The Montessori Academy of Arlington, Arlington | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

Enrolling our son at The Montessori Academy of Arlington (TMA) has been a transformational experience for both him and our family. From the very first time I saw pictures of the school, I could tell something was different and special about it. Many schools and care facilities have pictures of children working or playing and looking happy, but TMA showed children that were satisfied; children that were helping each other and helping animals. Not just a class hamster or guinea pig, but a full sized pig and chickens. We immediately had to know more.

Our first visit to the school was during the morning work cycle. In the classroom, we saw over a dozen children working quietly and independently, helping each other when needed, and without the constant intervention of a teacher or rigid schedule. When we asked one of the children about her work, she told us what she was doing in an animated fashion, demonstrating each step carefully as if she was teaching us rather than just answering a question. There was a sense of pride and excitement in her words that was hard to describe and not something I’d normally expect from a five year old.

We next stepped outside to see the outdoor classroom. We learned that this was a shared space where a few children from each classroom can interact and spend time outdoors and with the animals. Our guide explained that this wasn’t just free play, it was “purposeful play” and I quickly came to understand what she meant. Children weren’t just running around or climbing on random objects; they were learning to ride bicycles or helping their friends when they fell down. They were working on balance and coordination by walking across balance beams or through the rock stream. The elementary kids then came over and showed us the chicken coop they’d finished building and the roost of chicks that had recently been adopted as well as Rufus, the happy pig who wandered around with the children in harmony. My first thought was “Why wouldn’t a kid spend his entire day out here?” One of the kids explained it to me. The children grow to understand compassion and community and recognize that after they’ve spent some time outdoors, that they should go inside and try some indoor lessons so that another friend can have a turn outside. Kids as young as three and four years old understood this concept and worked out any disagreements themselves with limited intervention from adults. It was eye opening.

Needless to say, we enrolled our son immediately. He’s been at the school six months now and is like a completely different child. He volunteers to help with tasks around the house. If I prompt him to help me with something, he does so without arguing. He understands that our household is a community and a group effort as well, so he wants to keep it clean and orderly like his classroom. In public, he has spontaneously started holding open doors for strangers, smiling at them and greeting them politely. He’s even taken an interest in cooking and helped with dinner preparation including chopping up vegetables or washing dishes afterward.

Academically, our son has always been advanced, but he has grown even further at TMA. At age five, he’s been working on things like multiplication and division, fractions, and other basic arithmetic with four and even five digit numbers. He knows the continents as well as most of the countries in them and their flags. He’s learned words from half a dozen languages from both lessons and the exceptionally diverse members of the TMA community. He can read and write well above his age level and has been reading story and chapter books to us at night instead of us reading to him. He comes home excited and tells us about his friends and what he’s done. He’s curious about the world and always asking insightful questions, always trying to learn something new. He doesn’t just want to play Star Wars or superheroes; he wants to do science experiments or art or build something. All of this, and more, we attribute to the excellent environment provided at TMA.

I feel so grateful that we found this school (and by extension, this staff) here. This school has truly felt like a second home for our daughter. She started in the toddler classroom and moved into early childhood halfway through the year. The teachers in both classrooms have been fantastic–friendly, caring and you can tell they really KNOW your child.. We noticed our daughter truly thrive and we could see her new skills at home. Everyone communicates very well and they take security very seriously which is increasingly important in these trying times. We’d stay here forever if we weren’t moving and we feel so honored to have had our daughter start her education here.

TMA has been an amazing environment for my children to grow up in. My oldest child is 6.5 and has been attending since 18mths, the teachers and the school have always been so accommodating to his needs in order to ensure his best learning. My youngest who is 3, has been attending since 8mths and absolutely loves his school! Both children are learning valuable independence skills. The TMA campus is amazing and encourages children to explore nature, climb trees, use their imaginations, and be an active part of a community. The classroom is engaging and flexible for various types of learning. We love TMA!