The Montessori mystique

Montessori education is 100 years old this year, a cause for celebration especially here in Cincinnati, which is a hotbed for the approach and home to strong Montessori schools and professional training.

If neither you nor your child attended a Montessori school -- sewing buttons onto felt squares or building literacy skills by tracing sand-paper letters -- then the word conjures up mystery or perhaps confusion.

And even if you or your child did attend Montessori school, there still may be some confusion on how and why the philosophy and painstakingly particular educational approach works.

But does it work? We'd like to hear from you Montessorians out there. What impact did Montessori education have on your life or the lives of your children? Did it instill certain work habits, particular thinking skills or even a Montessori way of looking at the world?

Please send your comments to kramsey@enquirer.com, and feel free to blog about it as well. Thanks!