My dd9 will be entering 4th grade and has been at the same Montessori school for 6 years and is very happy and loves learning but I am concerned about her being adequately challenged and developing good study skills and diligence.
You may want to read the Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual now. There are some things to consider.
1) If a child needs a gradeskip, then sooner is often better than later. This is because in High School those grades really count, so it's best to develop those good study skills well in advance.
2) If you know where you are moving to, then figure out what the Manual would consider the 'Bridge Year.' I would recommend skipping early to prevent skipping a Bridge Year. Bridge Years are the years before a building change. My son did skip a Bridge Year (5th grade where we live) and the transition was very tough.
3) If you feel she isn't really adequately challenged now or developing good study skills now, then I would look at trying to solve this problem 'now.' Is there such a thing as a grade skip at her Montessori school? Are there other ways that you can met the same goal without limiting the amount of time she can attend her school that she is happy at?
I'm so glad you found us - Yippee!
Grinity
