There are definitely Montessori schools/teachers that basically do nothing, but the idea is:
- create an environment for the child that encourages focused play (everything's in reach, nothing is too loud or flashy, etc.)
- intently observe the child (like, literally take notes), figure out what they're into, and give them more of it
People definitely feel different ways about this, similar to you, but not just about Montessori. Lots of places in the EU have reformatted their educational systems to be less rigid, and the results are pretty good [0]. I admit that if I had a kid unable to read by ~9 years old I'd be concerned, but it looks like generally things still go OK.
- create an environment for the child that encourages focused play (everything's in reach, nothing is too loud or flashy, etc.)
- intently observe the child (like, literally take notes), figure out what they're into, and give them more of it
People definitely feel different ways about this, similar to you, but not just about Montessori. Lots of places in the EU have reformatted their educational systems to be less rigid, and the results are pretty good [0]. I admit that if I had a kid unable to read by ~9 years old I'd be concerned, but it looks like generally things still go OK.
[0]: https://archive.ph/wLw5E (BBC)