[blparent] Montessori education

[Bernadetta]

Rebecca,
Good questions. Yes, we've become familiar with some other learning 
methods, but the Montessori method has stood out for us for several 
reasons. We're fans of independence through learning, which is one of 
the key points of the system. We like the fact that the kids don't just 
sit at a desk and absorb a bunch of meaningless material from a teacher 
standing at a projector or a blackboard; The kids don't get information 
thrown their way and they aren't expected to regurgitate it perfectly 
for a letter grade. Our kid is very inquisitive and seems to be a 
kinesthetic learner. That's one of the reasons we think a
Montessori school would be a good fit for him. Besides that, we as his 
parents weren't satisfied  with the type of education we were forced 
into; our parents didn't have the resources or the means to be able to 
send either of us to an alternative school, so we figure we should give 
our kid that chance since we can.
You're right that some kids couldn't thrive in a Montessori setting; 
All that I've learned about the system allows me to conclude that some 
kids wouldn't know what to do with themselves in that type of 
environment. Some of that is due to their lack of ability to 
concentrate for example, and some of it is due to the environment they 
grow up in. In order for a child to succeed in a Montessori school, or 
any other school for that matter, the environment at home has to be 
similar or supporting of the one at the school.The learning methods 
have to be reenforced.
It's sometimes hard to predict whether a kid will thrive in a 
particular environment when he's just a baby, but certain pointers and 
observations can give us, as adults, an idea of what might work. Some 
might argue that it's best to wait and see how the child develops and 
to start their formal education at an age when they can better 
comprehend why they're  there. I think that the education of a child 
begins on day one, and a child is a child for a reason. They're not any 
more ready to go to school at age four then they are at eighteen 
months, for instance, if the parents don't prepare them at home. 
Because a child is an explorer by nature, rigid  education is never the 
answer. Children should learn from experience, not from theories taken 
out of context from a textbook.
That's why we think Montessori would be a great option for our son.
I thought I'd take the time to explain that, because I understand that 
some people might push for an alternative education because of it's 
fancy name or because it seems to be the rout taken by posh, rich 
people, etc. Some parents want to keep up with the latest trend. I'm 
actually researching what might be a good fit and regardless of the 
demographic of the rest of the students at any given school, a parent 
should decide on the best education for their kid based on how the 
child behaves and learns, rather then who his friends might be in the future.

Bridgit and Bran,
Thanks for yoru insite on the topic as wel.

Bernadetta