Guidepost Montessori classrooms are light, airy, calming, and aesthetically beautiful spaces. Each learning material is carefully curated in order to encourage children to explore and learn. Watch a virtual tour of our Old Town campus in Chicago, and explore more resources below.

In Montessori, the classroom plays a key role in a child's learning. Montessori believed that children thrive in environments that are thoughtfully and intentionally prepared to spark curiosity and exploration. In fact, it is common in the Montessori method to reference the Environment as the 

 is that in every classroom environment there are three entities responsible for teaching and learning; the first is the teacher, the second is the student, and the third is the environment. 

A Montessori classroom environment is prepared to support self-directed learning and inquiry. It is carefully designed to stimulate each child's curiosity and instill a lifelong love of learning. Children work at their own pace and choose their own activities.

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Curious about what goes into a Montessori classroom setup? Want to know what to look for in an authentic Montessori classroom? We've curated the top stories from our 

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Guidepost Montessori School Setup

Five years and nearly 90 campuses later, how do we do it – and why? We take you behind the scenes of a Montessori School Setup.

Any school can market itself as Montessori — here are five signs to look for in an authentic Montessori classroom.

Continuing your child's Montessori experience through elementary ensures coalescing of skills in reading, writing, and presentation.

One of the ways to make Montessori concepts more familiar is to place them in a modern workplace setting.

An education for independence is just around the corner.  Discover Guidepost schools and programs near you.

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Guidepost Montessori Virtual School delivers a fully-guided, teacher-led online Montessori program for early childhood and elementary school aged children from home

Virtual School

What are the Montessori names for preschool and kindergarten? Preschool is called the Toddler program, while kindergarten is known as the Children's House program. Click the images below to explore program overviews and discover what your child will learn at our school.

For children ages 16 months to 2.5-3 years old (age varies according to location)

Children ages 16 months to 2.5-3 years old make astonishing achievements in terms of communication, independence, physical movement, problem-solving ability, and social interactions. The Toddler program helps young children maximize the gains they make during this crucial time.

Refinement of movement and problem solving 

Making friends and setting boundaries 

Going to the toilet independently

Mastering communication

Building a sense of community

Teachers keep parents and caregivers involved

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Between the ages of one and three, a toddler will go from speaking two-word phrases all the way to full sentences, using correct grammar. To reduce the typical frustration that toddlers feel when they don’t yet have the skill to share their needs and preferences, it’s important to support your toddler’s early language development, deliberately and methodically exposing your toddler to the specific language that she will need on a daily basis. This aspect of language learning is an important part of your child’s classroom experience.

In the Montessori toddler classroom, a child is exposed to real, rich, precise, and varied vocabulary and grammar. The Montessori guide will get down on the child’s level, look in his eyes, and speak to him clearly, so that he can watch the movements made by her mouth as she speaks. Children will enjoy carefully chosen songs, and read-aloud books with poetry, real stories and beautiful illustrations.

Your toddler will experience less frustration as he learns to express his ideas and feelings in words, and this thoughtful approach to language will also prepare him for reading and writing in the Children's House.

Toddlers love to do real-world, adult tasks “all by myself”! The toddler community offers your toddler real tools and opportunities through the Montessori “practical life” activities.

Tables, chairs, toilets, and sinks are just the right size and easily accessible to your child. Materials and utensils are sized to a child’s hand and ability, and art and mirrors are hung at child’s height. Children use the dressing frames, which teach her to open and close velcro, buttons, snaps, zippers, and more.

She will polish mirrors or shoes, water plants, or wash real dishes and cloths used in the classroom. She will learn to wipe her own nose and brush her own hair, establishing foundational habits of self-care. She'll practice arranging flowers in a small vase, and placing them in a spot she chooses in the classroom, so that they will add to the beauty of the community.

In this right-sized environment, the Montessori practical life exercises allow a child to perform real-world, purposeful tasks that your child can choose and complete independently. Your child will become an important contributor to her community, and practice tasks over and over to achieve mastery, building confidence and self-esteem. This gives rise to a naturally self-reinforcing process: the more he tries, the more he succeeds. The more success he feels, the more confident he becomes. The sense of accomplishment that a child feels each time he achieves something new (something that grown-ups do, too!) builds the foundation of self-confidence that he will carry with him throughout his life.

