Overwhelmed by what school to choose...any advise?

[Vito's Mommy]

I have been reading about Montessori on line and have a bit of info on Waldorf. I'm confused by some of the "fancy wording" that M uses to describe their philosophy but get pretty much the gist of W. I originally wanted to put ds (now 5.5) in W for various reasons. We relocated and now the only W school is 30 min away and would be a huge hassle to drive there 10x a week. Also, I decided to home school and ds is about done with Kindergarten. I loved the 1 on 1 interaction w/ds and all but I feel like he might be better off in a private school. I can get a little impatient at times(dh works 65-70 hrs a week so I'm pooped out sometimes) and he's super eager to learn so I don't want to keep him from succeeding to his fullest potential. But I can't decide on M, W or sticking w/HS. I picked K12 for HS on a freind's advice and feel it was way too much for a 5 yr old. The phonics and science are a blast but the rest is just too over the top. I wouldn't pick that program again but am afraid of doing it on my own. Also, I'm worried that ds would be a little advanced, if you will, at a W now that he's reading and all, but he enjoys it and I don't want him to not continue at a WS.

Anywho, here's a little about us, what route would you suggest:
We do not hit/spank. We are fairly crunchy. We watch TV. We garden. We make it a point to have family night 2x a week where we eat at the dinner table and enjoy each other's company. We are a non-toxic and animal friendly home. We buy paper plates once or twice a year but we recycle all year. We think Sponge Bob is a hoot. We don't do guns.
Ok, advice away And, Thanks for your time

[Thalia the Muse]

I can only really adddress Montessori, but if it's helpful, here's my experience of Montessori in a nutshell.

All Montessoris are different, and some don't follow the principles as closely as others. At most schools, the bulk of the parents will be very similar to you -- a little crunchy, peace-oriented, etc. Kids direct their own learning to a large extent. Your son will be able to move at his own pace -- a good thing if your child is already reading. The focus is on hands-on, tactile learning and on everyday experience over fantasy. They learn math through manipulatives, for example. There are no religious underpinnings. Some schools will have a garden for the kids, they're expected to clean up after themselves and be responsible for their learning. They aren't held back from exploring anything because it's "too early" for that.

Check your individual school out pretty closely, because they really vary! My daughter had a really good Montessori experience and I would have liked to have her continue for the upper grades. I hope that helps! Is there anything else you were wondering about Montessori in particular?