Frequently Asked Questions

Montessori education meets children where they are, without judgment. 

Conventional methods of education were developed specifically to prepare large numbers of children to enter the workforce. Montessori schools are specifically designed to allow each child to move at their own pace, allowing children who need more support with certain skills to receive it, and those who are ready to move ahead the ability to find the challenges they crave.

Montessori education emphasizes more than just academics.

In our schools, academics share equal emphasis with efforts to develop other aspects of the child, including emotional, social, sensorial, and practical life development. We integrate the arts and movement into everything our children do, rather than isolating these areas of study into a separate class. We intentionally teach children how to navigate and resolve conflict and how to adhere to grace and courtesy social norms.

Montessori academics are often hailed as some of the highest standards there are. 

It is not uncommon to see four-year-olds in our schools reading, six-year-olds completing long division problems, and nine-year-olds classifying botanical specimens. These tasks are completed joyfully, in part because we present information in such a way that children discover it for themselves rather than passively taking in facts given by an adult. Another reason Montessori students seem to work at an advanced academic level is because of what we call sensitive periods. Through years of observation, Dr. Maria Montessori noticed that young children seemed primed and particularly interested and ready to develop certain skills during very specific time periods. 

Montessori education aims to lift up humanity. 

Dr. Montessori believed that by giving children the honor and respect they deserved, the benefits would trickle through to families, the community, and society in general. She believed in equality of all people, and saw that education has the potential to be a great leveler. Montessori schools aim for peace. This starts between individuals, and teaching our youngest students how to be kind and gracious toward one another. A great respect for the environment and other living beings is another important aspect of our work, as is a reverence for the wide diversity of cultures around the globe. Combined, these elements are meant to cultivate within the child a respect for themselves and others, as well as a desire to ensure connection and fairness for all.

To discover how Montessori schools differ from common learning settings, you first need to understand the concept behind the Montessori Method. It is comprehensively child-centered and based on how and when a child’s mind is naturally ready to adapt and learn.

Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, introduced the Montessori Method in the early 1900s, changing the education system globally. The Montessori Method is not only based on academic growth, but also on the child’s emotional, social, and physical growth. 

The significant differences between the two styles of learning are:

• Montessori education follows a three year class term, versus traditional education which changes classes yearly.
• Montessori classrooms are filled with mixed-age groups for collective learning and to encourage social skills, versus traditional classrooms that largely contain same-aged students.
• In the Montessori classroom, students have freedom to select their learning programs and speed, which encourages deep engagement and a love of learning. In traditional classrooms, students are held to a strict timeline and set facts.
• Montessori environments are clean, organized, calm, and specially designed. They include hands-on learning materials at low levels, child-sized furniture, low sinks, and cozy spaces for reading. Traditional classrooms typically consist of bright colors, plastic materials, chalkboards, and desks.

Montessori education is based on the growth of the student and focuses on a combination of activities that aid in their full development. An education at Wonderland Montessori provides many advantages:

• Student-Centered System. The Montessori Method is founded on the idea that each child is unique. At Wonderland Montessori, we build each child’s curriculum based on their individual needs. Each curriculum focuses on the personal growth and development of the child and is child-led, instilling in students a sense of accomplishment. 
• Active Lessons. Children’s lessons are guided using specially-designed hands-on materials. The child engages concepts through many multi-faceted materials, ensuring that each lesson is thoroughly absorbed. Using these tactile materials gives the child a firm grasp of the lesson, while the action of learning feels more like play and results in better knowledge retention.
• Individualized Education. Wonderland Montessori schools adheres to the scientifically proven Montessori Method of Education.. Students receive and progress through lessons at their own pace and are therefore able to repeat or advance to lessons optimally.
• Uninterrupted Work Cycles. Work cycles at Wonderland Montessori allow children uninterrupted time to work at their own pace, with the ability to dive fully into their chosen activity. Children are free to complete any lesson, in any time span, without time barriers. Additionally, they are encouraged to start a new lesson once they have fully absorbed and completed a lesson. As a result, children are able to learn without limitations and are imparted with self-motivated growth.
• Interactive Classrooms. Our schools have comprehensive classrooms allowing students to expand and collaborate with one another. Activities and lessons are planned with the objective of allowing students to interact and cooperate, building social and emotional growth.

Multi-age classrooms are designed to naturally foster opportunities for independence and accountability, helping build environments of compassion, respect, and consideration among students. Students are afforded the opportunity to learn and grow quickly with different age groups. Often, younger children are delighted to learn from older children, and older children are authorized to become leaders in the classroom. 

Although a specific curriculum does not bind Montessori education, Wonderland Montessori covers the following Montessori lessons:

• Practical Life. Montessori schools make education a part of life, and life a part of education. At Wonderland Montessori, each classroom resembles a home more than a classroom. Child-sized furniture, and materials clearly and freely accessible to children, make a Montessori classroom immediately recognizable. When children feel empowered to choose their work, and participate in everyday activities like preparing snack, washing their dishes, and putting away their own materials, they are given the gift of independence. Through this autonomy, children learn social skills, compassion, and care for their environment.
• Sensorial. Children make discoveries and process them through their senses. Using tactile materials allows children to explore through touch, taste, sight, smell, and sound, laying the groundwork to learn more complicated skills. Wonderland Montessori uses real-life objects and sensory activities to encourage a firm grasp on educational concepts. In younger classrooms, lessons are directed by the child’s Guide to learn about shapes, textures, and dimensions.
• Mathematics. Utilizing tangible materials, children are able to delineate numerals and their quantities, understand place value, patterns, and practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Hands-on materials and engaging activities support children in developing a substantial understanding of mathematical concepts.
• Language. Difficult concepts such as vocabulary, and the skills needed to learn reading and writing are taught in Wonderland Montessori environments. Hands-on materials are used to help guide children in learning letter sounds, combining sounds to make words, and how to use a pencil to begin writing. 
• Culture. Wonderland Montessori ingrains culture into each child through the exploration of their community and the wider world. Curriculum including the study of geography, botany, zoology, science, history, music, and art create a sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around them.

