Admission

Admission

The Montessori school admission process typically includes extended observation of the applicant in a classroom setting on school premises.  Although I understand the need for such screening, I struggle with the likelihood that a child with a learning disability who might benefit tremendously from the Montessori system will not display desirable skills during the observation period and hence will not be admitted.  Children who do not readily demonstrate behavioral prerequisites in such a setting may in fact benefit from a Montessori approach even more than the children who do.  Thus, more importance should be attached to the future potential of these children.  Although potential is admittedly a challenging quality to assess, we must acknowledge that denial of admission would probably represent a tremendous opportunity cost for a substantial fraction of children with learning disabilities.

As part of the admission process, please consider observing the child in an environment familiar to them (at their current school, home, etc.), rather than expecting them to demonstrate their abilities in an unfamiliar setting.   Predictability, familiarity and structure are important for many children, but they are truly critical for the students on the ASD spectrum.  If admitted, they’ve been shown to thrive in the “prepared”, stimulating and hands-on Montessori environment.