Spin-Off : Starting at 2.5 yrs or 3.5 yrs

[new_mom_sd]

I started my older on when she was 3 yrs and 3 mon and other than initial anxiety (most about napping there) she did very well. Before that she used to go to a home based program (not montessori but very active and wonderful program) for 2 days/wk.

My younger one just started in a setup (same place as older one + another playschool) which I think is going to be great and have high hopes for. She is going to be there 3 days/wk.

Last year this time I was pretty sure that I'd send her to a montessori when she truns 2.5 . Montessori would be a bit cheaper than the current setting but now I am thinking that maybe I should wait until she is 3.5 because I think current setting would work out great

The current program where she is going, she would be learning a lot but in more open/less formal setting. They do circle time with creative play and yoga. Then she would also be going for walks/hikes and field trips, outdoor play, paint in the backyard, water-sand play, science experiments, craft projects and.... (long list) etc.

I'd appreciate your insight on whether to send her to Montessori from 2.5-5.5 then send her to public Kindergarted or send her to 3.5-6.5 and then send her to 1st grade directly in public school.
(one factor might be that I become tempted to send her to public K at 5.5 yr)

TIA

[spottiew]

i started at 2.75 and sometimes wish i started at 3.75 cause in some ways it totally seems easier, they are ready, they can talk about their day, be friends, not such a nap issue... but then i went to kindy night and they talked about all that the youngest kids do and it's important too... i think ideally, i just would have wanted less days/hours for the youngest year, but they were not into that idea, it was all or nothing. but it would have felt more balanced to me.

Originally Posted by new_mom_sd

I started my older on when she was 3 yrs and 3 mon and other than initial anxiety (most about napping there) she did very well. Before that she used to go to a home based program (not montessori but very active and wonderful program) for 2 days/wk.

My younger one just started in a setup (same place as older one + another playschool) which I think is going to be great and have high hopes for. She is going to be there 3 days/wk.

Last year this time I was pretty sure that I'd send her to a montessori when she truns 2.5 . Montessori would be a bit cheaper than the current setting but now I am thinking that maybe I should wait until she is 3.5 because I think current setting would work out great

The current program where she is going, she would be learning a lot but in more open/less formal setting. They do circle time with creative play and yoga. Then she would also be going for walks/hikes and field trips, outdoor play, paint in the backyard, water-sand play, science experiments, craft projects and.... (long list) etc.

I'd appreciate your insight on whether to send her to Montessori from 2.5-5.5 then send her to public Kindergarted or send her to 3.5-6.5 and then send her to 1st grade directly in public school.
(one factor might be that I become tempted to send her to public K at 5.5 yr)

TIA

[spedteacher30]

we're planning to do 2.5-5.5 at Montessori, and then either K or 1 in public school.

the transition to M was hard for our little guy at 2.5, and I wish we hadn't done it so soon in some ways, but our reasoning was valid, and I would make the same decision again if I had to. (he was essentially kicked out of his daycare because it was no longer developmentally appropriate, and we didn't want to make two transitions in two years, so we bit the bullet and started M a year earlier than we intended to. the toddler program would have been equally inappropriate for him given his developmental milestones).

[chekhovgirl]

I never even though of a child going through three years of Montessori and then entering public kindergarten. All of ours that leave after that class go to 1st.

[MommaSuzi]

>>>I never even though of a child going through three years of Montessori and then entering public kindergarten. All of ours that leave after that class go to 1st.

Ours will probably do 3 years of Montessori and then enter public kindergarten. Having started at 2.5, she'll be 5.5 after 3 years of montessori and our public schools won't let them start 1st grade then. If we can afford it I'll stick with Montessori longer though. I worry that she's going to be bored to death academically in public kindergarten after 3 years of montessori. But then, she'd have been bored to death in a toddler daycare class if we'd left her in daycare.

[new_mom_sd]

Thanks for all the responses.

ANother thing I forgot to mention is that her older sister would be there. Might not be in the same class but they would be in the same school.

Yeah that. public school here also I think are strict and won't let her in 1st grade at 5.5.

Originally Posted by MommaSuzi

Ours will probably do 3 years of Montessori and then enter public kindergarten. Having started at 2.5, she'll be 5.5 after 3 years of montessori and our public schools won't let them start 1st grade then.

[eepster]

DS started M at 2 1/2. My plan is that he will either go till 5 1/2 then enter public 1st grade, or go till 6 1/2 then enter public 1st grade. We will only do public kindergarten if our finacial situation causes us to stop M early.

Of course if DS gets a scholarship to the fancy M elementary school that we can't afford, then we will simply stay with Montessori through junior high.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by new_mom_sd

Yeah that. public school here also I think are strict and won't let her in 1st grade at 5.5.

In many states there are laws that force them to allow transfering students to stay in the grade they are in whether or not they meet the districts cut off.