As Ivan is an active child, we aren't sure that he would find the traditional classroom environment conducive to focused learning. He is able to focus on activities in bursts of time at his own pace, and enjoys the social aspect of teaching/learning with his peers. He is also a very hands-on learner, so the materials in a Montessori environment (particularly the math materials, number beads etc) have really helped accelerate his understanding of numbers - I am amazed at his capacity for math at such a young age, and attribute much of that to the manner in which it has been taught. 