"The most important period of life...........is the first one, the period from birth to age six," said Dr. Montessori "For that is the time when man's intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed."

Our goal for the children in our school is to help reveal the toddler as "unconscious creator" and the early (primary) child as a "conscious worker". Their classrooms are designed specially for a child and the materials are in a sequential order on the shelves from simple to complex, from concrete to abstract. The entire environment is created to facilitate their learning process. Maria Montessori observed that children learn by doing and wrote that the "hand was the instrument of the mind" The Montessori curricula, techniques and materials satisfy the natural tendancy for this age child to learn by doing. Independence, coordination, order, self-discipline and concentration are developed. The use of rich vocabulary ---even with toddlers---is important to fully draw from children their receptivity to learn language and increase vocabulary on a daily basis.

As a child moves through the environment, there is freedom to choose from a range of activities and experiences that satisfy his or her unique interests. There is freedom of movement to allow for social interactions. Emphasis is placed on learning to take care of oneself and the environment, the development of the senses and of self-respect. The child is introduced to the concept of "community" and we work together to give and share and resolving conflicts amicably. Our school was awarded a grant from the Washington Post to develop a "Peace Curriculum" to honor the work that Maria Montessori did in the area of peace education. The curriculum has been received joyfully by the children and the staff is proud of its success.

To learn more about our Toddler Program please click here

Toddler Children 18 months - 3 years Toddler 5 Monday-Friday 8:30-11:45 Toddler After Care Monday-Friday 12:00-3:00 Children do not have to be potty trained. We work on this in the classroom.

To learn more about our primary
(children 3-6 years) please click here

Special Note about our Kindergarten School Day---Our program provides a full day Montessori experience. The morning is spent in their class with a mixed age group of children. It is a wonderful experience for the kindergarten child to be the "oldest" among their classroom peers. After lunch, when with their classmates, and the younger children have left the room for their nap, the kindergarten children are left to work with their teacher in the afternoon. This provides the children another work period for the teacher to further work (especially in mathematics and language) with the children for successful transition to the elementary classroom.

The children also have additional field trips, experience working with the Great Books curriculum, music, art, sign language, and physical education.

We believe that the third year in the Montessori classroom is very important to the completion of the Montessori Primary experience. We are pleased and proud that parents agree with us, because we rarely have a child leave our school to join the public school system at the kindergarten level.

^ top