Is Montessori school better?

[Apri]

Heard a lot about Montessori schools, any mum had experience with it? what do you recommend , go or not go? Or shall we just go to a normal government pre-school?

What do you mean by better? What are your expectations and priorities? It is also impossible to make a blanket statement about any Montessori being better/worse that any other setting. As each place will be staffed by individual humans with their own free-will, moods, lives, interpretations of the curriculum, resources, sense of humour etc... One could have a beautiful building & garden but terribly grumpy or inexperienced staff. One could have a ramshackle setting but people with hearts of gold. One could have a real focus on promoting creativity & outdoor play whereas the other one prioritises teaching children to 'sit still and be quiet."

So like any place. Go and spend some time in your local options. Get a feel for it. Are the children that attend there happy & cared for? Are they welcoming? Is there a buzz of activity of well-engaged children with plenty to do? Is it a place that will encourage your child's independence & personal interests? Will it also give him a wide range of things to try & learn about? Do the staff look happy & engaged?

No.

A good nursery is a good nursery.

Unanswerable.

You need to compare individual schools to get an idea of which school is better.

Is your question really, 'Is the Montessori philosophy better than x?'

It all depends on your child, the school and the staff.

I went to a Montessori school when i was young and it did not suit me. I went to look at a montessori preschool for ds and decided against it, as i didn't think it would suit ds and it didn't have very good sn provision.

Montessori preschool is fantastic. They are very sensory orientated and have amazing resources. They also promote independence in a way that isn't in "mainstream" I would definitely recommend visiting as this is a generalisation and may differ between settings as in mainstream. I don't recommend Montessori as an education though and would be inclined to use mainstream after nursery. I think the nursery gives an excellent grounding though. I think you can only really tell from getting a feel for places yourself though and seeing what each has to offer on an individual basis. There are many fantastic preschools about that aren't Montessori. Hth.

I think Montessori schools are wonderful, and equally Steiner preschools and kindergarten have a special feeling too. the teacher know the children development so well and the child is really nurtured. the children are educated with love...you can really feel the love and the respect for the human being. both Montessori and Steiner don't rush childhood but work in harmony with the development and through play. Play is so important. i like the concept of thr rhythm in Waldorf-Steiner nurseries. it is grounding and so healthy. To teach a child there is a time and space to be free and to care and to laugh and play and to sit and eat together...it's so beautiful. the children come out with confidence and 'wholesome'...

I honestly don't know the difference between montessori and other preschools. My DD went to our local community preschool, the little girl next door went to montessori- both seemed pretty identical in their approach! Eg, it's all child-led and learning through play, there are various activities set up around the room (eg drawing, playdo, water table) and the children choose what they want to do. In fact the montessori preschool sounded stricter as all the 3yos had to do phonics/writing, whereas at the community preschool it was only if and when the child showed an interest.

If anyone can enlighten me on the actual difference, I would be interested!

cost. that seems to be the difference