Author Topic: Is anyone spending a lot on Montessori schools and think its totally worth it?  (Read 34102 times)

muckety_muck

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I researched Montessori when I was pregnant w/ my first. Really wanted to make that move, but couldn't justify the expense. It was 2.5x more expensive than full-time normal M-F daycare/preschool, and the local Montessori school is only open 8:30am to 12:30.

We are a family of two full-time working parents. It just didn't work for us. Wish that it was affordable and more accommodating to our schedules though.

I have a few friends who were special ed majors or early childhood ed majors in college... they all have their kids in Montessori, but they don't work outside the home either.

jengod

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Here is a useful five-minute explainer video for any lurkers interested in learning more about Montessori:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcgN0lEh5IA

Here's a look inside a Montessori classroom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0HlI7dmOzU

A couple of great contemporary books about Montessori education are:

« Last Edit: September 14, 2015, 08:54:14 PM by jengod »

TravelJunkyQC

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Just my two cents in terms of Montessori:
I don't yet have children, but both my sister and I attended Montessori school when we were kids. Yes we were blessed with parents that nurtured our intellectual growth at home, but I remain convinced that even with that, we would not have adored learning as much had we been in a rigid standard environment that is found in most schools. We attended Montessori from Kindergarten until the end of 6th grade, and when we went into another school in 7th, we both ended up in Honors (advanced) classes for every subject that gave that possibility (math, english, and science). We were also a year ahead in foreign languages, most likely because we started spanish classes in 3rd grade in the Montessori school.
Yes, it's very possible for the free-learning method NOT to work for some children, and if that is the case, I'm sure you'll be able to tell after a few months that Montessori isn't for them. However, if it is, and the child learns well and happily, I strongly believe that it's worth it. I doubt I would have had the grades I did in High School, or graduated the University I did, had I not been to Montessori as a 6 year old.

boarder42

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so you have one post here in a thread thats 9 months old thats fun.  with no mention of anything about what this forum is about just to promote your own propaganda ... nice.

VaCPA

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Boarder, after your recommendation in that other thread about childcare that was widely laughed at where you recommended kids be treated like an IRA and people should go the cheapest possible route, even recommending finding a home daycare on craigslist to be as cheap as possible, you really should stop posting on the topic. At least until you have kids and you can come back and verify your cheap craigslist daycare worked out great. Yeah nobody cares if you know someone who knows someone who did it and their kids are alive and well(last time you checked).

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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To be fair to boarder, that's clearly a spam post.

onlykelsey

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I'm expecting and just starting to look in to this, but near me, non-montessori daycare is over 20K a year, so if there were a montessori option for the same or less, I'd make the decision based on my opinion of the education philosophies.  I know it's not this expensive most places, but 10K seems like a steal to me for most major metropolitan areas.

boarder42

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To be fair to boarder, that's clearly a spam post.

that was the point of my post

THIS THREAD IS 9 MONTHS OLD PEOPLE

boarder42

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Boarder, after your recommendation in that other thread about childcare that was widely laughed at where you recommended kids be treated like an IRA and people should go the cheapest possible route, even recommending finding a home daycare on craigslist to be as cheap as possible, you really should stop posting on the topic. At least until you have kids and you can come back and verify your cheap craigslist daycare worked out great. Yeah nobody cares if you know someone who knows someone who did it and their kids are alive and well(last time you checked).

I know many people who have done this sorry i dont think house cleaners lawn mowers and expensive daycares fit into a mustachian lifestyle ... i must be an outlier ---

some one else compared it to an IRA prior to my point about it.  but you know spend you money how you see fit and retire in 30 years with those 10 years per kid added to FIRE due to personal choices.
« Last Edit: June 03, 2016, 07:37:03 AM by boarder42 »

Daleth

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I know many people who have done this sorry i dont think house cleaners lawn mowers and expensive daycares fit into a mustachian lifestyle ... i must be an outlier ---


