Choosing a Montessori Program

Loads of parents I work with are exploring options for preschool, and it can definitely be an overwhelming experience. Parents are weighing price, pros/cons lists, driving distance, staff training, school philosophy, and countless other preferences.

I spent four years working in Montessori schools as an assistant teacher and as an administrator. I’m happy to share with you a few guiding questions in your search for a Montessori program.

A high-quality Montessori program should:

1. Be either AMI or AMS accredited
   Montessori is not a protected term, which means that anyone can open a school and put ‘Montessori’ in the name or description of their curriculum (EEK!).

2. Have multi-age classrooms
   Typically, children are divided into infant (0-14 month), toddler (14 months-3 years old), primary (3-6 years old), and elementary (6-12 years old).

3. Allow you to observe for 15+ minutes while children are present in the classroom(s)
   Programs with only toddlers or infants may not permit observation due to privacy concerns (lack of bathroom privacy). If this is the case, you’ll want to be more diligent with asking good questions to determine whether the school is a good fit for your family.

4. Have certified lead/head teachers
   Be wary of schools with multiple teachers in training. This can be a sign of high staff turnover.

Need some additional guidance?