5 Reasons to Choose Montessori Education for Your Kids

We’re almost a month into the new school year and starting to get into our groove. We had some difficulty getting into our top choice school. I had my heart set on my kids going to a Montessori school, but it turns out so did a lot of families in my area. We were stuck on a waiting list and with a lottery system. 

Thankfully, it all worked out, and we found out practically at the last minute that my son was IN!

Prior to looking into education options for my children, I knew only a little bit about Montessori education. As I began to research more about it and speak with families who involved, I grew to love the Montessori philosophy. 

If you don’t know much about Montessori education and are interested in learning more you can read about it HERE.

I’m in love with the philosophy, the teaching practices, materials, and just the overall vibe of my son's new school. As you can probably guess, I feel like we made a great choice and I cannot be any more grateful that we were able to get in.

Are you wondering why we chose this route rather than going with a more traditional school?

It really all boils down to one simple fact: I know my kids.

I know that the public school system would not be a good fit for either of them.

I know what types of environments they will learn best in and sitting in a desk for hours on end will not suite either of them. I’m not knocking desk sitting at all--in fact, I am actually the type of student who can sit in a desk and take notes and be perfectly fine with that.

That is not who my son is though.

While my husband and I discussed our hopes for our children’s educations, it was really my job to go and seek out the options available to us. We aren’t able to afford private school without taking out a second mortgage, but we refuse to do that. As I explored our options, I kept gravitating back to Montessori or similar type schools.

In our brief experience so far, here are just a few of the reasons I love Montessori education:

1. PACE

My child is free to move at his own pace and won’t be held back if he is moving faster or slower than the rest of the class. He is free to master a concept on his own time and has some control over how and when he completes his work. It’s giving children freedom of choice while also teaching them to be accountable for the outcomes of their choices.

2. INDIVIDUALISM

Montessori doesn't promote conformity and it does discourage (aka doesn’t allow) commercialism of any kind. I have always disliked children’s items that are covered in characters and all of that hoopla, although I have given in (reluctantly) over the past few years on a few items. Montessori solves that issue once and for all. No battles in the morning because it’s simply not allowed. It’s also less distracting and doesn’t continue to promote materialism and consumerism to our kids.

3. PARENT PARTICIPATION

They encourage (require) parent participation. Honestly, this is one of the most important things to me. I want to be involved in my child’s education. I want to volunteer, help out and get to know the teacher. That seems natural to me and I can’t imagine not being invited into the classroom, yet I've heard from parents at non-Montessori schools who say they either aren't allowed into the classroom or they are only allowed in under specific circumstances. Since parent participation is a requirement for all families, I feel like my child's school lends itself to attracting parents who are highly invested in their child’s education and want to be a part of the school. Therefore, the school forms a community for families as well as for the students.

4. MORE THAN ACADEMICS

I love that academics are a part of the classroom environment, but that is not the ONLY part of Montessori education. In fact, Montessori philosophy places a strong focus on life skills, social skills, and being a part of a community. I like that children are encouraged to be independent and to learn do things for themselves. This not only builds their skill level but also their confidence. Win and win! Plus, these are concepts I have personally been trying to work on with my children at home, so it’s nice to have the extra support at school too!

5. A CALM AND SAFE SPACE

The classroom at my son's school is so inviting! I wouldn’t mind sitting in there all day myself. There are no overhead, glaring florescent lights and no desks all set up in neat, straight rows. Instead there are house plants, natural light, rugs, coffee tables, stations, bean bag chairs, and other touches of comfort. The classroom smells good and there is usually music playing in the background. The classrooms all have a calming force that you can pick up on by just walking in.

It feels conducive to learning.

It feels safe.

Now, I’m not saying that other schools do not offer some or all of these same concepts. After doing my own research, and considering what was best for my family, Montessori education won! I’m so glad it did. I feel at home there, and so do my kids, and that is so important. My son loves his school and is excited to go every day. I can’t ask for anything more.

I’m not going to be all Pollyanna about the school and think that everything is going to be rainbows and butterflies forever. I’m just happy that we’re having a good experience so far and it really is all that I hoped that it would be. 

I am so excited to continue our kindergarten journey and to see what the rest of the year has in store for us!

I've had several people ask me what I love about Montessori education and why I chose it for my kids, so it seemed like a good time to share just a few of my reasons for choosing it and why I think it is a good fit for my family. Honestly, it hadn't occurred to me until recently that others might be curious! 

Now, I want to know...what type of education did you choose for your children? How did you make that choice? Did it work out the way that you had hoped? Share your experiences in the comments!

Did you enjoy this post? Check some of these other posts as well:

Lessons learned from my son's first week of kindergarten

The day came and went!

