If the smaller classes are 24 kids - how many are in there room of the 1/2? Will your dd be with the 1s or the 2s? Will it be noisy? Did you get a chance to see how disipline is handled in both rooms?
Some kids are just plain more asynchronous than others. Some are asynchronous within subjects, as in Langage Arts: Reading 12th grade, writing 2nd grade, spelling Kindy - and some are asynchronous between subjects, as in Math at 7th grade level, Lang Arts at 2nd grade level.
When your DD says that she wishes she could go to all 3 schools, this is what I hear:
1) She has a wonderful and vivid imagination and is inclined to see the positive in any situation
2) She doesn't want to dissapoint anyone (particularly you) and saying she wishes she could have all three is a bid to keep her out of the limelight of having to make a decision.
3) She sense, correctly, that she isn't mature enough to make this decision.
I'm guessing that when you ask her what she wants for her birthday she intentionally picks things that are 'smaller' than other kids would ask for, yes?
I'd ask to take a look at what the Montessori developed for her, and see if they have a plan that incorporates both her strengths and weaknesses. Do they seem able to concieve that a child might be at age level in writing and way way beyond in abstract reasoning and reading? When you observe day to day goings on, do you see any other kids who are asynchronous like your dd?
Another way of looking at it is to look at how much flexibility is built in. If she doesn't do well at the Public school, will the Mont let her in mid year? If she hates the Mont, are you obligated to pay for the entire year?
Best Wishes - this isn't an easy one!
Grinity
