Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Help with Montessori

TNC, it doesn't sound like the current school is a good fit for your family. All Montessori schools can be quite different form each other but one of the reasons why we eventually chose not to send DD to a Montessori school is language art curriculum. My DD3.5 is a reader and has been for awhile. I wanted her to have a literature- and art-based reading and writing curriculum appropriate to her developmental needs and it wasn't going to happen at a Montessori school or really, at any school. At home, she has my attention one-one-one all day and I often spend however long it takes to find the next set of books for her to read that would build on her current skills and knowledge. No teacher is going to have that kind of time for each and every student in her/his classroom.

We're homeschooling for now and when she starts play-based preschool next year, I am going to pick her up right after lunch to avoid nap time so I plan to continue partial homeschooling with her. I thought of doing Montessori math at home as well and we might order some of their materials and have other manipulative available for her to explore but we'll probably settle into a combination of RighStart math and Singapore math when she is older but our main focus right now is creativity, open-ended play, and art/music education. We have outsourced dance and music to professionals but we have so much fun together at home. It doesn't feel like homeschooling, more like spending time together and enjoying things that we both love.

What I find overwhelming is keeping up with her interest in science. I am not a science person at all so while DD is an only child, I can relate to feeling at lost. If you do decide to homeschool, hiring someone to come sounds like a good idea but your little one might be ready to participate to some extent too. DD tried out a homeschooling coop once when she was 2 and she was fine for 3 hours working semi-independently because the group had the set up for children to work at stations, much like a Montessori school.

I think this answers your question re should you continue at this school - whether or not your dd needs the extra work before moving up in reading, you're mentally done with the school, so it's most likely time to move on.

This may sound counterintuitive but, fwiw, have you thought of just *not* schooling your dd for the rest of this year? Since she's 4, I'm guessing that technically she's enrolled in preschool, not kindergarten. She's clearly picked up on quite a bit of reading on her own - what about just taking the rest of the year to let her be at home, read if she wants to, learn new things if/when she wants to, play with her brother if she wants to. To be honest, I feel like our EG kids learn more just by experiencing life than they do attending school where they are on a linear track to accomplish x/y/z all planned out by linear-thinking folks. Even now that he's a teen (and his days are packed to the gills with school, in what I consider to be a good school situation)... the times I see the intellectual gifts really rise to the surface in my ds are when he's at home just being who he is, which gives his mind time to just think.

Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. Let her stay home but don't sweat the schooling. My guess is what's important will just happen - you'll let her lead

OTOH, I'm not sure what the worries are over your option 2 small private school. Small can be good! I'm guessing there may be more to your concern than just size?

Best wishes,

polarbear

I am so so very sorry you are still having these hassles. The reading assessment is very much a "game" situation sadly.

I like polarbear's suggestion of just hanging out at home with your two kids together. Do fun stuff together like bake, garden, walks, games, chess, the park, museums etc.

When she asks for things give it to her, and do a lot with your little one too.

I work from home (own business) and have all three boys at home with me. I find that we are all happier and more productive when I follow a true "follow the child" protocol with all my boys. Sometimes I have them all sitting at a table to do a craft / science project. Other times two will go play lego/duplo/computers/trampoline etc and I will do something with one of them.

Is it hard? sometimes
Is it fun? TOTALLY!
Is it easier than fighting with schools? Absolutely!
Is it worth it? Every single day yes yes yes! even on the days when I feel we get nothing right , I still feel grateful that we don't have to return to that awful situation. I am happier, my kids are happier, DH is happier - our marriage is better too.

All the best with your final decision, feel free to ask questions or bounce ideas here as you need to!