The propagation of Montessori philosophy and methodology has taken a very important place in the last decades in the educational field of Mexico and the world. This has been a niche of opportunity for the creation of courses, workshops, trainings and graduate programs by people and / or institutions outside the AMI, so we consider it a right and a responsibility of parents, to know what Montessori really is, so they can make better informed decisions.
Therefore, we invite you to read the answers to the most frequently asked questions, to delve into Montessori with serious readings, to approach the AMI Training Centers, and above all, to visit several schools before choosing one.
What is Montessori?
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Montessori is the method devised by Dr. María Montessori, put into practice since 1907, and which continues in force today, since it responds to the essential and universal needs and interests of the human beings, in such a way that even when Technology appears as a valuable instrument of communication and learning, it does not replace the fundamental processes that humans go through to build themselves, through their own experience, and at their own pace.
What kind of children is Montessori for?
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Montessori is for all children, but not for all families, since the most important education is the one given at home, and the school accompanies this life project.
What stages of education does Montessori cover?
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- Infant/ toddler Community is the first transition between home and school. From three months old they can start in Nido and then once they start walking they transition to the Infant/ toddler Community environment until they are about 3 years old.
- Children's House corresponds to the preschool stage, from 3 to 6 years approximately.
- Lower elementary, from first to third grade, with students from 6 to 9 years of age approximately.
- Upper elementary goes from fourth to sixth grade, with ages of approximately 9 to 12 years old.
- Adolescent community, is for teenagers from 12 to 15 years approximately
How to know if a school is an authentic Montessori school?
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There are essential criteria for a school to be considered Montessori, since without these characteristics it is not possible to favor free choice, self-regulation, self-construction, empathy and meaningful learning. These elements are:
- Mixed groups, multigrade and open to the integration of students with special needs.
- The classroom must be a prepared environment, where everything is arranged to facilitate the independence and responsibility of the students. It should be a spacious, bright, airy, clean, safe and beautiful place.
- The group should be led by a Guide, who facilitates the self-construction of student learning through presentations with the Montessori development material. Must have certified training, desirably by AMI.
- The Montessori material is developmental (not didactic), it must be complete and in good condition; grouped by areas and in a sequence that goes from simple to complex and from most concrete to most abstract; as well as error control in most of them.
- In addition to the Guide, Assistants and additional Teachers can have an AMI training.
- Periodic supervision by AMI Coaches.
- Several hours of daily and uninterrupted work with the Montessori development material: 3 hours for the Infant/toddler Community and Children's House and 3 and a half hours for Elementary.
- Students can advance and / or deepen at their own pace, as well as return or take up what is difficult for them.
- Students also learn from each other.
- Students can make choices in their work within a frame of reference given by the adult.
- Discipline is managed based on clear limits and logical consequences.
- Collaboration between parents and the school is essential to form a team that favors the development of the child.
What are the differences between a Montessori school and a traditional one?
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Currently even the most traditional schools have made great changes in their structure, however, broadly speaking, we find some differences that are worth highlighting:
Is Montessori pricey or expensive?
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At the moment, public education in Mexico has not adopted the Montessori proposal as a methodology and philosophy, so the schools that do it are private and must pay for the investment that it implies: prepared environments that allow the movement and work of the group of students; adequate furniture in size and weight; quality Montessori developmental material; specialized and accredited personnel, periodic AMI supervisions, continuous training of personnel, and the possibility of continuing to invest to maintain adequate conditions of facilities, materials and teaching personnel, so the costs are very high, in addition to the fact that the schools do not receive any economic incentive or tax deductions by the State.
Therefore, if we say that expensive is what is charged above its real value, we consider that Montessori is not, although its cost may be higher than the cost of a traditional school.
What can we read about Montessori as parents?
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There is a lot of bibliography written by Dr. María Montessori or about Montessori written by other authors, which is more dense or specialized to begin with. Here are the suggestions for those who are approaching Montessori as parents for the first time:
• A modern approach to the Montessori method. Paola Polk Lillard. Editorial Diana.
• How to cultivate the spirit of the child in a lay environment. Aline Wolf. Editorial Parents Child Press.
