Montessori schools are an attractive option for both parents and children. These unique schools offer a child-centred approach to education that promotes independence, creativity and critical thinking. Montessori schools are designed to meet the needs of each child. If you are looking for an alternative to traditional schooling, a Montessori school may be the right fit for your family.
When my son turned 18 months, I watched him try to carry a full cup of water across our kitchen. He walked slowly, tongue sticking out in concentration, water sloshing dangerously close to the rim. He made it three steps before everything spilled. Instead of helping him, I handed him a towel. He looked confused … Read more
When I started researching preschools for my daughter, I kept seeing two names appear, Montessori and Reggio Emilia. Both promised child-centered learning, beautiful classrooms, and respect for children as capable learners. Both originated in Italy around the same time. Both looked nothing like traditional preschool. I visited schools representing each approach, read everything I could … Read more
Walking into the Nido for the first time with my eight-week-old daughter felt surreal. I expected cribs lined up against walls, babies in swings, and that institutional daycare smell. Instead, I found floor beds at baby height, mirrors mounted low on the walls, and a peaceful calm that felt more like a thoughtfully designed home … Read more
When my daughter turned three, everyone kept asking, “What preschool did you choose?” But I’d enrolled her in something called a “Children’s House” for ages 2.5 to 6. My neighbor looked puzzled. “So… that’s like preschool and kindergarten combined?” she asked. I nodded, though honestly, I didn’t fully understand it myself yet. Two years later, … Read more
When my daughter completed Montessori elementary, I started looking for a Montessori high school. After weeks of searching, I had to face reality, there weren’t any within an hour’s drive. Or two hours. The closest authentic Montessori adolescent program was three states away. This is the honest truth about Montessori high school. It’s not common. … Read more
My son walked into his first-grade Montessori classroom expecting desks, textbooks, and a teacher at the front of the room. Instead, he found three sixth-graders hunched over a detailed timeline of human history they’d created. A group of second-graders was conducting a science experiment with water and different materials. Two fourth-graders were planning a field … Read more
I still remember standing outside the Montessori school for my son’s first tour, watching through the window as three-year-olds calmly moved between activities. One child was carefully pouring water from a small pitcher. Another was tracing letters with their fingers. No one was sitting in rows. No teacher stood at the front directing the class. … Read more
The email from the public school principal arrived in March. My son had been accepted for first grade starting in September. After three years in his beloved Montessori classroom, he would be transitioning to traditional school. I felt simultaneously relieved (no more tuition payments!) and terrified (how would he possibly adapt?). That first month was … Read more
When my oldest started kindergarten, I assumed traditional school was the only real option. Sure, I’d heard whispers about Montessori and homeschooling, but they felt like choices for other families with different circumstances than ours. Then kindergarten happened, and I watched my curious, energetic child wilt under the pressure of sitting still for hours, following … Read more
I stood in the hallway between two open houses, clutching brochures from both schools, feeling completely torn. The Waldorf classroom had looked like a forest fairy tale, all natural wood and handmade puppets. The Montessori room gleamed with organised shelves of precise materials. Both teachers were lovely. Both philosophies sounded amazing. And I had absolutely … Read more