No, just short-sighted, and your priorities are different than mine. Everyone I know who went to a Montessori school got substantial discounts on college, because they all either took an innovative approach to college (getting their degree in a foreign country...) or were already doing such cool things as teenagers that they got hefty scholarships. And they also all now have, as adults, either a cool career that's exactly in line with what they love (professor of experimental art, robot maker, etc.) or a good career that fits around their less-lucrative or non-lucrative interests (successful lawyer who's also a jazz musician, etc.). Having gone to Montessori school myself and read a fair number of books on the philosophy, I think that's because Montessori schools teach kids how to think clearly and independently (rather than teaching them what to think or memorize) and they strongly encourage kids to develop their skills and knowledge in the areas they're most interested in.

And when I was a kid, the concept of not liking school made no sense to me at all. What was not to like? You just went there, worked on interesting stuff that you felt like working on (none of this "ok class, everyone turn to page 53" crap), saw your friends, experienced zero or near-zero bullying because it was instantly shut down and empathy was cultivated, and then went home.

As a parent, it matters a lot more to me that my kids enjoy school and get in the habit of thinking independently and doing self-directed work than that they go to the cheapest school I can find. I do think that's going to serve them better, not just in their adult lives but also when it comes time to get into college and get funding for it. If I have to work an extra five years to give that to them, that's fine. Being a Montessori kid myself, I'll find a creative and cool way to do that.

jengod

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I know many people who have done this sorry i dont think house cleaners lawn mowers and expensive daycares fit into a mustachian lifestyle ... i must be an outlier ---


No, just short-sighted, and your priorities are different than mine. Everyone I know who went to a Montessori school got substantial discounts on college, because they all either took an innovative approach to college (getting their degree in a foreign country...) or were already doing such cool things as teenagers that they got hefty scholarships. And they also all now have, as adults, either a cool career that's exactly in line with what they love (professor of experimental art, robot maker, etc.) or a good career that fits around their less-lucrative or non-lucrative interests (successful lawyer who's also a jazz musician, etc.). Having gone to Montessori school myself and read a fair number of books on the philosophy, I think that's because Montessori schools teach kids how to think clearly and independently (rather than teaching them what to think or memorize) and they strongly encourage kids to develop their skills and knowledge in the areas they're most interested in.

And when I was a kid, the concept of not liking school made no sense to me at all. What was not to like? You just went there, worked on interesting stuff that you felt like working on (none of this "ok class, everyone turn to page 53" crap), saw your friends, experienced zero or near-zero bullying because it was instantly shut down and empathy was cultivated, and then went home.

As a parent, it matters a lot more to me that my kids enjoy school and get in the habit of thinking independently and doing self-directed work than that they go to the cheapest school I can find. I do think that's going to serve them better, not just in their adult lives but also when it comes time to get into college and get funding for it. If I have to work an extra five years to give that to them, that's fine. Being a Montessori kid myself, I'll find a creative and cool way to do that.

THIS!

I view education as a capital investment just like any other. When I buy a clothes drying rack or a grain grinder or cloth diapers, I am paying more up front than I absolutely need to, but I am buying a sustainable, durable good that will help me save money over time by air-drying my clothes more conveniently, saving money versus pre-ground flours, and decreasing our landfill footprint of disposable diapers.

A Montessori education, to me, is an investment in creating more robust, resilient, sustainable, happier, healthier, less-broken child than I would get if I just dropped him off at the closest/cheapest daycare or even homeschooled him. It's worth it to our family to have our kid with those teachers, in that environment, with that peer group, using those classroom materials.

YMMV.

tobitonic

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I know many people who have done this sorry i dont think house cleaners lawn mowers and expensive daycares fit into a mustachian lifestyle ... i must be an outlier ---


No, just short-sighted, and your priorities are different than mine. Everyone I know who went to a Montessori school got substantial discounts on college, because they all either took an innovative approach to college (getting their degree in a foreign country...) or were already doing such cool things as teenagers that they got hefty scholarships. And they also all now have, as adults, either a cool career that's exactly in line with what they love (professor of experimental art, robot maker, etc.) or a good career that fits around their less-lucrative or non-lucrative interests (successful lawyer who's also a jazz musician, etc.). Having gone to Montessori school myself and read a fair number of books on the philosophy, I think that's because Montessori schools teach kids how to think clearly and independently (rather than teaching them what to think or memorize) and they strongly encourage kids to develop their skills and knowledge in the areas they're most interested in.

