What is your understanding of a Montessori vs. traditional preschool?
339782
This exlpains it all!\n\nhttp://www.gardenschool.net/pages/Comparison.html
361937
I work at a Preschool in Ohio. No, preschool is not required, but it is a good way to get your child prepared for Kindergarten. If they have never been away from you much or around other children, I think you might want to at least take them part time, but make sure it is an educational center where they go by the standards for your state if they have any so that it will align with the learning your child will do in Kindergarten and so forth. It is just a good way to get all the attachment issues out of the way before you drop him/her off for the first time at Kindergarten. Also, if you decide not to put your child into preschool, make sure you work with them at home with some of the basics such as ABC's and writing their name :)
198181
Oh, those are good ages for natural study.\n\nDaycare, while it is still a great place to exist, is a wonderful time for kids to LEARN things.  Kinda like a kindergarten :)\n\nDependant on where you are, consider natural study as a class project.\n\nHave them pick the environment, and then have them make the environment in class (either through diorama or whatever).  And then, have them pick what animals, plants, and other items exist within the habitat.  Have them make such things.\n\nNow, as they are between the ages of 5 and 9, this is a bit complex, so help them out :) Give them some ideas, and let their imaginations go wild from there.\n\nWhen done, have them look at the habitat, and if you are in a rural area that has a similar habitat, get permission from the parents and take them too it.\n\nOne of the biggests mistakes that most daycare facilities make is that they don't include learning in their work time.  Mainly because they don't know when the parents will pick up the kid :)\n\nBut simple ongoing projects like natural learning, ect, are great ways to entertain kids from day to day, onto weeks into weeks.\n\nSome other ideas:  making little cars, building little soap modles, building clay cities, ect.\n\nBe creative. These ages are great for shaping their young minds :)
1052361
There are plenty of good Montessori training academies in the states.  Have you checked them out?\n\nAs for money to attend, get a job and save, save, save.  Or, you could do what I did - worked as an assistant teacher for a year (at low pay) in a wonderful Montessori school in Chicago and then the director paid my way to attend the training classes during the summer, after which I came back and interned ( at medium low pay) at that same school, and that led to a permanent full time job (at great pay) as a credentialed Montessori teacher.
671097
I have two kids and when I've had to enroll them in daycare  I look for cleanliness, a reasonable child to adult ratio and a safe enviroment to include the playground.  I won't pick one if one of these things is not up to par.  A dangerous playground is a killer for me even if the place is wonderful.    If the place is dirty or too messy it sends my kids the wrong message about being clean and it also attracts illnesses.  Kids get sick enough as it is they don't need help.  And sometimes the daycare is wonderful and the teachers are great but if its 15 kids for 1 adult there is no way she can handle that properly.  The educational part of daycares is something Im not to pushy about because all the ones I've been to are pretty much the same, but just make sure you check out their schedule to make sure they don't just sit around and watch TV all day.\n\nIf your question is about a long term baby-sitter, I look for all the same things.  I also like to meet them at a McDonalds or something to see how he/she interacts with the kids..  I usually try and keep away from these because they arent as trustworthy and the kids get less kid to kid interaction since these can only have about 4 kids at a time.
102745
I am sure, being a teacher at a montessori school you can simply ask another lecturer with more experience.
785759
I worked at a ams montessori school and it cost $800 a month for full time which included 2 snacks and lunch.\n\n\nThe kids who attended that school were compassionate about learning, about nature and about others.
770661
I have been asked by the school to consider putting my child in the G&T program.  Advantages are that she would stay more challenged, less bored with the work that is so easy for her.\n\nDisadvantages are that I don't think she has the emotional maturity yet to deal with the older kids' concepts and ideas of social interaction.  She is very small for age anyway.  We do a lot of home schooling, and are using public schools for re-inforcement and socialization.
