Personally, I don't like Montessori and don't think it's better. I prefer a traditional school setting.

These are some qualities of Montessori that I like a lot better than a traditional school:

The teacher sets up work around the room, She introduces each manipulative and gives a lesson to a few kids at a time on how to use it.  After the kid recieves the lesson, the kid may choose to do that work.  The child will have a contract with a space for each lesson they need to master or work on that week, and as the child completes and masters each skill the teacher marks it off,evaluates and gives feedback.  The student can work at an activity for as long or little time as he or she needs.

The lessons are the same rigor as a traditional school, but because Montessori classes have three different ages, ideally, the child can work at their own pace AND on their own level.

In addition, the kids read and write and can do written math just like kids in other school settings, it's mostly the approach that is different. 

The levels are 3-6 year olds are in one classroom, 6-9 and 9-12.  Younger kids learn a lot from older kids, AND they help the younger ones as they get older.

The kids are free to move about the room, they can do their work on the floor or at tables. Emphasis is also put on taking the kids out and giving them many hands on and real world experiences.  MANY field trips are scheduled at my childrens' school.

I don't really subscribe to the thinking that anything is really "better" than something else for all people.  I think Montessori is better for some kids, but not for others.  It is a different way to educating that most people are used to but that doesn't make it better/worse than another method.  I kind of like the Montessori method for my middle child b/c I can see him possibly not responding as well to traditional schooling, but my oldest probably wouldn't respond as well to Montessori.  I'll have to re-evaluate as he gets closer to school age.

It isn't necessarily better. It is a different perspective and approach to education and isn't for everyone. Some children thrive in Montessori, others don't.

While I am not a huge fan of Wikipedia, this is a pretty readable explanation.

Incurable is a DARE!

Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks

"Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship" Papa - The Shack by William P. Young

My kids are as different as chalk and cheese. 

DD is a "typical" first grader, DS is a dually exceptional (gifted + Tourette syndrome, ADD, OCD) 9th grader.  DS started in a Montessori preprimary at age 2.5, then went on to one of the CPS Montessori magnet schools.  He did (and continues to do) great...the ability it gave him to move thru material at his pace was probably his saving grace in elementary school (from the giftedness standpoint).  The fact that he had the same teacher for three years in a row probably was his saving grace in terms of the TS.  (And he had fantastic teachers...a shout out to Dater Montessori.)  He's an honor student at Walnut now.  The projects, emphasis on being accountable to self for his work contracts really helped prepare him well for high school.

DD has been in Montessori since age 3....again, the continuity of being in the same room/same teacher for 3-4-K was terrific.  While her needs are very different from her brother's, the Montessori environment is very plastic---it can easily mold to what the child needs...a defining quality in it is to follow the child. 

I also like the emphasis on the kids as a community, shared work/"everyday living" skills. 

Its not better but it can be a better fit for an individual child. I KNOW mine will do better in a hands on setting like that. If I can get that included with my tax money, I will! If my daughter was more of a traditional type learner, we'd go that route

"That's what she said."

Ron Paul 2012

As an early childhood educator, i find that different elements of both Montessori and a traditional setting are beneficial.  I feel that Montessori allows children to develop an independence in not only their learning, but everyday skills they encounter in their everyday life.  They are responsible for selecting/cleaning up their own work, make choices based more on their interests, and even snack is something they choose and serve themself in some settings( just a few examples.)  I have also found that in Montessori classrooms, there seem to be lower teacher-student ratio which is always a plus!!  Where as in a more traditional setting, it seems that students must participate in all activitites, follow a more rigid schedule, etc. which also have their benefits.  It would be nice to find a good mix of both- I want my daughter to have more freedom and creativity found in Montessori, but I also want her to be able to follow a more traditional routine for when she enters public school.  Unfortunately, the only Montessori based schools in our area are private.  Most important thing to keep in mind is what will work for your child and help foster a positive learning experience for them!!

Hi, I will add my 2 cents as a mom of four boys.  The first three went through Montessori I, II and III ( 3 yrs  to 5 yrs), then into a traditional first grade.  It was an amazing, loving and safe/stable environment for them all, as they had 3 years in the same room, same group of teachers,  same children.  As they progressed through the materials and into advanced concepts (adding and subtracting in the thousands), they also became "leaders" in the classroom and took charge of my tasks and roles.  It really grew their confidence.   Now my boys are in Grade 8, 6 and 3 and are still way ahead of their non-Montessori friends in their classroom.  Could be genetic, but the early mathematic hands-on materials developed by Maria Montessori really make a different in deeply understanding 3 dimensional shapes, place value etc.   As a working mother, I appreciated the continuity of the staff and classroom.  There was easy start up and end of the year (except that last year, when there is always a lot of tears).  We love CCDS Montessori program.  It is one of the oldest official Montessori classrooms in the city.   My youngest (now 2 yrs) will go there next year.  I just need to find a 3rd job (ha ha).

no educational concept is "better".  You need to know what works best for your child - THAT is the better choice.

My oldest did ok in a traditional school setting.  He needed "pushing".  He would have done better with a little less distraction.  He's a visual learner.

My youngest didn't fit into traditional.  We went through several school settings, and none were the best fit.  He's a kinestetic learner.

When facts are few, experts are many 

I agree that there is no one "best" approach for educating all children.  It is a matter of finding the best match for a given child at a given point in time.  And it is also a matter of how well the teacher manages the classroom, what types of relationships the teacher forms with students and their families, and what type of climate is established in the school.  In general, Montessori tends to be a pretty effective approach for many children, but it does require a fair amount of parental involvement during the primary school years.  I have known of families for whom this dynamic has actually set up more stress and fueled more power struggles than were really healthy for either parent or child.  I also have seen some kids absolutely flourish in Montessori environments,

It would be sooo cool if there really was one best approach to education.