Montessori Education Week is Feb. 22-28. Learn how to decode the differences among the area’s many schools affiliated with and influenced by the venerable method.
More than a century old, the Montessori educational method appeals to parents looking for quality early education and a creative outlet for their young students. Montessori schools offer a hands-on approach to independent learning in mixed-age classrooms, allowing students to choose their activities from a prescribed range of options and discover concepts on their own, rather than through direct instruction.
The Delaware Valley is particularly rife with well-established Montessori schools. But as each one has its own designation and programming, it’s helpful for parents to understand how it fits within the wider Montessori universe.
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI): This international body oversees the Montessori ethos as well as teacher training around the world. AMI-accredited schools employ Montessori-accredited teachers in 100 percent of its classrooms.
American Montessori Society (AMS): This national nonprofit promotes Montessori education and teacher training throughout the United States, offering affiliated schools the following three levels of membership.
- Level 1 — Full Membership: Lead teachers in all classrooms are accredited by one or more Montessori-affiliated education programs, including the International Montessori Council (IMC), Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) and the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCME). After one year of full membership, a school is eligible to seek accreditation.
- Level 2 — Associate Membership: Lead teachers in some classrooms are accredited by one or more Montessori-affiliated education programs.
- Level 3 — Initiate Membership: Forming schools or schools new to the AMS work toward a full or associate membership over a three-year period.
AMS member services director Carla Hofland points to participation at all three membership levels as proof that affiliated schools are constantly striving to improve their educational mission. While AMS designations telegraph a commitment to the Montessori method, she advises parents to “Visit the schools in your area to best get a sense of where your child belongs.” Click below to find a list of Montessori schools in Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware by membership level, including student age ranges and specific Montessori-based or special programming offered.
Pennsylvania Montessori Schools
South Jersey Montessori Schools
Delaware Montessori Schools
Information compiled by MetroKids intern Allison Kenney.