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Backstory:

My DS is 3. A new Montessori charter is opening this fall in our town. I went to one of the info meetings and asked them about how they will handle students with special needs and advanced students. They seemed very receptive and even had a special education director on their board.

So now that this school is opening up, my son's previous teacher at her Montessori program will be providing a private Kindergarten for those who want to attend that school. The school starts at grade 1 and is a multiclassroom approach, so grades 1-3 are in once classroom.

Have any of you sent your child to a Montessori Kinder or elementary school? Or are educators and have thoughts on it?

It seems like it could be the best option for him. He's at a 1st grade level all around at this point. In theory, he could be with same age peers but be able to work at his academic level.

I'm so overwhelmed by this option, thankful to have it. He is getting an eval at our local school district. I met another mom who already went through this at our local public school who said they were not receptive to differientation and I think a multi-age classroom is our best option for him in 1st grade so he can take his knowledge where he wants.

As for what happens in 3rd grade when you are at a 5th grade level but with 1-3rd, well that's the big question.

Any thoughts welcome.

It's too bad this is a new school because that means they probably have a lot of high-minded plans, but no track record for you to actually check out. However, I do think that based on what you've learned form others about your local public school, I'd be inclined to avoid it--so if this is your only other option, I'd want to try it.

That said, since your child is only 3, it seems like you'd expect to have at least one year of experience to go on before your child could expect to attend?

I think the question about what one does in the 3rd grade is going to come up almost anywhere. My DD is in 3rd now in a regular public school (K-6) but just because the school has those older grades doesn't mean it's easy to actually use their materials. After 3 months of trying to keep up with DD's math we've decided to try an online math curriculum--and IMO, math is one of the easiest subjects to accelerate for a kid who can learn independently.

I suspect they would want him to be at least K age before they let him out of the 3 to 6 class by which time he may be past grade 3.

I'm not sure this is what you are looking for, but our DS (now tested as PG) was in a Montessori through his kindergarten year (age five). He flourished there, as the teacher was eager to give him and any other advanced students ample resources that were far beyond the primary curriculum (there were others, oddly enough there seemed to be a little cohort of about five boys I'm guessing were at least moderately gifted).

Asking many open-ended questions about their openness to advanced materials for him would be my approach. So much depends on their willingness to truly "follow the child." If they do, it can be great.

This has been the topic of a number of threads on this site, and the fit between child and Montessori often comes down to a question of child personality, because the Montessori method calls for rigidity... students can work on whatever they want, but they must only use the educational materials in the prescribed ways, and follow instructions precisely. Any re-purposing of materials in fun or imaginative ways is strictly frowned upon.

For children with a preference for order and structure, it tends to be a great match. My child is a goofball, so that would have been a disaster.

like Waldorf I really wanted to love Montessori - only I didn't.

We went for a trial day - What I liked, there was a sense of calm that would have suited DD4 brilliantly also the tidiness. The teaches also seemed very engaged which was lovely.

What I didn't like - DD was in the process of being tested for GT so I was still a bit unsure of what her needs where - anyway to show us how the system worked the head teacher pulled out a box of colours that DD had to match, then sort etc - there were about 4 activities. After DD completed them in 5 minutes the HT advised us that she would be ready to mix colours in the sink. Something we (and every other family I know with ND kids have done since she was a toddler)that was there upper limit on colour so she would have completed it before lunch.

Next was the masters appreciation where DD would have a colour by numbers style picture to colour. Not only would she be critiqued on her colouring skill but also her ability to match the colour. I'm sure this has its' uses but my DD is a perfectionist with very strong art capabilities. Introducing guidelines into this field would be a disaster.

Other than that DD has "issues" with having to follow other peoples rules, apparently only her rules count....

Hmm this is an aging thread but I haven't been on the board much. Our DD5 and DD3 are both at a Montessori Children's House where they are in 3-6 cohort. It has been fantastic for both of them, but in very different ways for each. They truly have worked at each kid's level. The costs are very reasonable for M schools in this area, but certainly increase at the grade school level, which isn't trivial for us at the moment.

Being blunt, the parents are interesting professionals, several are recent immigrants, and are engaged in the school's direction. It is a young school; our older daughter joined in their 3rd year of operation (so I had toured it only in their 2nd year).

DD5 missed K cutoff in our town (on state border). School is in another state where K cutoff is one month later. This Monti school runs to 9th grade.

So now I am exploring the choice between keeping her there for Lower Elementary, and going "back" if you will to K in our town. I went to the town's K info meeting this week and it was not promising.

I was that parent who as politely as I could asked a teacher after the main session "what would you do with a child who has already done a year of full day K?" [let alone being gifted]

the gist of it that I got was "not much" - she'd have her own books to read. Ok, so does that mean chapter books or easy readers? No, definitely easy readers. No chapter books.

Then I asked about math. Well, by the end of the year they are deconstructing up to 20 (I asked more questions and it seems to be adding/subtracting up to 20). Um, yeah. Done that already.

Is there any going to 1st grade for stuff? nope.

This is for a 5 year old who extemporaneously dropped the word treacherous into her description of something tonight. My husband and I just looked at each other. I don't believe we've ever taught her this word. This is for a kid who figures out in her head when I am age forty-x, she will be age y, etc.

Montessori can absolutely be the best option for a kid because of the age range (when she moves up, she'll be in a group of 6-9 years old). DD5 is very tall, she fits in with this age group already. She is doing plenty of challenging work in her 3-6 room with no likelihood of running out of things to do. So I think we will be sticking with Montessori for a while.

Also, my kids are adept at going between the confines of the Monti school way, and the much more free form home we have. From time to time we streamline and organize a bit. DD5 tends toward perfectionist, but she understands there is the school way, but home/other life can allow for different approaches.

And FWIW DD3 has thrived a ton there too. Whereas DD5 sticks out as obviously advanced, DD3 requires a little more decoding to see her thinking... but it's there and often comes out in comedic fashion, keeps our life interesting for sure!