The Cult of Montessori
I used to only think of Montessori schools as a private alternative to public school. I know one part of the method is putting children of different ages together, presuming that they will teach and influence one another, and that the children are expected to come into what they want to learn when they’re ready for it, rather than being expected to learn a particular concept at a particular age. I had no opinion for or against the Montessori method until I met some of the results of it.
My first inkling that the Montessori method isn’t the superior education its proponents claim it to be came when I spoke with the mother of one of Neil’s peers at school. She’d sent her older daughter to a Montessori elementary school, and understandably became concerned when the daughter reached the age of 9 and still couldn’t read. “Oh, she’s not ready to read yet,” she was told, as she had been told many times before. Mom disagreed and sent her daughter to Jewish day school instead. Within 6 weeks, her daughter was reading. She asked her daughter why she hadn’t even tried to learn how to read while in the Montessori school, and her daughter could only answer that she thought it was dumb there.
The next year, I volunteered in Neil’s second grade classroom. While working with the students individually in math, I discovered one of the girls couldn’t even count to 5. I was quite shocked, since I knew Neil’s kindergarten teacher had made sure all her students knew how to count to 100 before she approved their promotion to first grade. I told Neil’s teacher about that the girl couldn’t count, and she confided that the girl had transferred in from a Montessori school.
But if I only alude to the Montessori Method’s failings, even in passing, I discover that nothing will get a Montessori parent shrieking faster and louder than evidence that their expensive private school may be shortchanging their child’s educational potential. It really is like a cult against which nothing negative may ever be said.
First, they’ll trot out an example, like a 15-year-old Montessori student who just won a programming competition against experienced adults. But if I question the so-called genius, I’ll find out he doesn’t know what the Bill of Rights is, much less what it contains, and that he hasn’t read any literature more challenging than the latest Harry Potter novel. I call that being an idiot savant, not a genius.
Next they’ll insist that my examples must have come from inferior Montessori schools, renegades from the vaunted institution they’ve placed their children into. Well, I can’t bore you with all the Montessori failures I’ve run into, but they come from at least 4 different schools in 3 different states, and I find it hard to believe that by random occurence I have discovered only the bad schools.
They have to mention what attracted them to Montessori in the first place: all the happy children, of which their child is one. Well, no duh. If I lived a life of a Montessori child, in which everything was taken care of for me by my parents and I wasn’t expected to do anything I didn’t want to do, I’d be pretty delighted, too.
And when all else fails, they’ll self-righteously crow that at least they don’t send their child to (horror of horrors!) a public school. Yeah, it’s pretty tough for Montessori kids if they have to transfer into public schools. The poor little girl who couldn’t count got labelled as “slow” by the other children. If she’d started out in the public school the Montessori parents decry, though, I doubt she’d be having to play educational catch-up.
To keep the Montessori people from suing me, I’ll concede that the Montessori Method may work for some children. But overall, I think most children will get a better education in an environment that actually insists that they learn all that they need to know, whether they feel like it or not.
February 26th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Right on! The other aspect of Monetssori I find scary is the self-ceneterdness it engenders in kids. I have a small sample size, but I can usually pick the Montessori kid out of a group based on their inability to treat others with respect, etc..
February 27th, 2007 at 3:56 am
Aa an experienced Montessori teacher and Montessori teacher trainer, I can only speak from my own observations of the Montessori Method of Education at work. Montessori is not just a system of education, rather it is a philosophy, whereby children learn at their own pace as their needs dictate. That is not to say they are not encouraged to learn the skills of reading, writing and arithmatic. Montessori teachers value lie in their abilities to observe when the time is right for the children to be introduced to new educational activities and provide the optimal environment in which to do so.
Surely the ‘many’ success stories of children from a Montessori background are testamony to the success of the Montessor Method. (The founder of google credits his achievements to his montessori eduction)
However,while I respect the fact that you are entitled to your opinion, perhaps you should research the method a little more. Montessori gives so much more to it’s children than mere academic education.
March 20th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Our daughters attended a Montessori school and the results were quite excellent. I do believe, however, that since Montessori has achieved a certain branded status, there is an oversupply of Montessori branded schools that are absolute rubbish.
Montessori is a term that can be used by anyone. Rather like the diet book publishing industry, everyone can claim their school is a Montessori school (just like “weight loss success”) and pitch it to the public.
If one is serious about Montessori, research is critical. Know what it is — Maria Montessori wrote plenty of books and they’re all available for purchase on Amazon, so there’s no excuse for not knowing — and screen carefully.
March 20th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
It’s also worth mentioning that in a proper Montessori classroom (plenty of descriptions of those in Montessori’s books and books about Montessori), children are free to choose their activities, but their choices are among different sections of study such as language, math, science, and other worthwhile activities!
