Montessori vs. Home School

For parents who have decided a public school education is not the best or most desirable option for their child, home schooling may have some appeal. Before you embark on the tremendous commitment of teaching your own children at home, you may want to consider the following information.

Remember that Montessori teachers are specially trained to maximize your children’s learning at their specific developmental level. Many parents simply cannot offer that pedagogical background. As trained observers, Montessori teachers assist your children with activities that build a sense of order, independence, and concentration.

Additionally, in a Montessori school…

• The teacher is an objective observer of your child’s development. Often as parents we may overlook or miss the small but significant skills missing from a child’s competencies. Additionally, by observing children from many different families, the teacher better understands the broad range of normal behavior that children present.
• The teacher is specially trained to meet your child’s learning needs. These early childhood development experts can identify, anticipate, and accommodate each child’s individual educational needs through the primary and elementary years.
• Specially structured learning activities are developed to provide instruction on specific skills or subjects and maximize a child’s learning capacity. Our highly trained Montessori teachers have mastered these special ways of interacting with your child to maximize his or her learning.
• Unique Montessori materials developed for optimum learning experiences are easily accessible the class rooom and are designed to grow with the learner. While it may be possible to purchase these expensive Montessori materials, they are so different from traditional instructional activities that it is nearly impossible to use them effectively without Montessori teacher training. Because our skilled teachers follow Dr. Maria Montessori’s multiple steps of instruction, developed through hours of scientific research, there is no limit to a child’s learning in the Montessori classroom.
• A mixed-age environment can be highly beneficial if your child is an only child, and incredibly important for social development, even if your family has multiple children. Children learn valuable social and interpersonal skills when they interact with peers and similarly aged children from different backgrounds.
• A spacious, clean environment designed specifically for children of your child’s age and developmental stage is offered with plenty of time to explore it and learn.

The Early Years: Montessori or Stay-at-Home
Even if you’re not considering home schooling, you may wonder about the right time to introduce your child to a larger community. You may wonder about the appropriate amount of time for your child to be away from home. What advantage would your preschool-age child gain from a Montessori school when he or she could easily remain at home?

One major benefit of learning with children of the similar age is comfort. Even if your neighborhood has other children of your child’s age or stage of development, chances are it won’t have as many like-aged children as a school setting affords. All children enjoy making friends with peers interested in similar activities and learn easily from each other. And while traditional preschools may offer plenty of other children to play with, some interactions can be rough as children learn how to behave in groups. A Montessori classroom offers a rich social environment where respect for others is taught from day one.

In a Montessori Primary program (ages 3-5), low shelves with precisely organized materials and a wide variety of sensory-stimulating work are attractive and easily accessible to children. Homes are a compromise designed primarily for adults to work and play but often difficult for children to maneuver easily. A Montessori school can offer a comfortable, safe, inviting space for your child every day.