DS had tons of interaction all through grade school. In K and 1st, there were no desks, kids sat in groups at tables and worked together on projects and were encouraged to talk with each other as they worked. If they weren't talking enough, one of my jobs as a volunteer was to go to the quiet table and stimulate them into talking.
DS's 4th and 5th grade teachers were great managers of classroom discussion and really the classroom felt more like an ongoing conversation between the teacher and the kids than just managing kids behaviour. When I volunteered in 4th grade, I led a book discussion group and we really did discuss. All the kids spoke, had ideas, and riffed off each other. They weren't brilliant or anything, but they certainly were not stifled spirits!
What Kriston and Neato are describing sound absolutely nothing like our school. But then, remember, our isn't a very good school. Nobody moves to be in our district. The parents don't care what kind of college their kids go to or even if they go to college. I think this gives the school a lot more flexibility!
