Montessori Academy — Curriculum Overview
An authentic Montessori curriculum spanning five areas of study, delivered by credentialed teachers in a prepared environment across all three LA campuses.
Each area is interconnected. A child who masters practical life develops the concentration needed for mathematics. A child who explores the sensorial materials builds the vocabulary for language.
Pouring, folding, sweeping, dressing. These activities develop fine motor coordination, concentration, independence, and care for the environment — the foundation for all academic work.
Ten sets of Montessori materials that isolate one quality at a time: dimension, color, sound, texture, weight, temperature. Children refine their senses and build the cognitive scaffolding for abstract thought.
Phonetic reading through the moveable alphabet, sandpaper letters, and a rich oral vocabulary. Writing precedes reading in the Montessori sequence. Daily bilingual immersion is woven throughout.
Concrete beads and rods make abstract number concepts tangible. Children move from counting to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using Montessori golden bead material and stamp games.
Geography, botany, zoology, history, and the arts. Children study continents, living vs. non-living, the solar system, and the history of humanity using puzzle maps, timelines, and hands-on experiments.
Children work in uninterrupted 3-hour blocks chosen by themselves from the prepared environment. This develops deep focus and intrinsic motivation rather than adult-directed task-switching.
Windows of heightened neurological readiness for specific skills: language (0–6 years), movement (1–4), order (1–3), and social behavior (2.5–6). Montessori teachers observe and follow each child's sensitive periods rather than a fixed calendar.
The 3–6 mixed-age environment means younger children learn by observing older peers; older children cement understanding by teaching. This models real-world social dynamics far more than same-age grouping.
Child-sized furniture, low open shelves, organized materials in sequence of difficulty, and freedom of movement. The environment itself teaches: everything has a place, and materials are self-correcting.
The research and philosophy behind the Montessori method, explained by Director Ruhi Khan.
Read Ages 2–3How the Montessori curriculum is adapted for the toddler sensitive period across all three campuses.
Learn more Ages 3–6The full three-year Montessori Primary cycle in detail, including reading, math, and cultural studies.
Learn more Age 4How the Montessori curriculum provides kindergarten readiness beyond what LAUSD public TK offers.
Learn more ArticleWhat the three-hour work cycle looks like in practice, from morning circle to afternoon dismissal.
Read article ComparisonA side-by-side comparison of the Montessori curriculum against traditional preschool methods in LA.
Read articleSchedule a free campus tour and observe the three-hour work cycle, the prepared environment, and our teachers at work.