771860
I've had issues with a preschool my kids went to for a few months about a year ago.  \n\nThe school was basically two large rooms, separated by age using partitions, instead of actual walls and doors.  What made this LOTS of fun is that my oldest (who was 3 1/2 at the time) and my youngest (who had just turned two) were in different classes, but could often see each other running around their individual classes.  Every time Colin (the little one) saw Cameron (the older one) in passing, he'd start up crying again.  Apparently, he was in a perpetual state of separation anxiety.\n\nThis same school, in Colin's class, did virtually nothing "learning".  They would play, nap, etc., but there was no circle time, no active learning experiences.  Basically, his "class" was just supervised play, or babysitting.  \n\nCameron's class, however, I think was TOO advanced.  At 3 1/2 years old, his class had journals.  They would have reading time (which I normally would have no problem with, but no one seemed to notice that he was just glancing through one book after another, instead of someone working with him).\n\nThe final thing, though, was when Cameron's teacher called Child Protective Services because he had a scrape on his face.  She had not been there in the morning, when we told his morning teacher we had taken him to a park and he fell down, so she called in this "unexplained injury".  The total communication breakdown this evidenced kind of sealed our decision to change schools.  After the change, both of the kids just started learning A LOT, and we noticed major changes in them.\n\nI think there are some major things to look for to decide if your child is in a "good" school.\n\n1. Does the school encourage you to visit, call or ask questions?  My kids' current school has one woman working in the office, and she knows us all by name.  We were encouraged to visit before enrolling the kids, and we can visit or come up there at any time.  They were also very understanding when I called every morning about an hour after drop off for about a month, just to make sure the kids were okay.\n\n2.  Are the classrooms spacious?  Are there potties closeby (for potty-training kids, having bathrooms for 1-2 classes is GREAT)?  Does each child have his or her own storage space (cubbies or lockers)?  Is there natural light (I like that there are big picture windows in my kids' classrooms)?  Is there a playground with safe, fun equipment?  Is there a covered area outside for play on lightly rainy days (this isn't always there, but there's a big back porch where the kids play, and is covered with chalk drawings, on rainy, but not storming, days).\n\n3.  Are the children there clean, and do they seem to be comfortable and happy?  Do the teachers interact with them on a child-friendly level?\n\n4.  After you enroll your child, does he seem happy in the evenings?  If asked, will he tell you things he learned, and what he did that day?  Does he seem to like his teachers?  After a while, does drop off get easier?\n\nIt's important to remember that, even for a child who LOVES his school, his teachers, his friends, drop-off is NOT a foolproof way to find out if he is happy.  My 3-year-old plays happily throughout the day, and he's just crazy about Miss Paula, but when I drop him off, he cries and cries.  I've asked occasionally, and been told that I'm probably not even out of the parking lot before he's happily playing with his friends, listening to a story, or telling Miss Paula about what he did the night before.  This is VERY normal for young kids, and for slightly older kids who are naturally shy, VERY attached, or who are going through some major changes (for example, if your child is being put in daycare/preschool because the parents split up, he moves out of the house with Momma, and Momma, who has always been home with him, has to go to work, all parts of
493163
That is a very specific question and I'm not sure if you are going to find anyone on here with that info.\n\nI do have some general ideas on what to look for in a Preschool since I am a Preschool teacher myself. \n*Look at the building. Is it clean and safe? Are there heaps of resources/toys for the children to play with?\n*What is the play area outside like? Is there room for the kids to run? Is the equipment safe and well maintained?\n*Are the staff friendly and happy?\n*Do the kids currently at the centre appear happy? Are they playing well or running around causing havoc?\n*Do the teachers plan for each child individually? Do they write down observations of what the child is doing and plan activities based on the children's interests and needs?\n*Have a look at the major policies, including child protection, behaviour management, and food preparation/diets (if food provided by centre).\n\nI hope this helps!
905352
What is the ratio of children to adults? \nWhat is the educational philosophy? Curriculum?\nWhat are the qualifications of the teacher(s)?\nWhat are the disciplinary policies?\nHow are the children's biological needs cared for? How often? (Meaning, who takes them to the bathroom/changes diapers and how often?)\nWhat kind of educational materials does the school have? Computers? Educational television programming? Craft projects?\n\nIf your child has special needs, then this would also be the time to discuss it with the school. You need to know that they can be accomodating, not assume it.\n\nWhen visiting the school, look for the following:\nEating and bathroom areas should be separate. Both should be clean! (It should look as though they are cleaned every day) Bath-room areas should not smell strongly of feces.\nDo the play areas, kitchen, bathroom, etc seem safe? Do you see safety hazards that you wouldn't allow in your own home? \nDo the children seem to be happy? (Within reason of course, kids are very sensitive, so a small thing like getting less sleep than usual the night before may make a normally happy child cry upon coming to school.)\nHow to the adults interact with the children? Do they seem interested?\nIs the classroom decorated in a way that would appeal to a child? Does it have furniture and toys appropriate to the age and size of the child? Are there art projects and appealing educational materials on the walls?
