About Our Programs
Multi-age groupings are an essential characteristic of all Montessori programs. Children from birth to age 3 are in groups that promote social interactions and mirror the social dynamics of the world outside of the classroom, including intergenerational family dynamics.
Children from the age of three onward are grouped in classes that include three different ages. The middle school program includes seventh and eighth graders.
In these multi-age groups, each child enjoys the role of the youngest, the middle, and the oldest child, over the time they spend in a class. In our multi-age classrooms, older children help with younger ones, just as they would in a big family. This experience reinforces what children have already learned and strengthens their own integrity and responsibility. Younger children, in turn, benefit because children do learn from their peers as well as from their teachers.
Play is the young child’s work. The object of their efforts is the creation of the adults they will become. Children show clearly an inner need to learn to know themselves and their world. They want very much to develop their intelligence, to learn to control their motions, to explore and to order their impressions of the world, to become independent and responsible.
As children grow through the stages of development leading to young adulthood, their horizons continue to expand. Their understanding of themselves, others, and the world around them deepens. They seek to move from membership in a family to citizenship in the world.
Montessori teachers design classrooms and structure curricula to support children’s growth and development. A Montessori education helps each child to discover themself, to understand others, and to recognize their place in the universe.
Infant
Ages Birth to 18 Months
Toddler
Ages 18 Months to 3 Years
Our Montessori Toddler Program offers very young children, a safe and loving environment in which they can explore, learn independently, and gain a healthy sense of themselves.
Primary
Ages 3 to 6 Years (includes Kindergarten)
Our Montessori Primary Program focuses on developing the whole child, integrating all aspects of development into a meaningful, joyful experience. This is an important time for cognitive, social, emotional, and motor development in children.
Early Elementary
Ages 6 to 9 Years
Our Montessori Early Elementary Program provides collaborative communities that foster order, respect, and a child’s innate desire to learn. Multi-age classrooms allow students to work together and learn from each other.
Upper Elementary
Ages 9 to 12 Years
Our Montessori Upper Elementary Program continues to provide collaborative communities that recognize and support the children’s growth toward adolescence. Emphasis is placed on reading to find out new information and writing to share with others what has been learned.
Middle School
Ages 12 to 14 Years
Our Montessori Middle School Program, building on the collaborative foundation established in earlier years, supports students as they begin the transition from childhood to adulthood.
After School Programs
We offer a wide variety of extra curricular programs available after school, as well as a general program from 3–6pm.
Summer Camps
Summer is a great time for children to explore the world around them, experience the joy of self-discovery, and enjoy a variety of age-appropriate activities geared for their individual needs and interests. Your child will experience our outdoor environment and all it has to offer!
Discovering Us
“What the New School provides is a wonderful environment where children are able to become active learners. The added bonus is the level of respect they learn for their peers, their teachers and the environment. We couldn’t find that combination anywhere else.”
Marcy Radcliffe, New School Montessori Parent