Woodinville Montessori School | Woodinville Campus, Woodinville | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

Woodinville Montessori may not be for everyone. Its orderly environment is maintained by restricting the freedom for some kids to learn and explore on their own. When a kid fails to comply due to their age or personality, parents are simply told to take their kid somewhere else with very little regard to what it does to a young child’s mind or heart.

I went to a Montessori inspired school myself. Although I have never been trained or certified as a Montessori teacher, I have years of experience on the receiving end. For me, the Montessori system allowed me to learn independently at my own pace. The freedom to learn was essential for me to establish self-confidence. Because of that, we believe our 3 year old child can benefit from the Montessori system as well.

Our child was accepted to the early childhood program. It’s a mixed-age class with 20 children ranging from 3 to 6 years old. Being one of the youngest children in the class, it would require time for him/her to adjust to the transition. Prior to Woodinville Montessori, he/she has been going to a play-based daycare with kids in the same age group.

The transition was not easy. Our child struggled adapting to the new environment. However, he/she was making progress. During our scheduled one-on-one with the teacher, we talked about his/her struggles and improvements. Everything was appearing to be heading in the right direction. There was no mention of rejecting him/her from the school during this meeting. We even asked the teacher if there is anything concerning that requires special attention. Nevertheless, we received an email from the school 2 weeks after our one on one meeting with the teacher indicating the need to discuss his/her “readiness” to continue attending Woodinville Montessori.

A special meeting was set up as the result of that email. We attended the meeting ready to make necessary adjustments to better prepare our 3 year old for the school. We actually looked forward to receiving recommendations. Instead of providing constructive suggestions, the school basically told us to take our child somewhere else. It was explained to us that the primary reason for the school’s decision was his/her poor ability to follow instructions. During this meeting, the school demonstrated very little understanding of our child and willingness to work with us.

Our kid is not a perfect kid. He/she can be challenging at times. We are certainly not perfect parents either. However, we try our best to understand and to make the best decisions based on this understanding. The expectation from Woodinville Montessori for a 3 year old child to follow directions and stop exploring on their own was not the best for our child. The school’s lack of willingness to work together was also extremely discouraging.

The Montessori method was originally developed to help children with learning disabilities. It was the method for teaching the “unteachable”. It’s based on the understanding of how a child’s mind works. Although an “orderly” environment is a major element in the Montessori method, it should not interfere with the children’s natural tendency to want to explore. Montessori or not, the purpose of education is to help the children. Turning them away when they are struggling simply does not align with this fundamental goal.

We saw the efforts from our child trying to adjust and to be accepted to the new environment. It was heartbreaking when all their effort was simply rejected. In the end, imagine having to explain to your child that they cannot go to the school and see their friends anymore.