Post the names of these other Montessori schools, I’d love to take a gander!!
March 28th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Such a misunderstanding is astonishing,
why a person takes it upon herself to be critical of the method by which learning the complexities of language in ‘traditional’ schools is based on can only be seen as an uneducated point of view. I will never be critical of the child, let alone referring to him as an idiot, you madam have a bone to pick for some reason and your attitude towards children’s education is pathetic. There are so many variables in your story that it begs belief that you post such dribble. A nine year old girl being sent to Montessori, had she been there since she was three years old? Was it an ‘accredited’ Montessori school? oh you will now question the whole Montessori movement as inapt because of a few ’stories’ you have heard through the grape vine. Why don’t you go and read some books…. and stay off the booze, http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
kind regards
April 1st, 2007 at 11:13 am
Whoever left the last comment is rude. Talk about respect! It probably stems from projection of motives due to autobiographical listening, it indicates a poor communicator to say the least.
April 11th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Unfortunately, there are schools out there that call themselves “Montessori” but are not really fulfilling the Montessori method. If you ever get a chance to see a quality Montessori school, you’ll be astonished at what the children learn, and how well-rounded they are. Respect for others is central to the philosophy. Actually, your post inspired my blog post today; here’s the link:
http://montessoriforeveryone.blogspot.com/2007/04/are-montessorians-snobs.html
And this post might be of interest:
http://montessoriforeveryone.blogspot.com/2007/03/famous-people-who-were-montessori-kids.html
You also might be interested in reading this article about public school education; it’s not all it’s cracked up to be:
http://www.cantrip.org/gatto.html
October 24th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I used to think exactly like you do! I’ve done a bit of research now and am finding I love the philosophy. I doubt we’ll be sending out child to a Montessori school because of the cost, but we are raising our little one with the philosophy in mind.
January 2nd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I know this post is quite old, but I wanted to comment because I just got a job at a Montessori school and I think the school is simply wonderful. I had been teaching at a public preschool for 2 years and left because of the disrespectful behavior among the other teachers around me. None of the other teachers had much of a philosphy regarding the care and education of children. I saw many displays of disrespect toward the children and unfortunately, many of these children’s needs were not being met. When this happens, certain undesirable behaviors occur. Since beginning my work at the Montessosri schools, I have only seen positive teacher-student interations. Yes, the children have choices regarding what they would like to work on, but teachers also give lessons when necessary and when asked. The children are independent and autonomous and know that the environment is there for them. Everything in the classroom is prepared and carefully planned and though-out, so that when the child enters, the classroom is organized and ready for them to enjoy. There is so much to love in the Montessori method, and unless you see it and live it for yourself, you cannot even begin to fathom how capable, independent, and caring these children become.
April 30th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I was also surprised to read such an uninformed critique of the Montessori method based on a few kids and a few schools. These are most certainly unique cases, and as Lori says, probably schools that are not true Montessori establishments. Any school, regardless of their teaching methods can call themselves Montessori so it is important to make this distinction. Instead of being accused of being self righteous, or of shrieking, etc - let me simply say that we started with our three kids in the public school system where they were determined to be “gifted” or “talented”. They allowed my oldest to skip a grade but didn’t have any other resources in place to work with gifted children (despite being an IB school). Next we tried our local Prep school - a very expensive private institution. What a mistake! My daughter enjoyed the cheerleading and tennis and the over the top drama productions but there was no real focus on academics at all. Then we found Montessori! Our authentic Montessori school is student-centered and experiential. It is holistic, expressive, reflective and collaborative. It is constructivist, and challenging. We are so pleased. And to say that the life of a Montessori child is “easy” is simply ignorance. Our children work harder and learn more than they did at the public school and at the private Prep school. For us, it was by far the best option for our gifted and advanced children who have a real love and respect for learning. Sure, Montessori is not for everyone. It takes a certain level of responsibility, social precociousness and a sort of natural adeptness towards subject material.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Wow-
Makes sense to me! Not. As a former teacher in a public school with a 2 year old daughter, I was very shocked to find my neighbor (who runs a Montessori school) giving me an unsolicited 45 minute critique of my disiplinary practice with my child. She said I was “destroying her soul” because I give her time outs ocasionally.
Apparently discipline is suppossed to come from a force from within? Of course her own 19 year old boy is an obnoxious spolied college dropout brat, so I am sure she knows what she is talking about, right?
June 20th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I was a Montessori teacher and your observations are accurate. The secret is that in Montessori conferences, anonymously in trade journals, and in teacher lounges, the teachers confide to each other their concerns and criticisms which are never permitted in public.