What to look for in an authentic Montessori school

Choosing the right school for your child can be quite challenging.

Once you made the decision to offer your child the opportunity of a Montessori education in a Children’s House (term Maria Montessori used to refer to the school from 3 to 6), it is not as easy as you would think.

Montessori is a public domain name as Dr. Maria Montessori never trademarked her name, and she did not patent her teaching methods.

There are plenty of schools, which use the name “Montessori” in the title but do so for marketing purposes. Many parents are attracted to the Montessori title but in the end, they have a less than expected experience. They are left without an understanding of what all the fuss is about, and potentially that this method clearly isn’t working for their child.

I too, am in the search of the perfect Montessori school for my daughter and I feel your pain. I understand it can be very stressful. I am shocked at the number of schools I found which proclaim to offer Montessori education. I’ve decided to make a simple guide to help you in your search.

When looking for a Montessori school that follows the Montessori principles we should look for:

o   Mixed age group

Depending on the age of your child you could look for a nursery (from 18 months to 2 ½ - 3 years old) or a Children’s House (from 2 ½ -3 to 6 years old).

Children will be in the same room with other children that have the same developmental needs. They will learn from each other and benefit from being with older and younger children.

These classes build up a community that is a reflexion of society, we do not only socialize with our age group, don’t we?

o   Montessori qualified teachers

It is very important that the teachers in the class are Montessori trained. It isn’t enough that the head of the school has the Montessori qualifications and then attempts to pass on their learning to the staff – If only it was that easy.

Teachers need to be fully trained, as their understanding of the child, the principles of the Method and the materials makes the whole difference.

A trained teacher, won’t teach the child but guide them and link the child with the materials and environment taking into consideration the child’s interest and development.

o   No timetables

When you go to visit the school and ask the teachers to describe the day’s activities, if they mention that they all do cycle time at 8, then they have a lovely reading time at 9, then all go to the beautiful garden for outdoor activities at 10… then you are not in a Montessori school that follows the principles.

What you would like to hear is that children have a 3-hour work cycle. This work cycle is an uninterrupted period of time where the child is free to work, have snack, read, and have presentations following his interests and developmental needs.

o   Calm atmosphere and uncluttered spaces

When you enter into a Montessori class you can feel it. There is a palpable and beautiful atmosphere, a calmness and a nonstop buzz of children working on their own or on small groups.

The room will feel welcoming without being cluttered of children’s work and paintings. There won’t be posters everywhere.

Instead, there will be real pictures on the walls, vases with flowers on the tables… you will just feel at home, well, at the Children’s house.