668388
Try looking at the Montessori website - they have all the answers there.
1152270
I am a Preschool teacher so I can give you some tips of what to look for when searching for a good preschool. I would suggest looking in your local directory for all the preschools in your area. Call them up and ask them about fees and availability of places. Pick the ones that seem best and organise to go and visit each of them. Call and make an appointment so that someone will be available to show you around. Here are some specific things to look for:\n* Look at the building. Is it clean and safe? Are there heaps of resources/toys for the children to play with?\n* What is the play area outside like? Is there room for the kids to run? Is the equipment safe and well maintained?\n* Are the staff friendly and happy? Are they standing back talking to each other or are they sitting down with the kids and interacting with them?\n* Do the kids currently at the centre appear happy? Are they playing well or running around causing havoc?\n* Do the teachers plan for each child individually? Do they write down observations of what the child is doing and plan activities based on the children's interests and needs?\n* Have a look at the major policies, including child protection, behaviour management, and food preparation/diets (if food provided by centre).\n* What is your gut feeling telling you? If you are not confident, it will be harder for you to trust them with your child!!\n\nI hope this helps!
594184
Most children attend preschool for 2 years so it's typically started at age 3 so they're ready for kindergarted at age 5.  However, each child has their own pace for learning.  Some express a desire to learn earlier and when that's the case I think it's the parents' job to work with them and stimulate their minds so they are ready for preschool.  Most 2 year olds don't have the attention span to sit for long periods of time and listen to a teacher but they are still always learning- it just needs to be more hands on and in shorter amounts of time.  My advice is to start looking for the preschool where you'll want your little one to go and ask the teachers there what you can do now at age 2 with your child to best prepare them for preschool and kindergarten.  I'd invest in or make some flashcards with the alphabet and numbers to work on letter/number recognition.  Also counting in order is important- but start small 1-10, then 1-20 etc.  Work on making patterns- red red blue blue red red blue blue, or red yellow blue, red yellow blue, etc.  Recongnizing patterns is great math skills for little ones.  Things like stackable cups in the bathtub are also great learning tools so kids see that smaller cups hold less water, larger cups hold more and will overflow if you pour that water into a smaller cup- teaches kids volume and logic.  And of course, always read books with your kids.  Even if it's their favorite book over and over- it teaches them predictability and also they start to recognize words and remember them.
136984
Looks like the school district offers a preschool program.\n\nIf you have the time and interest, cooperative preschool is a great way to introduce your child to school while you stay near, working in the classroom and tending to other needs of the school. Try the search terms "cooperative preschool bloomington" at your favorite search engine.
618052
I agree completely with warren1515.  young children learn through playing.  Some of the academics that are done in kindergarten are appropriate and good but there should always be play time, the kids need it and will get burned out if they don't get it.  I also think that many school systems assume that all children are going to preschool and getting the skills they need to begin kindergarten with this new curriculum and that is just not the case.  Many states are now beginning free state funded preschools to encourage parents to put their kids in preschool.
959993
Although I do not live in your area, I am a Preschool teacher so I can give you some tips of what to look for in a good daycare facility. Look through the phone book and pick a few in your area. Your local government might also have some info for you. Call the daycares you choose and ask about availability, fees, opening hours and age groups. Pick the ones that suit your needs best and make an appointment to go and visit. Here are some specific things to look for:\n* Look at the building. Is it clean and safe? Are there heaps of resources/toys for the children to play with?\n* What is the play area outside like? Is there room for the kids to run? Is the equipment safe and well maintained?\n* Are the staff friendly and happy? Are they getting down on the children's level and interacting with them or are they standing back watching and/or talking with each other?\n* Do the kids currently at the centre appear happy? Are they playing well or running around causing havoc?\n* Do the teachers plan for each child individually? Do they write down observations of what the child is doing and plan activities based on the children's interests and needs?\n* Have a look at the major policies, including child protection, behaviour management, and food preparation/diets (if food is provided by the centre).\n* What is your gut feeling telling you? If you are not confident, it will be harder for you to trust them with your child!!\n\nI hope this helps!