Montessori Preschool in Chevy Chase

Preschool student spelling out worlds with Montessori materials on a rug

Maria Montessori called the period from preschool through kindergarten "the age of the Absorbent Mind." Colorful, age-appropriate Montessori materials encourage and inspire curiosity, imagination, and learning in the eager minds of students ages two to six. Language- and movement-rich activities nourish their rapid vocabulary development and strengthen motor skills and coordination.

Full & Half-Day Programs

Key Program Components

Independent Learning

Assessment

Primary Program Faculty

At Oneness-Family School we offer two programs at our primary level: our Little Stars program for toddlers age 2-3, and our Children's Peace Garden program for students age 3-6. Our Little Stars classroom has a maximum of 16 students, with two co-teachers and an assistant teacher. Our Children's Peace Garden classrooms are capped at 22-24 students (depending on the class), with two teachers and an assistant teacher in each classroom.

Two preschool students working on Montessori math materials

Full & Half-Day Programs

Oneness-Family School offers both full-day and half-day options for primary program students. We also offer Before Care (Little Stars: 8:00-8:30 am; Children's Peace Garden: 7:30-8:30 am) and Aftercare programs (3:30-6:00 pm) for all students at this level.

Little Stars (Ages 2-3)

Half-Day: 8:30-11:30 am
Full-Day: 8:30 am - 3:15 pm

Children's Peace Garden (Ages 3-6)

Half-Day: 8:30-11:30 am
Full-Day: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

Key Program Components

Pre-kindergarten students learning Montessori material with teacher

Guided Learning

Independent Learning

A growing body of research affirms Dr. Montessori's observation that a student's ability to focus is the foundation of all other successful learning. Preschool-K students are given the freedom to become absorbed for long periods of time in a single activity and to return to and repeat certain activities of choice until they attain mastery of the skill involved. Classrooms are designed to allow uninterrupted work cycles, so children develop strong attention skills.

Primary program class sizes are intentionally limited in size so that teachers can focus fully on each student and best practice our student-centered learning philosophy.

Primary program classroom view with colored pencils

Pre-Kindergarten student learning with teacher

Assessment

Montessori was founded on the principle of observations and in addition to tracking academic skills, the teachers record social, emotional, and physical abilities to better serve the student’s needs and support their development.

Tracking is done on each individual student’s progress by grade and subject following the school’s annual subject goals and a scope and sequence developed by Dr. Montessori. Tracking is based on conversation, presentation, observation, self-assessments, and student portfolios, and progress is shared in detailed reports.