so confused!preschool, nursery or montessori?? lpease please help me someone!!

[yasj]

my DS has been in 2 mornings a week at a nursery for a year and I need to start thinking about the next step. he is 2 and a half and i feel very confused about what todo next.
he does 8-1.30 pm at the moment and iwould rather he did shorter but more frequent sessions. The nursery have fixed sessions and will not do that and frankly I can't afford the fees nor do i want to send him for any more long morning sessions.
But the crux-what do I do next?
what is the difference between a nursery school and a montessori? Are montessoris very strict?Are they more expensive?
Do all of them run with school terms and are the start days only in september?
Should I consider preschool or ....!
I am just so confused!!
I desperately need advice

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They all vary tbh and you'll only find out by ringing and visiting. \link{ www.childcarelink.gov.uk/index.asp\List of local childcare and contacts here}. Montessoris use a particular method which may seem more disciplined than some playgroup and preschools. Some preschools will have intake at all 3 terms (Montessoris are usually rising 3 iirc) others perhaps only in September. Most are term time only unless it is within a daycare nursery. Some preschools are held in church halls and/or run largely by volunteers - perhaps with a rota for parents to help out- and so have less overheads than those with dedicated premises, thereby costing less. Remember LEA vouchers will kick in the term after he turns 3, assuming it is an Ofsted and LEA registered setting, so your cost could reduce significantly even if you left him where he is. Whereever you choose ensure it follows the Early Years curriculum and is Ofsted approved .

try again !

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im montessori trained.

montessori refers to a whole system, a philosophy of how to educate each individual child at their own pace. if operated well - properly embracing the whole system and not just picking and choosing bits that suit - it is, IMO, a WONDERFUL way to start a childs education and foster a real love of learning in them.
you have to be careful though, because not all montessori nurseries/preschools are run as well as i would like to see.

if it is something you are interested in, and is an option for you, you need to do some reading up on the way it works, because at first look its difficult for an adult to 'get' it and doesnt compare easily with other preschool settings.

i could wax lyrical for days about it, but my eyes hurt and im off to bed soon!

if youre interested, i will find some links and stuff for you, but it will have to be tomorrow im afraid! post here if you are.

Thanks all! Its amazing how reassuring it is to just chat to other mums about this.
Nappies galore, I'd really appreciate any info you can send my way.
I'd be interested to know what option you guys opted for with your little ones.
Have been to see a kindergarden(Now-what is the difference between that and the others?)and they only had afternoon sessions.

I'm in almost the same position as you, yasj, except my little one hasn't been to any childcare setting yet, so I'm just looking at first nurseries/pre-school. I did put her name down 18 months ago for a local nursery, but visited again last week and at this visit it just didn't feel right (can't put my finger on what's changed - it seemed so nice at first visit), so I am back to square one. We also have a montesorri nursery in the area, so I would be interested to hear more. I too only want a short morning session, not all day care.

My DS (who is 2.1) has been going to the nursery class of a Montessori primary for 2 full days per week since May. He has really responded well to the purposeful nature of what happens there, he's thriving - and I'm really impressed.

hi - sorry for the delay ...

have trawled thru old favourites list and found not as much as i had imagined was there

but, have come up with the wikipedia entry for montessori, which ive read through and think is pretty comprehensive.

i also found information.html&num=1this which has a listing reference, but is a little sparse otherwise, from a parent point of view at least.

having read the wikipedia one, make an appointment to go and see your local preschool and see how you feel about the place. is worth going to lots of places, even if you dont think they are 'the one' (all sorts of nurseries, not just montessori) to build up a picture of whats on offer and have a reference point.

btw - as far as i know, nurseries which are called day nurseries do the long days from 8am till about 6, usually split into 2 sessions, to allow parents to work. generally speaking preschools, nursery schools and montessori schools do much shorter sessions of about 2.5 hours each morning and afternoon. most will ask you do pay for a minimum of 3 sessions per week, which is a good place to start from, but all children are different.

oops. second link should be: advices.html&num=14here

have linked this one directly to a page of info for people wanting to open a montessori nursery because i think paragraphs 2 and 3 explain better the caution i make in choosing the right montessori school, if thats what you choose. a 'good' montessori school will welcome any and all enquiry you make about them, the method and their application of it

and one more time

here?

this time you have to click on the 'Advice' tab on top right corner of page to find the paragraphs i mentioned

Thanks for this info NappiesGalore, I have our local montessori prosectus, and it says there is a short prayer at snack time - is this common montesorri practice? They have also listed a typical day which seems to have no structure apart from arriving, snack time and leaving. I guess the best thing is just to go and visit all nurseries in the area closest to our primary school (that way hopefully my child will know some familiar faces at school) and go with the one with the best overall "feel".

um... not really sure about the prayer thing. im not religious at all and so would personally prefer religion wasnt brought into the classroom, but thats by the by really.
Maria Montessori was a believer in, among other things, cultural and spiritual education as part of educating the whole child, and so learning about the culture and religion of the society they have been born into is supposed to be part of the whole picture, yes. i would imagine 'a short prayer' is pretty light in content and about thinking with consideration about the wider world and environment and people etc, and as such i wouldnt object to it if i were the parent. i would want to watch them do it sometime tho as i, like i say, am wary of people shoving religion down my childrens throat and if i felt it was at all 'heavy' or overly "this is the only way to live and everyone else will burn in hell" sort of stuff would obviously avoid.

as for structure, the montessori day typically goes a little like this:
-children arrive and are each greeted as they do by the teacher.
-there is a 2 hour (approx) 'work cycle' where the child is allowed complete freedom (within very specifically set up environment) to choose their work and work alone or alongside other children, however they want. (and heres the surprising bit: you would imagine a happy sort of chaos to ensue but it doesnt. all the children are quietly engrossed in their 'work' and learning far more quickly and completely the lessons they find in what they are doing. a montessori nursery during work cycle is a quiet and calm place.)
-then there is a break for running about outside etc
-snack is usually available to them throughout the day
-lunch will happen at somepoint
-theres another work cycle in the afternoon
-at some point during the day there will be 'circle time' where the children and teacher sit in a circle and discuss things, read stories, maybe doa group lesson

-the teacher and assitant/s are available for the children to call on whenever they want/need them throughout the day and sometimes the children are encouraged to have small group lessons on one thing or another.
-they will fairly often go outside in the garden or for walks and learn thios way too.

HTH

any more info, just ask!

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no problem! im pretty evangelical about the montessori method and it is so little understood, so im very happy to spread the word

as an aside, Maria M believed that if every child in the world was given the optimum upbringing/education (educating the whole person, mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally) it would take just one generation to end all war, famine, environmental destruction, hate, fear etc etc.

call me an idealist, but i think she had a point!

nappiesgalore-you are the best!!it must have taken you a while to get all this info together for us!! Do you actuallty teach at the moment?

nope. am renovating my house and part-time parenting my 3 under 3. (part time because i have a mothers help/nanny who takes a lot of the strain off. she has every other weekend off, so has 4 days not 2 and its one of those w/ends now. and boy do i appreciate her!

but i digress. didnt really take long, just the tiome to type it. i remember it all (actually teaching it would be another matter i think!)

I know what you mean.I have someone come in and do my cleaning once a week and i would kill for her!!!! she was away 2 weeks and I could not believe how mad things got!! have a one year and a two and a half year old and just could not get any work done around the house.
Did think of a mothers help for a few hours every week (just for things like a haircut!!! a soak in the bath! a movie!) but finances a bit tight at the moment