Although Plumblossom is several years away from preschool, I’ve been doing some preliminary research on various educational methods. I’m particularly intrigued by the Montessori philosophy (thanks to reader Carrie-Anne!), as it seems quite complementary to a minimalist lifestyle.
I was thrilled to discover that several of its central tenets aren’t just applicable to children; in fact, we’d do quite well to practice them as adults:
Simplicity. A Montessori classroom contains all the essentials needed for the child’s development, but nothing superfluous. Each item is carefully chosen, and serves a specific purpose.
Adult version: You can edit your home in the same way—retaining only those items that you use on a regular basis, and that make a positive contribution to your household.
Order. The Montessori environment emphasizes “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” Materials are kept in small baskets on low, child-accessible shelves. The children learn that each item has a designated spot, and are encouraged to put away materials for one activity before beginning another.
Adult version: Organize your possessions in modules, so you always know where to find them. Be diligent about returning items to their place as soon as you’re finished using them, and you’ll avoid a clutter pile-up on your desk, dining table, and other surfaces.
Natural Materials. Montessori items are typically made of natural materials like wood, glass, and fabric, rather than plastic. This facilitates the child’s sensory development, and builds a deep connection with nature.
Adult version: Favor natural materials in your home for furniture, décor, and practical items: for example, glass jars, wood furniture, and wool rugs.
Beauty. Montessori materials are aesthetically-pleasing and kept in excellent condition, teaching children to respect and appreciate the objects in their environment.
Adult version: Limit your possessions to those that are beautiful and well-made, instead of filling your house with cheap, throwaway items.
Cleanliness. Children learn to care for their environment by sweeping, washing, dusting, and polishing. These activities are not presented as chores, but rather purposeful activity to build their coordination, concentration, and self-esteem.
Adult version: Regular cleaning is a wonderful antidote to clutter—dusting or vacuuming around items is such a hassle, you’re more likely to put them (or throw them) away! Focus on your flat surfaces (countertops, tables, floor), and clear off any clutter or debris on a daily basis.
A Montessori environment provides children with a beautiful, orderly space conducive to learning and discovery. It fosters their sense of calm and inner peace, by providing freedom to explore within a structured framework.
Likewise, if we incorporate similar principles into our adult lives—for example, limiting the contents of our homes to those that are useful and beautiful—we too may find the space, freedom, time, and peace to rediscover our world.
Does anyone have any experiences with, or opinions about, the Montessori philosophy?
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
I am a product of a Montessori preschool and have recently chosen a preschool with a similar philosophy for my son. His school is a co-op which I love because I get to work in his classroom a few days a month. I’m really getting to know his teacher, as well as his new little friends and their parents. The school’s motto of “learning through play” is complemented by their use of the Love and Logic parenting method. I would highly recommend researching co-op preschools to any aspiring minimalist parents!
Thanks for sharing. I’ve always meant to look into Montessori philosophy more because I suspected I would be in agreement. After reading what you’ve said, I see that it really does match up well with a minimalist philosophy. I laughed also that you mentioned modules since I was soothing my stressed self the other day by making lists of the modules I wanted to create and maintain when we move back to the US next month and get our things out of storage.
Both of my children went to a Montessori playschool. They immediately liked the room, as it reminded them of home. Lots of clean space, no-fuss toys. However, one of my boys found the educational method too organised, too structured, too strict. For him, Waldorf education might have suited better.
In theory, I love every word in your post.
In practice, 8 years ago when I tried a Montessori playgroup for my then 3 year old, I found it a bit of a disaster. The leader was great, the other Mums were a nightmare. Sometimes people need to relax a little about perfection in their children.
I found my children had lots more fun at the local regular playgroup where the expectation were more relaxed. Parenting can be stressful enough without all the ‘ssshhh’s’ and ‘no do it this ways’ at 3 year old playgroup.
