The only Montessori Academy campus with infant care from 6 weeks through 3rd grade. Six languages daily (incl. ASL), meals included, MAOF & Head Start accepted. Best Preschool in Downey 2025 7 AM to 6 PM, year-round. No waitlist.
Programs
Downey is the only Montessori Academy campus that starts at birth. Every program runs 7 AM–6 PM, year-round, with meals included and 6 languages (incl. ASL) woven through every day.
Montessori from the very start. 1:4 ratio. Each baby follows their own feeding, napping, and developmental rhythm. Floor-based exploration, tummy time, and sensory discovery in a calm, prepared Nido environment.
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Independence, language, and practical life for children transitioning from the Nido or joining from outside. Potty training supported at no cost. 1:4 ratio. 5 languages daily from under age 2.
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The three-hour work cycle. Mixed-age classroom (3, 4, 5 year olds). Individualized daily lessons in math, language, sensorial, and cultural studies. Language immersion in 5 languages continues.
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State TK curriculum integrated into the Montessori method. No school transfer needed. Families comparing public TK vs. Montessori TK should read our TK comparison.
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Downey serves children through 3rd grade — further than any other campus. Children who began in the Nido can stay in one community all the way through early elementary.
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Most Downey families enroll through MAOF, CalWORKs, CCTR, CSPP, or Head Start. Our team walks you through eligibility at no cost. Many families learn they qualify in the first phone call.
Learn about subsidiesWhy This Campus
Infant care from 6 weeks — unique to Downey. A 1:4 caregiver ratio, floor-based exploration, and sensory development following each baby’s own rhythm. No other Montessori Academy campus starts this early.
Unlike Culver City and West Adams, Downey includes breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks at no extra charge. One less thing for working families to manage every morning.
This campus was built for the Southeast LA community. We accept MAOF, CalWORKs, CCTR, CSPP, and Head Start. Our enrollment team handles the paperwork with you and tells you honestly what you qualify for.
Spanish, French, Tagalog, Arabic, ASL, and English — woven through every program from the Nido upward. Language acquisition before age 5 is biologically irreversible. Baby sign language starts in the Nido.
The only campus where a family can start in the Nido and stay through 3rd grade. One community, one continuous Montessori environment, no school transfers during the early childhood years.
50 weeks a year. No summer learning gap, no early-release days. Consistent schedule for working parents with consistent hours at consistent prices through MAOF.
Language Immersion
Downey is the only Montessori Academy campus to start language immersion from the Nido level — including American Sign Language from infancy. Children acquire language before they have words for it, and that window closes fast.
The primary bilingual language at Downey, reflecting the Southeast LA community. Spanish is embedded throughout the day — circle time, songs, meals, transitions — from the Nido through 3rd grade. Native-speaking staff.
Daily French instruction through songs, vocabulary, and conversation. Downey is the only Montessori Academy campus offering French — giving children a linguistic advantage for international and bilingual programs.
Reflecting Downey’s Filipino community, Tagalog is integrated daily from the toddler level. Children from Filipino families find cultural connection; all children gain exposure to Southeast Asian language patterns.
Daily Arabic exposure through greetings, songs, and vocabulary. Downey is one of very few Montessori programs nationally offering Arabic from early childhood — a unique multilingual advantage.
Our Infant team uses baby sign language from 6 weeks to support early communication and language development. ASL continues through the toddler and preschool programs, building foundational language bridges before spoken words emerge.
The anchor language for academic instruction in the primary and elementary programs. Multilingual staff representing the US, Mexico, El Salvador, Philippines, Lebanon, France, Iran, Germany, Italy, and more bring authentic cultural richness every day.
All six languages run daily — not alternating, not weekly. Every child, from the Nido, at no additional cost.
Tuition Assistance
The Downey campus was designed for the Southeast LA community. Through MAOF, CalWORKs, CCTR, CSPP, and Head Start, the majority of our enrolled families pay little or nothing out of pocket.
Our team helps families navigate eligibility, gather documentation, and complete applications — at no cost. Call us before you assume you don’t qualify.
Learn About MAOF EligibilityA Day at Downey
The three-hour work cycle for preschool and elementary. Individualized care schedules for the Nido and toddler room. Meals included at every level.
Children arrive. Infants transferred with daily communication sheet (feeding, sleeping, mood). Toddlers and preschoolers enter their prepared environments. Breakfast served.
