HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
My almost-3-year-old daughter started at Children's Courtyard and it just wasn't cutting the mustard...they couldn't even get kids noses wiped in a timely fashion. So we pulled her out of there and started bringing her to a nanny with 2 of her little friends. That was cool for a while, but eventually she wasn't getting the learning experiences she required. So starting this past fall we put her in a Montessori school...which has been cool on one hand, but in this case the teachers don't seem all that skilled on how to correct inappropriate behavior. So now my once-gentle-and-polite daughter is coming home saying "no, I don't want to" all of the time, whining and fake crying to get things she wants when she used to just ask, and even hitting us at times. Obviously she's learned these bahviors from other kids at her school...which again is alright on one hand for her age, but on another hand we just might end up moving her again. In fact, just today a teacher at a public pre-school that my wife consults at said how she really wished how my daughter could somehow join her class. It's a really cool Cuban woman who teaches a bilingual format and the school would be free of charge, so now we're considering moving her again. Still don't know what we're going to do over this summer though....
How is she adjusting to the many moves? Many kids don't adjust well to moving. A possible reason for the behavior? That's a big factor in keeping my son in the Montessori until he's school aged.
I'm just Dr. Phil armchairing right now...
The moves haven't seemed to be the problem. The first time she loved joining her friends at the nanny's. The second time, she really took to the school...despite being the youngest student in it...and it wasn't until about 4 months passed before she started acting kinda different. The problem is that when other kids at her school act crazy, the teachers reinforce it. So the modeling that she's getting in many cases is that for example whining will get you what you want. It's like we get her back to normal over the course of a weekend, then Monday afternoon when she gets home from school it starts back up again. I'm really frustrated about it right now...but my wife is an early childhood behavior expert and she says that we just need to be stern (as usual) at home and have some patience for things at school to work themselves out. Our plan was to keep her in this school until kindergarten, but the opportunity for free bilingual school where we already know the teacher and program is good just might be too hard to pass up.
In other news, my daughter started a weekly capoeira class this week and I was amazed to watch her do so well in it...following instructions way better than the many 4 year olds she was sharing the class with.
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
So now my once-gentle-and-polite daughter is coming home saying "no, I don't want to" all of the time, whining and fake crying to get things she wants when she used to just ask, and even hitting us at times.
Oh yeah, that is all to familier.
I think it has a lot to do with the age as well, but yeah 'product of the environment' and all.
You shouldn't feel guilty. My son's been in a Montessori since he was 10 months. He hated it at first, but now he doesn't want to stay at home. He's semi-fluent in Japanese, can read hiragana and katakana (even better than his English.) and working on Spanish at the Montessori. Kids that are in pre-schools, day cares, etc., tend to do better/are more prepared when its time for regular school.
They also tend to have more discipline problems but it's a very minor % more likely.
So yo - what's the whole Montessori philosophy exactly? I hear the name kicked around all the time but have no idea how they actually do stuff differently.
I believe that a major component of a Montessori school/curriculum is that a child is able to learn at their individual pace rather than at the rate of the class as a whole. So if your child is breezing through colors (or already has them) then they can go onto the next developmentally/pre-academically appropriate target. One drawback for many Montessori programs is that it is not always the best placement for kids who really need more structure, especially to learn.
You shouldn't feel guilty. My son's been in a Montessori since he was 10 months. He hated it at first, but now he doesn't want to stay at home. He's semi-fluent in Japanese, can read hiragana and katakana (even better than his English.) and working on Spanish at the Montessori. Kids that are in pre-schools, day cares, etc., tend to do better/are more prepared when its time for regular school.
They also tend to have more discipline problems but it's a very minor % more likely.
So yo - what's the whole Montessori philosophy exactly? I hear the name kicked around all the time but have no idea how they actually do stuff differently.
I believe that a major component of a Montessori school/curriculum is that a child is able to learn at their individual pace rather than at the rate of the class as a whole. So if your child is breezing through colors (or already has them) then they can go onto the next developmentally/pre-academically appropriate target. One drawback for many Montessori programs is that it is not always the best placement for kids who really need more structure, especially to learn.
I haven't seen that personally. They all seem to be doing the same thing all the time, as far as I've noticed.
