As a prospective parent and as part of my AMI Assistant training, I’ve observed eight Montessori schools that were AMI-accredited or had AMI-trained guides in Singapore, London and Taipei. The Montessori name isn’t trademarked or copyrighted, so anyone can use it. Sadly, I’ve also observed my fair share of schools everywhere that were Montessori in name but were very far from Montessori in practice. I am frequently asked by Singapore readers which schools are truly Montessori, so let me share two things in this post:
- features of an authentic Montessori school
- some authentic Montessori schools in Singapore, along with questions you could ask to help you make an informed decision — it is after all one of the most important decisions you will be making for your child!
If you’re short on time, just read Criteria 1 & 2. They are what I consider dealbreakers: if a Montessori school doesn’t have either, I look elsewhere (if budget, time and distance permit). For more criteria for selecting schools, read my entire post.
All images courtesy of Les Oliviers – French Montessori
1. Uninterrupted work cycle
The work cycle refers to the duration of time the child is in the Montessori classroom. It cannot be interrupted. It is typically 1.5- 2hours for Infant/ Toddler Community (1.5-3yo) and 2.5- 3hours for Casa (3-6yo). The work cycle must not be broken up into shorter lesson slots for English, Chinese, Math. Nor should children be given enrichment, pulled out from the classroom or interrupted in any way during the work cycle.
The reason for protecting the work cycle and minimising interruptions is so that children have time to choose work, and concentrate for as long as they want. A child may lightly explore a few works before settling on his “big work” for the day. This “big work” is complex, challenging and advances his learning. However, if the child knows that he will have to stop his work say in thirty minutes, he is less likely to get into big work, and more likely to cruise along doing relatively easy work while waiting for the next lesson. It is completely fine for some schools to tack on outdoor time or sports/ music enrichments after the work cycle, but it should not happen during.
2. Has AMI-trained or equivalent guides
AMI training is rigorous. During AMI training, guides spend countless hours honing their observation skills. Make no mistake, observation is probably just as if not more important than knowing how to present the Montessori materials. Observation is the basis upon which the trained Montessori guide can truly follow the child, delivering a holistic, child-led education instead of simply presenting the Montessori materials one by one and checking them off a checklist.
This isn’t to say that other training is inferior, as I have seen many non-AMI trained or locally-trained guides who have excellent personal qualities, such as knowing how to provide the right amount of assistance and rapport. Rather, it’s just that I have noticed a marked difference in the way AMI-trained guides are able to make impartial observations of the children, act on them, and refine their observations to support learning in the classroom. As a result, the children in a true Montessori classroom are peaceable, respectful and self-directed, receiving the support and care that they need, but no more and no less. (If the lead teacher is not trained yet, the school should make firm plans for him or her to attend training in the near future.)
In a bilingual Montessori environment, the second-language teacher would speak entirely in that language, and be in the classroom for the entirety of the work cycle. This association of the language with the person, and the repeated daily exposure will help children pick up language quickly.
3. Full complement of Montessori materials. Materials do not have to be brand new, but in good condition with no missing pieces. Some materials are deliberately chosen to be representative of objects children may find in their culture. For example, bowls from Chinatown may be used for transferring work in practical life trays, or cleaning tools may look like the ones in your neighbourhood shops rather than those sold on international websites.
Points 4-6 refer to the prepared environment – keep these in mind when you tour schools.
4. Classroom is spacious, airy, has natural light. Do you know that the ideal ratio in a Montessori classroom is 2 teachers to 35 students? The idea is that the teachers are less able to interfere and the children learn to work independently or seek help when needed. That being said, if a classroom is tight or narrow, it should not be trying to cram in more and more students! Students need space: space to move around, to work on the floor or at tables.
5. Classroom has art, plants and pets placed at children’s eye level. Children flourish in a prepared environment where things are the right size for them to handle, surrounded by beauty and life, for these nourish the soul. Montessori is holistic education: it is more than filling a child’s mind with facts, but feeding and celebrating the highest parts of the child that make him human, like an appreciation for nature and music and art.
6. Classroom has a toilet and snack station that children may independently access. The toilet and snack station should be within the classroom so the child can go when he wants. The child should not be made to line up at a designated time for “toilet break” or “recess” in the middle of the work cycle. If the child has food allergies, an exception can be made for him to bring his own snacks to school, but he should also be free to eat it when he wants (and eat the amount that he wants without having to finish all of it), within reason.
7. No homework given. No homework or craft products where every child has to make identical end-products, as this goes against the concept of free choice and assumes every child’s interest is the same.
8. Little to zero screen use. In my child’s AMI-accredited school in London, the assistant guide was a professional musician who shared about the French horn with a small group of children, and played a YouTube clip of how the French horn sounded. Montessori believes that children learn best and retain information longer when working with their hands (something which neuroscience bears out, even for adults), so all the work happens in the classroom, not after, and involves all five senses. Montessori activities like handwashing and tracing in sand trays exist, because these sensitise the fingertips for writing in a way that swiping on a screen cannot.
9. No punishments, rewards, timeouts. Why is a sticker chart called a “behaviour modification”? Because that is all it does, modify behaviour in the short term, but does not actually help children develop their own sense of right and wrong.
I once heard this euphemism for punishment: “sitting in a reflection chair”. A Montessori guide may have a child sit close by until he decides what work he’d like to do, but that is a redirection, whereas sitting in an assigned chair, however nicely-phrased, is effectively a timeout, or punishment by social exclusion. Instead, guides role model grace and courtesy, and facilitate solving of problems with peers and expressing of one’s feelings.
I haven’t seen this in the schools I’ve visited, but some Montessori schools have a peace table with calming items for children to self-regulate. Guides may model how to use this peace corner pretty regularly at first, but what’s more important than the peace corner itself is building a culture of respect for all in the classroom, and connecting the child with a work (not necessarily in the peace corner) that breeds purpose and concentration.
10. Children socialise, but not in the way you’d expect in a traditional classroom.
Is sitting together with your classmates looking at a chart really socialising? Children need to develop their motor and language skills before they are able to hold a conversation. Children work individually and then in pairs or small groups. The Montessori classroom is mixed-age, much like society: we are not all the same age, but younger ones learn from the older ones, older ones lead the younger ones, and often vice versa. Socialisation happens in Montessori classrooms throughout the day, in between work or at the snack station or outdoors. It’s just not mandated or forced.
Authentic Montessori schools in Singapore that meet the first two criteria
(updated Nov 2020)
I urge you to conduct your own research and to visit your shortlisted schools where possible, and am including a crowdsourced list of well-loved Montessori schools that I intend to keep updating:
Les Oliviers French Montessori (English/ French bilingual centre with Chinese classes offered after the work cycle)
Questions to ask when looking for Montessori schools
- Do you have an uninterrupted work cycle?
- Is the lead teacher AMI-trained or have plans to be trained?
- Can my child independently access the toilet and snack during the work cycle?
- How would you react if a child misbehaves? (You shouldn’t be hearing things like “timeout”)
- What are your homework and screen policies?
(If you are a school owner who would like your school’s name to be removed or added, please contact me. The accuracy of the information I publish is important to me so please bear with me if I ask a few questions about work cycle and teacher training. Thank you!)