Reply to Montessori - expensive and high student:teacher ratios

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The higher ratios in a montessori classroom is very intentional to encourage teachers to be a "guide on the side" rather than a "sage on the stage"
For most of the "work period" the teachers are giving kids individual or small group lessons, and then the kids are working on the material by themselves or with one or two classmates.  The older kids are modeling and showing the younger kids what to do.  
That inter-age modeling and independence are really foundational concepts of Montessori, and if you'd like more direct instruction and more hand-holding form the teacher, you probably won't be happy with Montessori.

As for the creativity that always comes up.... sigh.  Montessori classrooms are generally highly creative places, but they don't encourage "pretend play"  So instead of having a pretend kitchen to pretend to make bread, the kids will actually make bread and prepare snack.  Instead of cookie-cutter holiday projects, the kids have near-constant access to quality art materials.  
Instead of being forced into circle time to sing the ABCs (thanks PP ;-) they are invited to sing along with the teacher or listen to quality music or hear a story if they want.[/quote]

On the pretending thing, that is what I remember too. They were doing pretend play, but with real things. They had tea parties, but they actually made and served tea in china cups. They played house, but they were actually doing the chores while pretending to be the mom, the dad, etc. And they played "teacher" all the time. They pretended to be a rock band and actually wrote the songs; they pretended to travel the world with the international materials. And so on and so on.

Anyway, my kids are in high school now and do not lack for creativity or emotional intelligence or any kind of intelligence. So what ever you were told to be afraid of with Montessori, feel free to ignore the opposition marketing.[/quote]

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