Parents ask · Choosing a school
What should I ask on a Montessori school tour?
Four questions get you most of the way: when does the work cycle run and what interrupts it; what is the age span in this room; where did this teacher train and for which age range; and what happens in the kindergarten year.
Then stop talking and watch for ten minutes. A working Montessori classroom has a particular quality of quiet — thirty children concentrating with no adult managing it — and it is the most reliable single signal you will get.
Ask to come mid-morning. A classroom at 4 pm tells you almost nothing, and a school that only offers late-afternoon tours is worth a follow-up question.
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Other things parents ask
How do I know if a Montessori school is genuine? What is the difference between Montessori and daycare? Should we stay for Montessori kindergarten or move to public school? Is Montessori elementary worth it, or should we switch at six? Does Montessori accreditation matter when choosing a school? Do Montessori schools work for two working parents?
Still deciding?
Call the school office at 650-616-9000, or come and watch a morning.