• Education and peace. Maria Montessori. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
• What you should know about your child. Maria Montessori. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
• Maria Montessori talks to parents. Maria Montessori. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
• The child in the family. Maria Montessori. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
• Education for a New World, María Montessori, Editorial Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
• The secret of childhood. Maria Montessori. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
• To educate the human potential. Maria montessori. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
• The Formation of man. Maria Montessori. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
• The absorbent mind of the child. Maria Montessori. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
What happens when children finish Montessori and go out into the real world?
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When Dr. María Montessori visualized the prepared environments, she thought precisely about creating spaces that were attached to real life, to the world itself, and as in this, she succeeded in emphasizing the need to mix genders, to live with different ages, needs, interests and abilities.
She devised a way of working where they learned through their own experience, in collaboration, in self-control to make diversity coincide in harmony in space and time.
She thought of an education that would lead to meaningful knowledge so that it would really serve as an aid to life, where there are different ways to get to the same point.
Therefore, we even say that Montessori is not only a philosophy and a methodology, but a lifestyle, and children do not have to travel to the real world because they live in it.
What kind of middle or high school do Montessori children go to?
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After finishing upper elementary, students can continue in the Adolescent Community, however they are not yet popular and it is difficult to find one, so when they finish elementary school in Montessori, students are ready to enter any type of school.
What is always important to consider is the profile of the school and the characteristics of the student, in order to continue with a training according to the priorities of the parents, as well as the abilities and interests of the child.
Remember that puberty and early adolescence coincide with middle school, so even in the best of cases, this transition will not be easy. Hormones awaken a whirlwind of emotions and feelings that must be learned to distinguish, know and handle; The desire of belonging to the group and at the same time to be authentic and original generate contradictions in their behavior, and at the same time make them more vulnerable in their decisions (remember that they are the first experiences close to sex, alcohol and drugs), and they live basically three simultaneous duels: the loss of his infantile body, the loss of his naivety, and the loss of the idealized figure of his parents. In short, these young men and women have a lot of work to do in knowing who they are and it takes so much time and energy that academic interest may wane.
Therefore, the best secondary school will be the one where as a family they can be viewed with consistency within the community made up of teachers, families, and classmates.
On the academic side, Montessori students tend to stand out for their willingness to adapt and integrate, for a great initiative to undertake projects and solve situations; they have an ability to work in teams and take responsibility for their effort. They generally arrive with a great cultural background, and are characterized for being good readers and researchers.
Within the adaptation process, perhaps what may cost them more work is to undergo to the inconsistencies or arbitrariness of the authority and the adults in charge, but they soon integrate the new rules.
How do we link with the SEP?
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The schools that are incorporated into the SEP must cover all the requirements that are demanded of all private schools (whatever their philosophy and work methodology is), which are implicit in the physical spaces requested, the profile of the directive and teaching staff, in the competencies and training fields to be developed, and the academic content to be addressed, reflected in the work plans that are carried out in a timely manner, to achieve the expected learning that allows us to issue the official reports corresponding to the degree completed.
However, Montessori schools are not satisfied with just meeting these requirements, and we offer students the keys to knowledge, and meaningful experiences that favor their self-construction and the development of the structures that will accompany them throughout their life.
Infant/toddler Community
2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
Hours: from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Yearly Enrollment / Re-enrollment: $ 20,000.00
Monthly payment: $ 10,000.00, from September to July.
Expenses to consider:
Each family takes care of lunch for the whole group for a week until the list of students in that environment is finished, and they start over (2 to 3 times per school year for 15 children and 2 adults).
Children's House
2023-2022 SCHOOL YEAR
- Hours:
3 and 4 year olds from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. - 5 year olds from 8:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Yearly Enrollment / Re-enrollment: $ 20,000.00
Monthly payment: $ 10,000.00, from September to July.
Expenses to consider:
- Each family is in charge of snacks for the whole group for a week until the list of students in that environment is finished, and they start over (1 to 2 times per school year for 30 children and 3 adults).
- Uniform, to be used for school outings and PE.
Elementary
2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
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Hours:
Lower elementary, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Upper elementary, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Yearly Enrollment / Re-enrollment: $ 22,000.00
Monthly payment: $ 12,000.00, from September to July.
Expenses to consider:
- Elegant Uniform for Monday’s civic ceremonies and special days, and uniform for school outings and Physical Education.
- Annual camp cost.
- Sixth graders graduating generation camp cost.