Montessori Program

*Important: All families can apply to the Montessori Public School of Arlington regardless of where they live in Arlington.

To aid life, leaving it free, however, to unfold itself, that is the basic task of the educator. (Maria Montessori)

The Montessori program provides an interdisciplinary, discovery-based approach to learning. The program is based on a philosophy of learning that grows from the belief that children are natural learners, and that learning occurs best in a nurturing, prepared environment that promotes spontaneous cooperative inquiry.

The teaching method that grew from this philosophy fosters a sense of security, self confidence and independence in children, enabling them to develop into people who respect and care for themselves, others, the environment and all life.

Montessori teachers address physical, emotional, social, spiritual, aesthetic, and cognitive needs as they guide their students to develop inner discipline, coordination, concentration, a sense of order, and independence.

• A multi-age grouping in each classroom provides a family-like setting where learning can take place naturally and cooperatively
• The Montessori classroom is a working community of children and adults with constant problem solving, child-to-child teaching, and socialization.
• The Montessori method is based on scientific observation. Much of student assessment is through teacher observations.
• The Montessori method refers to the interaction of children, Montessori teaching materials, and Montessori teachers.
• The Montessori philosophy values all kinds of intelligences and styles of learning. Subjects are interwoven, not taught in isolation, and children are free to work and develop at their own pace with materials they have chosen, either alone or with others.
• Children in a Montessori environment are able to learn in many different ways: individual lessons with the teacher, small group lessons with the teacher, large group lessons with the teacher, a lesson from another child and most importantly from being able to observe other children of various ages working.
• The aim of the method is to assist children in developing habits of concentration, initiative, persistence, and joy in learning so that they can reach full potential in all areas of life and become life-long learners.
• The guiding principle is freedom within limits.

• A Guide to the Primary Montessori Classroom

Students in the 3-year-old year

• Pay tuition
• Two weeks of tuition is charged for the first month of school for new students.
• Tuition are based on a sliding scale based on the family household income.

Students in the 4-year-old year

• Pay tuition only if the household income is above $120,560 for the 2023-2024 school year.

Students in the 5-year-old year

• Do not pay tuition. The 5-year-old year is considered the kindergarten year.

View the Montessori fee schedule for school year 2023-2024.

Satelite Locations:

Transportation is provided for students who are age 4 by Sept 30th who reside in that zoned school area but live outside the neighborhood school’s walk zone.

Primary Montessori:

Transportation is provided to all students enrolled at Montessori Public School of Arlington if they live outside the walk zone.

Learn about transportation.

Q. What does it mean to be “toilet trained”?

A.  Acceptance into  Primary Montessori is for children who are toilet trained. The Office of Early Childhood understands that being toilet trained is a developmental skill that children reach at different ages.

Primary Montessori does not provide the staffing nor has the facilities to provide toilet training for children unless your child has an Individualized Education Plan, a Section 504 Plan or a Medical Care Plan that indicates specific accommodations for toileting.

A toilet trained child:

• Wears underwear during the day at school and at home
• Indicates the need to use the bathroom
• Uses the bathroom independently
• Can remove most clothes and put clothes back on as necessary.
  • Toileting accidents are expected as a rare occurrence. A child is not yet considered toilet trained for APS preschool programs if the child has 8 or more toileting accidents the first month of school. Staff will determine whether a child is toilet trained based on the following criteria:
• Is aware of the need to use the toilet
• Is able to independently remove clothing in advance of using the toilet

Toilet Training Resources for Families

• Toilet Training Tips : Steps Towards Toileting Independence
• Toilet Teaching
• Potty Training: Learning to the Use the Toilet