My son FINALLY started kindergarten!

It was a bumpy road, at first, and then it turned into smooth sailing! We prepared, talked about it, met his teacher, and then started school. Just like that, my first born is gone during the day, eating lunch without his mama, and navigating this world on his own (with guidance, of course!).

The summer was fun, tiring, and busy to say the least. I've been ready for a while to shoo my son out the front door and go home to drink a cup of coffee! 

What I wasn't prepared for was the fact that he'd be fine...and that I wouldn't be.

I cried.

I UGLY cried.

And then, I went home and cried some more.

My son was totally fine for days 1 through 4. On day 5, I had to pry my crying children apart, and I cried again. 

We're several days out from that incident now (it was traumatizing for me), and we've transitioned back to happy drop-offs again. Whew!

I seriously thought I'd be super efficient with just one child. I'd get a ton done this first week! I had plans! I even put off specific chores because I knew my time would be significantly freed up with one child in school.

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

What I hadn't thought about was the fact that my daughter's primary playmate was suddenly no longer available to her. She had no one to entertain her, direct her, help clean up, or to follow around except for...ME! 

Needless to say, I haven't gotten all of my chores done and we're having a bumpy road navigating our new schedule. Luckily my daughter starts school soon herself. 

But, seriously, this week I have learned A LOT including:

• My daughter is significantly messier than my son--I already knew this, but not to what degree!
• She's able to unravel an entire roll of tape in 30 seconds!
• My taking a shower is the same as giving my daughter a pass to any forbidden part of the house.
• She will really benefit from preschool and learning some autonomy--she's pretty much spending every day just waiting for her brother to get home. I'm sure this is normal, but I would love for her to develop her own identity separate from her brother.
• My daughter is the best lunch/snack date ever because she isn't picky about eating anything!
• I resort to bribing my children way more often than I ever realized--this week alone, I've delivered smoothies, Pez dispensers, small toys, and treats. I'm not particularly proud of that!
• I'm not going to be very good at balancing all of the schedules.

Mostly, I've learned that change is good.

I'm excited for Hank and all that he is doing. I'm proud that he's taken it upon himself to help out another little boy who is struggling with being in class all day. When I picked him up yesterday, he said, "Mom, I'm giving my friend extra care because I want to make sure he has a great life."

Swoon....

Kindergarten has taken us all out of our comfort zone. It's really pushed my limits in particular. 

I'm used to feeling comfortable and confident in my role at my son's past school. It was like a happy family in which I was heavily involved. 

I feel sort of like a fish out of water right now. Not because I'm unhappy, but because I'm also trying to find my new niche and learning the ropes as I go along. The first few weeks at my son's school are centered around "normalization" so no parents are allowed to volunteer in the classroom yet. It's so hard for me to hold back! It's challenging for me to trust in other adults and that my son has the tools he needs to function without me.

I can feel that our family is evolving. We're moving out of the world of babies and toddlers and into big kid land. 

I have been waiting for this and wanting this, but dang, it's happening fast!

Our new normal is good. We're all doing well and I'm enjoying the new normal.

Malea's son starts college this month so I'm looking forward to hearing about their new normal too!

What are some of your family's back to school rituals? Do you have a hard time dropping off your kids or do you celebrate their way out the door? Or do you maybe feel a little of both like me? Leave your answers in a comment! We LOVE to hear from you!

Be sure you check out our Etsy shop for some fun lunchbox notes! Pack a note in your child's lunch every day as you send them off to school and when they open up their lunch they'll know you are thinking of them. Get your lunchbox notes HERE.

UPDATE to Riding off to Kindergarten

I was so excited that I could hardly wait to share our follow up to Riding off to Kindergarten.

If you didn't read my first kindergarten post (and also our first post to this blog and our most popular post), you can read it HERE. If you have been following along on our family saga, then you will be excited to hear the news!

Just to recap, my son, Hank, is starting kindergarten this coming year and we've run into several obstacles getting him enrolled into our FREE and OPEN  public school system. Our first choices were the local Montessori schools, but we neglected to take out a second mortgage, send him to 4 years of private preschool or know the right people.

So the public school system it was.

With our neighborhood school not being a good fit, I diligently researched our other options, only to be rejected repeatedly by schools due to lack of space. As I opened the letters one by one my heart dropped.

How is it possible that my son doesn't have a place to go to Kindergarten?

How is it possible that education is so accessible and free in our country yet, I can't enroll my little guy in a class that is only in session for 3 hours a day?

Most alarmingly, why does no one bat an eye when I call attention to this issue at the district office?

Has this really become status quo?

Not only has this been an issue that has greatly touched my family this year, but it has called attention to a MAJOR problem that I didn't even know existed.

