Upper El not a good fit?

[mattemma04]

deleted due to lack of response

[WiscMama]

My kids are in lower el and primary, and I have only observed in an upper el class, so I can't comment from in-depth first hand experience. But from the description you gave of your child's upper el class--(the lack of one-to-one/small group interaction with the teacher, the homework, and the timed math tests)--I have to say that it doesn't sound like the typical Montessori approach to things.

In my oldest child's lower el class, the kids work in groups and help each other out. If a student has a question, they can ask the teacher, but they often ask their older classmates for help as well. There isn't a competitive atmosphere in the class. There are no tests. There is generally no homework, and if there is, it's along the lines described in this article:
http://www.montessori.org/story.php?id=302
(This website has other great articles in their online library that may be of interest to you).

You might consider scheduling a separate meeting with the teachers and going over the areas that you feel your child is struggling with and discussing ways that you can all work together (on the home front and at school) to help her succeed. If there are other Montessori schools in your area, you might schedule a visit to observe their elementary class to see how it compares.

I wish you the best of luck with your difficult situation!

[MattBronsil]

I'd love to reply and help, but the question was deleted for some reason. If you want to repost it, I'll gladly share my thoughts.