Montessori was a wonderful fit for our DS (PG) at every age but 3, when he had a teacher who was extremely rigid (think Tiger Mom vs. a true Montessori approach). So I can't speak for that age, exactly, but all other years there went well (from right after age 2-to-nearly 6, he spent the full three year cycle in primary). The school he was at had very well-trained teachers and they were always willing to borrow more materials from other, including older, classrooms. He became friends with some other, slightly (1 year?) old boys who were also quite smart. DH and I suspect at least MG for three of them. Unusual cohort indeed. DS thrived because he could so easily balance the play he needed there with access to math and reading materials. It was a great fit. Honestly, I don't know if a play-based school would have worked for him. We did try another school (loosely Montessori, far more play focused in reality) during a summer break time and it was a disaster. Not enough structure to keep him interested/occupied and his energy was a big problem as a result.
As others have said, there is a big difference in Montessori programs, so I would certainly visit and learn about it. See if they would be open in her case to admitting her a few months below their normal cutoff.
Last edited by ConnectingDots; 02/15/14 09:19 PM.
