Just for comparison's sake...
I'm not sure why a Montessori school would use worksheets. My daughter's school was completely against them, and there was an entire contingent of parents clamoring for worksheets! worksheets! so their children would be ready for public school.
Being allowed to read at a young age was something we really appreciated about Montessori. My child is in public now (because of the expense), and I do feel guilty--like we gave up the best thing she had going for her.
In our daughter's school teachers were very communicative. You just needed to leave a phone message to set up an appointment. I felt like we always knew what was happening at school and would frequently get reports that listed where she was in all the different curriculum areas.
Children weren't always able to do exactly what they wanted. If the teacher thought a child was avoiding an area, the child would be required to go there. Toy work was limited to certain times of the day once they turned four.