Watch out public school system....this mom is going to be a part of you for over a decade. I'm determined to advocate for change, be a voice for my son and other children, and to help parents navigate this confusing and disheartening system while embarking on a huge milestone in their lives.

I bet you are wondering why I'm writing a follow up right?!?

Well, we did get some news.

We are still on the waiting list at the Montessori schools (although significantly far down the list), but we FINALLY found out that we got into our top choice of the public schools in our area. It's a tad further away than the others, but this is more than made up for by the wide array of activities and programs that they offer. Not to mention that on their website, they boast about their high level of parent participation.

Win!

We drove by the school last week and walked around the kindergarten area. It's really cute with a garden and inviting classrooms. The school has murals all over the walls and it just has a warm and comfortable feel. I'm really excited for my son to go there. The school offers a perfect kindergarten schedule too with an early 7:30am start and then out at 11:30 so children have a nice balance to their introduction to elementary school. And, I love the fact that this schedule also allows us plenty of afternoon time together.

The kindergarten schedule is significant for my family as my son's changing schedule has been a difficult milestone for us this year. In preschool, he only attended three mornings a week, so we still had weekdays to do activities and meet friends. With him going to kindergarten Monday through Friday this coming school year, it seems like a lot of time away from home. As a family, this may feel difficult in terms of some of our favorite activities, including hiking and and dirt biking. This has been particularly troublesome for my husband who is not off on weekends and has counted on his free weekdays to spend time with our family. Like with everything else in life, we will adjust and it will become our new normal. It might just take some time.

Meanwhile, this summer we are still working on some reading skills, learning about nature, dirt biking, and spending time together as a family. It's bittersweet with our son riding off to kindergarten, but now we have a place to be excited about and he is look forward to attending—we all are! It's amazing how much lighter I feel now!

I'm sure as the summer comes to a close and the first day of school comes and goes, we will be met with new anxieties and worries. Until then, I'm going to keep enjoying my family and we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Do you have a story about a difficult or worrisome situation that turned out to be ok in the long run? How did you cope with the waiting game? Leave your answers in the comments!

Have you been following along on our book club? In July, we've been reading The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must Do by Peg Tyre. Be sure to follow along every Tuesday! 

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Book Club Part 3--The Trouble with Boys by Peg Tyre: Chapters 4 through 6

Welcome back to the Mom2MomEd BOOK CLUB! We hope you've been following along! If not, don't pass up our FIRST and SECOND posts. 

We are reading The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must Do by Peg Tyre. We have to say, this week, we both got MAD! Read on to find out why...

This week we read chapters 4, 5 and 6 and WOW! They really brought up some hot button issues for both of us. Not only because we are both mothers of boys, but also as parents and community members.

Don't forget to read and follow along with us. We LOVE hearing from you and hearing other perspectives and experiences!

Chapter 4: Preschool Blues

Malea: One of the statements that stuck out to me was, "He was a curious kid, and responding to his temperament, his parents gave him plenty of leeway to explore the world....almost everything that came naturally to Ray seemed to be an affront to his teachers. They didn't seem to understand what he needed."

The system makes parents of children who don't fit the mold fear that something is wrong with their kids--very normal responses and behaviors are suddenly viewed as bad or intolerable, sending parents to seek out the cause of the problem. Parents end up doubting themselves, worrying that their children's normal behavior (considering age and maturity level) are somehow abnormal. Can you imagine how frustrating this is for a child? Not to mention for the parents? Isn't the system supposed to be working with families to provide education and life skills to their children? Instead, both children and families are being alienated by the system telling them that they are "trouble makers" or that something is wrong with them.

Tyre also writes, "It was clear that their bright, perceptive, curious, energetic boy was being bombarded with negative attention from teachers who regarded his natural behavior with thinly veiled impatience....Ray was getting branded as a troublemaker." It's no wonder that so many children are receiving diagnoses of things like ADHD.Teachers are quick to assume behavior is not normal and quickly label boys "over active" or "unable to sit still" if they are not able to do as their female counterparts.

Tyre also investigates whether or not boys actually are more naturally physically active than girls. The findings? Boys actually only moving *a little* more than girls--the difference is slight, leading me to wonder: Are we extrapolating from a small group of extremely overly active boys to create stereotypes about ALL boys? I am far less concerned with why boys are more active or why they seem to struggle more to fit into traditional classroom models than girls.  I am far more interested in how we perceive and respond to these boys.

McKenzie: Let me preface this by saying that chapter 4 made me mad. I think it's a combination of my background in child development and my son entering the public school system this year.

Since my son recently transitioned out of the pre-school environment this summer some of this is fresh for me.

