Lateral entry into the Montessori school
For many children, starting school and the first year of elementary school represent a big change in their everyday life. From the varied, movement-intensive and self-determined preschool time in the kindergarten, there is a change to the common, organized learning in the classroom. There, the child is confronted with new demands and expectations.
How well this transition works depends above all on the teachers and also on the specific type of school. For children who cannot cope with the traditional school form, there is the possibility to change to another school form within the primary school period, which better meets the requirements of the child.
Montessori education gives the children more space and time to adapt than a classical frontal teaching. The mixed-age classes, the child-friendly learning environment, the materials and the free work, in which the students can develop more freely, are the essential cornerstones of Montessori education.
Maria Montessori’s guiding principle “Help me to do it myself” sums up in a simple formula what makes Montessori education and also our Montessori school special: Children want to learn on their own and are willing to learn if you just let them. The children themselves determine the chosen content and pace and are encouraged and motivated by their sense of achievement. Learning to enjoy learning and fostering students’ strengths while working together to address their weaknesses is at the heart of our school’s work with your child.
If this is the right path for you and your child, your child can flexibly transfer to our school at any time up to the third grade (provided there are free places). Your child will get to know us and our school during a visit lasting several days. During this time we will get a picture of your child. Together with you, we will then discuss the possible further path together.
What parents say after the change
Petter family
“Our son came to the Erle group in the middle of the last school year as a career changer. Within just one (!) day, a child who hates school turned into a child who loves school and looks forward to class every single day. The teachers are very motivated and this is also reflected in their interaction with the children. Continuing questions of the children are taken up and integrated into the lessons and uncertainties are addressed with a lot of sensitivity and respect. Our son has quickly found his way around the Montessori routine and has learned an incredible amount even in this short time. Since this school year, our daughter attends the Montessori school (2nd grade) and with her, too, we are very happy to have made this decision.”
Voth family
“Our son transferred to Monti for 3rd grade. In his old elementary school there were always problems. He always wanted to try things out for himself and be independent. At Monti, he then had this opportunity. “Help me do it myself” was exactly what motivated him. He totally blossomed and had fun learning and in school again. “Picking up children where they are” is not just said here because everyone says it! But here it is also done. We were just thrilled at Monti and more than 100% satisfied!”
Horbach family
The first school year at the regular school went well on the outside, although one could increasingly observe a change in his nature. The childlike joy was increasingly lost, unwillingness came through more and more, he answered questions evasively. It was not until the end of the first school year that it came to light by chance that Lars was far, far behind the class average, but this was not communicated by the school. Four weeks after the start of the second school year, we were assured in a parent meeting that Lars was now learning from “Montessori books” and was doing much better with them than the standard teaching material. In retrospect, this statement was nonsense, because “Montessori books” do not exist. Shortly before the end of the first semester of the second grade, it was suggested to us that Lars should repeat the school year because of his “poor results”. With this the decision was made for us to take Lars out of this school.
At the Montessori School in Wiesbaden, it was possible without any problems to get two days of trial lessons for Lars at short notice. It was a strange feeling to drop your child off at a completely foreign school in the morning, far away from his familiar surroundings and friends. Even more exciting, however, was waiting in front of the school in the afternoon until a beaming child came out of the door at fifteen o’clock. Original sound Lars: “Dad, this is soo great here! Can I stay here? I don’t want to go back to the old school! Please!”
And the race to catch up began. After all, the deficits left behind by one and a half years of public elementary school had to be made up. It wasn’t always easy, and yes, there were arguments when something had to be worked on outside of school hours. But that deep unhappiness that we had noticed in him in his first year of school never happened again in the entire time at Monti.
Lars wanted to learn again, thanks to the motivating teachers and materials at the Monti School. He benefited enormously at the secondary school from the newly awakened curiosity and learning independence he acquired there.
We have decided to send Lars to an integrated comprehensive school. This means that all doors are open to him for his further school career, without exposing him to the increased pressure of grammar school.
Lars does all his homework on his own, except for the occasional question, and organizes his school day completely independently, as he learned at the Monti. He is now in his second year at the secondary school and is one of the top three students in his class with a grade point average of 1.3.