And when I was a kid, the concept of not liking school made no sense to me at all. What was not to like? You just went there, worked on interesting stuff that you felt like working on (none of this "ok class, everyone turn to page 53" crap), saw your friends, experienced zero or near-zero bullying because it was instantly shut down and empathy was cultivated, and then went home.

As a parent, it matters a lot more to me that my kids enjoy school and get in the habit of thinking independently and doing self-directed work than that they go to the cheapest school I can find. I do think that's going to serve them better, not just in their adult lives but also when it comes time to get into college and get funding for it. If I have to work an extra five years to give that to them, that's fine. Being a Montessori kid myself, I'll find a creative and cool way to do that.

Very well put. We're currently planning on homeschooling, but our second option was private schooling, and the local Montessori school was at the top of the list. We didn't have kids so we could get them out of the house as quickly and cheaply as possible; we're invested in their well-being, and want them to be happy, healthy, and kind individuals. Is it possible to get that from a public school education? Of course! But we've got more faith in our abilities to foster these values (and others) in our kids than we do in the local public schools right now.

Daleth

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A Montessori education, to me, is an investment in creating more robust, resilient, sustainable, happier, healthier, less-broken child than I would get if I just dropped him off at the closest/cheapest daycare or even homeschooled him. It's worth it to our family to have our kid with those teachers, in that environment, with that peer group, using those classroom materials.

Exactly! A decade or so ago my mom had a friend who was a member of the hardcore working poor: a mother of 4 in her 40s who was earning $12/hour as a healthcare aide, had several very visible missing teeth because she couldn't afford a dentist, and lived in a trailer park with her kids and her husband who worked in construction. This friend needed childcare for her youngest to continue working--her other kids were school age--so my mom researched local Montessori preschools and found a good one that was only marginally more expensive than the numerous random "Sweet Little Lambs"/"Happy Sunshine"/"Babies of Jesus" type low-end daycares in the area.

The friend put her daughter in the Montessori school and was amazed to see not just how happy she was there, but how self-directed she became. At three and four this kid started spontaneously putting away all her toys when she was done, setting everyone's shoes by the door in orderly fashion so the family could leave with less chaos, and cleaning up after herself, and she also quickly developed an amazing vocabulary. None of this is random: for kids that age Montessori is very big not only on verbal development but also on "practical life" skills, i.e., cleaning up, putting things in order, etc.--the skills that are the basis for developing the crucial character trait of good executive function. This girl was the talk of the trailer park and my mom's friend was like, "Man, I wish I'd known about that school when my other kids were little!"

Angelina

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Yes, spending more money on Montessori education is really worth it. Because, as a child who attended Montessori school, they have a lot to learn. One of the most well-liked aspects of the Montessori method is that education is child-led.

Little Wonders Montessori is definitely more advanced than regular preschool. It’s not just based on playing, crafts and everything has a purpose. The Montessori materials use hands-on items to teach complex concepts. So, the Montessori approach to education, inspires children towards a lifelong love of learning, by following their natural developmental trajectory. So, the method of Montessori is absolutely worth it.

Sibley

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@Angelina there's a warning message when you try to post on old posts for a reason. Please don't.

dragoncar

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@Angelina there's a warning message when you try to post on old posts for a reason. Please don't.

Is there a warning when you AstroTurf?

frugaldrummer

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Quote
The real difference in school choice is being able to send your kids to a school where they can learn without having kids around them throwing things, bullying them, being insubordinate to the teacher, or anything else that distracts from the learning process.  Generally, you can avoid those problems if your kids go to school in areas that aren't low-income.

