It's been a busy busy schedule for me since a few days. Although I've been reading my favourite blogs on and off, I haven't been leaving comments. I have been making mental posts but am unable to translate them on the blog. Lack of time or enough interest and energy is something I haven't yet figured out. Thought I should break the jinx by just writing an update about what's going on.
I am on a strike-out spree. I have crossed out yet another major item off my 2012 list. Isn't that great? We have finally finalised a pre-school for R , which he would be joining this June onwards. It is a Montessori, something that I had always preferred over the more popular or regular playschools. Parents of children who attend a Montessori would empathise with why anyone would scour their neighbourhood for a lesser-known school (Montessori-es in my observation are not very popular. At least around where I stay) when there are so many regular and well-known names staring and screaming their presence in your face. In a complex where there are easily 500 odd children, I did not hear any word-of-mouth reference for a good Montessori. At least the ones I spoke to had never sent their (older) kids to a Montessori nor were in the process of looking out for one (in case of R's peers). Anyone I spoke to only gave out big names as their preferred choice. So, I had resigned myself to sending R to one of the regular KG (Kindergarten) pre-schools. However, fate had some other plans. A friend of mine had a chance encounter with an acquaintance who was seemingly happy about a Montessori school in our vicinity and recommended it. My friend knowing my preference for Montessori-es, promptly alerted me of the same. As luck would have it, by the time we approached the school, the admissions were already closed. The director with whom I corresponded over email was firm but kind. Upon my request, she suggested two other schools in my neighbourhood, out of which we chose one.
I had read up a bit on the Montessori way of teaching and was convinced of the many benefits that a Montessori provides over the regular KG approach. Aparna (Life as a mom) would be able to empathise and explain much better, IMO. Do read her post which talks a bit about this wonderful method. As for me, while I mostly had nothing major against any of the pre-schools that catered to the mainstream KG environment, the one thing that worried me was the practice of initiating writing Alphabets at an age as early as three or even 2.8 at some schools. Why does a child as young as that need to learn to write first? Also, most KG pattern does not follow the phonetics as a method to teach alphabets. The stress is to first start off writing Capital letters, spell words and then write cursive, in that order. The Montessori method in contrast teaches phonetics first and then the Alphabets. This encourages children to use the language correctly and develop a love for reading. Montessori way, I've read, also tackles the child as an individual also provides an all-round development by instilling life-skills like independence, discipline and respect for work in the children.
Of course, one needs to find a good Montessori and not just pick any school that claims to deploy these methods because then it carries the proverbial clever enemy being better than a foolish friend risk. The school we chose, apart from having the usual Montessori tools and Montessori trained teachers, is aesthetically very appealing. The rooms are spacious and naturally-lit. They also have an in-house library where the child (if the child is very young, then the parent) is allowed to pick a book to be read and returned to on the next day. I fell in love with this feature for it means that the children are encouraged to read books and not just repeat some rhymes as is the norm in the regular pre-schools. I just hope that we have chosen a genuine one and it proves to be a right one for R.
I am on a strike-out spree. I have crossed out yet another major item off my 2012 list. Isn't that great? We have finally finalised a pre-school for R , which he would be joining this June onwards. It is a Montessori, something that I had always preferred over the more popular or regular playschools. Parents of children who attend a Montessori would empathise with why anyone would scour their neighbourhood for a lesser-known school (Montessori-es in my observation are not very popular. At least around where I stay) when there are so many regular and well-known names staring and screaming their presence in your face. In a complex where there are easily 500 odd children, I did not hear any word-of-mouth reference for a good Montessori. At least the ones I spoke to had never sent their (older) kids to a Montessori nor were in the process of looking out for one (in case of R's peers). Anyone I spoke to only gave out big names as their preferred choice. So, I had resigned myself to sending R to one of the regular KG (Kindergarten) pre-schools. However, fate had some other plans. A friend of mine had a chance encounter with an acquaintance who was seemingly happy about a Montessori school in our vicinity and recommended it. My friend knowing my preference for Montessori-es, promptly alerted me of the same. As luck would have it, by the time we approached the school, the admissions were already closed. The director with whom I corresponded over email was firm but kind. Upon my request, she suggested two other schools in my neighbourhood, out of which we chose one.
I had read up a bit on the Montessori way of teaching and was convinced of the many benefits that a Montessori provides over the regular KG approach. Aparna (Life as a mom) would be able to empathise and explain much better, IMO. Do read her post which talks a bit about this wonderful method. As for me, while I mostly had nothing major against any of the pre-schools that catered to the mainstream KG environment, the one thing that worried me was the practice of initiating writing Alphabets at an age as early as three or even 2.8 at some schools. Why does a child as young as that need to learn to write first? Also, most KG pattern does not follow the phonetics as a method to teach alphabets. The stress is to first start off writing Capital letters, spell words and then write cursive, in that order. The Montessori method in contrast teaches phonetics first and then the Alphabets. This encourages children to use the language correctly and develop a love for reading. Montessori way, I've read, also tackles the child as an individual also provides an all-round development by instilling life-skills like independence, discipline and respect for work in the children.
Of course, one needs to find a good Montessori and not just pick any school that claims to deploy these methods because then it carries the proverbial clever enemy being better than a foolish friend risk. The school we chose, apart from having the usual Montessori tools and Montessori trained teachers, is aesthetically very appealing. The rooms are spacious and naturally-lit. They also have an in-house library where the child (if the child is very young, then the parent) is allowed to pick a book to be read and returned to on the next day. I fell in love with this feature for it means that the children are encouraged to read books and not just repeat some rhymes as is the norm in the regular pre-schools. I just hope that we have chosen a genuine one and it proves to be a right one for R.
yayayyaya! congrats...this is a BIG one okie..off the list :):) happy for you n R :)
ReplyDeleteThanks RM!!! yes it is a big one..:-)
DeleteCongrats!! I was just about to write to you today and ask why the silence? :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of montessori too....great that you found one that you are comfortable with.
All the best!
:-) thanks for the wishes and for missing me..:-)))
DeleteYes, I know you are a fan of Montessori too! Just hope our choice proves to be the right one.
Great! So R is starting with his schooling.. lots of love and luck to him.. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank U, Radhika! :-)))
DeleteU sending him to school???!!! already?? I didnt even read the whole post! How old is he?
ReplyDelete:-)yes, a playschool. This June onwards. He will be 2.5 yrs then..:-)
Deletewe have to send these little beings to school??! I dread the very idea! who made school?!
DeleteIn a year's time you'd probably be thanking the person who invented schools..;-)
DeleteOf course, when you actually take the admission, you do feel bad about sending your piece of heart so far off..:-)
Uma... Can you drop a mail onto my id? Need to tell you something. Want to know if you will be interested.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Congrats!! I know what a big relief the choosing of a school can be, and I am so glad you found one that suited what you wanted for R.
ReplyDeleteHey so sweet of you to link to my post , I feel so bad that i'm reading this soo laaaate :(. I seem to have been missing from blogworld esp in the reading and commenting, due to my FB group fixation at the moment ;), which is a side effect of my gardening fixation of course :). But I am catching up fast!
Hey Aparna, thank you so much! It is such a relief! :-)
DeleteNice to see you catching up..:-)