Goldstein says Montessori schools also socialize children, but they go beyond the social context to teach academics to the children who want to learn them. "They learn their sounds in preparation for reading, they do counting exercises from one to 10," he says. "This is frowned upon by many nursery schools, but the point of the matter is they're in an environment where they want to do this."

Goldstein emphasizes that children are not pushed to do anything they're not ready to do. Montessori philosophy doesn't pit children against one another in competition. "The benefit is that each child develops his own healthy self-concept," he says. "We always emphasize the positive. So even if he's slow, the child comes to see himself as terrific. And if a child thinks he's terrific, he'll try anything."

Scott Witmer has seen this effect in his daughter, Kendall, now 6 years old. "Kendall was pretty shy when it came to doing new things," Scott says. "But in the third year [the children] seem to explode with confidence and a love of learning. She's showing the other kids how to read and do stuff, and when I drop her off the other kids ask her to show them how to do stuff."

Many experts argue that preschool-aged children are not cognitively able to process such concepts as reading and mathematics, and that pushing academics gives children the wrong idea. "I have heard the concern that kids are given so much leeway that they don't then know how to deal with structure," says Judy Myers-Walls, associate professor of child development and family studies at Purdue University. "Montessori people would argue against that, and there are probably some very good reasons to argue against that."

That's not the only criticism of Montessori's philosophy. She was just as controversial in her day as she is now, and naysayers argue that all the positive reinforcement makes children soft ­ unprepared for the inevitable hard knocks of real life. Goldstein sees it in a different light. "If you develop a healthy self-concept first, it's easier to take those hard knocks when they come," he says.

Kendall Witmer's father says his daughter is very happy learning the Montessori way, and will likely stay in her school for at least three more years. "She seems to want to go to school and loves school everyday," Scott says. "I remember when she first started working with the beads and counting them, she always wanted to show them to me."

To Goldstein, that's what counts. "[Montessori] treats the child with total respect," he says. "They become self-sufficient in personal needs but also in working by themselves without having an adult sit with them all the time."

The Montessori School
"What happens is that Montessori is often confused; people think it's only for the rich or only for geniuses," Goldstein says. "They also think it's Catholic. Some are Catholic, but most are multi-cultural."

While Montessori schools are often private, many are, in fact, public. When examining tuitions, Goldstein emphasizes that costs vary greatly from school to school, as do the ages they will accept. But, says Goldstein, all agree on one pivotal thing. "What we're going for is mastering. When the child learns to master something, you should see the glow on their face. That's what we call the Montessori Joy."

To learn more about Montessori schools and locate one in you area, visit The Montessori Foundation.