In the Montessori toddler community, children have access to increasingly-sophisticated Montessori activities. Each activity is matched to the appropriate moment in an individual child's development and designed to strengthen the integration between her mind and her hand. These activities support the toddler in learning to understand cause and effect, solve problems, make choices, and pursue goals, as well as giving her plenty of opportunities to practice increasingly coordinated movements.

Some activities feed a child's developing mind through hand-eye coordination; others address his need to move and grow. Your child will engage in gross motor activity, both indoors and out, from singing and dancing with friends, to climbing and riding tricycles on our beautiful playground, to simply experiencing the joy of freedom of movement in the Montessori classroom.

As your toddler works with more complex activities, her experiences reinforce her belief in her own ability to solve problems and surmount challenges that arise along the way. From opening and closing latches, to sorting and matching activities, to watering plants or setting a table, your toddler needs new challenges to overcome all the time!

One of the most important ways a toddler learns to be independent is in learning to use the toilet on his own. Our Montessori guides know how to watch for the signs that a child is ready, and how to motivate him to learn without pressure.

Your child will have access to bathrooms which are just his size, and we'll share comfortable rhythms and routines that make using the toilet familiar and appealing. Most of all, the mixed-age classroom is an invaluable resource: older children in the class will be setting the example, inspiring interest and a desire to emulate in the younger children. The Montessori approach ensures that great care is taken to keep the experience positive and relaxed.

Socializing with “Grace and Courtesy”

One of the most exciting things about working with toddlers is watching them begin to interact, play, and socialize with their peers. To learn, children imitate the adults around them, establishing patterns of social behavior that will stay with them throughout their lifetimes. Because children move freely in their Montessori classroom, they have lots of opportunities to interact with other children.

Our Montessori guides help children learn positive social interaction through specific lessons in “grace and courtesy.” Rather than constantly correcting your child’s behavior from a negative perspective, children are instead shown what to do in each situation. Courteous interactions are modeled, capitalizing on the toddler's delight in imitation. Lessons in grace and courtesy help your toddler to navigate his world with confidence and consideration for others.

Leslie G.

Parent

Patricia H.

Lilly K.

Children ages 16 months to 3 years old make astonishing achievements in terms of communication, independence, physical movement, problem-solving ability, and social interactions. The Toddler program helps young children maximize the gains they make during this crucial time.

For children ages 16 months to 2.5-3 years old (age varies according to location) 

Toddler 

For children ages 16 months to 6 years old, at select Guidepost locations

In our Mandarin Immersion program, the prevailing language spoken throughout the day is Mandarin. Students learn both Mandarin and English literacy skills, however, the overall emphasis on Mandarin rapidly increases fluency, as children feel naturally compelled to communicate with their Mandarin-speaking guides.

Fluency in Mandarin opens doors to an entire world for your child, offering opportunities that would have been otherwise unavailable. The bilingual child has a deeper understanding of the potential of her own mind, a social and emotional head start, and a stronger foundation in executive functioning skills.

Young children under the age of six absorb more than one language effortlessly and with joy, so we offer full Mandarin immersion for toddlers through kindergarten-aged children.

Bilingualism offers a lifetime of benefits.

In an increasingly globalized world, bilingualism opens doors to whole new realms—in cultural experiences, creative and professional opportunities, and in meaningful personal relationships.

Beyond the practical benefits of bilingualism, there is a tremendous amount of evidence from psychology, neuroscience, and education research that fluency in a second language has a significant impact on crucial executive functioning skills. These executive functioning skills are key factors in an individual’s ability to succeed in life.

Executive functioning skills help us direct our attention, plan and solve problems, and interpret the words and actions of others. Additionally, bilingual children as young as age 3 have demonstrated a head start on empathy, as well as other fundamental social and emotional skills.

Our immersion classrooms feature lead teachers (“guides”) who are not only Montessori-trained, but are also native Mandarin speakers, and the daily classroom experience is conducted fully in Mandarin. This constant exposure to native Mandarin allows children to learn the language with a native accent and natural intonation.

