My son is in Montessori now, but will be in the public school next year....

He is in his 6th year of Montessori (3rd year elementary), but if he had been in the public schools, he would be in 2nd grade now. Next year, should I put him in 4th grade or in 3rd grade? If he was in 3rd grade, then he would emotionally be the same age as everyone else, but mentally he would be bored. If he is put into the 4th grade, he would be were he needed to be on an educational level, but a year behind in ages. Seems like there is positive & negative to both sides, but would like input from others as well. Thank you!!

Parent Answers to "My son is in Montessori now, but will be in the public school next year...."

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Hi.

I thought I would give my input because two of my daughters went through four years of Montessori...they are both now in public school (one is a 2nd grader & the other is a kindergartner).

At the time, my oldest was going into 1st grade. (she completed her kindergarten year at Montessori). Like you, I was worried about her not being challenged. She was excelling in all areas academically & it made me wonder if she'd be bored.

Her teacher helped ease my mind by advising me NOT to push her too much because entering a new school, making new friends, would be enough of an adjustment in itself. In fact, her being "above-grade" allowed her to meet the classroom standards without having to worry about keeping up -- thereby, allowing her to focus on adjusting to the new setting, making friends, etc. She had a really great year...Her teacher was absolutely right. Yes - she was in the accelerated program, but I just kept an eye on that & kept communication with her teacher about her progress -- continuing to increase the challenge for her as the year went on without creating any undue anxiety.

For my kindergartner, she adjusted immediately - I think because she's so young (& more social than my 2nd grader).

For you, I would advise keeping your son in the grade he "would" be, instead of moving him up a level. Usually public schools have lots of supplemental programs to keep him busy enough!

Have a great day!

Hi. I know that every school is different, including Montessori schools. I considered Montessori for my son, who was very bright but a reluctant reader, but I wasn't convinced that their approach would provide the "extra encouragement" he needed to participate in activities he didn't like. The reason I share that story is because your son might not have been exposed to a full gamut of educational topics, either.
Did the Montessori school your son attend give their students any "standardized achievement tests?" Is he ahead in all areas? While he might be academically advanced in some subjects, he might also find the "structure" of a public school to be quite an adjustment. How is your son's handwriting? Is he big, size-wise? I hate to say it, but boys do seem to struggle more with fine motor development, and in terms of physical size, the smaller boys do tend to be targeted more for bullying.
Do you know if the public school he's going to be attending has a gifted program? If so, then perhaps he would qualify to be with 3rd grade age-mates, and still get an accelerated curriculum. That would seem like a good placement, based on what you've shared with us.

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