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<In Montessori education, children can't choose to do something with the
materials that isn't the approved activity. In Waldorf education, they can't
choose to read scary stories or color with black crayons.>

Jess tried a Montessori playgroup for a short while and found herself
severely restricted because she enjoyed reading but this was actively
discouraged as 'not with the programme'. It seemed harsh to stifle children in this
one-size-fits-all way. Ironically, I think our experience of this was
one of the elements that took us towards mainstream schooling rather than
fully investigating other alternatives until she was much older.

Jude x


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Ed Wendell

<<Jess tried a Montessori playgroup for a short while and found herself
severely restricted because she enjoyed reading but this was actively
discouraged as 'not with the programme'. It seemed harsh to stifle children in this
one-size-fits-all way. >>



As a Montessori Directress in a Public Montessori School for 22 years - this seems really odd to me. ;) Reading is a very big focus (and writing). Reading and writing early is really, really emphasized in Montessori. Which is the reason our son did not succeed. However I've been told that is due to the fact we are a public school. I have a good friend that taught in the public Montessori schools with me for many years - retired and started working at a premier private Montessori school and they never push the children to succeed (nor fail). When our son was struggling so very much in 1st - 3rd grade (the 6-9 yr old class) and they would bring consultants in for teacher training, I'd ask them about how to help my son and they always responded with, "Quit worrying, he will learn when he is ready." One of the trainers gave examples of their children learning to read at a later age - somewhere around age 10-12 and now as adults they are doing great.

I'm really confused as to how one could have a Montessori play group to begin with - what that would look like ??? I'm sitting here thinking that play is play ;) The only rule we have at school is no playing / pretending guns - besides basic safety rules for when you have responsibility of 80 3-6 year olds on a playground at a time and only 4 adults.


Which reminds me that one of the biggest differences between unschooling and Montessori is the numbers - Montessori advocated that more children per adult facilitated independence. It forces the teacher to not get in the way of the child. We are constantly being trained to give a lesson and then to move away so the child will not become dependent upon you for their work and learning.
For example a 3 year old child in a Montessori school might cook themselves breakfast without any adult "help" and that would be seen as wonderful.

With unschooling I see more of a one on one relationship with the adult and child - more involved I guess - more bonding. In unschooling the parent would be in the kitchen with the child - they would be cooking together.

I also think that by the simple fact that it is a classroom / school that that naturally limits what a child can do. When it's lunch time it is lunch time - you'd better eat or the food won't be there later - or earlier. The child is more limited in their learning choices too - It would be hard for me to bring into the classroom / provide for 20-30 different passions - They don't pay that well ;) If I have a student interested in animals it is impossible for me to take them to the zoo or the farm and really be with them. I'd have to take the whole class and it would take at least a month or two to even set it all up - and then that would be our one field trip for the year!

With unschooling you can sleep in, stay up, stay in, go out, be with others, spend time alone, basically do what you want, when you want.

That is a comparison of a Montessori classroom to unschooling. I've seen and heard of Montessori trained people homeschooling and it looks nothing like a Montessori classroom - it looks more like unschooling. They never buy all the Montessori materials as that would be cost prohibitive.

I still feel that all my purest Montessori training and through reading all her books plus the other books out there on Montessori is what gave me the drive to homeschool / unschool - before I knew it was called unschooling.

From day one we never tried to bring Montessori materials into the home - we simply have lived and explored together - which is what we did before homeschooling too - it's just with homeschooling our son is free all day.



Lisa W.












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Vanessa Grant

>>>In Montessori education, children can't choose to do something with the materials that isn't the approved activity<<

yes I've read too many as well >wink<

Anyway I recently read extensively about Montessori, and I would say that in the Montessori environment, the ideas work wonderfully, and if one MUST send ones children to an actual school I expect it is one of the best options, but I don't think that the Montessori style is possible to acheive in the home.

My children did not like to be shown how to use something, and then not allowed to play with the bits and peices in any other way, and I didn't enjoy making them do it. It seemed too controlling. And the stuff is soooo expenisve, it would be almost impossible for a normal family to buy ALL the things needed.
I think that at home children tend to resist controlling efforts such as having only one acceptable way of using this set of blocks, or shapes etc.....wheras in school situations they seem to not mind as much. I think it is fair enough - we all don't mind obeying the rules in public places when we are out, but when we are at home we like to relax, and do things our own way and would not like to obey a big list of do's and don'ts at home. Our children seem to intuitively sense the same, and mine just won't accept that these buttons are only for sorting ("I want to make a pattern with them!") or such restrictions on interesting things.
And I don't think I want them to be restricted like that, I'd like to see what they might think of if not told what they must do.


There a certain Montessori principals that do work in the home, for instance just providing all the matarials and then letting the child decide what to do and when, is very montessori and very un-school, and keeping an attractive environment with attractive resources(very Montessori) is helpful at home too, and also trying not to disturb the concentration of a child who is doing something......all good things in either situation.
Letting children get involved with practical activities is a montessori aspect that works well at home too.


Montessori does talk about the fact that children naturally gravitate to exactly what they need to learn, and that also is a thought that un-schoolers would share, but Montessori then insists on a very structured environment to acheive that, which homes are just not. Even a home with very predictable routines is not all quiet and orderly like a Montessori classroom is supposed to be.

Just a few thoughts,
Vanessa


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