Just be careful of the opposite - we chose a house in a wealthy neighborhood to raise our children with the "good" public schools. But along with that, as they got older, were kids with plenty of money to spend on drugs and way too little supervision by their socialite parents. I think a nice middle class school district in a safe neighborhood might be the best.

As for Montessori, it does sound like there is a real problem with places calling themselves Montessori but actually offering a very different experience. I think the most important part of any preschool is just good, loving teachers.

Abe

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I agree with the above. Rich people can be just as negligent as poor people. Their children can be as ill behaved as poor people’s children. I think the larger disparity between classes is the number of adults to children, and quality of equipment (both in the classroom & building quality). More adults will yield more effective discipline and probably better role modeling for children on how to deal with stress. Their parents’ income has an indirect effect in that richer families tend to have less externally created (opposed to internally created) stressors.

Teachstache

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I'm a public school teacher whose 5 year old attended a Blue Ribbon highly structured public school in an affluent neighborhood (not Montessori). It was not a success for him. He struggled with why he should do certain things a certain way & he's very much a relationship kid (if the teacher develops a strong relationship with him, he'll do almost anything for them). We switched him to a Title school in a lower SES area (our current neighborhood school) & he (was) thriving there (before school shut down). I'm not going to say that a certain method is outsourcing/unmustachian because it's really about aligning your money with your priorities & what works best for your family & your children.

Our kid will attend kindergarten (hopefully it'll be open in the fall since he desperately needs peer interaction) in a lower SES school that isn't as academically decorated as other (public) schools nearby. I'm not worried about his academics, since I can help with a great deal of that at home. I can't provide peer interaction in a real world setting in what I consider to be a representative peer group. So, I am putting my money toward those experiences (school athletics, school clubs, school field trips, academics at home). It's all about aligning your spending with your priorities and what works best for your family & children. That's my 2 cents' worth.
 

waltworks

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Just be careful of the opposite - we chose a house in a wealthy neighborhood to raise our children with the "good" public schools. But along with that, as they got older, were kids with plenty of money to spend on drugs and way too little supervision by their socialite parents. I think a nice middle class school district in a safe neighborhood might be the best.

As for Montessori, it does sound like there is a real problem with places calling themselves Montessori but actually offering a very different experience. I think the most important part of any preschool is just good, loving teachers.

Frugaldrummer, bringing the gloom to the necrothread!

Rule 1, everyone: don't resurrect 5 year old threads.
Rule 2, everyone: stop and consider if just posting "get off my lawn" would sum up what you have to say.

Back on topic: my 8 year old witnessed a classmate riding his bike in our neighborhood yesterday - being followed in a car by his mother the entire time. This is a normal kid, not special needs. No amount of Montessori is going to fix that kind of learned helplessness...

-W

justchecking

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I have two degrees in education and taught for 10 years.  People really over estimate how much the school matters.  It really depends on the natural gifts of the child and a few key milestones.  My wife grew up in Northern VA and went to the best public high school in the country.  I grew up in a rural county in OH and the education system was lacking, but still managed to go to an Ivy League School.  We are both naturally smart and the expectation of college was there and that is what actually matters.  If you read research about how to make your children successful it really boils down to that they do not spend time on screens, if they can read at grade level at 5th grade, and that they do not have addiction issues.  If these three outcomes happen then your chances of success are pretty high.  I would really encourage you to think outside of the box.  We have made several, what I consider Mustachian choices geared towards our children's success.  We send our kids to a not great public school and do not rely on them to provide much more than socialization.
 Have you looked into joining a Presbyterian Church?  Presbyterians are the most educated group of the population.  64% have advanced degrees and 24% have post-graduate degrees.  What an easy way to get your kids around folks who are super educated without having to pay fancy school tuition.  We also volunteer at a local park and all the adults graduated from college and about half have advanced degrees.  These are just a few examples.  Look around your area to see where the educated folks and their children hang out for free and spend your time there.  Save your money and teach your kids to save their money. 

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!