Mandarin-speaking lead guides give Montessori lessons in Mandarin, and they conduct daily conversations and classroom management in Mandarin as well.

Though all main lessons and classroom management conversations are held in Mandarin, English vocabulary lessons, as well as lessons for older children who are ready to learn to read and write in English, are given by a Montessori-trained native English speaker who works with students one-on-one or in small groups.

Mandarin full immersion classrooms are available at select Guidepost schools in our Toddler and Children's House programs.

Jen F.

Nido (or "nest" in English) describes the classroom environment designed for infants aged around 10 weeks up to 16 months, laying the foundations for future growth. All of the young child's developmental needs are met with warmth and care by expert staff, such as their desire to walk and talk, eat and drink independently, and understand the world around them. 

Mandarin Immersion

An in-home program for infants ages 6 weeks to 16 months old (age varies according to location)

Picco is derived from the Italian word piccolo, or “little”, which is exactly what these programs are – small scale, in-home Nido classrooms designed for up to 5-6 children and two guides. Located in home spaces that are selected and operated by Guidepost Montessori, Picco classrooms combine the intimacy of a nanny share with the structure and development expertise of a school classroom.

Beautiful by design

Space to walk and talk 

Building confidence and feeling loved

Freedom and encouragement to try new things

Scientifically designed learning materials

Much of your baby’s energy early on will go toward building gross motor ability, as he learns to hold up his head, roll over, push up off the ground, sit up, stand, walk, climb, etc. Successful development in this area sets the stage for strength and coordination later in life, which are necessary to enjoy sports, dance, or daily life recreational activities.

For babies to fully learn to do all these things, they must have time, space, and freedom to move, so that they can practice each individual step along the way. When you first visit one of our Picco communities, you’ll probably notice that there are no playpens, no jumpers, no walkers, and no high chairs—nothing that restricts your baby’s movement.

Your tiny baby is trying new things all the time. Each time your baby practices a new skill, and then masters it, she strengthens the sense of confidence that will stay with her throughout her lifetime. Even your tiny baby imitates others, and can begin to take small steps towards independent self-care. Your Montessori guides will gently support your baby to learn to do things for herself, striking just the right balance between making your little one feel safe and loved, and identifying the right moment to encourage her to try something new.

Self-feeding is one of the early ways that your baby can practice independence in the area of self-care. As your baby learns to sit reliably, she sits at a tiny table on a sturdy chair, sized so that she can crawl in and out of the chair herself. We provide real dishes, glasses and utensils, just her size, as soon as she is ready to learn to use them. The adult does as much as necessary but as little as possible at any given stage, helping your baby to do it “all by myself”!

Following your baby's natural schedule encourages him to trust his body, and encourages a healthy relationship to sleeping, eating, and toileting. In the Picco community, we observe your baby's natural cycle of feeding, sleeping, and biological functions, and provide for his needs on his own schedule. This way, your little one develops a basic sense of security and trust in the world: at a fundamental level, he learns that he is taken care of, that his needs will be provided for. As he learns each step towards meeting those needs himself — crawling towards his sleeping area, feeding himself, or signing that his diaper is wet — his trust in himself grows, too!

We know the extreme importance of exposing your baby to rich spoken language and dynamic verbal interactions, in order to give his developing brain everything needed to master language. Our interactions with your baby are vibrant and meaningful. We describe what he is doing, what we are doing, and what other children are doing, making sure that he can watch the movements of our mouths as we speak.

As your baby becomes more familiar with precise language, he also begins to form connections between language, tone, and his own emotions. We expose your baby to as much vocabulary as possible, by clearly identifying objects and actions. Additionally, we read beautiful books about real people and things, and we sing — exposing your child to the full range of speech and expression.

Maria Montessori famously observed that “the hand is the instrument of the intelligence.” She understood that your baby uses her hand to fuel the development of her brain and nervous system. In a few short months, your baby goes from involuntary and reflexive movements, to intentionally batting and grabbing at objects, then to releasing something once she has grasped it. From there, she learns more refined grasping abilities, including the all-important “pincer grip” later used for holding a pencil. She transfers things from hand to hand, and coordinates her two hands for a chosen purpose (such as to bang things together!).