I was desperate to start my now 2½ year old into our local Montessori. However, after 2 visits I (heartbreakingly) decided it just wasn’t for us. I loved the environment, learning materials and soothing environment – however, i found everything SO STRUCTURED. Our second visit was a beautiful, clear autumn day. When I asked why all the kids were inside, they replied that it wasn’t ‘outdoor time’ yet. This really irked me! I needed a fluid environment for my child, where he could roam both inside and out.
The second thing that grated me was the morning snack time. There were only 4 chairs at a small table. The kids had to take turns having their snack, only being allowed if there was a vacant chair. For my child, who’s naturally shy and introvert, I knew he’d just miss out to the older, more assertive kids. This really, really bugged me!
So we ended up staying with Play Centre, which is unique to New Zealand – being a parent run play centre organisation. We love it.
I guess every Montessori will have different systems, so I would do more than one visit, ask lots of questions, and don’t be afraid to email with any questions you think of later.
Good luck!
Although I do not have any direct experience with Montessori schooling, I had several friends whose children attended a Montessori school. Many of them echoed Nicole’s experience. The school program was great. The parents, expectations of parents, and egos could be a nightmare. Many left the program by the time the children were 12. The problem with that being that they were typically more advanced than the other children their age and were bored in the public school system.
It could be a great idea. I think I would spend a great deal of time researching the individual schools and programs in your area. See what the atmosphere is like.
Dan
Considering that you and your partner are great minimalists, I don’t see why you need to send your daughter to such ‘specialized’ playschool. You guys can teach her the discipline/minimalist bits at home as you already apply similar philosophy, and children do build up their personality from their parents. I think it would be better to let her go to a normal school to learn about other different characters in the world. Remember, it takes all sorts. If it was my child, I would want her to learn that not everyone was a minimalist, not every space outside home and school would be organized, not every friend would be like her, and not everything would always be in a perfect order.
I think it’s also better to let her go to a normal school because she gets to decide for herself whether to she likes the way things are at home (minimalist) or she likes to be something different (non-minimalist). I don’t believe that parents should ‘program’ their kids to be like them or to believe in what they believe in. It’s about your children making their own choices. For example, vegetarian parents shouldn’t ban their kids from trying meat, and if they like it, they have every right to be meat eaters (and trust me, I’ve seen kids with vegan parents who can’t even walk through a meat section in a fresh market without feeling sick because it’s been ‘programmed’ in their head that meat is ‘disgusting’). Likewise, if your child decides she wants to collect hundreds of trinkets or books or clothes, that will be her choice of lifestyle too.
By the way, I love your books:). I’m on my way to become a minimalist too.
I am intrigued by your way of thought.
“I don’t believe that parents should ‘program’ their kids to be like them or to believe in what they believe in. It’s about your children making their own choices.”
“Likewise, if your child decides she wants to collect hundreds of trinkets or books or clothes, that will be her choice of lifestyle too.”
Where do you draw the line as a parent?
Looking forward to your reply! :)
Have you investigated also Rudolf Steiner education? He was Austrian and here in Europe it is popular. I was interested in its approach to a more ‘holistic’ education (although I found the underlying philosophy of Anthroposophy a bit complex(!). It is referred to as Steiner-Waldorf so perhaps it is what Apple above was referring to?
I found Montessori too strict, in that a child in a school setting needs to play with a toy in the ‘correct’ way, rather than playing freely with objects. I do love the Montessori environment though.
We choose to have a Waldorf inspired home life, with lots of natural play and the emphasis on a simply, beautiful environment with natural toys and very limited TV. There is an emphasis on nature too and rhythms through the day/week/year. I would not choose to send my children to a Waldorf school though, I just like to have the Steiner influences in our home life. The children go to a regular state school here in the UK. This way, I feel like they have a broad experience.
Here is an example of a Waldorf school environment, http://mamauk.typepad.com/mamauk/2010/05/my-entry-3.html
Not unlike Montessori, they also have natural toys kept in baskets on low shelves. My home is set up in a similar way too.
I really liked that you kept putting “adult version”, thus making the post interesting for people like me who have no children. Well done!
