Montessori Primary Program | Denver
Our Montessori school serves children ages 3-6 in our primary Montessori program, where young learners develop independence, confidence, and a genuine love of learning through hands-on exploration and self-directed discovery.
Montessori Primary Program Enrollment
Ages Served
Children ages 3-6 years old
Schedule Options
Full-day and half-day programs available
Hours
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM with flexible pickup options
Is Potty Training Required?
Children should be consistently potty trained
Curriculum Focus
Language, Math, Culture, Practical Life, and Peace Education using authentic Montessori materials
Daily Routine
3-hour uninterrupted work cycles, outdoor time, community meals, and rest periods
Classroom Experience
Mixed-age classrooms with 3-6 year olds, fostering peer learning and leadership development
About Our Montessori Primary Program
In our children's house, we nurture each child's natural curiosity while building the foundation for future schooling success. Our Montessori educators guide younger students through carefully prepared learning materials that support their individual developmental journey. The Montessori method encourages children to learn at their own pace in a thoughtfully designed Montessori environment where independence and confidence flourish naturally.
From Ages 3 to 6: Development Support for Every Stage
During these crucial years of human development, children experience rapid growth in language acquisition, social awareness, and physical coordination. Our Montessori classroom provides the optimal development environment where mixed-age classrooms allow younger children to learn from older peers while kindergarten students embrace their leadership responsibilities. Through this educational philosophy, we support each child's development during this transformative period when the absorbent mind absorbs knowledge effortlessly.
Montessori Primary Program Enrollment and Registration
Ready to give your child the gift of an authentic Montessori education? Our enrollment process begins with a tour where families can observe our Montessori approach in action. We welcome new families throughout the year as space permits, and our admissions team will guide you through every step of joining our school community.
Why Families Trust MCHD in Denver
Parents choose our Montessori primary program because we combine Maria Montessori's proven educational philosophy with modern understanding of child development. Our experienced teachers create classroom environments where children work independently and collaboratively, building self-confidence while mastering essential skills. Join us for our calendar of events to experience our vibrant community firsthand.
A Private Montessori School Serving Denver
We proudly serve families throughout the Denver metro area from our three convenient locations:
Discover how our Montessori approach can make a lasting difference in your child's life. Contact us today to learn more, schedule a tour, and become part of our vibrant school community.
Other Montessori Programs Available at Our Locations
Our toddler program provides the perfect introduction to Montessori education, supporting toddlers as they develop language, movement, and independence in a nurturing environment designed specifically for their developmental needs.
Children transition seamlessly from our primary program into lower elementary, where they continue building on their foundation with more advanced academic work and expanded independence.
Our upper elementary program challenges middle school age students with complex projects, leadership opportunities, and preparation for their next educational journey.
Keep learning alive during summer months with our summer camp offerings, featuring outdoor exploration, creative projects, and continued Montessori learning.
Elementary students benefit from our specialized digital citizenship curriculum, learning responsible technology use alongside traditional Montessori lessons.
Other Montessori Programs Available at Our Locations
Our toddler program provides the perfect introduction to Montessori education, supporting toddlers as they develop language, movement, and independence in a nurturing environment designed specifically for their developmental needs.
Children transition seamlessly from our primary program into lower elementary, where they continue building on their foundation with more advanced academic work and expanded independence.
Our upper elementary program challenges middle school age students with complex projects, leadership opportunities, and preparation for their next educational journey.
Keep learning alive during summer months with our summer camp offerings, featuring outdoor exploration, creative projects, and continued Montessori learning.
Elementary students benefit from our specialized digital citizenship curriculum, learning responsible technology use alongside traditional Montessori lessons.
Parent Reviews
Meredith B.
January 21, 2025
Communicative and caring teachers and leadership and small classroom/school size contributing to true community feel.
Stefanie S.
June 18, 2024
I love that the staff creates such a safe space for both the kids and parents to be themselves. They are all so welcoming and open and extremely knowledgeable in childhood education. They have helped me and my family overcomes some of the hurdles that toddlerhood brings and develop positive approaches to difficult situations. We love MCHD!
Meet the Child: The Plane of Development
Early Childhood: The Refinement of Independence (Ages 3-6)
The transition from toddlerhood to preschool marks the awakening of conscious awareness. Young children begin developing their individual identity, moving from generalizations to specificity in their understanding of the world. They seek social connections in new ways, developing friendships and learning to work alongside others. This conscious awareness brings greater complexity to skills acquired in their earlier years, while they continue thriving with carefully balanced routine and independence.
Areas of Development
Children in our program experience significant growth in coordination and dexterity, rapid vocabulary expansion and new language absorption, natural propensity for order and categorization, increased concentration for task completion, and enhanced autonomy and independence.
The Curriculum: Cognitive Development
The 3-hour morning work cycle flows freely and uninterrupted, giving students opportunities to receive individual and small group lessons from teachers. Children choose their own materials and work at their own pace, taking time for multiple repetitions to practice and build mastery where needed. When they need a break for snack, toileting, or movement, they step away from activities to recharge before returning to deepen their practice or receive new lessons.
