When you want the best education for your child, consider placing them in a Montessori environment. These schools are renowned for their special and unique approach to education that provides children with the tools they need to prosper. Here are the best ways to find the right Montessori school for your child.

Consider the Curriculum

According to Psychology Today, children have up to three hours at a time for free learning with specially developed materials at a Montessori school. The materials at a typical Montessori school are top-notch. They allow children to explore and gain independence while acquiring a well-balanced level of knowledge. Does the Montessori school offer a balance of science, math, technology, and extracurricular studies? Asking these questions will allow you to understand the learning environment more fully to best decide if this environment will work.

Meet With Other Parents

Placing a child in a school environment, especially from preschool to elementary level, can put them on a path to either love or be indifferent to education. Therefore, it's worth taking extra steps to not only place them in a Montessori school but also to choose the best Montessori option for them. Try meeting with other parents, whether by phone or at parent-teacher meetings.

Parents can often give you a firsthand account of what it's like having a child in such an environment. As you're touring Montessori schools, they may provide reference contacts of parents for you to call. However, if you already know parents with children in these schools, you already have a referral to consider.

Check Reviews

There are many online review sites, both for general purposes and to find education for children, so you should look up your prospective Montessori school online and see what the reviews say. Some schools may even have testimonials and social media pages. An easy place to start is with Google reviews to see if anything stands out. Additionally, you can get direct reviews by finding referrals to contact.

Take a Tour

Taking a tour of the school can play a major role in your final decision. After all, the website may provide a great deal of insight into their philosophy, but it's different to see the staff and administration practice it in person. When you tour the school, you can assess the quality of its facilities. You can inspect some of their materials firsthand to see if they're up to par with what you want your child to learn. You should also be able to take a sneak peek at some classes in session to observe how teachers interact with students and how students interact with one another.

Compare Montessori Schools

Don't be afraid to compare Montessori schools. After all, if you have more than one to consider, some may be a better fit for your child than others. You may want to consider the location of the school and whether your child may already have friends there. Take a tour of every school you're considering and see how children and teachers interact with each other. You may also want to consider the age of the prospective schools, as older schools may have access to more adult alumni who can serve as mentors and provide insight into how Montessori education helped them grow into adults.

Observe the Children

Regardless of how parents and teachers respond, it's the children who often show what type of educational environment they're in. No matter how engaging the school claims its materials are, it doesn't mean much if it doesn't show up in how children interact and understand information. Look for happy, independent children who seem engaged with the material. Do students appear to be self-reliant, confident, and knowledgeable about the material they're using? You can often observe these traits during a classroom tour or extracurricular activities you may be allowed to attend.

Placing a child in a Montessori school environment can place them on a path to a high-quality education that will help them become well-rounded adults. Our particular school is local and family-owned, and we've been educating for over 25 years. Our Montessori-certified teachers are available to teach your little ones through our infant, toddler, and three to six-year-old programs. We welcome you to contact American Montessori anytime with questions or to arrange a tour of the facility.