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Originally posted by Oliver_Wendell_Ramone
Anybody have any thoughts/experiences re Montessori education? I think a lot of the philosophy makes sense, especially in the 3-6 year old range. I am also impressed by the teachers I've met; very into what they do, and with regard to the younger kids, way beyond a typical preschool teacher. On the other hand, I'm not sure my 3-year old needs to be in school every day (with mom currently in stay-at-home mode). And the whole thing can seem a bit new-agey and cult-like (e.g., "the cosmic child" and the constant and reverential references to Dr. Montesorri).
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Montessori is great for really young kids who are too young for directed or group play and learning --- in other words, too young for anything else. Like a three year old, for instance.
The benefit turns to a detriment at about five or six, IMHO. I'm pretty close to a couple of elementary and middle school teachers, and they say kids who are kept in a "pure" Montessori learning environment too long are unable to sit still and focus on what a group is supposed to be doing. They're accustomed to wandering off and finding something that interests them, and the transition to a traditional classroom is sometimes rough and long. Maybe it's partly a video game culture to blame, but lots of kids in unstructured learning environments start to feel that learning is always about fascination and self-entertainment. FWIW, Montessori educated kids also tend to have parents who think that learning is not about objectively measurable success, so cause and effect might be mixed up here.
A daily school enviroment is great for lots of three-year-olds --- they look forward to it, and can learn to love school.
