How important is...

[honeybee]

a full 3 years of Children's House? My ds turned 4 in November, and this is his first year in the M children's house. Since the age cut-off is Dec 1, he is considered a 4 yo preschooler. I did not even consider sending him to preschool the previous year (when he would've been 2-turning-3) because he just wasn't ready. He is doing wonderfully, and is on par with the other 4 yos in the class. The 3 yos do seem a lot younger. I will not be surprised if he starts reading next year.

I am trying to decided whether to enroll him as a preschooler or as a K next year (it's a public school, so it makes a difference in terms of funding and meeting some K state requirements). The kids in the class definitely know who is/is not a K, so I really do not want him to repeat K from a self-esteem standpoint.

If it makes a difference, many of the children at the school do not get a full 3 years in Children's House. In ds' class, I think only 2 of the K students were in M last year (and the class is about half K students, with only 3 three-year-olds). There has been a lot of transitions in the past few years and uncertainty on where the M school would be housed, etc. Things are more stable now, however.

There are a lot of factors I'm considering in terms of what to do next year, and I'll be consulting with his teacher on Monday, but M has some unique characteristics, so I want to hear opinions from a M perspective.

[Flor]

I'm not quite sure I understand. Will be be in a different classroom if he is enrolled as a K?

[honeybee]

No, he will be in the same classroom with the same teacher either way next year. The difference will be in when he attends 1st grade, and moves up to full-time. If he is in K next year, he will have had only 2 years in Children's House before moving to primary. But he will KNOW whether he is in K or preK. I do not want him to feel like he has to repeat K. If he is in preK next year, he will be in K the following year in the same class, followed by moving up to 1st grade after that. If he is considered a K next year, then he will go to 1st grade in fall of 2009.

[KBecks]

If he is working at a level where he can be a K student next year, then I'd have no hesitation about moving him ahead. It doesn't make sense to do an extra year just to have 3 years of CH. It's more about their progress and it sounds like he will be ready for K from what you describe. Plus, why pay for another year of school if you don't have to? Oh, I see it's a public school. Do what is best for *your son* -- do not worry about what the school's funding situation is.

So, even if he is a K next year, it's still going to be a Montessori education like his 3rd year of CH, right? I would totally go that route unless you and his teacher both think he is not ready for the work or if he is not ready for the schedule.