Our kids went to Montessori schools and my daughter became a Montessori teacher, so I have a hundred stories about Montessori education.
I read the story and not sure I understand the point. Yes, Montessori teaching is nearly always a private school education. Just like church schools, the parents pay for it and it isn't cheap. We were lucky and went to a public school system that had a Montessori program as a magnet school. Our daughter did go to private Montessori for two years because she wasn't old enough to go to the public school. She did go to the public school version when she was old enough.
I say all this because both the private and public Montessori versions worked just fine. Much of it was the quality of the teacher - it means everything. The author of the article talks of how she bought the counting beads and blocks when she decided the Montessori program was unaffordable. The materials went unused. Well, they don't work in the hands of those that aren't trained as Montessori teachers. The materials are important, but the teaching methodologies to use those materials are more important.
The biggest problem with Montessori teaching is that it doesn't mix well with public school methods. Most Montessori schools are ages 3-11 (5th grade or so). Some go to eighth grade. Very few secondary schools. So, at some point, the Montessori student must become a traditional school student. There will be some period of adjustment because the approach is so different. It is manageable, but it will create some frustrations.
Is Montessori school worth it? I lean yes, but I'm not one of those that says traditional schools are trash. Montessori leverages the student to make their own education path with the guidance of the teacher. In the end, Montessori students are better at goal oriented learning and self-reliance through self teaching. I think most students in traditional schools are spoon-fed more because the learning standards are set up that way. To be fair, it is done that way to make sure there are no holes in the education. Montessori students can have some specific standards gaps.
I don't see the Montessori schools becoming more populist just because it is difficult to set up a broad-based education system for it except possibly in a very small school system (which, is actually, the best alternative for small town schools given how grouping age ranges in single classrooms is a normal part of the Montessori system.) But public systems tend to agglomerate. Large schools are done to maximize tax dollar efficiencies. A niche school system like Montessori schools just don't fit with the public realm.
I read the story and not sure I understand the point. Yes, Montessori teaching is nearly always a private school education. Just like church schools, the parents pay for it and it isn't cheap. We were lucky and went to a public school system that had a Montessori program as a magnet school. Our daughter did go to private Montessori for two years because she wasn't old enough to go to the public school. She did go to the public school version when she was old enough.
I say all this because both the private and public Montessori versions worked just fine. Much of it was the quality of the teacher - it means everything. The author of the article talks of how she bought the counting beads and blocks when she decided the Montessori program was unaffordable. The materials went unused. Well, they don't work in the hands of those that aren't trained as Montessori teachers. The materials are important, but the teaching methodologies to use those materials are more important.
The biggest problem with Montessori teaching is that it doesn't mix well with public school methods. Most Montessori schools are ages 3-11 (5th grade or so). Some go to eighth grade. Very few secondary schools. So, at some point, the Montessori student must become a traditional school student. There will be some period of adjustment because the approach is so different. It is manageable, but it will create some frustrations.
Is Montessori school worth it? I lean yes, but I'm not one of those that says traditional schools are trash. Montessori leverages the student to make their own education path with the guidance of the teacher. In the end, Montessori students are better at goal oriented learning and self-reliance through self teaching. I think most students in traditional schools are spoon-fed more because the learning standards are set up that way. To be fair, it is done that way to make sure there are no holes in the education. Montessori students can have some specific standards gaps.
I don't see the Montessori schools becoming more populist just because it is difficult to set up a broad-based education system for it except possibly in a very small school system (which, is actually, the best alternative for small town schools given how grouping age ranges in single classrooms is a normal part of the Montessori system.) But public systems tend to agglomerate. Large schools are done to maximize tax dollar efficiencies. A niche school system like Montessori schools just don't fit with the public realm.