Let me add my 2 cents about Montessori. Both of my sons (3 and 5) are gifted, DS5 quite a lot, we will see where DS3 is, but he started reading at 2. They are both in the same 3-6 classroom.

The school works much better for DS5 one since he is so clearly out of their regular PreK-K curriculum that they have to adapt to him, but since they have never before taken anybody that far they don't have any protocols to follow and let him lead at least a little bit. It took them a while to realize where he was (reason #1 why we had him tested), but it took them only a few days to figure out that he was gifted ("We never had a child like this."). The school goes till 6th grade and they got LA material from the higher grades, but even that was started on a low end and I don't think he is where he could be. I know very little about what he does there in LA, don't let me start on that. In math he finally started learning new things in January. He did get a good practice in November and December when he was slightly behind of what he could do at home. Socially the place doesn't work too well. He seems to be finally happy there, but he doesn't have close friends there. They are probably too young for him.

Now my younger one. He is 3 and the teacher try to handle him the same way like a ND child, who is perhaps 4 or 5. They have a sequence of things which needs to be done before he can move on. Let me give you an example, he cannot do additions till he learns to write his numbers properly! That was followed by "He is only 3, none of the 3 year olds can write." Doh. He has actually learned to write some numbers and letters, but like they said he is only 3. What's the rush? Give him number cards or let him circle the right answer, but to make him do just simple counting because he cannot write is stupid. Give him some toys instead. He does have a workbook for LA, one of the few kids there (the rest of them are in K), but I don't know how much he can do with it since again he cannot write the letters well enough. They just don't get the part that his brain and his hands are not in sych. I heard a lot about fine motor skills when it came to DS5 too. He doesn't have any problems with fine motor skills (he actually writes really well now), but his 5 year old hands are no match to his academic skills.

I don't think the teachers know on which level either one of my kids read. The school has lots of other classes (music, French, ...) and those are really nice. There are things to love about the school, but there are things which make me want to scream.

My take on the whole thing - No academics is better than wrong academics. DS5 was in a play based preschool for 2 years and he was happy there. The teacher there got him to the point of talking about grade skips and early college. He had to sit through the letter of the week but he didn't mind it at all, the rest was art, music and fun. As long as we can get the logistic work out, that's where DS3 will go next year.

I thought I did DS3 favor by sending him to Montessori, but what he needs is to play with other kids. He can get all the academics his heart desires at home.

DS5 and next year is a post for itself. I'll get to it one of these days.


LMom