It was probably also to prevent all the “child-hating” that starts whenever Miss Minimalist posts about children!
I wish this was more common in this country, and that my school was done this way when I was growing up. I like having a bed on the floor but I find having a bed (which I only recently had to set up because my broken rib forbade me to sleep on the floor anymore) useful for some storage. Well, I keep my suitcase under the bed, so everything I want to keep hold of still fits in this one room, and is getting less every day as I get through books and DVDs :)
On a sidenote I love that you’re doing posts on minimalist parenting, I worry about having a family because I get anxious around clutter these days and it’s comforting to know it’s possible to keep things simple amid inevitable chaos :)
Also I forget if I’ve mentioned this before but it’s because of you that I’m a minimalist now, so thank you for that too ^.^
I have experience with both Waldorf and Montessori and like aspects of both of them. But as several other people mentioned, I feel that constantly repositioning toys, telling children they are “playing” with something wrong, and always shushing and using “indoor voices” begins to feel very unnatural to me. Both philosophies have some restrictive ideas and good things can sometimes be taken too far – but I do love the idea of natural objects, learning to tidy, being more self-sufficent and the uncluttered-ness of it. Take what you can use, just like anything else!
When I was a young mom, the structure and aesthetics of the Montessori method appealed to me, too! In fact, we chose our town based on proximity to work and that there was a Montessori school here. My children attended the school for three years and I worked there as an assistant in the lower elementary class (1st-3rd grades) for the last year and a half. (My children are now 8 and 10 and we have homeschooled for the past three years, but we choose to do so for a more liberal, active, travel and field trip-based education not geared to standardized testing, not for religious reasons.) At the preschool level, you will find the over-involved parents mentioned in previous comments. At the elementary level, some parents sent their children to the school just because it was the only available non-religious, non-public school in the area. It was difficult to teach using the Montessori method when families’ home lives contradicted Montessori beliefs and ideals, so this impacted those children who were more absorbed in the method. I have a friend who is the director of an environmental education center and he finds that Montessori children are less apt to “dive right in” when they come for overnight programs and they expect things things to be very ordered. I found a bit of the same with my children, so in our homeschooling, I give them more freedom and responsibility to encourage independence. I encourage you to observe any Montessori schools you are considering on a couple different occasions, with the teacher who will be Plumblossom’s teacher to be sure the teacher is a good fit for her. Each Montessori teacher has her own version of Montessori, and they can vary greatly from school to school. Funny, I have always thought you would be the perfect homeschooler, based on your travel-based life and natural curiosity, Francine. Your travel experiences and living arrangements have inspired me to one-bag travel with our family and consider more “radical” living options than our 1600+ sq ft house.
I agree with you Montessori gives children an organized space that really contributes to learning and discovery. My youngest attended Montessori and at school she was so calm and relaxed. We had several Montessori schools in town, the only problem is they all are just Elementary Schools and the Middle and High schools leves are underserved.
As a Montessori mom and directress (teacher), here is my perspective about strictness. Montessori tends to be more strict on the directress in that we will examine how our actions and words effect the children. The children are not told they are “playing with it wrong”, rather “here is another way”. There is a great deal of freedom to work with what interests the child most at the time but the child is also guided to explore. Children are taught how to behave in society (something a lot of parents fail to do). The main rules are not to abuse the environment, not to interfere with another child and not to hurt another child. Montessori is not for everyone but in a good school the children thrive and are joyful. Sadly, so many young children are in a “daycare school”, even if it is Montessori, it will not be the best.
My daughter and many of her friends at a top private liberal arts college credit Montessori education as a major influence for developing them into engaged learners and persons of integrity. Properly done and with knowledgable parents Montessori is as much a philosophy for life and it is an educational system.
I can’t say enough good things about the Montessori program. My daughter, who is now in third grade, has been in the program since preschool. We are very lucky because our program is publicly funded and goes from preschool thru middle school. My daughter has thrived in the program. Right now she has been in the same class with the same teacher since first grade. The teacher knows her very well and keeping the same teacher has eliminated the stress of adjusting to a new teacher each year. The class consists of first, second, and third graders. The third graders become leaders to the first and second graders. The classroom is really a community where they help and respect each other.
