Tom Sixkiller wrote:

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
m...

"Tom Sixkiller" wrote in message
...

2) Dig out all you can about the Montessori method

So you can know why you want to avoid it.

And why is that?

Many Montessori schools only go up to 6th grade (some 3rd) and the students
often have a tough time transitioning to a more structured environment. Some
Montessori schools are more involved with making sure the parents (the ones who
pay the rather steep tuition) happy than making sure the children progress.
Some children do very well with the Montessori method and others do very
poorly.






5) Find some good works about abstract thinking and concept formation
(note: this teaches children to make associations, rather then just
perform memorization)

Also note that the ability to think abstractly is a developmental stage
that
typcially happens rather late.

Kids are good at forming concepts from the time they're about two or three.
So how do _you_ determine when they're ready?

Read Piaget, although his sample size was totally inadequate his theories have
played true for years.



Trying to cram abstract thinking into kids
who aren't developmentally ready for it isn't any better than rote
learning.

If they're ready for learning (other than potty training and the like) they
can start with easy concepts.

Not higher order, abstract concepts! Keep it concrete and real for kids under
about 12.

Margy