What is Montessori?

A Montessori classroom looks totally different from a traditional classroom because instead of a teacher instructing kids sitting in rows of desks, kids are following their natural curiousity to explore the things they need to learn themselves. More specifically, kids learn together, from one another, at increasing levels of depth and each kid can go at their own pace. Learn more at the New York State Montessori Alliance.

What are the benefits of a multi-age classroom?

One of the first things you notice when you walk into a Montessori school is that the classrooms are not divided by age. In a Montessori classroom, you will see children of different ages working together and socializing happily. You might, for example, see an older child showing a younger one how to complete an activity, or a younger watching what his older classmate can accomplish with fascination. There are many benefits to this method such as leadership development, peer learning and diversity to name a few. Learn more about it here.

What is the difference between Montessori and conventional education?

Montessori is a developmental approach to education. Its most significant hallmarks are (1) a child-centered orientation and (2) a highly structured, hierarchical curriculum. The balance of freedom and limits represents a major shift in the organization of the classroom and the role of adults in relation to children’s learning. It also matches the way human beings actually learn.

For children six and under, Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. They are not required to sit and listen to a teacher talk to them as a group, but are engaged in individual or group activities of their own, with materials that have been introduced to them 1:1 by the teacher who knows what each child is ready to do. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.

How important is it to start by age 3?

The years from birth to age six are a critical period of development, one that can be optimally supported in a highly enriched learning environment that features mixed age grouping and adults who are specially trained to support emerging abilities in language, movement, independence, and social/emotional well-being. To make the most of the child’s inherent drive to learn and to establish skills and habits that set the child on a positive trajectory, it is essential to start early.

Ideally, Montessori environments are organized to include three age levels: birth-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and so on. Students remain with their community for three years and benefit intellectually, socially, and emotionally from being both the youngest and the oldest in the class. Likewise, children benefit most when they enter the community at the beginning of a three-year cycle.

Is Montessori good for children with learning disabilities? What about gifted children?

Based in the assumption that children learn at different rates and through different avenues, all Montessori instruction is differentiated to meet the needs of each child in the classroom. For children who experience learning challenges, this means addressing difficulties early. For children who require additional challenges, there is no ceiling to learning. A classroom whose children have varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one another and everyone contributes. Moreover, multi-age grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling “ahead” or “behind” in relation to peers.

Are Montessori children successful later in life?

Research studies show that Montessori children are well prepared for later life academically, socially, and emotionally. In addition to scoring well on standardized tests, Montessori children are ranked above average on such criteria as following directions, turning in work on time, listening attentively, using basic skills, showing responsibility, asking provocative questions, showing enthusiasm for learning, and adapting to new situations.

If children are free to choose their own work, how do you ensure that they receive a well-rounded education?

Montessori children are free to choose within limits, and have only as much freedom as they can handle with appropriate responsibility. The classroom teacher and assistant ensure that children do not interfere with each other, and that each child is progressing at her appropriate pace in all subjects.

Montessori classrooms don’t look like regular classrooms. Where are the rows of desks? Where does the teacher stand?

The different arrangement of a Montessori classroom mirrors the Montessori methods differences from conventional education. Rather than putting the teacher at the center of the class, with children dependent on her for information and activity, the classroom revolves around the needs, interests, and work of the children. Children work at tables or on floor mats where they can spread out their materials, and the teacher circulates about the room, giving lessons or resolving issues as they arise.

Are Montessori schools as academically rigorous as traditional schools?

Yes; Montessori classrooms encourage deep learning of the concepts behind academic skills rather than rote practice of abstract techniques. The success of our students appears in the experiences of our alumni, who compete successfully with traditionally educated students in a variety of high schools and universities.

Since Montessori classrooms emphasize non-competitiveness, how are students adequately prepared for real-life competition later on?

Montessori classrooms emphasize skills and dispositions that have been shown to have greatest impact on success in later life: self-regulation, collaboration, conflict-resolution, and a variety of other executive skills aimed at continuous improvement. Students typically become comfortable with their strengths and learn how to address their weaknesses. In older classes, students commonly participate in competitive activities with clear “winners” (auditions for limited opera roles, the annual spelling bee, etc.) in which students give their best performances while simultaneously encouraging peers to do the same. It is a healthy competition in which all contenders are content that they did their best in an environment with clear and consistent rules.

When did George Washington Elementary become a Public Montessori school?

In 2007, in response to academic performance relateive to the other schools in the district, the Montessori Program was introduced with a customized plan to integrate Montessori and state standards. Over the course of the following 10 years, the school saw dramatic improvement in performance. You can read more about it in Our Story.

What are some online reasources for parents looking to learn more about Montessori?

The following websites include great resources for learning more about Montessori and Montessori in Public Schools:

• https://www.public-montessori.org/
• https://www.nysmontessori.org/
• https://www.montessoripublic.org/

What are some books about Montessori that I can read?

• Montessori – The Science behind the Genius (Angeline Lillard, 2007) One hundred years ago, Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, devised a very different method of educating children, based on her observations of how they naturally learn. In Montessori, Angeline Stoll Lillard shows that science has finally caught up with Maria Montessori. Lillard presents the research behind eight insights that are foundations of Montessori education, describing how each of these insights is applied in the Montessori classroom. In reading this book, parents and teachers alike will develop a clear understanding of what happens in a Montessori classroom and, more important, why it happens and why it works. Lillard, however, does much more than explain the scientific basis for Montessori’s system: Amid the clamor for evidence-based education, she presents the studies that show how children learn best, makes clear why many traditional practices come up short, and describes an ingenious alternative that works. Now with a foreword by Renilde Montessori, the youngest grandchild of Maria Montessori, Montessori offers a wealth of insights for anyone interested in education.

• The Secret of Childhood (Montessori, 1982) Maria Montessori describes the child with warmth and the exactness of a scientist. She also discusses the array of materials and techniques needed to release his learning potential.

• The Montessori Method (Montessori, 2011) The Montessori Method is a work by Maria Montessori now brought to you in this new edition of the timeless classic.

• Montessori Madness (Eissler, 2009) We know we need to improve our traditional school system, both public and private. But how? More homework? Better-qualified teachers? Longer school days or school years? More testing? More funding? No, no, no, no, and no. Montessori Madness! explains why the incremental steps politicians and administrators continue to propose are incremental steps in the wrong direction. The entire system must be turned on its head. This book asks parents to take a look one thirty-minute observation at a Montessori school. Your picture of what education should look like will never be the same. Montessori Madness! follows one family with young children on their journey of determination, discovery, and delight. Learn the who, what, when, where, why, and how of Montessori education. This book makes an aggressive, humorous, and passionate case for a brilliant method of education that has received too little attention, very likely because it is based on a revolutionary, dangerous, and shocking concept: children love to learn!

• Montessori Today (Paula Lillard, 1996) Paula Lillard, director of a Montessori school ranging in age from 18 months to fifteen years, provides a clear and cogent introduction to the Montessori program for the elementary and later years. In detailed accounts, Lillard shows how children acquire the skills to answer their own questions, learn to manage freedom with responsibility, and maintain a high level of intellectual stimulation by using the Montessori method. This is an essential handbook for parents and teachers who have chosen the Montessori alternative for the older child.

• Diverse Families, Desirable Schools: Public Montessori in the Era of School Choice (Mira Debs, 2019) In Diverse Families, Desirable Schools, Mira Debs offers a richly detailed study of public Montessori schools, which make up the largest group of progressive schools in the public sector. As public Montessori schools expand rapidly as alternatives to traditional public schools, the story of these schools, Debs points out, is a microcosm of the broader conflicts around public school choice.

What does the social worker do at GW?

GW Social worker provides referrals to food banks and community services to help families who need support and referrals to community programs for therapy and other treatments/ services for all members of your family. The social work is also responsible for all students in KCSD experiencing temporary housing. Contact Ms. Kimmer Gifford at (845) 943-3519 or email to kgifford@kingstoncityschools.org.

What is the purpose of the school psychologist?

Consultation with teachers and parents, to help maximize student learning and growth and help implement classroom-based intervention for learning and behavioral concerns. Support includes Psycho-educational Evaluations and Counseling for Self-Regulation and coping skills for anxiety, anger, etc, Peer Relations and Social Skills and Self-Esteem.

Is there before and after care provided?

GW provides a blended combination of two before and aftercare programs (1) TOPS and (2) YMCA:

TOPS, which stands for Teachers, Organizations and Parents for Students is an after school enrichment program for children starting in XX grade that runs from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, three days a week, from late-November to the end of March. The TOPS program is grant-funded and completely free for all families. Staff is a mix of GW teachers and paid volunteers.

YMCA (UPDATED: 2022-23 Schoole Year) is an extended-day program available to students and includes an AM and PM option runs from 6:00 am to the start of school and from 3:00 pm until 6:00pm, Monday through Friday. Visit the GW website for more information on how to register.

Are there other after school programs in the Kingston area?

Yes! Seed Song Farm Afterschool Program is active for the school year 2022-2023. Visit Seedsong Farm Website for more information.