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 (http://www.montessori.org/imc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=260:why-montessori-for-the-kindergarten-year&catid=16:articles-introducing-montessori-education&Itemid=44) is from a Montessori magazine so obviously it is biased. But it really got me thinking.

What do you think about public vs. Montessori Kinder, and what would you do?