I have 2 gifted daughters. One is 9 and her kindergarten year was at Montessori - only 12 hours a week. My little one, 5, just finished HER kindergarten year at a public school, all day but had a Montessori start in preschool. I seriously don't know which was better. There is a confidence thing. The little one, in public school, is lacking writing confidence and spelling. Her number sense is not as good, but her organization skills and manners and such seem to bet better. Who knows...