Primary Program — Montessori Academy Culver City
Ages 3–6 in a three-year mixed-age classroom. Daily Mandarin & Spanish, AMS/AMI certified teachers, 1:5 ratio. Serving Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, and Playa Vista families since 1986.
The Primary Program at Montessori Academy Culver City is the flagship Montessori experience for children ages 3 through 6. Children enter at age 3 and remain in the same mixed-age classroom for up to three years — learning alongside older peers, then becoming the leaders who model skills for younger students entering the group. This three-year cycle is the cornerstone of the Montessori method, and it is rare among Westside LA preschools.
Our Culver City campus at 5881 Green Valley Cir has operated since 1986, giving us nearly four decades of Primary classroom experience. Campus Director Gaby Ponce leads a teaching team of AMS and AMI certified educators, several of whom have taught at Montessori Academy for 10 or more years. That continuity matters — children in our Primary classroom are not adjusting to a new teacher every fall.
The three-hour uninterrupted work cycle runs each morning. During that time, children choose from Montessori materials across five curriculum areas: Practical Life (pouring, sweeping, food preparation), Sensorial (color tablets, sound cylinders, geometric solids), Language (sandpaper letters, moveable alphabet, beginning reading), Mathematics (golden beads, bead chains, stamp game), and Cultural (continent maps, botany, zoology). Mandarin and Spanish are woven into lessons, songs, and conversation — not taught as separate classes.
Ages 3–6 together. Children stay three years, building depth no single-grade classroom can match.
Both languages integrated into every lesson and conversation — no extra class, no extra fee.
Culver City's ~5,000 sq ft campus includes a dedicated library and music/dance room — rare for a Westside preschool.
Open 50 weeks a year. No summer gap, no hunt for holiday care.
All Primary teachers hold AMS or AMI certification. Several have 10+ years at Montessori Academy.
CA Community Care License #197419927. Nearly 40 years serving Westside LA families.
Call (310) 215-3388 or submit a tour request online. We typically schedule within 1–3 business days.
Visit the Primary classroom while children are working. Meet Gaby Ponce and ask about availability for your child's age group.
Receive a fee sheet, schedule options (full-time or part-time), and the enrollment agreement.
A $100 registration fee and $300 deposit confirm enrollment. Monthly tuition starts from ~$1,675.
Brief parent orientation, then a staggered start for your child to ease the transition into the Primary classroom.
9,000 sq ft outdoor yard, Mandarin & Spanish, serving Mid City and Leimert Park families.
Trilingual Spanish / French / Tagalog, MAOF subsidies accepted, K–3 elementary on site.
All programs, staff, tuition, and enrollment details for the Culver City campus.
Schedule a free 45-minute tour, observe the Primary Program in action, and get exact tuition for your child's age and schedule.