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By Beth McClurkin Camp

In early May I called the public school which my 3 ½ and 5 year old will attend and asked to visit a first grade classroom. I decided to visit at the end of this year, rather than next, (since my son will attend Montessori for his kindergarten year), to see the best learning of their school year. The secretary informed me that there are only weekly tours for new parents. Instead, I insisted on an opportunity to visit a first grade classroom for a short time. She said that usually visitors are not allowed in the classrooms, but she would ask the principal to return my call. He did, and we scheduled a visit for Monday morning for myself, my husband, and my mother.

The school we are assigned is ten minutes away, even though there is a brand new public elementary school less than five minutes from our house. The grounds were well-kept and the building, about five years old, was very well kept. The principal took us into his office for a time of questions.

We had a friendly exchange of ideas and revealed to him that our sons are in a Montessori school now and that we are looking for a school to fit their needs. Some of the ideas he expressed to us were:

•  He doesn't know a great deal about Montessori education, but there are Montessori children who attend the school.

•  Each classroom has about 24 children with one teacher and, sometimes, a volunteer parent aide.

•  Even though children may be reading when they come into first grade, they may not comprehend the written information.

•  First grade children mainly use single digit computations in first grade, although there is some individualization and challenge for advanced children. (Our five-year old is multiplying four digit numbers now.)

•  Children are tested for “giftedness” during the second grade, but only those in the 98% in all areas may enter the program, which is one and a half hours per week for older elementary children. This school district has many children in the 95% who are not in gifted programs.

•  Every fifteen minutes the teachers change activities because of the children's short attention span. (I expressed my concern about my son's need to complete his work well. The principal said that the children are allowed to finish their work but at a later time.)

As we walked down the hall to the classroom, we could see a wonderful gymnasium, a cafeteria, and a computer room.

In the classroom that day were 24 children sitting in groups of sixes at tables. The children were all well-dressed and appeared very bright and attentive. One teacher and three parent aides were helping the children sort quarters, nickels and dimes that they had brought from home into certain quantities. The teacher used the question method to avoid classroom problems: “What will happen if we leave out the coins during our reading time?” she asked. A compliant child replied, “We'll make noise.” She said he was correct, and the children put away their cups of coins. The three aides checked the children's written work, and were told to give the children another star if they had written a cent's sign correctly.

Within five minutes of our arrival, the teacher had used the following methods of getting the children's attention:

•  “Are you with me?” this was asked of specific children three times.

•  Loud rhythmic claps of the hands that the children were to repeat.

•  Counting to three.

As we looked around the room, hundreds of books were available but piled on a large table. Numerous word charts were hung on the walls with no empty, “quiet” space. There were no classic art prints or interesting items to view. With so many tables, there was no room for activity corners. One space at the back was to be used for a small reading group.

The class then broke up into four groups. Two of the groups were to copy phonograms from the blackboard (post, most, boast, coast). The third group went into the hall to work on a sea collage. The reading group, the fourth group, consisting of seven children and the teacher, sat together on the floor, each with their own book. The book was a riddle book comprised of words with double meaning or puns. Only four children answered the teacher's questions about the meaning of the riddles. When the children read in unison, one girl mouthed the words but did not seem to be reading.

After only a short time in the classroom, we were discouraged. Our hope was that the highly regarded public school system in our city would be an ideal next step in our sons' education. We had wanted our children to attend school with their neighborhood friends, but not at the expense of their learning development.

What kind of written response could I give, charitably, to the principal on his evaluation sheet? After a struggle, I wrote “very structured environment.”

We decided to stop again and to ask a few more questions of the principal. We expressed our displeasure with the stars (positive reinforcement) and the clapping of hands, etc. (negative reinforcement) and that we wish for our children to be motivated to learn from within. The principal replied that that is fine for some children. But most children, he felt, must be motivated by rewards and punishments. We asked if all of the first grades are so structured as the one we visited, and he said they are all about the same.

The magnitude of the emotional devastation upon children cannot even be comprehended. How will the child feel at the end of the day, and the year, after:

•  Sitting passively, waiting for others to catch up, hour after hour?

•  Depending on the numerous aides to correct his work at every step?

•  Relying on the aides and teacher for positive reinforcement on the work you have done?

•  Being unable to complete a work as well as you would like, due to lack of time?

Returning to my son's Montessori school that afternoon, I stepped into the friendly, happy classroom. Some children were laughing and talking. Others were concentrating on their beautiful work, spread out on the floor. Montessori children truly love to learn and are inwardly motivated to their full potential!