snowy

That Second Step program looks interesting. Many of the topics they cover in the preschool/kindergarten section are topics I myself have had to cover in my work with kids. Looking at the list, they cover a lot of things that most grown-ups would never think their child would need to learn, yet do. For instance, teaching a child how to calm themselves in an upsetting situation--it is essential that a child have that in their "toolbox", but unless someone teaches them how to do it, they're never going to know how. As adults, we don't realize that someone taught us these things at one point in our lives. Emotional development is a collaborative cognitive process, and I'm glad to see programs like Second Step out there, giving kids the tools they need to become fully emotionally aware--and empathetic at the same time.

I'm a big fan of Montessori and her methods, and I use many of them in my work with children. I love the idea of the teacher as guide, and love that the classroom is truly seen as a collaborative learning environment. Montessori does not patronize children; rather, it allows them to figure out for themselves all that they are capable of, with or without adult interference. In my experience, children who come out of Montessori environments are more creative and more independent. The downside of Montessori is that some children have a hard time leaving a Montessori program for a public school--the transition can be very difficult for some children, because public school is so dramatically different. I say some children because I have seen others make the transition swimmingly--so it really is an individual thing.

It should be noted that many publicly funded charter schools have opened up that use the Montessori method. I fully support this. I think it is much more in tune with what we know about child development than our current system, which is outmoded.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau