DS3 has been attending a local Montessori school for a little over a month. He has adjusted very well and seems to like the environment. He is a happy, introverted three year old, who happens to be a precocious reader (at least mid-1st grade level with pretty good comprehension) and is obsessed with numbers.
I have requested a parent-teacher conference to ask more questions about his typical day. I'm wondering how he's doing socially, what works he's gravitating toward, etc. I am a little concerned that he doesn't seem to be getting introduced to new works very often. Of course I'm hearing this from a 3 year old, but when I ask him, "Did you do any new works today?" his response has been "no" for the last couple of weeks. Sometimes he'll tell me about a work he wanted to do (e.g., the pink tower), but will say that he couldn't because he has not had that lesson yet.
He has been introduced to 5 sandpaper letters, which he supposedly "mastered" 3 weeks ago. No more have been introduced. Although he's been able to ID all letters and their sounds for 2 years, I still see value in this because he is not writing yet. I'm just surprised that he isn't progressing a little faster.
I guess my questions would be this... How often are new lessons generally introduced in a primary classroom? Would it be out of line for me to request that he skip lessons - i.e., move onto sandpaper blends, which I think he might find more interesting, but would still get the benefit of letter formation? I know that there is a general lesson sequence, but you wouldn't start and entering 1st grader on 3 year old level works just for the sake of sequence, right?
I do believe in the Montessori method, and I don't want him to be pushed, but I do want him to have access to works that will interest him. His teacher seems to be loving, gentle, and experienced. I'm scared of offending her, or coming across as a tiger mom. Any advice?
