Anonymous wrote:Both my kids went to Montessori preschool. Results were mixed.

IMO, the kids that do best in Montessori preschool are kids who are 1) average to bright; 2) have good social skills; 3) not too insanely creative or imaginative. #3 isn't a slam, but kids that love facts do better with this model than kids who love make believe stories.

#3 is where I get stuck ... I think my DD would be a perfect fit for Montessori (obsessed with puzzles) except for that she's super imaginative. Anyone have imaginative kids that have thrived in Montessori environment?

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone every had a very high-energy or "busy" boy in Montessori and have any feedback? We are about a year out, but our son really does not stop moving. Even his daycare teacher who has seen alot of high-energy boys, says he is VERY busy.

"Busy" is not necessarily a problem. I think being able to work independently for an extended time period is more important. Many things can be off limit to him at least in the begining. If he cannot control his impulse that might be a problem.

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone every had a very high-energy or "busy" boy in Montessori and have any feedback? We are about a year out, but our son really does not stop moving. Even his daycare teacher who has seen alot of high-energy boys, says he is VERY busy.

My son is very high-energy and always busy, moving, etc. It's hard to know because you aren't there, but I think he's doing well. The thing I like about our program is that there's plenty of time for non-montessori activities, so we are only talking about an hour or 1.5 hours of true Montessori (this is a 2 year old, so not even real Montessori anyway). They go to the woods once a week, and go outside (or the gym) 2x/day. He is also in "afterschool" so there is time for the extra outdoor session and non-Montessori work. Overall, I think it's a nice mix, particularly since he is going to be in a full-time child care situation regardless.