if you bear in mind first this is a program directed primarily at preschool and kinder children, it is not first and foremost a sacramental prep program, and also that its underpinnings come from the classic Montessori tradition, it will help you put criticism you have seen, here and elsewhere, in perspective. Most of the criticism I have seen here is a) hearsay, not from those with actual experience and b) attacks it because it is deficient in teaching hard doctrine and preparing for sacraments. Since it is designed for neither of those purposes, critics should chill out, try it as adjunct to other preschool programs, and simply find out if the atrium contributes to better formation for your parish preschoolers.
