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From: bobgian@psuvax.UUCP (Bob Giansiracusa)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Nursery School: a Montessori Experience
Message-ID: <421@psuvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 21-Jan-84 17:55:32 EST
Article-I.D.: psuvax.421
Posted: Sat Jan 21 17:55:32 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Jan-84 02:34:07 EST
Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ.
Lines: 55

To those who have kids, who care about kids, and especially those whose
kids go to Children's House (a Montessori school in State Col, PA):

We sent our son Herschel there for about two weeks.  One thing that always
bothered me is that I got the impression (from their literature) that they
do not like parents around.  Now I think I know why.

Herschel (like many 2.5 year olds who has never been with a babysitter)
cried when we left him there.  We assumed this was normal and would pass.

Problem is: he did NOT cry the first day!  He was anxious to run in and
play with the other kids.  He cried on the SECOND day.  Dorothy and I
stayed at the school so we could comfort him if needed, and he (somewhat
reluctantly) went in.  Dorothy continued to stay at the school all the
first week.  The school DOES NOT LIKE PARENTS IN THE CLASSROOMS, and
Dorothy waited (hidden from the kids) in the kitchen.

After about a week, the teachers seemed to forget that Dorothy was there.
At one point she heard Herschel's teacher shouting at him in a very
nasty tone.  Turns out that when they don't think you're watching, they
cease the "nicey-nice" act they put on at first.  We discovered that they
FORBID children (at least in the youngest group) to play actively with
each other, forcing them instead to sit in rows quietly.  They discourage
the kids from even TALKING!!

Herschel became OBVIOUSLY very upset.  He regressed in potty training
and his language became very halting and stammer-like.  At one point
(at home) he was trying to communicate something about people not being
nice to him.  He told us that the teachers at his Gym school (Nittany
Gymnastics) were always nice to him, but his teacher at Nursery school
sometimes was NOT nice to him.  When he was finally able to articulate
this, he became VISIBLY relieved.  Dorothy repeated it and asked if that
was why he had been crying.  He said, as plain as day, "Yes, THAT's what
was bothering me!!"

We immediately removed him from the school.  Some people might think
"Oh, they're just kids, what do they know about the world.  Whatever
is bothering them will pass."  WE, however, happen to trust our son
and always try to respect what he tells us.  He has NEVER "taken
advantage" of us.

Maybe our experience was unique, but the next nursery school we check
out HAD BETTER ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO VISIT AT ANY TIME AND SHARE IN THE
CHILDREN'S EXPERIENCES.

As the saying goes, if you don't do anything wrong, you'll have nothing
to hide ....

	-- Bob
-- 
Bob Giansiracusa (Dept of Computer Science, Penn State Univ, 814-865-9507)
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