Guidepost
Montessori
at Mill Valley.
Nido (6 weeks to 16 months)
Toddler (18 months to 3 years)
Children's House (3 to 6 years)
Guidepost at Home (0 to 12 years)
Learn more about Guidepost from the comfort of your own home!
Just starting your childcare search? Not ready to tour in person?
You’re invited to Making the Most of Childhood: A Virtual Tour of Guidepost!
Get your questions answered and learn more about our:
- curriculum and approach
- schedule and a typical day
- communication & collaboration
explore our programs.
Our approach is designed to empower each child to achieve independence by combining our hands-on curriculum with personalized learning to create an environment where curiosity flourishes, independence grows, and academic excellence is a natural outcome.
We want your child to see and believe: “I am capable!”
what makes us stand out.
At Guidepost, we join with parents on their mission to help their child grow and live well. Together, we design an education to empower each child to build the knowledge, skills, and confidence she needs to craft an independent, flourishing life.
Though there are many differences between the conventional approach and Guidepost, here are some of the most important:
Read more about the Guidepost Montessori approach.
At Guidepost, our mission is to support each child in achieving her own independence. To do this, we help her gain the knowledge, build the skills, and craft the personal character she needs to flourish. Above all, our goal is to cultivate joy—in the pursuit of knowledge, in effort applied to work worth doing, in the achievements of herself and others, and in taking the steps to author her own life.
Read more about the Guidepost Mission.
Learn about the key milestones we support—from infancy through high school.
Read more about why we educate for independence, and how we support independence for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-age children.
Montessori education is known world-wide for having positive impacts on both academics and social and emotional skills.
At Guidepost Montessori, when we design an environment to meet the developmental needs and interests of children alongside personalized care and support, the child can learn advanced skills at an accelerated pace.
Our students, for example, regularly learn to read by the time they’re 4-years-old and can perform all four math operations with 4-digit numbers by the end of their Kindergarten year.
The language and math skills of our kindergartners are on a par with what children in conventional programs learn in 3rd grade or beyond! What’s more, our students learn advanced academics joyfully—while simultaneously developing deep focus, self-discipline, and positive social skills.
Read more about the Guidepost Montessori advanced Language Curriculum in Children’s House.
Read more about the Guidepost Montessori advanced Math Curriculum in Children’s House.
Yes! The third year of our Children’s House program, designed for 3- to 6-year-olds, is the capstone kindergarten year. In this year, the child has been well-prepared to experience an explosion of literacy, learn advanced math concepts, and use her hard-won ability to focus, problem-solve, and persist through challenges to then make advanced gains across the curriculum. Children who continue with Guidepost through Kindergarten are often well-ahead of their peers when they enter 1st grade.
Learn more about the capstone Kindergarten year at Guidepost.
Learn more about the next exciting stage: the Guidepost elementary program.
Following elementary, students continue on to our Montessori middle and high school, the Academy of Thought & Industry: a school that combines a classical liberal arts emphasis on history and great books, and a Montessori emphasis on independence and agency.
At Guidepost, we want to make the best education the best for children and parents. This is why we provide year-round, extended-day programming at no extra cost, enabling consistent and uninterrupted access to the care and developmental support parents expect. We invite you into your child’s world—with daily photo and video updates, regular milestone meetings, and parent-child events that showcase your child’s progress. We work to understand your unique context and needs, so that we can provide support for milestones at home as well as at school.
In everything we do, we strive to cultivate joy as you watch your child grow!
Read about Transparent Classroom, the app that provides a window into your child’s day.
Read about a Work-with-me event at Guidepost at Mahwah.
Read about recent family events such as Grandparent’s Day, a cultural celebration, and a spring celebration.
explore our school's upcoming events.
stay connected to your child's learning.
With our app, Transparent Classroom, you can closely monitor your child's daily progress and assessments at our school. It tracks their development, provides important notes on routines and milestones, and offers reminders for events. Become a room parent by informing your child's Lead Guide.
start your journey with us.
Our team of admissions specialists are ready to meet you and get you started on your journey within the Guidepost community. We're here to provide your family with the information and confidence you need to enroll in one of our programs.
Learn more about Montessori.
Read our enrollment guide.
Book a school tour.
Submit your application.
Guidepost Montessori at Mill Valley
Guidepost Montessori develops a fundamental love of learning and equips each child with the knowledge, confidence, and tools needed to reach their highest potential as they grow into independent adults.
Programs For:
Nido (6 weeks to 18 months)
Toddler (18 months to 3 years)
Children's House (3 years to 6 years)
Welcome to Guidepost Montessori at Mill Valley, where we offer a range of Montessori programs tailored for children from infancy to kindergarten. Our focus is on providing a quality education that encourages each child's natural curiosity.
Our learning environment is designed to engage students in hands-on experiences that foster exploration and skill development. We believe in the power of discovery-based learning.