Montessori is for for every child, it might not be for every parent.
I too am considering Montessori as it seems to focus just a bit more on academics than Waldorf – though I think Waldorf is tremendous for high school and for toddler programs. My fiance went to a Montessori school, in fact his mom went back to school to get certified in Montessori in order to send her kids there. His experience was that it was really tough to go to a public school after Montessori. As he tells it, the Montessori method really empowers kids to take charge of their learning, while the public school classroom was very much driven by the teacher. He hated public school so much that he actually ran away from the building, twice, at the age of 8! Something to think about. I completely agree with child-centered learning, but it’s just not the way the public education system is currently run (not that teachers don’t try their hardest to change the system), and that shift in learning styles might be tough on the child.
I have my early childhood education degree. I have learned about the Montessori philosophy and been in a few modified Montessori preschool/daycares. Unfortunately we do not have a 100% Montessori centre here. The ones I have been to though are a beautiful thing. I find one of the biggest differences of children in Montessori programs is independence. A big skill is that they learn how to problem solve for themselves, which I don’t think the importance of can be stressed enough.
There is no need to wait until your little one starts preschool to implement Montessori ideas. “How To Raise An Amazing Child The Montessori Way” by Tim Seldin is a great book to show you how to use Montessori at home. We’ve been using many of the ideas with all of our girls (ages 7, 5 and 2) and have really been impressed with positive changes in behavior and independence.
As a former Montessori teacher and parent. I no longer agree with the philosophy. It was not a good fit for either of us. I felt the classroom was overwhelming in that ALL the work is out there for the children to see. We are now in a Waldorf school and could not be happier. Everything is natural and super simple. There is an emphases on the whole child and community. Something I found lacking in a Montessori classroom. I really encourage you to visit a school and observe for a couple of hours. Then you will know for sure if its right for you and your daughter.
Oh, thank you for this post! I have been agonizing over school (I don’t even have kids yet, but I have lots of worries about the education children “these days” are receiving). I’ve been researching homeschooling but forgot all about Montessori. More research must be done! :)
I went to a Montessori school for a year or two before I started kindergarten at a “special” public school you had to test to get into. I loved my Montessori school, I learned so much in a short amount of time, and all the students went at their own pace so we could go as fast or as slow as we needed. I remember feeling bored and held back for a few years in public school, and I’m sure some of my classmates felt left in the dark. Not that I’m knocking my public school, I learned a lot socially speaking that I wouldn’t have done at my tiny Montessori school where everyone was well behaved.
I liked how we weren’t really guided on to how to do things at my Montessori school, but rather were encouraged to figure things out on our own with the help of the academic materials set out for us (math blocks, tactile letters, etc.) I think figuring things out on my own is what has stuck with me the most throughout my life.
Maria Montessori put a lot of emphasis on having children play outside and learn how to plant seeds and care for gardens. Unfortunately, this aspect is often overlooked at Montessori schools these days.
I have looked into all types of schools (we lived in California for a while, so there were tons of options). I found that the Waldorf education was so inspiring I nearly cried when I visited the school. It was, at the time, out of our budget. But, I am beginning to introduce more Waldorf-inspired concepts into our home life now, and I can see a difference in the level of stress/anxiety decrease and the levels of calm and appreciation increase. My sister’s children attend a Montessori preschool and she has been quite pleased. When I visited the Waldorf school, I loved that the kids went outside every day, rain or shine. They also made a pot of vegetable soup each week, with each child contributing to the pot with a vegetable from home. And there is a history of oral storytelling and poetry included into the curriculum. I know I’m going on about Waldorf. Just thought I’d mention it. :) Mrs. P.
