Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do the children who leave here transition into other types of schools?
There is no cut and dry answer to this question. Each child is different. All children handle any kind
of transition different from another. Therefore, to some extent you are the best judge of how your child
will transition into another environment. That being said... there is a lot that can be done to create a
smooth transition. First, visit your child's new school and tell them where your child is coming from.
It is important that your child's new school being interested in a successful transition for your child.
In addition, please let us know when you are considering moving your child as it is always our
commitment to have your child succeed in whatever environment he/ she may be in. Therefore, once you
have communicated to us where your child will be going and what the expectations are of that environment,
we will be able to begin the transition prior to your child leaving by creating a similar environment
for your child here. With regards to academics, your child will not suffer any setbacks simply because
he/she was educated via the Montessori Method. Our curricula was designed by incorporating the local and
state core curriculums into our standards and creating exit skills which we follow as a basis for
advancement. If for some reason your child is not meeting those standards, you will have been made aware
of it long before your child transfers to another school. Lastly, our elementary students do take
Standardized Tests every.. We do not teach to the test, but do feel it is important to assure our
parents that their children are working and learning on par with other children their age.
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Why don't you offer less than half-day programs?
We feel it is important to keep the child's schedule as consistent as possible. Our past experiences
have shown us that children who attend less than five days tend to have a much harder time transitioning
into our school and in developing relationships. In addition, we do many of our cultural and "Universal
Value" curriculum lessons in group settings, children who are not here consistently tend to miss many of
those lessons and do not get the full value of the education we offer.
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What is the benefit of a multi-age classroom?
In a multi-age classroom the children enjoy many mutually beneficial relationships. Because there are
varying age and ability levels in each classroom, children can be working on work at what ever level
they are capable of without there being a lot of competition amongst them. They don't tend to notice
where each other is in terms of ability as so many children are working on so many levels. In addition,
they tend to grasp concepts much quicker because they are exposed to so much at a younger age than they
are when we keep them group in age groups and only give them what we deem as age-appropriate lessons.
Lastly, older children get an opportunity to reinforce many of their newly found skills by showing a
younger child. For example, a child who is just beginning to read may take 30 minutes or more to read a
short book. Who better than a three year old who will thoroughly enjoy that time with his/ her older
friend to sit with that child while he reads?
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How can the teachers manage to look after so many children who are doing so many different things?
Each of our classrooms has two teachers or a teacher and an intern. The way a Montessori Classroom
successfully operates is by clearly defining the roles of each of the adults in the classroom. The Head
Classroom teacher is usually the Lesson Giver. The Lesson Givers role is to provide one-on-one or small
group lessons to the children. These lessons are provided according to ability levels not according to
age groupings. In order for the Lesson Giver to be able to give 100% of her attention to the lessons she
is giving, the other adult in the classroom must be performing her role as the Tone Keeper. The Tone
Keeper's role in the classroom is to make sure that each child is actively engaged in appropriate work.
If a child is not actively engaged in appropriate work, it is then the role of the Tone Keeper to
redirect that child into work that is appropriate for their ability level and that interests the child.
In the event, the teaching team is having a difficult time engaging a child into an area or a particular
work, it is then the role of the Tone Keeper and/or the Lesson Giver to begin to explore alternative
ways to engage that child. For example a child who is very tactile may want to mold the geometric shapes
out of clay rather than do matching cards. The Lesson Giver and the Tone Keeper keep in communication
with one another regarding lessons that are being given, when a child is engaged in practicing or
mastering a concept and on ways to support each child's individual growth and development.
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What is the student to teacher ratios?
The child to teacher ratio is about 10 to 1 in every class except our Toddler Classes where the ratios is 6 to 1.
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How many children are in each classroom?
It varies by class. There are approximately 18 - 28 children in each class with two or three teachers.
We do our best to keep the ages in classroom equally proportionate. For example, in a 3 to 6 year old
class we will make every attempt to have approximately one-third three year olds, one-third four year
olds and one-third five year olds. In addition, we are very conscious of keeping the boy to girl
balance as even as possible.
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Are your teachers certified? And what does that mean?
Yes. Each classroom has at least one fully certified teacher. Many of our classes have two fully
certified teachers and often we include an intern as the second person in the classroom. Our teachers
are either AMI or AMS certified. The requirements for becoming certified through either of these
programs include several hundred hours of on-site classes and a year of internship in addition to
their Bachelor's Degree.