At Guidepost Montessori, we provide a well-rounded academic program with a strong emphasis on literacy, math, science, and social studies. We also offer extended day options for the convenience of working parents.
Our school community values diversity and inclusivity. We welcome students of all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities into our classrooms, promoting a culture of mutual learning and respect.
If you're interested in learning more about our school, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We're here to provide your child with a nurturing and exploratory Montessori education in Mill Valley.
Explore Our Programs
What are the Montessori equivalent names for daycare, preschool, and kindergarten? Daycare corresponds to our Nido program, preschool years correspond to our Toddler program, and the kindergarten years correspond to our Children's House program. Click each image below to read a program overview and discover what your child will learn when they join our school.
changing the world, one student at a time .
We are a school where children find the joy in learning — and thus make it possible for them to continue learning for the rest of their lives.
To think mathematically.
To solve problems.
To create things.
To encounter great literature that inspires their character development.
To build themselves as capable, efficacious beings.
To place themselves in history and in society.
To spark meaningful friendships and deep personal values that last a lifetime.
Our goal at Guidepost Montessori is to serve each individual child, to help them realize their limitless potential, and the opportunities they will have to create real and lasting change throughout their lifetime.
Hear from our Guidepost Families
Our 2 and 4-year-old kids attend Guidepost Montessori 5 days a week, and we are very pleased with the professionalism, care, daily updates shared on their progress and overall good feeling that we get when we drop off and pick them up each day. Highly recommend the school!
"Guidepost has been a perfect fit"
Guidepost has been a perfect fit for our pre-schooler! The staff at Guidepost are truly amazing. The guides are compassionate, understanding, and informative. I love the app they use to provide daily updates about what my little one is learning. Since enrolling at Guidepost, my daughter's independence has increased, she's learned skills to more effectively express her emotions when she's upset, and she has learned so many things! Each day on our drive home she tells me about her daily artwork, the fun playground, and the new lessons she learned. Aside from the education component, the community is phenomenal. The school has hosted multiple virtual events, including pumpkin painting and hot cocoa in October and a book fair!
"The best decision we have made"
Enrolling our daughter at Guidepost has been THE BEST decision we have made. We were nervous because she is so young and due to COVID, hadn't been around many other children or had any experience in a school environment but the administrators and guides at Guidepost were welcoming, patient, helpful and kind. After only 3 weeks, our daughter LOVES school and can't wait to go each morning. And we see her developing new skills in front of our eyes. We could not be happier with our experience at Guidepost!
stay connected to your child's learning .
Thanks to our app Transparent Classroom, you get a window into your child’s experience of school daily.
Your child’s Lead Guide will share what your child is learning and what their real-time assessments are - this way you can very closely follow your child’s development throughout the day, months, and years you stay within the Guidepost network. If you transfer from one of our locations to the next, your child’s progress and continuity will be tracked in the app and readily accessible. Read more about Transparent Classroom here.
In this app you will see important notes and milestones such as:
- Daily toileting, eating (bottle feeding for infants), and sleeping habits
- Curriculum introduction, progress, and completion
- End of day summary of all activities
- Notes such as bringing in more diapers or a new set of clothes
- Reminders for upcoming classroom events like birthdays, holidays, or special occasions
Interested in becoming a room parent? Let your child's Lead guide know!
What sets us apart from traditional schools
As the largest network of Montessori schools in the U.S., Guidepost Montessori is recognized for its outstanding academic standards, its steadfast commitment to Montessori education, and its deep respect for the potential in every child. At Guidepost, it is our mission to empower and equip your child with the knowledge, confidence and agency needed to reach their highest potential.
Education for life
Our education provides the freedom and guidance needed to construct a sense of self and purpose through joyful, meaningful work. We support your child in all areas of their development – social, emotional, physical, academic, and beyond.
Deeply individualized learning
Lessons are carefully structured and designed to appeal to each student's level of development and needs. Our proprietary curriculum gives students increasing responsibility over their learning as they grow.
Dedicated teachers supported by industry experts
Our programming has been designed by leading education experts, and is implemented by passionate, qualified teachers. All of our Lead Guides are required to be AMI, AMS, or PMI Montessori certified and receive ongoing training and professional development.
Carefully prepared environment
At the heart of our school is our belief that children thrive when given freedom and responsibility in environments prepared for them. Guidepost Montessori classrooms are light, airy, calming, aesthetically beautiful spaces. Each material is carefully chosen and carefully displayed — to inspire and entice your child to explore.
Year-round programming
We think the education of our students is stronger when we can serve the whole family, which is why we are committed to very few closures throughout the school year, and offer extended day options for families.
Continuity and mobility
Our schools offer a continuing Montessori education for children as young as 10 weeks through to 18 years old. With a growing network of 100+ schools across the U.S., China and Europe - combined with our virtual and homeschool options - we can support continuity and consistency in your child's education to meet your family's changing needs.