Group circle in Spanish, French, Tagalog, and Arabic. Calendar, weather, songs, and vocabulary. Toddler room runs parallel circle in simplified language.
Uninterrupted three-hour work cycle for preschool through 3rd grade. Individualized presentations and self-chosen work. Nido and toddler rooms continue individualized development activities.
Lunch included for all enrolled children at no extra cost — unique to the Downey campus. Toddlers and infants eat on their own schedules.
Infants and toddlers nap on individual schedules. Elementary and preschool children continue individualized work or optional Webby programs.
Afternoon snack included. Extended care runs until 6 PM at no additional fee.
Neighborhoods We Serve
Located at 7515 Firestone Blvd — convenient to the 5, 105, and 710 freeways.
Meet the Leadership
Ruhi Khan has led Montessori Academy since 2014, expanding the network from one campus (Culver City, 1986) to three. She holds AMI credentials from UC Irvine and a Master’s from Stanford’s School of Education. Ruhi shapes curriculum, culture, and educational standards across all three campuses.
At Downey, Campus Director Veronica Tapia leads daily operations with deep roots in the Southeast LA community. Parent after parent mentions Veronica by name in their reviews as the person who made them feel their child truly belonged here.
Parent Reviews
“My son started the infant program a month ago. After 1 week he became attached to teacher Anna. My 3 year old is thriving and has already learned the solar system, days of the week, and all the months in a year in the 6 months he has been there.”
“My son attends Miss Ale’s class. The teachers are very kind, friendly, and have excellent communication skills. I highly recommend the Montessori Academy of Downey. You can see the love and dedication that goes into this place.”
“The facility is always clean, well-organized, and provides a welcoming atmosphere that makes my kids excited to go to school each day. The staff is friendly, professional, and truly cares about each child’s well-being.”
“Our experience with MAOD has been simply fantastic! We felt the facility was ideal for our child from the moment we toured it. Their staff are kind, patient, and deeply committed. Thank you, Veronica, for everything you do!”
Facility
~5,000 sq ft indoor · Outdoor playground yard · Private parking · Meals served daily
Optional enrichment (yoga, dance, gymnastics) available through Webby at additional cost.
Common Questions
Recognition & Community
Campus Facilities
Two separate playgrounds, four gardens, a full kitchen, and six sunlit classrooms — all at 7515 Firestone Blvd, Downey.
Dedicated to our youngest learners. Pergola sun shades, a beautiful shady tree, ride-on vehicles, playhouses, tunnels, slides and more — all scaled and safe for infants and toddlers in their own private play zone.
A large natural play structure with multiple slides, real tree stumps for outdoor storytime, a shady tree with squirrels and butterflies, a pergola patio with ample seating, giant foam building sets for outdoor engineering, and tricycles for riding.
Nature & Living Science
Children at Montessori Academy Downey develop empathy, responsibility, and scientific curiosity through direct, ongoing relationships with living creatures. Not field trips — resident experiences.
Resident tropical fish — with lots of new babies! Children observe fish behavior, feeding cycles, and aquatic life daily. Develops patience, observation, and gentle care.
Resident reptiles and hamsters give children daily responsibility for living creatures. Handling is supervised; empathy and careful observation are the lessons.
Children watch eggs incubate, witness hatching, and help raise young chicks. One of the most beloved annual experiences — waiting, excitement, and wonder at new life.
Spring caterpillar metamorphosis observation and butterfly release. Children observe the full cycle from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, then release them together.
Children hatch and observe praying mantis eggs and ladybug eggs. Each hatch brings a classroom full of wonder and careful scientific documentation.
Observing and caring for tadpoles as they transform into frogs. Connects biology, responsibility, and environmental science in a hands-on, magical process.
Annual Events & Community
Downey hosts 30+ community events annually — from large scholastic book fairs and cultural festivals to in-house field trips from the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Columbia Memorial Space Center, and Mobile Zoo of Southern California.
Science & Exploration
Cultural Celebrations
School Milestones
Our Team & Credentials
Our multicultural staff represents the US, Mexico, El Salvador, Philippines, Lebanon, France, Iran, Germany, Italy, and more — with some teachers having been at this very site for over 20 years.
Open Enrollment — No Waitlist
Most families qualify for MAOF — we’ll tell you in the first call. virtual tours, Zoom tours, or a drop-in day where your child plays with classmates.