Advice About Putting My Son in Montessori

Hi F. - Is the school called Montessori Academy of Tampa Bay at 1901 W. Waters Ave and run by Ms. Sonia Johnson (Director)? If so, my daughter attended this same school in Temple Terrace for over 4 yrs and it was THE BEST thing we have ever done for her! This school is fully accredited and I was amazed at the concepts introduced to such young children! The kids are just huge sponges & soak up any & everything presented to them. My dghtr had an excellent experience and is now at an IB Elementary school (first grade) in the Gifted program. We moved her to public school just this Fall for financial reasons. No one school is perfect, but I don't think you'll be disappointed with ALL the amazing things your son will learn & experience. Best of luck in making your decision.

My son attended this school from 1 to 3 yo. I really have mixed reviews. We moved him to another Montessori school because he was so unhappy. We later learned that he had a hearing problem. I didn't catch it so I can't blame the teachers for not catching it, but I also did not feel like they were supporting us through what was a difficult time. They have parent teacher conferences a few times a year, but other then that contact with the teachers is pretty limited. I felt like I only got information when there was a problem and even then not enough information.

I do believe they have caring teachers that offer the children a lot of great opportunities. Feel free to send me a message with any additional questions you might have for me.

Good for you F.!! Both my kids are in Montessori and we love it!!! Some times I catch my self questioning the cost, but know the underlying lessons they are learning are priceless!!

The two year old class is about social skills, motor skills, colors, putting things back etc. I loved it as the typical stuff that I saw in a regular day care was not there. Each child is treated as an individual not as a group.

My son has been in Montessori for 3 years now. I think boys especially need Montessori as they are more active and typically that is not acceptable. Montessori is perfect for that. I can't say enough about it!

If the child is ready to read then they are encouraged to do so. It's all in what is fits them at that time. My son is 6 and is just getting interested in reading, my daughter is 3 and is interested in reading. It all varies from child to child.

As far as Montessori schools go they are not all created equal. Which is sad. You want a Montessori school that is Accredited. A school can call them selves Montessori if they have some teachers trained in it.

The school we attend is the only Accredited Montessori school in Pinellas County. It has taken me some time to understand this but I get it now. I have had several friends put their child in a "Montessori" school only to be disappointed...after I heard their stories I saw the difference!!

I don't know the one on Waters, so hopefully another mom will respond on that one. Have you taken a tour of it yet? Is there more than one Montessori in Tampa...visit them all to see how each is ran.

Good luck!!!

Hi,

I have 5 year old b/g twins (just turned 5 Tuesday) that I have at the Montessori Early Learning school on Hudson for VPK. I really like it a lot and so do they. I chose it because I wanted them to actually learn something this year. They are learning Spanish, German and Sign Language and today they were both singing a song in Spanish! The younger kids also really seem to like it, one of my friends has a 3 year old in the younger classroom who is doing quite well.

Hi F.,

Montessori is a totally different method to traditional teaching, I think like all schools there is the good and the bad. I put my son in his first Montessori school at almost the same age, not because I was adamant I want that type of school but because it was the nicest school I found. He is now almost 5 years old and in his 3rd Montessori school, one closed down and the other was having some staffing issues. Each time I have looked at different school but I have always found the Montessori ones to be the best. At his last school the teacher made us aware they had concerns about my son and long story short he was tested and diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. I truely believe that it would have gone unnoticed for a long time if it wasn't for the great teachers he had. We have had a great experience with the Montessori style of teaching and it works well for my son. I would suggest visiting the schools, talk to the teachers, see them in action, ask to spend a few hours there with your child, talk to parents who have gone there. I have visited Montessori schools that I wouldn't dream of putting my child in, so like everything there is good and bad, it doesn't guarentee its great. I hope I helped. Best of luck.