Montessori Preschool

Personally, I think it is generally better to go to the preschool if you are intending to do the entire curriculum. While I know that Waldorf kids do transition back into other schools well, I don't know for sure how well Montessori does that. I would ask that question of the faculty/staff at the school when you get more info, and I'm sure they can give you some more information on it.

You might also want to call and ask the public school that is nearest to that preschool to see if they've had other kids transition from there and how they did... I'm sure the kindergarten teacher would have feedback on that.

I am a teacher and I am only speaking out of experience of one student I have, taking into consideration he is hearing impaired. I think preschool may be an OK option for her but would caution you on the whole Kindergarten thing. My student lost out on all the basic sight words they taught, patterning, etc.....and therefore was behind right off the bat. You might want to check in both Kindergarten curriculums to see how they align. If they are different, she may have catch up to do. Just my two cents but in my case I think he would have benefitted from being in district for his Kindergarten year. Good luck. I know it's a hard decision. Too many options these days!

I think that if you are planning on starting with the Montessori School you should stay with their school. The Montessori System and public school I do not think is a good match. There a many good pre-schools that will fit very well with the public school system. There is a Montessori School in Bull Valley that goes through 8th grade.
Have you checked with the your local school district to see what programs they offer for the students eligible for Pre-School.
You may wish to also look into a good Christian School. My son went Pre-K through 6th grade to Woodstock Christian School. We then home schooled 2 years, he completed his eduction at Woodstock High School. He is now over at Rockford Masters Commission at Discipleship School.

Just My Opinion..
S.

Hi A.-
I am actually looking for current info myself, particularly about Foundations Montessori in Alqonquin for my 2.5 yr old daughter. I can however give you the perspective that I myself attended Montessori for preschool, Kindergarten, public school for 1st and 2nd, and then back to Montessori for 3rd-6th grade (a Montessori program that was actually housed within a public school). I then went onto public jr high and high school. I made the move to public in 1st grade, primarily because my mom was driving me pretty far and cost. By the end of 2nd grade, I was so bored, my parents put me back to Montessori--I was in NO WAY behind--I was ahead!!

I also had no trouble whatsoever when transitioning to jr high school, and did so along with a number of other classmates. For my own situation today, we are considering Montessori for our daughter who will be three June '09 for 3 and 4 yr old preschool only, re: cost and local program availability. I attended school in MI, and haven't found the same extension of programs into the public schools here similar to the set-up that I had. I wish you lots of luck!!!
A.

I don't really know anything about Montessori preschools, but I went to a preschool fair last year when we were looking for my daughter and if I remember correctly, I believe they were about $350-$400/month.