The years the method was built for
Preschool II is where Montessori does its most visible work. Children choose their own tasks, work at them for as long as they hold, and start reading and calculating because they wanted to — not because Tuesday said so.
What is different about this room
- The uninterrupted work cycleA long morning block with no bell cutting it in half. A four-year-old who is deep in something is left in it. Protecting concentration is the single most Montessori thing a school does, and it is the first thing a rushed school gives up.
- Children choose, teachers observeThe teacher’s job is to watch closely enough to know what to present next, and then to get out of the way. Choice is not a free-for-all — it is a choice between things the child has already been shown how to do.
- Concrete before abstractChildren hold the golden beads before they meet the number. Mathematics starts in the hands, which is why Montessori children so often find the abstract version easy later.
- Mixed ages, on purposeA three-year-old watching a four-year-old is receiving a lesson no adult can give as well. The four-year-old explaining it is learning it twice.
What this program costs
Published openly, because you should not have to fill in a form to find out whether a school is affordable.
Preschool II & Kindergarten
| Schedule | Morning 9:00–12:00 | Full day 8:45–2:30 | Extended full day 7:30–6:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All schedules | $1,200 | $1,400 | $1,750 |
Monthly amounts, based on a 180-day school year. Pay in full for a 5% discount or in ten installments. A $200 enrollment fee applies to new students. See every fee →
What parents ask about preschool & pre-k
- Is this the same as pre-K at a regular preschool?The hours look similar; the day does not. There is no whole-class instruction to keep up with, no craft everybody makes the same way, and no timetable chopping the morning into twenty-minute pieces. Children work individually and in small groups on materials they have been shown, for as long as they stay interested.
- Will my child be ready for kindergarten?We do not publish attainment claims about our own children — we have not measured it, and a school quoting numbers it has not measured is telling you something about the school rather than about your child. What the year is actually for is the readiness that transfers: choosing work, staying with it and finishing it without being chased. Ask on a tour what that looks like at your child’s age.
- What if my child only wants to do one thing all day?Then something is working. Deep repetitive interest is how young children build mastery, and the teacher’s job is to notice when repetition has turned into a rut and offer the next thing at the right moment.
- Can we start mid-year?Yes. Enrollment is open year-round, subject to availability. Many families start when their childcare arrangement changes rather than in September.
Come and watch a morning
A Montessori room at 10 am tells you more in twenty minutes than any website can. Tours run during the school day, year-round.
Call or request a tour
Call the school office at 650-616-9000, or request a time online and we will find a morning that suits you.
Apply when you are ready
Complete the enrollment application with the $200 new-student fee. Enrollment is open year-round, subject to availability.
Agree a start date
We settle on a schedule that fits your week and your child begins the settling-in the classroom is designed for.
Come see a morning at Mills
Tours run during the school day, year-round, by appointment.