UCB Parents School Recommendations
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Changing from Montessori preschool
My son attended Montessori Family School for two years and then
entered
kindergarten at Cragmont School. At first he complained that there wasn't
enough choice, but his kindergarten teacher had a "choice time" once a
day so
he soon got used to it. His first grade teacher also has "choice time" once
a day, so maybe that concept has made its way into Berkeley public
schools. Fran (2/00)
From: Fran (11/98)
My son was in the same situation for this fall. He has done quite well
switching to his public school. I think his circle experience has given
him more self control then he would have had otherwise. The experience
of learning new concepts (reading, writing) along with 7 or 8 other
kindergarteners has probably made his language skills advancement more
rapid than if he had been doing language works by himself. (This was his
teacher's observation.)
The thing our son had the hardest time getting used to was lack of
choices in the public school classroom. Fortunately, his teacher has had
some Montessori experience and offers "choice time" at the end of each
day.
Of course there are the obvious big differences that are probably common
when you compare private to public schools.
You also asked about after-school programs. My son is at JCC, which has
vans to take kids to and from Albany schools. I've found the kids there
to be quite comparable to the kids at his Montessori school. The staff
has a similar philosophy about discipline, too. My son likes the program
a lot.
We also considered keeping our daughter in Montessori for the
kindergarden year, but didn't. All of her age peers were moving and we
thought it would be too hard on her to be the oldest by so far than the
other kids. We also got into our first choice school. I think it helps
that she was making the transition to elementary school with a group of
other children all making
it at the same time. By first grade, I thought it might be harder to be a
new kid with a bunch of other kids who are already used to elementary
school.
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should not be taken as a position of or endorsement by the
University of California, Berkeley.