Maria Montessori.
The innovator & her methods
Maria Montessori was an Italian doctor and educator in the early 20th century. She gained worldwide fame when 3 and 4-year-olds living in the slums of Rome learned to read and write in her tenement classroom.
More impressively, the children learned without painstaking drills or having to work in lockstep with 20+ other children, as is in conventional education.
Instead, the children followed a sequence of purposeful learning materials and had the gentle guidance of an adult who knew when to step in and offer support and redirection, when to give the child space to work independently, and how to create an environment that inspires every child to find profound joy in learning, working, and building independence.
guidepost montessori’s early-childhood programs provide:
Intentionally-designed learning materials
Each Guidepost Montessori classroom contains a sequence of captivating, hands-on learning materials that build on one another systematically.
These materials offer foundational learning experiences—in problem-solving, math, literacy, geography, and so much more—all while allowing the child to joyously move from one achievement to the next independently and at her own pace.
- Pictured: A preschooler working with the binomial cube, a puzzle that builds problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and attention to detail, while preparing her for algebraic concepts learned in elementary.
A curriculum for independence
At Guidepost Montessori, education is more than just a preparation for school—it’s a preparation for life.
From the moment they’re ready, children in each Guidepost Montessori program are empowered to fully participate in their own life and to become increasingly capable of independently reasoning, judging, taking action, and flourishing in the world.
- Pictured: An infant drinking from an open cup, a practice that allows the child to gradually build fine motor control, focus, and persistence while doing a real-world task she finds inherently motivating.
One-on-one guidance and support
Guidepost Montessori guides (teachers) form personal connections with each child and observe them closely to understand their individual needs and track their progress.
Children receive personal lessons in each area of the curriculum—lessons designed to meet them right where they are, inspire them, and provide just the right amount of challenge to spur them on towards their next great achievement.
- Pictured: A child receiving a personal lesson on the movable alphabet, a material that allows the child to compose words with wooden letters while he’s still working on building the dexterity to write with a pencil.
A supportive, mixed-age community
Every Guidepost Montessori classroom is mixed-age by design.
Younger children are inspired by the knowledge and abilities of those who are further along; older children delight in being a leader and sharing what they know; and every child gains a growth mindset, learns to collaborate, and makes progress without unhealthy competition or comparison.
- Pictured: An older child taking on a leadership role and demonstrating how to build the pink tower to two younger children who have recently joined the classroom.
at guidepost montessori, we believe every child is tremendously capable.
But what’s even better, the children believe it too.
Every child at Guidepost Montessori knows they can accomplish real things and engage in real learning. Not because someone tells them so, but because they choose it, experience it, and succeed at it every single day.