About Us

The Primary Montessori Day School is a private, non-sectarian, co-educational school for children three through eight years old. It is a non-profit corporation, founded in 1998 on the premise that our schools are best in the hands of experienced educators. Twenty-four years of teaching the Montessori curriculum provide an extensive practical foundation for meeting the needs of young children and their parents. The school is approved by the Maryland State Board of Education.

Essential Montessori at The Primary Montessori Day School

• Multi-age grouping...with constant interaction and problem solving child to child. Each child is challenged according to his ability.
• Work Areas ...the classroom is arranged according to subject area, and the children are free to move about the room. At any one time in the day, math, language, science, social studies, art, music, and hands-on computer experience take place at all levels. Spanish classes are offered twice weekly.
• Teachers ...at The Primary Montessori Day School have completed college degrees, and have earned Montessori diplomas. Through skill and observation, the teacher's role is to introduce academic materials, lead group activities, facilitate social skills, and intervene when appropriate to correct errors in a sensitive and loving manner.
• Curriculum...is integrated. No subject is taught in isolation. As soon as a child understands a material, he may work on it independently. When he masters a material, he receives a new lesson. The Montessori method provides the opportunity for the child to develop independence, confidence, creativity, self-motivation, responsibility and academic competency. Montessori directives complement the needs of all children, while affording the freedom necessary to preserve each child's uniqueness. For further detail regarding our Primary and Elementary curriculum, please visit our curriculum information page.
• Schedule...there are two work periods each day. Adults and children respect each other's concentration and do not interrupt. The school is sensitive to the fact that children mature at very different rates. Periods of readiness for academic subjects vary. In the Montessori classroom every child can work freely, at his own pace in a neat, non-competitive atmosphere.
• Class Size...the most successful classes are 30 children with one Montessori certified teacher and two skilled assistants. Children remain in the same class three to four years, so much of the teaching is child to child.
• Assessment...there are no grades in Montessori education. Assessment is by portfolio and teacher observation. A child's behavior, happiness, accomplishment, maturity, independence, empathy, and love of learning reflect the success of the class.

Extended Montessori Day (7:45am - 6:00pm)

Recognizing the child's delight in the option of challenging activities after school, and community need for quality physical care, The Primary Montessori Day School provides extended hours of operation. We are the first in Montgomery County to offer an eleven month school calendar (September through July).