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I think most of the time, it is more expensive than other options. I'd be curious to see if there are other cons. We're already on track for one (our daycare is Montessori, so the preschool attached is too).

A friend's kids attend Montessori. I think the curriculum and teaching approach is great, but I really do not like that the Montessori she attends does not have a chef and kitchen. I work full time and my kids are at daycare/preschool from 7-6 everyday, so I like them to have fresh warm meals rather than leftovers from home for each meal.

Our son has been going for 3 months. Honestly we liked the school he was in (Reggio Emilio) but we moved towns and there's a Montessori inspired school down the road. He's pretty adaptable And we figured it was far more convenient. So far I really like it. It's not strict Montessori philosophy - the do group it more by age (18-36 months, 3-4y, 4-5y). The preschool has been a good experience for him. It's not much different than Emilio really - instead of choice time, there's work time. There's plenty of play, plus two circle times and one afternoon "enrichment" program which includes baking, a group craft, or other group activity. Plenty of outside play. Preschool and toddler program gave part time options. He will do junior k next year which has more of a literacy focus than other Montessori programs and is a little more directed which I think is important for the year before public K. Our toddler will be doing the seedling program starting at 21 months. I've observed it and there is plenty of direction and play as far as I can tell.

I briefly looked into Montessori for my big girl but was put off by the requirement that all children need to attend every day (five days a week). Attending preschool every day would mean that Miss A could no longer attend music class or our local playgroup and I felt like it would actually limit her range of experiences. We decided to send her to the local public kindergarten (equivalent to preschool in the U.S.) and she goes 1315-1515, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday but will be ageing up to the morning programme in approx May.

I thought we would love it, but the program we tried didn't work at all: it was a lot of the same every day, and too rigid for DD. I have learned however, that Montessori programs vary drastically, so I think you have to check them out in person and see if it works for you.

@JoyfulKiwi: yes! These would be things I would point out, the creativity being a big one for me. It's much more rigid than I think people know. Mat work is serious time!

I also have an issue with the expense of it all. If you were to buy the recommended mobiles, wooden toys, etc., it would really add up! There's also an interesting debate between Montessori purists and those who say education should change to keep up with the times: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/12/the-great-montessori-schism/266217/

Where I live, I think most people hear Montessori and assume it is the best, and while I love many aspects of it, it definitely isn't for everyone.

I second the comment that Montessoris vary wildly by school. Any school can call itself Montessori. Here's a direct quote from Montessori.edu, "The name Montessori is not legally protected, and can be used by anyone without oversight. "

My brothers and I are Montessori kids (preschool - 5th grade) and we thrived in it for the very reason that it does not require kids of an age group to all do the same thing or be at the same level, and it encourages movement and creativity and child-led learning as much as possible. If my son doesn't want to do letters or numbers, he can spend his day doing art and practical life (learning to pour, use a spoon, learn to use buttons / zippers, tie laces, etc.).

Here are the areas Montessori should offer, "The four main areas of the Montessori curriculum are, Practical Life or Everyday Living Skills, Sensorial or learning through the senses, Language and Mathematics. The fifth curriculum area is Culture. The Montessori culture area includes Geography, Science, Music, Art and Yoga."

My goal once he's done at the preschool Montessori he's in now is to send him to an AMI certified Montessori for elementary and middle school (this is the type of Montessori my brothers and I attended). There are also AMS certified schools (his preschool is AMS). Here's a good explanation of the difference: http://www.montessorianswers.com/ami-or-ams.html

I know you can't always gender generalize, but I find that boys in particular thrive in the Montessori classroom because they don't have to sit still at a desk and listen to a lesson. They can move and work at a table or a mat on the floor.

I visited 10 "Montessori" schools in our area and observed during class before settling on the school he's in now.

Obviously, I'm Montessori biased, but I tell my friends who ask that you know your child best, and you have to feel comfortable with the classroom and teaching style you choose for your child. There's no right or wrong answer. Only you know your child!

Phew, sorry for the novel.

I only briefly considered it when we were looking at daycares, and didn't visit the one near us because I was very turned off by the website's description of how it promotes independence: it discussed how parents say goodbye at the door and don't come in. At the daycare we ultimately chose, there's a huge focus on supporting the child's social-emotional development, including much gentler separation tactics for parents saying goodbye (parents usually stay at least 5 minutes and play with their child during the transition; I often say bye to lo and then we do a "window goodbye" where I wave through the window outside the building because she really loves that; other parents have different, individualized transitional routines). That's a small thing, but super important to me because it sets a tone for how the child is emotionally supported.

eta: also, from reading other comments about independence--my daycare has a huge focus on building community in the classroom that I love. my daughter is just turning 2 and is already learning so much empathy from that environment. like, if she hears a child crying anywhere, she stops and looks for the child, asks "misses mama?" and if she knows the child, she goes and gives them a hug. and she's only 2!

I toured an amazing Montessori school for my 2.5 year old and while I was blown away by the overall beauty of the place I decided to keep my son at his current daycare for these reasons:

1) cost - the school year program runs almost $1k/month more than what we are currently paying (we need full time care)
2) flexibility - the center opens 15 minutes later for the day than our daycare (they are the same distance from our house) which means I would have to take a much later train to work on days I do drop off. Also, the scheduled closings were much more frequent than our daycare.
3) program - while they had a (limited) option for a full day, I felt the program was designed more for families with one parent staying home and being able to work with a limited schedule and always being involved/volunteering for things. Our jobs are very demanding so while we can show up for some events we really can't devote much time to planning or participating.
4) style - our son needs more structure than the program allows, at least for now. He is definitely adhd (even though this has not yet been diagnosed) and needs to be monitored constantly. I didn't feel like the Montessori open style would be best for his personality.

In addition to these things, like you we also love our current daycare! He has great friends and teachers and it's also in a beautiful setting, just not as modern and cool as the Montessori school. We only considered it because I was also feeling the pressure to try Montessori!