One of the main points that struck me was, "The changing workforce and fear of rising crime have substantially changed the way kids play, making play itself more structured, more adult driven, less imaginative, and less active." Just reading that sentence makes my head hurt.  What logical person would think that this is the right direction to go for children?

This is PRE-SCHOOL....preschool plants seeds....the rest of their life experience helps them grow. Standards for education are not aligned with research in child development and how kids learn.

Since when is pre-school academic based?

The foundation of learning is bound within social skills, communication, and cooperation. Not only are the standards set too high but they are unreasonable. It's even more frustrating that they are set by someone so far removed from families and the classroom that they can hardly be considered practical.

What about kids who learn differently? Or whose parents tend to be less structured and more exploration focused? I tend to be a more free-range parent when it comes to learning. I don't expect perfection, but rather exploration. Am I supposed to change the way that I parent my children so that they can fit into the "educational standard" that someone I don't even know decided was best for my child? 

Chapters 5 and 6: Notes from the Front: Fixing the School, Not the Boy; Kindergarten: The New First Grade

Both of Us: In these two chapters, it’s it pretty clear that our (parents, teachers, administrators) expectations for our children, particularly, our boys, are grossly out of touch with reality.  We push and push more and more expectations on children at younger and younger ages to a point that kids aren't even allowed to be kids in many cases.

Tyre notes, "What I'm finding, is that many early teachers I have talked to, especially ones that don't have brothers and don't have sons, simply don't understand what little boys are like."

Now let that sink in for a minute.  

The very people we are trusting with our children and with their educations don't understand how to work with boys.

This is UNACCEPTABLE.

Why is this the case? Why is this not being addressed when teachers are completing their education? Why are gender differences not talked about?

Malea:  I recall being in classrooms as a child where we had plenty of free play, open spaces in the classroom where busier, more active kids could move in their play, and quieter more structured spaces for kids that were less active or wanted to play quietly. We had blocks that could be stacked and knocked over in one corner, dress up clothes and make believe in another corner, books and pillows in another corner. We had recess at least twice daily and PE regularly. We had a mix and balance of movement interspersed with our academics. Teachers that had the best control of their classrooms allowed for a mix of physical activity and sitting attentively.

Play is deeply infused with learning and skill building, even if it isn't obvious. Children learn about physical space through play. They learn patterns, numbers, rules and order keeping through games like Red Rover, Follow the Leader, hopscotch, and more. Kids learn the basics of language and vocabulary through all of this play to and it primes them for reading later--the key word being later.

McKenzie: There is so much pressure to be ready for kindergarten. Trust me, I'm feeling it!

There's pressure to be reading, writing, and having higher levels of skills BEFORE children even step foot in kindergarten. There is so much pressure that you have to trust that your child gets a teacher who will support and nurture their learning regardless of what pace or what level they begin at.

You have to trust.

Not only do you have to trust the teacher, but you have to trust a system that makes it impossible to even enroll your children in kindergarten in their FREE and OPEN enrollment processes.  

(You can read about my family’s public school open enrollment experience HERE.)

You then have to hope that your child's teacher will advocate for all children in the face of growing pressures to perform, get scores, etc, even in kindergarten. This is completely unrealistic. Teachers should not have to advocate on that level for students.

The system should be set up for children to succeed.

Honestly, after my past experience and while reading this book, I am poised and ready to advocate. I hate that. I hate that I'm expecting to have to advocate for my child on this level. I hate that I may be dismissed as not knowing what I'm talking about. I hate that I may have to fight on behalf of my son and other children in his classroom.

Have we completely lost sight of what it means to be a child? Instead of adhering to the notion of "let them be little" we are pressuring them to perform. It seems to me that we need to re-evaluate the purpose of our educational system and get back to basics.

Here are 3 Action Items for you to focus on this week with your son (or daughter)...

1.       Pay attention to the impact movement has on your child.  Does your child get antsy when not given enough time outdoors? What happens to their mood and ability to focus if they are inside the house all day or have minimal chances to "burn" some of their energy?

2.       Play with your child and follow their lead. Don't give suggestions, ideas or direct their play. Sit on the floor with them and follow their lead. Watch how they use their imagination and how they explore their environment. Try to do this as often as possible. It's fascinating, we promise!

3.       Pay attention to your expectations. Are you possibly expecting too much out of your child? Are you aware of what an age would be appropriate for your child to react to a specific situation? When they complete chores are you worried about perfection or the process? Be mindful of your expectations and take the time to praise and encourage your child when they are trying.

Remember, you are planting seeds, not growing a forest.

Be sure to check out all of our posts in this series:

• Post #1: Why we are reading The Trouble with Boys by Peg Tyre 
• Post #2: Introduction through Chapter 3
• Post #4: Coming Soon!

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