Our Picco environments carefully nurture your baby’s developing intelligence by offering increasingly more complex objects to explore and manipulate in intriguing ways. You’ll be amazed at how your child will learn, when simply given time and space to practice the activities that respond exactly to precise moments in her development.

Nido (or "nest" in English) describes the classroom environment designed for infants aged around 10 weeks up to 16 months. All of the young child's developmental needs are met with warmth and care by expert staff, such as their desire to walk and talk, eat and drink independently, and understand the world around them. 

A satellite classroom near campus in a home environment for infants ages 6 weeks to 16 months old, available at select Guidepost locations

Picco 

An academically rigorous environment for students ages 6 to 12 with a continued emphasis on independence. Students explore the great ideas in history and civilizations, with a practical hands-on approach to modern life and needs.



The Pursuit of Truth

The Power of Agency

The Love of Work

The Joy of Community

The Courage to Live Wholehearted

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How does a Montessori elementary classroom actually work? What does it look like? How and what do students learn? In this information session, Laura Mazer, our Senior Vice President of Programs, provides an overview of Guidepost Montessori's elementary program and a peek inside a few of our elementary classrooms.

Mathematics

Science

Writing and Literature

Arts

What will my child learn in an Elementary Montessori classroom? If students are learning at their own pace, how do you assess their progress? Steven Gaudino of Guidepost Montessori answers these and other top questions that parents ask about our Elementary program.

Grandparent

For children ages 6 to 12 years ages (equivalent to Grade 1 to 6), available at select Guidepost locations

Elementary

Discover the Montessori Children's House preschool & kindergarten program for 3 to 6 year olds: our early years learning program designed to unlock the full potential of every child.

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Students direct their own activities, building knowledge, confidence and social skills along the way. Teachers empower children to use all the materials available to them, which range from practical life activities to geography to mathematics.

Academic excellence 

Independence and expert guidance

Developing intelligence and increasing confidence 

Reading and writing

A flourishing social life

Follow along as Olivia, a Children's House student, goes about her day at Guidepost Montessori. 

The third year of Children's House is a "capstone year" that represents the Kindergarten year in a traditional school setting. See how academic and social work culminate in the final year of the program.

Kayla R.

Sara T.

Taylor M.

For children ages 3 to 6 years old (includes Kindergarten in "capstone" third year of the program)

Children's House 

For infants ages 12 weeks to 18 months old (age varies according to location)

Nido (or "nest" in English) describes the nurturing classroom environment designed for infants aged around 6-12 weeks up to 16 months old. All of the young child's developmental needs are met with warmth and care by expert staff, such as their desire to walk and talk, eat and drink independently, and understand the world around them.

For babies to fully learn to do all these things, they must have time, space, and freedom to move, so that they can practice each individual step along the way. When you first visit a Montessori Nido community, you’ll probably notice that there are no playpens, no jumpers, no walkers, and no high chairs—nothing that restricts your baby’s movement.

Following your baby's natural schedule encourages him to trust his body, and encourages a healthy relationship to sleeping, eating, and toileting. In the Montessori Nido, we observe your baby's natural cycle of feeding, sleeping, and biological functions, and provide for his needs on his own schedule. This way, your little one develops a basic sense of security and trust in the world: at a fundamental level, he learns that he is taken care of, that his needs will be provided for. As he learns each step towards meeting those needs himself — crawling towards his sleeping area, feeding himself, or signing that his diaper is wet — his trust in himself grows, too!

Our classroom carefully nurtures your baby’s developing intelligence by offering increasingly more complex objects to explore and manipulate in intriguing ways. You’ll be amazed at how your child will learn, when simply given time and space to practice the activities that respond exactly to precise moments in her development.

Courtney L.

Katrina P.

Deanna M.

For infants ages 6 weeks to 16 months old (age varies by location)

Nido 

For children ages 18 months to 2.5-3 years old (age varies by location)

Children ages 18 months to 3 years old make astonishing achievements in terms of communication, independence, physical movement, problem-solving ability, and social interactions. The Toddler program helps young children maximize the gains they make during this crucial time.