I’d say follow your instinct here as well as elsewhere. Isn’t that what you have done in making your decision about one child..? Individual schools are different and school systems, too, yet a child can have a good experience in a school which isn’t totally ‘perfect’ for her or him. It may seem counterintuitive, but the good-on-paper school can turn out to be something completely different from what it seems.
I don’t have experience of the Montessori system, so my comments are simply feelings and thoughts about schooling. My step-children are in Waldorf school and enjoy going there. I may not agree (or simply understand) everything about it, but I find it warm and caring and encouraging the child to grow into themselves through the various stages of childhood and youth.
My oldest son attended a Montessori preschool for one year and now we homeschool (with my 3 year old daughter as well) using Waldorf inspired curriculum. I did a lot of research on different methods before enrolling my son in the preschool and felt that Montessori would be the best fit. While he did love attending preschool he often complained about the structured “learning time”. It turned him off from wanting to actively engage in learning activities. The Waldorf method focuses more on imagination and play as well as a deep connection with nature and others. Since we started using the Waldorf inspired curriculum my son has stated that he loves math (one of his favorite toys is an abacus) and my daughter spends her time writing stories and illustrating them (she’s only 3 and can’t spell but she writes rows of letters and draws pictures about them). The Montessori method separated play and learning for my son whereas Waldorf integrates the two and makes learning a fun and enjoyable activity. I do feel, however, that one’s educational philosophy is a very personal choice and as long as it is working for that individual it is the “right way” for them.
Hi Alicia,
I was just perusing comments on Miss Minimalist’s blog, and I was wondering what sort of Waldorf curriculum you use at home. We’re homeschoolers too, and I incorporate some Montessori principles, mostly how space is organized, etc. but I agree with you that learning and play are not two separate things. I’m just curious.
Elizabeth
Sounds like many folks have already said things similar, but I will echo them: I too initially explored the Montessori way for my own pre-schoolers, but found that although there were indeed many ways that homemade tools could be crafted from everyday home things (bowls, spoons, dried goods, etc), there was also a lot of key materials to the philosophy that had to be either built (if you are good at carpentry) or purchased (possibly expensive), thereby making your at home school room not exactly a minimalist environment suited to small space living. It kind of implied you had to have a dedicated space for the purpose (again not truly minimalist, in my opinion). However, I would encourage you to certainly look into an external preschool Montessori daycare place as they will have all the teaching equipment and practice the philosophy that you can back up at home.
After a little while of exploring and putting into practice the Montessori way as best we could at home, but finding it not the perfect fit for our lifestyle, I discovered/explored Waldorf, which is even more loose and minimalist that the Montessori way.
If you haven’t already found it, I thought this was a really useful home-based Montessori resource: http://www.monthome.com/index.htm
My experience with Montessori has not been a pleasant one. I worked as an in school therapist for a brief time with a 6 year old in a Montessori school. In theory, it’s great, but at least this school’s execution was terrible. It was chaotic, busy, distracting, and minor behavioral issues were not tolerated well. I’m assuming that not all schools are run the same way, but even just having all the materials out in the open made t difficult for my client to focus, learn, and pay attention. I am much more a fan of having things put away to allow students to focus on whatever it is they are to be focusing on. Just my 2 cents!
If you are not yet doing so you need to read this blog: http://www.joyfulabode.com. Emily is a bit ahead of you in her daughter’s age but her techniques and suggestions are wonderful! I did not know they were Montessori based until today’s blog but I like them.
I also see you as a homeschooler. Maybe using an unschooling style.
As a former preschool teacher, I do like the Montessori model. I also love the Waldorf model for schooling. I couldn’t afford to send my kids to Waldorf, but I incorporated most of their ideas for my children at home.
Seeing your list of ‘likes’ have you considered Charlotte Mason, Reggio Emilia and as others have suggested, Steiner?
We have homeschooled our 5 children, 21 -6 yrs, on a mix of these educational ideas.
We adored the use of natural items, a few quality supplies, nature walks and journals (CM), the logic of indoor outdoor flow and the nurturing of daily rhythm.
