I would like to add that in Montessori, art and nature are also emphasized - depending on the individual school. In my elementary-aged Montessori school, emphasis was placed on nature walks, learning how to use naturally growing foods (herbs, dandelions, etc), growing a garden, and creating art with color pencils, crayons, watercolors, and oils, and trips to art museums and symphonies. It really does depend on the school and the philosophy of the director. Some schools *are* very regimented and academically focused, while others are not.
That said, emphasis was also placed on reading challenging materials (self-selected), spelling and grammar, French, the process of creation (i.e. process is as important as end result) and respecting individual choices within the interdependent nature of the class (i.e. children can choose whether to work alone or "share work" - a new concept even to our playgroup!).
It really depends on the nature of the child and the nature of the school - sounds like Queen Mamma's daughter felt pressured, while I loved it. It comes down to the individual teacher of the classroom, whether or not she is encouraging the child rather than pressuring them. You can definitely tell...
As an adult, the only comparison I can make is that Montessori feels very...Zen. Does that make sense? Although ol' Maria was anything but Buddhist...
