Do They Have Kindergarten in Montesorri School ?

Be very careful, some Montesorri schools are great, some not. Some kids come from Montessorri Kindergarten to public first grade and are SO behind the other kids which shouldnt be! so I'm thinking there are good and bad schools
Talk to public school first gr teachers in your area and see what they recommend. Mine goes to public school K (which can also be good or bad!) his is great he has two teachers and an aide all day with 23 kids I visited and observed and am very impressed with their program and I can see the kids get extra attention when he needs it with three adults in the room

In my kids' 3-5 clasrooms, the entire class attended the morning session (lots of practical life), the preschoolers went home or into a childcare (this school also had an afternoon daycare), there was lunch, then the 5yo stayed for kindergarten stuff in the afternoon.
My kids attend Montessori from at least K-6th grade, then they transfer to our local public middle school. The academic differences weren't a problem, but the social adjustments were intense.

Ask what they mean by kindergarten plan - they are probably focusing on the kids more, giving them group time. If it is a real Montessori, where there is self-directed learning, then he can really pursue what he loves and cares about and speed ahead - if in building, reading, learning about different countries. I always think it's better for boys to get extra time in that sort of environment - at 5 they are just not ready for all the structure of sitting sitting sitting at desks and the expectations of reading, etc.

In Montessori it is called "early childhood" and should include ages 3-5 (traditional pre-k thru k).

If you are going to keep him at the Montessori school for his elementary education I would definitely recommend the full day, if you think he can handle it.

You would want to talk to the Montessori director about the curriculum difference - as that will vary by school (mamas won't be able to give you the 'right' answer unless they have a child at THAT particular school and are familiar with the curriculum difference).

Good Luck!

Yeah, the Montessori system certainly has its own lingo. DS (just turned 5) is in a Montessori program - he goes full day. Next year he will remain full day and do kindergarten there (which they call 'extended day'). Oddly, the 1/2 day kids can be enrolled in 'extended day' as well and it is not an 'extended day' if one took that to mean an actual extended day. He will remain in his 'full day' class M &F all day, plus T.W Th mornings. On T, W, Th afternoons he will be in single age (what I would call) kindergarten. I don't see that the actual curriculum is very different from what he is already doing. But he is already reading, doing simple math geography, etc. I don't think it will be a problem for him to make new friends when he starts public school in first grade.

The difference if probably the curriculum.

Given the choice, I prefer the Montessori way of teaching. Aside from academics, children are also given choices. I strongly believe that this aids in decision making as adults. I also am for the mixed age group as socially it makes the children be more well adjusted. That said, I have to determine if my child id right for that environment. Montessori can also be costly.

My eldest dd did got to a private Montessori for 2 years. When I quit my job and subsequently found out that my youngest has autism, we went public and choose a Montessori charter school. The school is more transitional than a true Montessori. She has been there since Kindergarten and is now in the first grade and I still have to move her after the 5th.

If you go public it will definitely be cheaper (you almost only have to fork out for fund raisers lol). Another advantage is that chances are he will be friends with the same group of kids as it goes all through 6th and most of them will probably go to the same middle school and high school.

I know a lot of successful people, both socially and career wise who are products of the 2 different educational paths (although the Montessori educated ones did complete graduate school and beyond).

It is a personal choice and as long as we are involved as parents in the education of our young, nothing but the best can come of it.

My 3 children went to montessori preschool for 3 years (2s, 3s, and 4s.) The 4s class had some five year olds in it too (for instance, my daughter turned 5 in April of her final year at Montessori). They went full day in the 3s and 4s.
kindergarten is a different program. I went to a Montessori Kindergarten, but then went into 2nd grade in public school.

I sent all three of my kids to the public school for kindergarten. I guess for me the big difference is that public school is free and Montessori is not!

I would also keep in mind where your son will go for his primary education. If he will be in a public elementary school, I'd start him in Kindergarten there. He will make friends in Kindergarten that will carry on to the 1st grade and beyond. If you keep him in the montessori, he will have to forge those friendships AFTER most of the kids in Kindergarten class have. If you plan to put him in the elementary school, I would start him in Kindergarten there.

My children (3 & 5) attend a Montessori and we love it. Both our children started in the Toddler room & our oldest is now in Kindergarten. Once the children move out of the Toddler room, they call it Pre-Primary. In this class, there are typically kids 3-5 years of age. The younger children try to model after the older children and the older children tend to take the younger ones under their wings. I was a little nervous about 45-50 children per class with such a varied age range….my kids have done nothing but excel and they love the environment. School is full of education and structure and also full of choices. The children have learned to respect others and their space in a way I have not seen in typical public schools. I personally attended Public and Private as a child, so I can speak to that.

I think (from what I see and what I am told by Montessori and Public school teachers) Montessori children are more advanced. When we decided to enroll in the Kindergarten program we were told that most children will be about 6 months ahead of the public school children by the end of the year. Does this really matter? I am not sure. What I do know, is that my kids have such an interest in learning and the subjects they are learning is just incredible.

My Kindergartener reads fairly well for a 5 year old (at least to me). She has weekly spelling tests on sight words (i.e.; Little, Jump, Make…) and is writing sentences. She is practicing Multiplication, Subtraction and Addition.

My 3 year old comes home talking about Asia and Africa!! I didn't know those words till 4th grade (at lease that's how I feel when I hear her reciting the 7 continents!).

Bottom line, if you can afford it, I would certainly recommend the Montessori. At this moment, we are 98% sure that we will be keeping our oldest in the same school for Elementary next year.

People mention sending your child to Public Kindergarten so they can make friends for 1st grade. Really? That is just about the least of my concerns. Kids are going to make friends at any age and any stage. Just as kids are going to come home with hurt feelings or get picked on. Their minds are sponges right now, I don't want my 5 year old focused on social hour (she's a girl…that will come natural to her her entire life!!), I want education to be a large role. I want her to develop the LOVE of learning and she has.

In our Montessori classrooms, there are Peace Corners. If someone does something to another child and the child is upset, they ask to sit in the cozy Peace Corner with the person who upset them. Here they talk about their feelings and work it out. Love it. I have a friend whose 7 year old called someone bologna head or something last year in a Public School and was immediately suspended for Bullying. Of course I am 100% against Bullying, but to not sit down and talk to the child or to get both in a room to find out what REALLY happened and why, not the best lesson in life.

Good Luck with your decision, it's a tough one!!