I think the only thing that defines a Montessori is that they follow Maria Montessori's philosophy. They generally have similar educational toys but its the philosophy they share. Have a look around the internet about Maria Montessori and see what you think, if the philosophy rings true to you, you may want to get her into a Montessori playgroup or a Centre. Most Montessori's start at age 3, but you will find the rare one that is before. I know there is a centre in Brisbane that has a nursery and goes up... so they are out there. For the younger ones, they don't often do "Montessori time" because the philosophy is really geared for over 3's.
Goodluck deciding! I had to work and did not have family around, I put my DD into family day care until she was 3 because I preferred the home environment for her.
+1 for home environment here. Until 2. I wouldn't be too worried about understimulation if she's in a one-on-one situation - most of their learning before 2 is focused around relationships anyway.
Ok, could be opening a can of worms here, but this is just my own opinion.
Montessori as I know it over here is very much focussed on learning at their own pace - which I'm all for - but other aspects of the classroom environment are also at their own pace. For example, when it's snack time, if the child is too engrossed in their 'job' (each task/skill/activity is defined as a 'job'), then they are given the option to either join the rest of the class for snack time, or they can continue on. These are the parts that I don't entirely agree with, well maybe that is too harsh, but it's those kind of things that Jess would have worked out in a nanosecond. She would be thinking, 'ok, i'm too busy doing this job, I'm not doing snack' & then I just felt it would spiral from there - I'm too busy playing with my toys, I'm not going to brush my teeth until I'm ready, I'm too busy playing with the cat, I'll come to the dinner table when I'm ready, etc.. etc...
I have a very dear friend of mine who has one child in the Montessori school & another one who will start next year right around her 3rd birthday. Her children are thriving at the school, but she will comment on the same things, like her little man didn't feel comfortable when it was music time, so he would go & eat his snack during music time for the first few months of him being there, but now he does join in music time - which is fantastic he feels comfortable to now join in, but it brings me back to my opinion of giving the child the option. I know that we are all faced with options & decisions every single day of our lives, but I just felt that this environment of schooling gave the children too many options. There are times that children MUST conform to certain directions, due to safety, health, respect etc... Does this make sense?
Well anyway, the personality my eldest child has, she needs to be told to sit down on the mat because we are having snack time now rather than asked to do it because she is such a strong & dominating personality. She needs to realise that she is the student & the teacher is the boss, rather than how she would like it - being that she would LOVE to be the boss! I'm not saying she is a monster, but she works a whole lot better when there are boundaries & limits & consequences to her actions.
I would have dearly loved to send my children to the Montessori as I love the way they teach them their skills with objects found around the home. But in the end, we made a decision based on our child & she is in a private school where she is doing brilliantly.
So there is my response in a nutshell, like I said, that's just my own personal opinion, I think Montessori is a fantastic method of teaching - it's definitely NOT that I"m against it, far from it actually, but I just didn't feel it would work for my little girl.
mmmm and that I think where the differences lie, between the different way of doing things. Definately at Matilda's Montessori, they would say "Its snack time now" and the children would all line up to eat outside. It wasn't given as a choice to them, which is how I think they got them all to eat. Matilda went to another day care kinder for 2 weeks and she didn't eat or toilet the entire time she was there because it was her choice.... I'm pretty sure its the environment they are at.
Matilda would be at the Montessori here, but unfortunately the receptionist was so rude I couldn't be bothered. I wrote them a note telling them so as well.
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I'm not saying she is a monster, but she works a whole lot better when there are boundaries & limits & consequences to her actions.
I'm pretty sure its the environment they are at. 
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