Montessori School in Montgomery County, PA

Gladwyne Montessori School:
Gladwyne Montessori School, located in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County in Pennsylvania offers Montessori education to children aged between 2 and 12. We offer a parent-toddler program for children from 10 - 22 months, a stepping stones program for children from 21-34 months, preschool, lower elementary and upper elementary programs.

Parent/Toddler Program - Ages 10-22 months:
A wonderful way to begin the Gladwyne Montessori experience, this informative and fun program meets weekly. Led by our school psychologist, meaningful discussions and activities focus on toddler-centered topics, from sleeping to eating to behavior.

While parents share ideas, children are introduced to Montessori materials that are just right for their age and size, while interacting with other children and adults. The day features music, games, snacks and many opportunities for development and social interaction.

Our program provides an opportunity for parents to discuss toddler issues, concerns, and ideas as they arise. A variety of topics related to toddlers and child development are presented by our facilitator, Dr. Elaine Edlind and discussed by the group. Topics may include sleeping, eating, discipline, Montessori philosophy, tantrums, toileting and many more.

Stepping Stones - Ages 21-34 months:
A new school day begins. And for our youngest students, it means taking off shoes and changing into slippers. While this may seem like a charming ritual, it's done with a purpose - to develop motor skills and encourage self-reliance in our children, some of whom are not even 2 years old.

Our Stepping Stones classroom is alive with energy. Walk in and you'll hear giggles, clapping and singing. Notice, too, a little girl filling a bucket with soap and water then carefully scrubbing a table. A small boy putting out tiny cloth placemats, china and glassware for a group snack. Children listening attentively and expanding their vocabularies. For our smallest students, big things are in the works.

Primary - Ages 3-6:
Children learn best by doing. We provide stellar academic materials to help them experience the world first-hand...using all five senses. In our Primary division, reading and writing begin with a simple sandpaper letter.

Instead of just watching a teacher write letters on a board, your child holds the letter, speaks its sound and traces it with his finger, preparing to write. Immersed in a language-rich environment, he moves onto simple then complex words, grammar, sentence analysis and composition.

The Primary unit introduces increasingly sophisticated subjects, including Spanish, geometry, biology, cultural geography and practical life skills. Using familiar materials from previous years, your child strengthens his concentration and time-management skills, while also enjoying computers, music, art and physical education.

Students in our primary program stay with the same class throughout our three-year program. Each classroom, taught by a Montessori-trained teacher and assistant, therefore includes children ages 3 -6. Students come to school five-days a week from 8:45 - 11:45 a.m. for our 1st and 2nd-year students and from 8:30 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. for our 3rd-year students. All Primary students have the opportunity to participate in our hour-long extracurricular programs and our extended day options.

Lower Elementary - Ages 6-9:
For our Lower Elementary students, the world vividly unfolds with excitement and promise. As they expand their reading, writing and math skills, they also nourish their imaginations through a hands-on integrated curriculum that includes geography, information technology, life and earth science, art history, humanities, music and physical education.

They are highly motivated and eager to continue their intellectual growth as they gain global perspective through essay writing, scientific measurement, cultural art and literature.

Hands-on learning is emphasized in every lesson, Instead of just memorizing a map in a book, for example, your child builds her own continent from the ground up, digging out river beds and shaping vast mountain ranges...experiencing our planet through every sense. She fosters an appreciation and respect for the world and how she fits in.

Upper Elementary - Ages 9-12:
The Gladwyne Montessori experience culminates in our outstanding Upper Elementary division. In the classroom, your child continues his journey of self-discovery through the study of complex algebra and geometry, human history, economic geography, oral and written Spanish, physics, computer science and sports.

He widens boundaries as he takes on learning outside of the classroom, including practical life skills like preparing a menu and balancing a checkbook. He masters sophisticated research, hands-on data collection and independent study topics.

If your child is interested in botany, for example, he can design his own comprehensive project drawing upon a variety of skills - everything from reading and investigation to editing and art. Within our unique mixed-age classroom, he can then share his research...often leading an entire class to explore a new topic together.