Originally Posted by
nativetexan
I tried so hard to get my son in a Montessori school when he was young. Teachers couldn't keep up with him. He asked questions about everything. everything. He still does. but in class rooms of 30+ kids, he didn't do well. lost interest. so home schooling sounds like a good thing. I applaud any parent who can do this for their child.
In America, any school can call themselves a Montessori School. If you want the method developed by Maria Montessori, you need to look for a school accredited by Association Montessori Internationale. (AMI) There is also American Montessori Society (AMS) which is the Montessori method adapted to American Culture. Then there are the schools that say they are Montessori but do whatever they feel like.
The AMI method teaches respect for the child, that the hand teaches the mind, and that learning is child lead. The teachers must have a four year degree in a subject, then go for additional training as Montessori instructors. The children are not given answers to their questions but are led to the answer by the Socratic method, often using manipulatives. One day I dropped in at my child's school and found the upper elementary (grades 4-6) out on the grounds. They told me that they didn't have to study today, they were just going to draw a map of the campus. There they were, with pads of paper and surveying tools becoming mapmakers.