What is the difference between a Montessori and 'standard' nursery?

[angelbaby]

I have a 22 month old DD who currently goes to a 'standard' nursery 3 afternoons a week but I was wondering what the difference is between that and the Montessori system?

Have those parents who've sent their little ones to Montessori schools noticed any difference in the behaviour and development of your kids as opposed to others?

Many thanks

DD is 3.6 and has been going to a Montessori Nursery for a year now. Obviously I have nothing against which to compare her development however she does demonstrate certain behaviours that are encouraged in the Montessori system

• she is very independent and likes to do common, everyday tasks for herself and help me with things eg dressing herself (they have a cool way of putting on coats/cardigans etc!), washing up, washing hands, buttering/spreading things on bread, folding clothes, everyting really
• she can spend a significant amount of time 'working' away quietly by herself (drawing, colouring, doing puzzles, things that absorb her etc)
• she loves being outside and constantly asks questions about all the things she sees around her.

I'm not fully up to speed on the whole philosophy but it's all about gaining confidence and learning through practical, real life activities - children are basically considered to be mini-members of the real world (so no fantasy role playing, silly plastic toys) and learn to gain in sensitivity to all things around them.

Your child sounds a lot like my 17mo dd, who is at a 'standard' nursery, where they are encouraged in the ways you suggest. Obviously she isn't dressing herself yet, but a lot of the 'independence' that you seem to think is down to Montessori sounds like most kids of this age.

I must admit that I think Montessori is a label applied to appeal to middle-class parents so I may be a bit biased (am v middle-class, Boden-buying person myself so no real offence intended!)

Just read the bit about 'no role playing' etc. Isn't that what being a kid is all about?! Imagination is sooo important - why would you want to discourage it.

Yes, ajmum - many of the things they encourage such as independence, how to dress yourself etc are certainly not exactly ground-breaking skills - I am sure any nursery would encourage these. As I said, I am not totally up to speed on the whole Montessori ethos - dd goes to this nursery because it is near and had a place for her available when we needed it. I agree about the middle-class thing however from the little I have read I think pure Montessori does have its merits but parents have to be totally committed to it by following through at home for it to achieve it's maximum effect. There is much more to it than I touched on in my first post.
I don't think there is anything sinister about the role playing thing - it is not forbidden or anything, just not part of their methods - they are of course encouraged to develop their imaginations.

I have friends who are primary school teachers and they have said that they can tell which of the reception children have attended Montessori nurseries - they have certain traits and do things in a slightly different way (one also observed that they can be pretty annoying as they are not used to being told what to do!) - doesn't mean to say of course that they are any better or more developed than other children.

at dd2's (non montessori) nursery there are plenty of silly plastic toys and they do learn real life skills..how to put on their coats from the floor and get both arms in, wash their own hands and butter their toast. these are not skills exclusive to montessori nurseries. we went to see one and found it spookily quiet, so opted for a nice small friendly community nursery which has a diverse mix of children in a loving environment. for me, it's less about the philosophy and more about the feel of a place.

It's definitely all about the feel of the place and how happy you think your child will be there ....sod the philosophy. I actually loved the fact that the nursery was quiet and the children were beavering away happily though. dd has thrived there but of course that's not to say she wouldn't have thrived equally at a non-Montessori place. Just read my first post and realise that the examples given of dd's behaviour are pretty lame....gosh, does she really ask loads of questions when she is out and about? How unusual!!

I agree about the feel of the place as well Bundle. I choose a Montessori for my DD, not becasue I wanted her to go to a Monrtessori school (althought the more I knw about them the moe I thought it would suit Lottie) but becasue it felt right, so right, compared to any other nursery.

I don't know if these things are exclusive to Montessori but these are the things about our nursery that I liked, compared to others I saw personally:

• If they played with sand it wasn't just about playing with sand, they would hide something educational in there, like counting the pebbles, or naming the hidden animals, etc. It was never just building sandcastles

• If they play with something they put it away after - Lottie does this at home, it's fab!

• They don't just do big group story time, they do one to one reading.

• they don't just do drawing, they are taught to hold a pen properly and practice writing the alphabet. The letter they are doing that week is then given to mum so she can continue the practic at home

• each week they learn a new coliur and everyone brings in something from home that is that colour.

They are taught to put on their own coats and take responsibility for things like that.

• They have outsiude specialists come in, for example a co called cartwheels come in to do gym play and they coach them to work as teams and ind for sports day etc. They have a specail music and French treacher.
  Each day of the week is something so on Monday's it's music, Tuesday it's cartwheels (gym), wed it's French and so on

• They have a french teacher whoi speaks french to thwm loads so lottie knows quite a few french words.

Lottie has Down's syndrome, she came home at age 3 counting up to 20, not perfect but close, can say all the days of the week, the month and knows all her colours. I'd been trying but to no avail, that's all down to te nursery.

Anyway, I don't know about other schools, i just know I made the right choice with this school, no matter what it's called!

TC, all of the things you listed happen at our nursery too. except french (some of the other nurseries round our way do french and deliberately avoided them)

I'm sure they do Bundle, like I said I have no idea of what happens at our nursery happens at others or not, all I know is it's a wonderful nursery, with wonderful, caring teachers and fantastic kids, Lottie loves it and so do I. What it's called is by the by, it's just the best place I visited round here, and I saw a lot.