Half Moon Montessori... do they make an effort?

[Sanne Panne]

Holy Montessori! Picked my 2.5 year old daughter up today and saw the teacher turn the pages of a Charlie and Lola book (?!) while playing the accompanying audio tape (?!). What ever happened to READING a book if you're a school teacher? I'm not a hardcore Montessori follower at all, my choice was more convenience/reference/location movivated - I do like the Montessori idea for the early years to some extent and the 2-3 year olds really don't need to be academically challenged for all I'm concerned but what ever happened to reading a book? Isn't that what kids need at this age? What's the difference with the telly at this point - the teacher turns the pages rather than the telly making the pictures move?

I know I'm being too anal but is this really normal?

Edited to say that we are relatively new so I'm probably judging too early and based on very limited 'evidence'...

[littleEDfamily]

I'd be peeved. I can't see there is any educational foundation for doing it that way. Perhaps you could pose the question to the teacher as to whether there is a particular learning outcome to be derived from that approach as opposed to the conventional one? Be interesting to hear what they say....

At my daughter's nursery they have Peppa Pig on to keep the kids still during pick up and that annoys me.....

[nunheadmum]

Does sounds strange. Was it maybe one of those tapes that have the sound to tell you when to turn the page? Maybe teaching her how to follow that so she can experience 'reading' the book by herself? I've got some of those kind of CD's but my LO still wants mummy or daddy to read the book - would be nice if she could do it herself sometimes, just for variety if nothing else. (And because mummy really doesn't want to read Cinderella / Sleeping beauty / Snow White EVERY day!!!)

[gwod]

I think that this is OK, as long as its not the only way that literacy is delivered. All 4 of my kids have gone to Half moon (one is still there) and I have found that the kids experience books in a whole variety of ways there, (...reading all together, reading in small groups or one to one, acting out stories, making up they stories themselves from the pictures, listening to CDs of the story etc etc.)

Sometimes, when they have a book that is their "project for the week" the kids hear a story lots of times, so it is prob better to have it delivered in different ways.

I think they particulary use the CD's at pick up time as the staff are interupted a little bit a home time by the children leaving ( you know...wanting to hug the teacher, find their stuff, accientally standing on their friends toes as they get off the carpet, "I cant find my coat!" etc etc!) and I suppose it may be better for those kids whose parents havnt come yet to have an ongoing CD story rather than a disjointed one read by the teacher.

But if it is bothering you you should go and have a chat with them, as at these early stages its important that you feel you are getting the education you expected.

[EDmummy]

littleEDfamily Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'd be peeved. I can't see there is any

> educational foundation for doing it that way.

> Perhaps you could pose the question to the teacher

> as to whether there is a particular learning

> outcome to be derived from that approach as

> opposed to the conventional one? Be interesting to

> hear what they say....

>

> At my daughter's nursery they have Peppa Pig on to

> keep the kids still during pick up and that annoys

> me.....

Learning outcome for 2.5yr olds? Perbhaps it was just for variety as other posters say. How about a little fun maybe.

[Sanne Panne]

That makes sense about the leaving disruption gwod. It just felt a little odd to me but I know it's way too soon to judge. And as I said in my original post, I'm not looking for learning outcomes in every single thing they do at all. It just didn't come across as very involved and that does matter to me.

[littleEDfamily]

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask why the teachers chose to deliver a book that way - even if the reason is just for variety. My aunt is a preschool teacher and they regularly use audio CDs so that children can use their imagination to visualise what the story is trying to get across (rather than looking at picture), and I quite like the idea of that, but a CD just replacing the teacher's voice I do think is odd.

With Montessori especially, everything is done for a reason, so I would genuinely be interested in what they had to say. I wasn't suggesting that everything has to be done for a 'learning outcome', but rather suggesting a way the OP might like to pose the question to the teacher.

[BB100]

I'm not a fan of Montessori but I won't start on that one - however audio stories have their place especially if they have a variety of sound-effects. You obviously value the personal contact and variation that a 'live' storyteller offers so it would not be unreasonable for you to ask how often the teacher uses audiotapes.

[Fidgetsmum]

My daughter started there this term, and I think it's great. Audio accompaniment definitely has its place but I've hung out there a bit since the start of term (the odd 10 mins here and there when I've been able to as it's my daughter's first experience of nursery) and I've been really very impressed by the level of personal interaction the teachers (or whatever you're supposed to call them) have with each of the children. They really seem to take care to spend the same amount of time with each child so none lose out. I've seen them reading (with their own voices!), playing, interacting and disciplining and I have to say, I've seen nothing that worries me at all. In my view, audio has it's place and I feel pretty confident that it's absolutely not the norm there. Just my opinion and observations though. I can see why it may have worried you.