Not at all[/b] saying that anyone's kids here need this, cuz I know most of you only virtually, but the principles of:
really work. You may feel corny administering their strategies, but I work in a pediatric clinic and we loan out their books, cds, and dvd's and it makes a big difference when parents follow their recommendations.
You shouldn't feel guilty. My son's been in a Montessori since he was 10 months. He hated it at first, but now he doesn't want to stay at home. He's semi-fluent in Japanese, can read hiragana and katakana (even better than his English.) and working on Spanish at the Montessori. Kids that are in pre-schools, day cares, etc., tend to do better/are more prepared when its time for regular school.
They also tend to have more discipline problems but it's a very minor % more likely.
So yo - what's the whole Montessori philosophy exactly? I hear the name kicked around all the time but have no idea how they actually do stuff differently.
I believe that a major component of a Montessori school/curriculum is that a child is able to learn at their individual pace rather than at the rate of the class as a whole. So if your child is breezing through colors (or already has them) then they can go onto the next developmentally/pre-academically appropriate target. One drawback for many Montessori programs is that it is not always the best placement for kids who really need more structure, especially to learn.
I haven't seen that personally. They all seem to be doing the same thing all the time, as far as I've noticed.
YMMV, I guess?
I don't think it tends to be as evident in PreK due to their young age (mostly all of them are learning early routines and beginning skills). Montessori elementary schools typically work in this fashion.
first of all congrats and cuteness poinnts beyond the stratosphere to all in this thread
i find this thread also very informative and so...
I went to Montesseri pre-kindegarden here in MTL...(did not know it was global)
i was 3-4 and I have vivd memories of it being a grincieat environment..everyone ate with the principal we cherished and we learning like crazy...
my parents (french upbringing) dropped me off there, not speaking a word and I learned all my english that way...
Ny experience may be contextual (a truly exceptional school) but in any case its a biological fact that very young children tend to pick-up languages extremely rapidly...
a definite plus in life
for the record i turned out good in school but i did have those small percentage of behavioural problems (but whats that when youbust out your report card )
its fun going back through kindergarden memories...
Comments
The moves haven't seemed to be the problem. The first time she loved joining her friends at the nanny's. The second time, she really took to the school...despite being the youngest student in it...and it wasn't until about 4 months passed before she started acting kinda different. The problem is that when other kids at her school act crazy, the teachers reinforce it. So the modeling that she's getting in many cases is that for example whining will get you what you want. It's like we get her back to normal over the course of a weekend, then Monday afternoon when she gets home from school it starts back up again. I'm really frustrated about it right now...but my wife is an early childhood behavior expert and she says that we just need to be stern (as usual) at home and have some patience for things at school to work themselves out. Our plan was to keep her in this school until kindergarten, but the opportunity for free bilingual school where we already know the teacher and program is good just might be too hard to pass up.
In other news, my daughter started a weekly capoeira class this week and I was amazed to watch her do so well in it...following instructions way better than the many 4 year olds she was sharing the class with.
Yeah, I almost asked you earlier if your son was going through a similar phase...but I didn't want to assume that every kid does.
I believe that a major component of a Montessori school/curriculum is that a child is able to learn at their individual pace rather than at the rate of the class as a whole. So if your child is breezing through colors (or already has them) then they can go onto the next developmentally/pre-academically appropriate target. One drawback for many Montessori programs is that it is not always the best placement for kids who really need more structure, especially to learn.
I haven't seen that personally. They all seem to be doing the same thing all the time, as far as I've noticed.
YMMV, I guess?
Not at all[/b] saying that anyone's kids here need this, cuz I know most of you only virtually, but the principles of:
I don't think it tends to be as evident in PreK due to their young age (mostly all of them are learning early routines and beginning skills). Montessori elementary schools typically work in this fashion.
first of all congrats and cuteness poinnts beyond the stratosphere to all in this thread
i find this thread also very informative and so...
I went to Montesseri pre-kindegarden here in MTL...(did not know it was global)
i was 3-4 and I have vivd memories of it being a grincieat environment..everyone ate with the principal we cherished and we learning like crazy...
my parents (french upbringing) dropped me off there, not speaking a word and I learned all my english that way...
Ny experience may be contextual (a truly exceptional school) but in any case its a biological fact that very young children tend to pick-up languages extremely rapidly...
a definite plus in life
for the record i turned out good in school
its fun going back through kindergarden memories...