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!!