I get asked this question a lot: "Is it to late to start Montessori with my older child?"
Usually the mom tells me she is not happy with the local public school and or her child is not doing well, and that she has heard great things about Montessori, but feels it is too late to start it at home!
Some moms have read books on Montessori and realize their child has missed out on the foundation of the Montessori preschool years.
These moms are in a quandary as to what to do! So they come to me because they trust my judgement and wisdom! I am a mom, too, after all.
You can worry yourself sick trying to figure out the best educational choices for your child!
And boy do I know the feeling! I think about the best educational choices for my son ALL THE TIME due to his Down syndrome! He's only 3 1/2 and I'm already thinking about high school!
So here is what I tell these moms: I think you can begin Montessori homeschooling at any age, and the 6-9 curriculum offers a lot of choices for math, language, history, and the sciences, choices that are superior to traditional approaches.
The "foundation" will be different since you are started a little (or a lot late), and this is not uncommon. I always tell homeschoolers getting a late start (using Montessori) not to dwell on it! You want your children to love learning, that should always be your bottom line! Always!
What many homeschoolers do is use Montessori along with OTHER homeschool curriculum... and you may want to consider this for your 6 to 9 year old.
Still other homeschoolers are attracted to Montessori 6-9 but are Creationist, so they will only use Montessori math and language; or they are OK with the Montessori sciences (which includes the theory of Evolution) but cannot afford the math materials so they will use a different (homeschool) math program...
So I guess what I'm saying is, it doesn't have to be all or nothing!
Be open to whatever you find "out there" for your children, including Montessori!
Usually the mom tells me she is not happy with the local public school and or her child is not doing well, and that she has heard great things about Montessori, but feels it is too late to start it at home!
Some moms have read books on Montessori and realize their child has missed out on the foundation of the Montessori preschool years.
These moms are in a quandary as to what to do! So they come to me because they trust my judgement and wisdom! I am a mom, too, after all.
You can worry yourself sick trying to figure out the best educational choices for your child!
And boy do I know the feeling! I think about the best educational choices for my son ALL THE TIME due to his Down syndrome! He's only 3 1/2 and I'm already thinking about high school!
So here is what I tell these moms: I think you can begin Montessori homeschooling at any age, and the 6-9 curriculum offers a lot of choices for math, language, history, and the sciences, choices that are superior to traditional approaches.
The "foundation" will be different since you are started a little (or a lot late), and this is not uncommon. I always tell homeschoolers getting a late start (using Montessori) not to dwell on it! You want your children to love learning, that should always be your bottom line! Always!
What many homeschoolers do is use Montessori along with OTHER homeschool curriculum... and you may want to consider this for your 6 to 9 year old.
Still other homeschoolers are attracted to Montessori 6-9 but are Creationist, so they will only use Montessori math and language; or they are OK with the Montessori sciences (which includes the theory of Evolution) but cannot afford the math materials so they will use a different (homeschool) math program...
So I guess what I'm saying is, it doesn't have to be all or nothing!
Be open to whatever you find "out there" for your children, including Montessori!
2 comments:
I speak from experience! My kids were enrolled in a private prep school that turned out to be all show and no substance. Since my toddler was already in the 3-6 at our local Montessori school, I decided to bring my older daughter to Montessori in the middle of 3rd grade (despite have no background in the Montessori method!) It was the best choice we've ever made. My daughter was tested as 'gifted' so the Montessori program allows her more freedome to work 'outside of the box'. And thanks to a wonderful school and teachers - she had no problems at all making the transition. You can read more about out story here: http://fitzfamilynet.googlepages.com/whywelovemontessori (it might help others who are thinking about switching to Montessori).
I teach at a Montessori school in a large, fast growing area of Pennsylvania. We often get newcomers who hear of our superb program and want to start their 5 year olds in Montessori. Their children adapt easily and do quite well in our setting.
Although there is nothing like the Montessori program with its Practical Life and Sensorial Materials for very young children, I agree that it is never too late to start a child in Montessori.
I once volunteered in a 5th grade class at a local public school. The teacher, knowing nothing of Montessori, ran her class in the Montessori style. What a thrill I had seeing those students constantly in a buzz of activity, some eagerly working on projects and others in small study groups.
Our school only goes through first grade. This is our classroom blog:
http://a-montessori-classroom.blogspot.com
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