[quote=AN]
I disagree with CAR that only self motivated / self-directed kids will take full advantage of the montessori program. When you walk into any of the four preschool classes at my kid’s school, you’ll see ALL of the kids are busy working on something. Some work alone while some work in pairs. I’m pretty sure not all of those kids are self motivated. Yet, they all seem busy learning/working. I think peer pressure is a great thing. When you see all of your friends/classmates working, you’ll want to do the same. Also, having older kids teaching the younger ones how to do some of the work is very helpful. My kid loves to work with older kids on stuff that he doesn’t really know how to do. But he wants to learn from his older classmates. It’s like have 30 teachers instead of just 3.[/quote]
I didn’t say that *only* self-motivated kids do well. I said that, in general, they do exceedingly well — they often do *better* in a Montessori/self-guided environment vs. a traditional environment. Some kids honestly don’t do as well in a Montessori environment because they need more structure and a heavier hand to guide them. This is just my opinion based on discussions with parents, older kids, and adults (including other teachers) who have been through Montessori and traditional schools.
As you know, I’m an ardent supporter of homeschooling and more child-centered teaching/learning methods, but acknowledge that it’s not for everyone. I can see the difference with my own three kids. Two do very, very well with more “independent” study, while the other one would probably do just as well (if not better) in a more traditional environment. Everyone is different, and there is no “right way” to teach or learn, IMHO.