The Academy of Thought and Industry is Guidepost for the adolescent: a Montessori-inspired middle and high school network delivering a powerful education for independence, to develop curious, self-motivated adolescents who thrive in school and in life.

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ATI combines the best of a vibrant, liberal arts education with creativity, independence, and personalization. Programs include full-time campus and virtual options, as well as part-time and summer courses.

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Adolescence is a critical period of development. Students are constantly growing in higher-order thinking skills, peer relationships, personal responsibility, and more. They're searching for their place in the world and beginning to form the values that will shape their lives.

Recent studies have shown that enthusiasm for school drops dramatically between grades five twelve, with nearly 75% of students reporting negative feelings towards school.

 with school than ever before. They need an educational option that is appropriate for their developmental stage, and tailored to their individual needs.

At ATI, students are given both freedom and support to help them excel beyond their own expectations. We don’t offer just one path for academic excellence. We strive to create a total school experience that will unlock each student’s unique potential—to prepare them for the world, and to help them access that world today.

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Montessori emphasized that teens should do real work: not just in school, but fully in the world. At ATI, we remove the artificial barrier between the vocational and the avocational; what's required for class and what's chosen for life. Our students integrate their passions with their studies, unlocking their potential to:

Serve as a productive member of a community

Realize the natural desire for independence

Every student is paired with a 1:1 coach as they proceed through middle and high school. The coaching curriculum has been built by educational experts and psychologists, to support the process of self-creation that is so fundamental to adolescence. The coaching process emphasizes:

In a small school community, students learn and practice self-governance, interdependence, and conflict resolution, gaining a sense of ownership and pride for the community around them. And each school is a part of the larger network, with access to expert guides and a larger peer community.

Browse the ATI Website

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Derek H.

Parent, ATI Austin

Morgan R.

Student, ATI Museum Mile

Luke T.

ATI Student, San Francisco

Danica M

Student, ATI Hollywood Beach

Anne W.

Student, ATI Aldie

Charlotte M.

Student, ATI Fort Mason.

Join a school community designed to support your education with coaching, small classes, and a commitment to our core values. Engage in deep study and personal exploration as a student at ATI.

Middle and High School 

In our Spanish Immersion program, the prevailing language spoken throughout the day is Spanish. Students learn both Spanish and English literacy skills, however, the overall emphasis on Spanish rapidly increases fluency, as children feel naturally compelled to communicate with their Spanish-speaking guides.

Fluency in Spanish opens doors to an entire world for your child, offering opportunities that would have been otherwise unavailable. The bilingual child has a deeper understanding of the potential of her own mind, a social and emotional head start, and a stronger foundation in executive functioning skills.

In an increasingly globalized world, bilingualism opens doors to whole new realms — in cultural experiences, creative and professional opportunities, and in meaningful personal relationships.

Beyond the practical benefits of bilingualism, there is a tremendous amount of evidence from psychology, neuroscience, and education research that fluency in a second language has a significant impact on crucial executive functioning skills. These executive functioning skills are key factors in an individual’s ability to succeed in life.

Our immersion classrooms feature lead teachers (“guides”) who are not only Montessori-trained, but are also native Spanish speakers, and the daily classroom experience is conducted fully in Spanish. This constant exposure to native Spanish allows children to learn the language with a native accent and natural intonation.

Spanish-speaking lead guides give Montessori lessons in Spanish, and they conduct daily conversations and classroom management in Spanish as well.

Though all main lessons and classroom management conversations are held in Spanish, English vocabulary lessons, as well as lessons for older children who are ready to learn to read and write in English, are given by a Montessori-trained native English speaker who works with students one-on-one or in small groups.

For children ages 2 to 6 years old, at select Guidepost locations

At School

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Our Approach

A Look Inside our Classrooms

The Third Teacher

The Prepared Environment

Inside a Montessori Classroom

What Goes Into a Montessori School Setup?

What Makes a Montessori Classroom Different?

Staying the Cycle: The Importance of the Mixed-Age Classroom

Montessori and the Work Environment

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