No. Because the name “Montessori” is in the public domain, any establishment can claim to be “Montessori.” In America, roughly 1,100 out of 4,000 schools are authentic Montessori schools, according to Private School Review. Traits of an authentic Montessori school include trained teachers, multi-age classrooms, Montessori materials, and uninterrupted work cycles. The most high fidelity schools are recognized by American Montessori Society (AMS) or Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). 

Wonderland Montessori schools retain Guides with advanced training recognized by AMS and AMI.

Tips to finding an authentic Montessori education for your child:

• Check if the school is associated with any Montessori organizations
• Do your research on the certification and training required by teachers
• Tour the school and meet the teachers
• Ask about the theories behind classroom activities

Because Montessori students are guided through a variety of hands-on activities in learning environments, they display a deeper knowledge of the educational materials. 

Montessori is designed to help all children reach their fullest potential at their own unique pace. A classroom whose children have varying abilities is a community in which everyone learns from one another and everyone contributes. Moreover, multi-age grouping allows each child to find his or her own pace without feeling “ahead” or “behind” in relation to peers.

No. Montessori educates children without reference to a religious denomination. As a result, our classrooms are extremely diverse, with representation from all peoples, cultures, and religions.

Montessori is not a franchise. The term Montessori is not trademarked and anyone, regardless of training, experience or affiliation can open a “Montessori” school. It is essential that parents researching Montessori act as good consumers to ensure the authenticity of their chosen program.

Dr. Maria Montessori wanted to be sure that guides were trained correctly, methods were applied as she intended, and a complete set of authentic materials graced the shelves of classrooms. Today, there are two major organizations that carry on her work and are generally regarded as the standard for Montessori education. They are AMI (Association Montessori International), which was created by Dr. Montessori herself, and AMS (American Montessori Society), which branched off from AMI in 1960. The two organizations maintain a positive working relationship and mutual respect for the work they both do. If you are looking for a high fidelity Montessori program, it’s important to find a school that is connected to either AMI or AMS. There are different levels of connection, depending on how closely a school aligns their work with what is considered ideal.

Each of our guides has attended a rigorous Montessori certification program at an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) or American Montessori Society (AMS) training center, that is recognized by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). Training program includes in-person education, observation and student teaching prior to certification. Many of our staff members have advanced degrees from educational institutions around the globe.

Montessori schools teach the same basic skills as traditional schools, and offer a rigorous academic program. Most of the subject areas are familiar—such as math, science, history, geography, and language—but they are presented through an integrated approach that brings separate strands of learning together.

While studying a map of Africa, for example, students may explore the art, history, and inventions of several African nations. This may lead them to examine ancient Egypt, including hieroglyphs and their place in the history of writing. The study of the pyramids, of course, is a natural bridge to geometry. This approach to curriculum shows the interrelatedness of all things. It also allows students to become thoroughly immersed in a topic — and to give their curiosity full rein.

Montessori schools may be best known for their programs with young children, but the underlying educational method describes programs for students up through high school.

Montessori children are free to choose within limits, and have only as much freedom as they can handle with appropriate responsibility. The classroom teacher and assistant ensure that children do not interfere with each other, and that each child is progressing at her appropriate pace in all subjects.

The different arrangement of a Montessori classroom mirrors the Montessori method's differences from traditional education. Rather than putting the teacher at the focal point of the class, with children dependent on her for information and activity, the classroom shows a literally child-centered approach. Children work at tables or on floor mats where they can spread out their materials, and the teacher circulates about the room, giving lessons or resolving issues as they arise.

Yes. Montessori classrooms encourage deep learning of the concepts behind academic skills rather than rote practice of abstract techniques. The success of our students appears in the experiences of our alumni, who compete successfully with traditionally educated students in a variety of high schools and universities.

Montessori classrooms emphasize competition with oneself: self-monitoring, self-correction, and a variety of other executive skills aimed at continuous improvement. Students typically become comfortable with their strengths and learn how to address their weaknesses. In older classes, students commonly participate in competitive activities with clear “winners” (auditions for limited opera roles, the annual spelling bee, etc.) in which students give their best performances while simultaneously encouraging peers to do the same. It is a healthy competition in which all contenders are content that they did their best in an environment with clear and consistent rules.

There are no “grades” assigned in a Montessori classroom. Assessment is by portfolio and the teacher’s observation and record keeping. Each child’s academic progress, happiness, maturity, and love of learning are carefully followed by the teacher and discussed with the parents. Research studies show that Montessori children are well prepared for later life–academically, socially, and emotionally. They typically adjust well when introduced to a traditional school environment. In addition to scoring well on standardized tests, Montessori children are often above average on such criteria as following directions, turning in work on time, listening attentively, using basic skills, showing responsibility, asking provocative questions, showing enthusiasm for learning, and adapting to new situations.

Dr. Montessori observed that children are more motivated to learn when working on something of their own choosing. A Montessori student may choose his focus of learning on any given day, but his decision is limited by the materials and activities—in each area of the curriculum—that his guide has prepared and presented to him. Beginning at the elementary level, students typically set learning goals and create personal work plans with the supervision of the guide.

Uniforms are not required. Students follow a basic dress code to maximize their comfort and minimize distractions but are encouraged to dress to their individual preferences.

Catered meals are available to students at an additional cost (beyond tuition). Options vary by location.