School-Aged Children
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Montessori vs. elementary school
My 4.5 year old dd is currently in the Montessori preschool class, and she has one more year of preschool there (because of her birthday being in November). I have decided that she will definitely not be going to the Montessori after kindergarten, but I'm having a really hard time deciding if she should stay in the Montessori for kindergarten, or go to the regular elementary school. I feel like she's getting a really good education in the Montessori, but I don't want her to miss out on building friendships in the elementary school that she will eventually end up going to. I hate the thought of her being thrown into a school where everyone else has had a chance to build friendships already. I never had to switch schools at all, so thinking about her going to a new school and not knowing anyone is really bugging me. Does anyone have any input on what they would do?
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Re: Montessori vs. elementary school
I never had to switch schools by moving either. The one time I switched schools I had to switch my 8th grade year because they built another middle school as mine was getting to crowded and I was just in the boundaries to go to the new middle school. But at least I got re-united with my friends at the high school.
IMO, I would send your child to the elementary school. If you aren't 100% happy with the Montessori school now then go with the elementary school. DH was a military brat and constantly was switching and he hated it. My daughter is starting K next week and I know in the next couple of years we will be moving because we don't like our neighborhood and will eventually out-grow our house anyway. I will not bend and our house will be in the same school district as she will go to now. It is a small town and there is only one elementary school, middle school and high school. So she will know everyone from the start and graduate high school with them. That is what I did essentially when I was growing up and I'm glad. It is nice knowing all the names even if you aren't friends with them.
Good luck with your decision.
We have students that go to Montessori through Kindergarten and then start our school in 1st grade. The biggest concern with keeping your child in Montessori beyond preschool is the different teaching methods and different structure of the classroom. In Montessori the children are mixed with older students and they can complete their work at their leisure as long as it's complete. A lot of our students that come from Montessori have a hard time adjusting at the beginning of the school year because they have to learn a whole new classroom structure. But eventually they get the hang of it.
As for the friendships, yes friendships are formed from preschool and also Kindergarten but there are always going to be new students and I have never seen new students have a problem making friends, at least at our school.
FACT.
Cats can hear the sound of an electric can opener a quarter of a mile away.
I would not worry too much about her having to switch in between K and 1st. Friendships in K are really nebulous and fleeting. For most of her K year, my DD was "friends" with whoever she sat next to that day. She didn't really start choosing friends based on having similar interests and other more mature criteria until later. It's true that some kids develop a "best friend" very early, but I've noticed that kids are pretty socially flexible at that age.
So, if you love the Montessori, and you have the option to keep her there for K, I wouldn't be deterred by the idea that she'll somehow suffer socially when she has to enter a new school in 1st grade.