I attended a Montessori school from 3rd thru 8th grade as a child. The relaxed non-competitive learning atmosphere was really great in most respects.
I did spurt far ahead in many areas because the curriculum was individually tailored so each child determined their own pace.
Unfortunately, I had no idea where I was in respect to the ability level of other students from other schools. When I tested into a really competitive high school, students from more traditional schools knew from the start how to pace themsleves, how to decode what was important for non-indivualized testing, and how to clump together for academic viability.
I might have been a senior before I grasped class rank. It felt an awful lot like lining up for a 800m race every morning.
The best thing about Montessori (in my experience)is that there is no upper limit for a child. If you're going to use the Montessori method be aware that your child might have to attempt a traditional school setting at some point so you'll have to prepare.
There is just a big difference from group education and custom education.
