on feedbacks from friends, parents i've met
and parents in forums. So in short, all this is feedback and also yes...
hearsay to me, for now..
Now for the other side of the fence, these are supporters of good habits
and routines for children. Them being well-behaved just help parents
along with their home schedules as well. Children also learn to be
independent at a very early start. Stricter or more stringent rules from
the centre imposed on parents may also reflect that they are dead
serious with regards to the development and progress of the children's
education. They do not wish to tolerate instances where parents keep
coming in to take a look at their environment, and hence disturbing the
concentration of the working children.
In a Montessori learning environment, it is true that this can be
frustrating. The working children are not for show really... cos parents
wish to see for themselves if the learning environment is a happy one and
that the teacher is of good quality... That is quite understood for us being
parents, but may not be so for the staff of the centre... and if the teacher
in charge has to be taken out of her class or lesson too many times in a
day due to impromptu visits from interested parents, it can be a strain on
them as well. i totally understand this, that's y never kick up a big fuss when i was told abt it
Parents of the children already enrolled in the centre may not like it either
that, their children could be shortchanged on lesson time... with staff who
may seem busy with enrolment issues when it is supposed to be time with
their children on the lessons.
Hence the initiation on trials for some centres and also afternoon visits,
where its less packed and more flexible to speak to parents and if we're
lucky we may even get to personally meet the teaching strengths as well.
So, you see... always two sides to a coin. And a case where different
individuals prefer different things in life or prefer different styles how
children should learn.
I have not really answered your question but just this for now... until i
have more updates from you, ok... It will be worth it only if you are
happy that your child will be happy in whichever place she is in.
Does the centre provide trial or weekend lessons? Bring your child...
Try something out and see how it goes.
the admin told me all cc has to give 2 weeks trial. but for me, to start my daughter on josiah means have to give notice at the current place. first is waste money n also wat if the space is gone if josiah does not work out? thinking of trying out the weekend enrichment classes but think its more for 4 yr old children too. oh btw any suggestions for montessori math n english for weekend enrichment? if can, then best is keep her at current school and give her the opportunity to learn more at the montessori enrichment. like that best of both worlds?
Catch up, ya..
Looking forward to hear
from you soon, foreverj.
Wish you a good Tuesday! -
Hi all,
Has anyone heard of Aces Montessori? Iād appreciate any comments about this childcare centre.
Thanks! -
HI ALL Mums! I m new here to this forum. my child is only 11 mths but I juz thot I should start looking around...any feedback on this particular branch?
-
Hi
Hoping that someone will have something to share on MMI@Jalan Bukit Merah?
I find that very difficult to gather feedback on MM1 @ Jalan Bukit Merah
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