https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:43:11 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-565222 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:14:38 +0000 T-Mom 565222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: ok thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-564041 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:39:19 +0000 sarac 564041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T-Mom: My school had a lower and an upper elementary - 1-3 and 4-6. Each grade usually had about 4-7 kids in it. We had one teacher for the class, and several assistants. This was in the early 90s, though, a long time ago. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563804 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:13:04 +0000 T-Mom 563804@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: Yeah, I would love it if the stars aligned and DD could be in that school. But sometimes too many choices can make things overwhelming! Ah, I see about your situation. Well, good luck to you guys! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563658 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:27:34 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 563658@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T-Mom: I'm so jealous of Chinese immersion!<br /> Where we live, hardly anyone from the dominant culture goes to private school, so we're competing with a big pool for entrance and those who start in KG are obviously at an advantage because they are already in when we're applying. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563615 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:13:20 +0000 T-Mom 563615@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: Hm, that's interesting. We are also looking to an immersion school (Chinese) for the kids, and it is in the area of town that we want to move to. Their admissions people said DD has a better chance of getting in for 1st grade than Kindergarten since everyone wants to get their kid in as early as possible and they are swamped with pre-K and K applications. So if we end of moving, we'll probably apply for 1st grade and do Montessori Kinder. Sounds like the situation at your desired school is different, though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563581 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:57:15 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 563581@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T-Mom: Yes. The 2 year old program in Montessori is not true immersion, it's more dual language. At 3, they transition to immersion and continue that until completion of KG. At that point, Montessori here becomes English, with some Spanish classes. But 4 of our public schools in the area are Spanish immersion. We would like our daughter to get into the G&amp;T Spanish immersion program for 1st through 5th. I have a feeling that not starting in KG is going to negatively impact her chances to get into that school. After 5th, we'll have to re-evaluate our options because we REALLY don't like the public junior highs here! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563567 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:51:19 +0000 T-Mom 563567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: Thanks for sharing! How large were your classes when you were in Montessori Elementary? The number of kids in the school that stay beyond 1st grade in our school is really low, so I always wondered if that was a good or bad thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563532 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:41:26 +0000 T-Mom 563532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: regarding the Spanish immersion program - are you saying that both your public school and the Montessori school have Spanish immersion? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563479 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:21:48 +0000 sarac 563479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was a montessori child until 6th grade, so I'm obviously a fan. I would say that the longer you can keep them there, the better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563472 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:17:44 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 563472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T-Mom: Keep me posted! I'm interested to see what you decide. We were on the fence too, especially since it may impact our daughter's ability to get into the G&amp;T Spanish Immersion public program... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563406 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:51:45 +0000 T-Mom 563406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@honeybear: thanks for your input!<br /> @Mrs. Jacks: Thanks, I really appreciate your insight. I have been excited to be paying for only one child's schooling/childcare starting this fall, but I am really torn. Your experience echos what some other parents have shared with me. Another factor is that we are looking to move to another part of town in the next year. Keeping DD in the current school would cause less disruption, I think. I have a lot to think about! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563385 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:44:18 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 563385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a Montessori mom and was a Montessori student, so take my biased claims with a grain of salt. The Kindergarten year is a summation and consolidation of all the Montessori learning that has gone on. It is really important to get that year to maintain the enormous gains the child has made in the Montessori program. Studies have shown that Montessori kids who go to traditional KG don't maintain their benefits as long as kids that stayed for the KG year.</p> <p>My experience bore that out. My parents put me in to traditional KG after Montessori preschool and quickly pulled me out and put me back in to Montessori because they realized that I was way ahead of what they are teaching in a traditional KG and I wasn't getting what I needed. For example, I was already reading the Little House on the Prairie books by myself, while the other kids were still doing their letters and trying to learn sight words.</p> <p>Edited to add: Our Montessori school asks parents to commit to the KG year if they want to be in the language immersion program.</p> <p>Hope that helps! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563364 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:38:44 +0000 honeybear 563364@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really like Montessori for young children, and since your LO seems happy there, I would be inclined to let her stay. I went to a private Kindergarten and then started public school in first grade. I didn't have any trouble adjusting/making friends, to the extent that is a concern. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/public-vs-montessori-kindergarten#post-563325 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:28:39 +0000 T-Mom 563325@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD turns 5 this summer and enters Kindergarten in the fall. She has been in a Montessori school (pre-school with day care attached) since she was 5 months old. We love it and she is so happy at the school. Being a big proponent of public schools, my plan all along has been to send her to the local public school (which is excellent and rated highly) for Kinder. However, in the back of my mind, I have been considering keeping her in Montessori for one more year. I have talked to many parents in the school who have done that and have been thrilled with the experience, and today I received an article from the school regarding the benefits of Montessori for Kindergarteners. This article speaks of why it is important to allow the children to solidify their Montessori pre-school learning for one more year in Kinder and develop more self-confidence and curiosity before entering public school in first grade. This article (<a href="http://www.montessori.org/imc/index.php?option=com_content&#038;view=article&#038;id=260:why-montessori-for-the-kindergarten-year&#038;catid=16:articles-introducing-montessori-education&#038;Itemid=44" rel="nofollow">http://www.montessori.org/imc/index.php?option=com_content&#038;view=article&#038;id=260:why-montessori-for-the-kindergarten-year&#038;catid=16:articles-introducing-montessori-education&#038;Itemid=44</a>) is from a Montessori magazine so obviously it is biased. But it really got me thinking. </p> <p>What do you think about public vs. Montessori Kinder, and what would you do? </p>