So far the older children have become woodworkers (highly skilled intricate work), a blacksmith and medical science. We can’t wait to see where the littles ones hearts lead them:)
On a minimalist note, I do wish I had started earlier, but joyfully getting there. As we live a self sufficient life style it is hard to reduce a lot of equipment even though it feels like too much it is needed to process things. I am far more aware of each item being very useful and practical however. I’m on alert to remove it if functionality declines! I enjoy your posts, thank you for providing inspiration.
I would encourage you to read How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin. It’s all about the things you can do in your own home especially when children are very young to raise them with a Montessori outlook.
Both my daughters went to Montessori preschools and I was always struck by how orderly and focused all the children were while doing their “work.” That’s a Montessori term, not mine. It’s amazing really and puts to rest the notion that young children can’t concentrate or be responsible for themselves.
We homeschool now, but we still do a lot of things the Montessori way.
Best wishes, and thank you for your blog.
I attended a Montessori school from the time I was 2.5 yrs old through 4th grade. I loved every minute of it. I have so many fond memories of my teachers and fellow students.
My classes were often a mix of grades, within a range of about 2-3 years. I loved looking up to the older kids. And then when I got older, I loved teaching the younger ones. A win-win.
We had lots of hands-on projects. One of my favorites was building a lamp in the 3rd grade. We cut and sanded the wood, nailed the pieces together, stained the whole thing, and installed all the electrical. It was a lesson that incorporated craftsmanship, science, and art. My older sister took my lamp off to college with her and used it for many years after.
We also did lots of word problems in math class. I took one home to my dad in 4th grade and completely stumped him. We called the smartest guy we knew: my dad’s business lawyer. Ha! My dad didn’t help me much with my homework after that.
An activity we did a couple times in math was creating “dollar words” by adding up the value of each letter in the word. A is worth 1 cent, B 2 cents, and C 3 cents, etc. Not only did we learn the alphabet well, but also addition and new vocabulary. There was a competition to see who could find the most dollar words and whole families got involved.
Something else I loved about the school was that we learned Latin. This has come in handy too many times to count — especially in the health sciences! From 1st to 3rd grade, we also rotated between trimesters of Spanish, French, and Japanese. When I had to commit to a foreign language in middle school, I already knew what I’d be getting into with each language. We did tons of origami in Japanese class too. What could be more minimalist than folding a single sheet of paper into a crane or throwing star? I still find origami to be such a lovely, relaxing activity.
I could go on for hours about my love of Montessori. I feel lucky to have had this education. I never knew anything different, though, so I’m sure I’m biased. Thanks for bringing up this topic, Miss Minimalist!
I don’t have any experience with Montessori method of education, but i do have a question. What does a floor bed have to do with education? Why is a bed central to the Montessori method?
I’m not involved in Montessori so probably not the best person to answer but my understanding is that building independence is an important part of montessori. Hence there’s an emphasis on creating spaces / environments that a little person can use with minimal assistance – a bed they can get in and out of, clothes that they can move confortably in and put on / take off themselves etc. it means that some montessori educated kids can do stuff that I couldn’t do till much later – like wash up the dishes and feed the dog!
I love how you’ve applied the philosophy of Montessori to adult life as well! I’ve done a lot of reading about Montessori and Steiner-Waldorf education as well. Although my children don’t attend a specialist school, I like to take the philosophies and ideas I like to apply in our lives. The ideas that work really well for my family are having a pared-back calm environment, routines but still flexibility, lots of playtime and relaxing time, following the child’s interests, and having the children involved in household tasks and caring for their things.
