Do you use the Montessori method when homeschooling your oldest?
Excellent question
I do. It's about child based learning so I take something he's interested in and I build in our lessons around that topic. For example, his Aspie obsession is programming and video games. So we're doing a unit on the history of Nintendo. Since we're studying Nintendo, I incorporate Japan, throw in some language lessons thanks to a Japanese friend of mine and we've got a field trip planned to Little Japan downtown. Since we're going downtown, he has to plan the route of how we get there, the cost of public transportation, figuring out subway/bus routes. We'll have lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant etc. So really when you take one idea/topic, there is so much that you can build around it to fill it out and cover the things he needs to learn. I try to make everything as concrete and tangible as I can because it makes it easier for him to remember what he's learning. A lot of times, it doesn't even appear that we're "teaching" but he learning so much and actually retaining it.
Since I do use Montessori, it also means teaching care of self, care of envirornment that you live in , and care of community. It's very grass roots, hands on. I find it works well.