Our Montessori educators support continued learning while young children demonstrate intrinsic motivation through their natural energy and confidence. Since children at this age cannot yet grasp abstractions, we present concrete Montessori materials that support later abstract thinking. All classroom materials in our primary Montessori environment feature beautiful, intentional design with hands-on elements and built-in error control. After initial lesson presentations by teachers, students work independently with materials, recognizing and correcting mistakes while building independence, confidence, and problem-solving skills.
During the kindergarten year, 5 and 6-year-old students build on years of experience, working with advanced materials including introduction of abstract concepts. They embrace the exciting challenge of their leadership year, offering guidance and lessons to younger children.
Curriculum Areas
Language Development Children develop pre-reading and reading skills through phonetic materials, storytelling, and rich vocabulary experiences that prepare them for elementary success.
Mathematics Foundation Concrete math materials introduce number concepts, operations, and mathematical thinking through hands-on exploration and manipulation.
Cultural Studies Geography, science, and history lessons expand children's understanding of their place in the world while fostering global awareness and environmental stewardship.
Practical Life Skills Real-world activities build independence, coordination, and responsibility while children care for themselves, their environment, and their community.
Peace Education and Grace and Courtesy Daily lessons in conflict resolution, social skills, and emotional regulation prepare children for peaceful interactions and self-regulation throughout life.
Nurturing the Person: Social Emotional Development
Through Peace Education, primary Montessori students receive daily Grace and Courtesy lessons. Beyond teaching self-care and hygiene skills, we guide children in caring for their workspace, materials, and the personal space, belongings, and emotional well-being of others. Conflict-resolution techniques facilitate healthy, peaceful social interactions while children learn environmental care, building deeper emotional connections to the world around them.
Children work collaboratively through group lessons and assist each other when help becomes needed. Leadership year students model tasks for younger children, demonstrating lesson completion and guiding learning. These leadership moments develop self-confidence while cementing skill mastery.
Hands as Instruments of the Mind: Physical Development
Our Montessori environment offers children opportunities to refine physical skills acquired during toddler years. Hand movement control proves especially important in preparation for writing with proper pencil grasp, vital for later learning. The curriculum, particularly Practical Life, provides opportunities to develop hand control through careful transfers using various tools like eyedroppers, spoons, tongs, and pitchers. Art and Music activities fine-tune hand muscles through paintbrushes, beadwork, bell striking, gluing, and instrument playing.
While gross motor development advances significantly at this age, conscious practice creates more graceful movement. Children learn to walk carefully around work rugs without disturbing others' activities and carry water pitchers across busy rooms without spilling. Our unique "Big Body Movement" program builds large muscle strength and control, while kindergarten students participate with elementary students in our annual Spartan event, building resilience and determination throughout the year.
The Montessori Environment: The Classroom
Like our toddler environment, the primary Montessori classroom belongs to and receives care from the entire community. Teachers carefully curate available lessons, preparing the environment to meet each child's developmental needs.
Our classroom features include an open layout with child-sized shelves, chairs, and tables allowing easy access to materials and freedom of movement. Materials match young children's body proportions and hand size to encourage successful use. Organization by subject area sequences from simple to complex, supporting discovery, fostering order, and encouraging growth. Sparse shelving arrangements help materials remain easily visible and returnable without overwhelming children with too many choices.
Natural light, living plants and animals, family photos from current students, and natural materials create peaceful, home-like environments. Peace corners support self-regulation and emotional development.
Daily Schedule
7:30-8:15 - Before care program
8:15-10:45 - Morning work cycle with individual and small group lessons, material practice, and snack time. Special programs including music, art, physical education, gardening, and mindfulness occur on designated days
10:45-11:15 - Whole class "Line Time" featuring group lessons, sharing opportunities, and special guest presentations
11:15-12:00 - Outdoor playground time
12:00-12:30 - Community lunch
12:30-3:00 - Rest time for children ages 2½-4; Leadership year program for ages 5-6
3:00-6:00 - After care program
While primary students enjoy freedom during morning work time to choose tasks and practice skills through repetition, this freedom exists within carefully established limits. Teachers thoughtfully curate available materials and guide student work through individual and group lessons. Throughout their time in our program, every child works with and masters all available materials.
The term "work" in our Montessori school elevates and honors the significant effort children invest in their learning. For children, this effort appears joyful and natural, resembling play while building essential skills and knowledge.
FAQs
Our authentic Montessori approach follows Dr. Maria Montessori's educational philosophy, using specially designed learning materials in mixed-age classrooms where children learn through hands-on activities and self-directed learning. Unlike traditional preschools, we honor each child's individual developmental timeline while fostering independence and intrinsic motivation.
Schedule a Tour
Discover how our Montessori educational approach can make a lasting difference in your child's life. Contact us today to learn more, schedule a tour, and become part of our vibrant school community. During your visit, you'll observe our Montessori classroom in action, meet our dedicated teachers, and experience the peaceful, purposeful environment where your child's love of learning will flourish.