We decided to home-school our son and use a loose mix of mainly Waldorf teaching, but we do allow him to use a computer. I was surprised at how much we have in common with Montessori methods though. I immediately new the Waldorf method was right for my son, so I have never extensively researched Montessori. His bed is on the floor in his room (ours is too though) and many other things are similar in our home as well. We are pretty extreme minimalists and move around quite a bit. We believe in addition to academic teaching, that experiencing things in nature and the world are important. Home-schooling works well with a minimalist, nomadic type of lifestyle, so it might be something you want to consider. It just depends on what you and your husband decide to do in the future. Our son does attend a co-op where we are now, one day a week, to meet friends and gain social skills. I am sure you will get bombarded with emails and comments on different methods and ways. It really boils down to what you and your husband feel is best for your family as a whole.
ive read your booksand follow your website, i have read on different types of schooling and knowing you i think that the new homeschooling called “unschooling” would fit you perfectly, it is what leo babauta does with his kids:)
and i dont think you can get more minimalist than unschooling:)
I am trying to be more Montessori in the activities that I engage my children in. We got rid of a lot of their light-up, plastic toys and I am trying to get them out into nature more. This summer we had a plot at the community garden, which was great, because they were able to dig in the dirt and have the experience of growing their own food. I am gradually making the switch towards them having real experiences versus pretend ones. For instance, the experience of growing their own food in the garden replaced playing with play food in a plastic toy kitchen. My son has a toy camera that he enjoys playing with, but this Christmas I am going to replace it with a real camera.
An argument in favor of at least some public school education:
My brother went to a Montessori elementary school. It was wonderful for him at that point in his development.
I went to a public elementary school with an intensive language-learning program (thanks to that, I am bilingual today).
My parents chose the correct elementary schools for each of us. My brother would have been a little lost in the 30+ class sizes of my elementary school, but I gained a second language and a social education that I wouldn’t have had in his private Montessori school.
My brother then went to public high school for two years and, although it wasn’t very good academically, his worldview expanded dramatically. He switched back to a private school for the last two years of high school because he wanted a more rigorous academic environment.
Unless, for some reason, it really wouldn’t work for Plumblossom, would you consider public school, at least for some of her school years? Public schools allow for an experience of socioeconomic, ethnic, religious and cultural diversity that private schools, even the best-intentioned, almost never do. I imagine that the imaginative, exploratory, educational home life that you provide would counter any dry, teacher-centered instruction from school.
Also, of the friends I’ve followed through the public and private school systems, the ones who went to public schools are easily doing just as well, by any measure (professional success, satisfaction, happiness), as those who went to private schools.
Full disclosure: While I do believe that public schooling is best for everyone for at least part of an education, I also argue this point as a former public school teacher. The more parents we have in public schools that care about education AND are savvy enough to so something about it, the better our public schools will be.
I found this really interesting.
Although it can vary a little depending on the kindergarten teacher, it seems that all the local state kindergarten my girls (28, 21, 17) attended in three different villages were like this, without being specifically Montessori. The Steiner philosophy is very popular in Switzerland, so I guess both Waldorf and Montessori philosophies are well-integrated into kindergarten and school in our country. There isn’t such emphasis on academic achievement here, either. Kids go to KG age 4-6, primary school 6-12 and do 3 years secondary school before doing a vocational apprenticeship. Unless they are in the top 15% and very good memory capacity, when they can do 4 years university preparation for an exam in 13 subjects to permit them to go on to university. That is why Swiss people often don’t hold degrees, and yet are still very well educated and excellent at their jobs in all fields.
It’s really interesting how this differs all over the world.
I forgot to say I think the Swiss must have been some of the world’s first minimalists (and Shakers!) because their lifestyle is often minimalist without trying…!! (I am not a native Swiss or I might not have noticed!)
My advice would be – don’t hurry, MM, let your child grow up a bit and then you’ll see whether Montessori is the right choice for her, as it is not for everybody.
Personally I vote for Waldorf. Our experience with Montessori was not quite what I hoped for. The most important difference which made me choose was the way my children felt. A very orderly and serious child is not the same as a very happy and smiley one.
I was just thinking how fortunate we Miss Minimalist readers are to be able to have choices in what kind of education our children have. Many people on our planet don’t have any school at all and if they do they don’t have any choice. Somewhere in amongst decluttering we should keep in mind not to take the ability to have a choice for granted and not deny it to others. I went to the school at the end of the street. That was the only choice. I learned at school that life doesn’t always make sense, it’s not always fair and some people are just not very nice but it can be fun and you learn to cope with all sorts of things which is a good preparation for real life. To be honest I learned most of the really useful stuff from my Mother and Father and the local library. I think Plumblossom will be fine wherever she goes.
Yes, exactly.
I agree with with Sally and with what Ali said before.
Both of my daughters are in the local public school. They love it. It is far from perfect but it is close (they can walk), they have had great teachers. They have the best & most dedicated music and art teachers. My eldest is very academic and attends two extension classes, provided at a nominal fee, one for English/poetry/expression/debating and the other for general extension. They both have two beautiful best friends.
They also experience, on a daily basis, kids from the whole spectrum of social & economic environments. My eldest has been bullied by a girl from a very dysfunctional home but the school, with alot of ‘help’ from me, got through it and the bullying stopped. My daughter has come out stronger and better for it (I was prepared to pull her out if the school or the other child didn’t change).
I am open to all sorts of schooling but as long as my children are happy, so am I because that is what they will remember.
Sally, you’re absolutely right. Thanks.
I was fortunate to be able to homeschool my daughters (now 23 and 21, a teacher and a radiological technician) and used a mixture of Waldorf and Charlotte Mason methods. Both emphasize a connection to nature, simplicity, self discovery and creativity. I was also greatly inspired by the work of John Holt, and his book “Learning All the Time” is a fantastic exploration of how human beings, from birth on, teach themselves what they need to know. You might enjoy reading it.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Charlotte Mason puts a lot of emphasis on books, books, and more books, so we enjoyed spending lots of time at the library and cuddled together on the couch reading. So many fond memories of long books I read aloud (all of “The Lord of the Rings” for example) doing all the voices!
I found Waldorf to be more rigid that Montessori. One of my sons attended both. He was very artistic and was made to follow the Waldorf way of drawing. In first grade he was sitting at a desk most of the day as in any ordinary school. In Montessori he was encouraged to explore and the directress(teacher) guided so that the children spent time in all areas of the classroom. It is interesting that both styles have European origins and were designed to educate the lower class’s children. Montessori wanted to educate children who were believed to be uneducatable. Steiner developed his school for the children of the workers of the Waldorf tobacco factory.
This reminded me a post I recently read from Leo: http://zenhabits.net/unschool/
What are your thoughts on unschooling?
As someone (ahem) quite a bit older than most of you, and the daughter and granddaughter of women who both had their first child at 40, okay, well, let me just say my grandmother was born in 1881.
I clearly remember suggesting a floor bed to her (for my room at her house) back in the sixties, and she nixed the idea immediately.
Why? Floor beds were common in her childhood and were prone to bedbugs. If you could afford it, you had a bed frame. It didn’t prevent it, but it helped. She also dusted all rugs with baking soda before beating them, as I recall. Is that related? I don’t know. I should have asked more questions!
I cannot say enough positive things about the Montessori philosophy! Both of my girls spent 5 years each in Montessori and it was the best educational decision we ever made. It gives them a foundation like no other educational setting could provide. Children are taught independence at a very young age. They are more confident. They are able to connect learning to the real world. They show respect for others and their environment. This is HUGE for me!! They recently transitioned to public schools and I am still ” on the fence” about this decision. Montessori can be very expensive but is truly worth every penny!! I look at it as an investment in their education. Haven’ t regretted it for minute!! Children are also typically ahead of their peers by a year but will eventually catch up by 3rd grade. Hope this helps :))
My only experience learning about Montessori comes from my Mom. She’s taught 5 and 6 year olds in public school for nearly 20 years and has consistently seen that children that come out of Montessori preschool often are behind in their skills and have behavior issues. Again, I can only say that this has been what I’ve heard of my Mom’s experience. Certainly I’m sure there are parents who have found Montessori a good model for their children and I’m sure Plumblossom will thrive whatever path you choose for her.