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Oakland, CA
Grand Lake Montessori

Parents at this school would recommend this school to other parents.

Review this preschool

neighborhood: Piedmont Avenue / Adams Point ·  Telephone: (510) 836-4313  · Website: www.grandlakemontessori.com

• Summary
• General Info
• School Philosophy
  & Day-in-the-Life
• Curriculum &
  Teaching Approach
• Quality of
  Teaching
• Home/School
  Connection
• Discipline,
  Health & Safety
• Ages, Schedule
  & Tuition
• Application &
  Admissions
• Kindergarten
  Placement&Tips

General Approach to Learning

	Play-based
	Play-based with some structure
	Predominantly teacher-led instruction
	Montessori
	Waldorf
	Co-op
	Reggio-Emilia

source:

Director's Comments

A Montessori classroom looks different than others because it is prepared for the convenience of the children rather than the teacher. It was this concept of specially designed child-centered spaces that led Dr. Montessori to call her first school a 'children's house', 'Casa dei Bambini'. The classes combine play and social skills with practical and academic achievements. The child is free to move within the classroom, working with any of the materials that she chooses as long as it lies within her understanding. Each class has 22-27 children, 1:9 adult/child ratio. Extracted from Grand Lake Montessori Preschool's Website.

Savvy Source's Comments

A Montessori classroom looks different than others because it is prepared for the convenience of the children rather than the teacher. It was this concept of specially designed child-centered spaces that led Dr. Montessori to call her first school a 'children's house', 'Casa dei Bambini'. The classes combine play and social skills with practical and academic achievements. The child is free to move within the classroom, working with any of the materials that she chooses as long as it lies within her understanding. Each class has 22-27 children, 1:9 adult/child ratio. Extracted from Grand Lake Montessori Preschool's Website.

Social Skills & Work Habits

OVERALL RATING (4.3)
This school has increased my child's:
Ability to listen and follow directions
Ability to sit still for longer periods of time
Ability to be a part of a group of children
Self-sufficiency and independence
Awareness of others’ feelings
Cooperation with other children

source:

Curriculum and Teaching Approach

	PLAY-BASED	PLAY-BASED WITH SOME STRUCTURE	MOSTLY TEACHER LED	NOT FORMALLY IN CURRICULUM	CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT
Language					Yes
Oral language	-		-	-	n/a
Nursery rhymes, poems, songs	-		-	-	n/a
Storybook reading	-		-	-	n/a
Emerging literacy skills	-		-	-	n/a
Cognitive Development					n/a
Math and number sense	-		-	-	Yes
Time & space	-		-	-	Yes
Sci. reasoning/physical world	-		-	-	Yes
Music	-	-		-	Yes
Visual arts	-		-	-	Yes
Physical activity	-		-	-	Yes
Other subjects taught	Each classroom has foreign language. We use specialists in music and movement.				n/a

source:

Director's Comments

An observer is struck by the wide range of activities for children 2.6 to 6 years. Individually, or in groups of two or three, children may draw, paint, assemble puzzles, play a sorting game, do a math exercise with a friend or join the teacher for a lesson. The children are encouraged to choose their own activities and to repeat the exercises until they have mastered them. The guide and the children teach others to care for the things in the classroom and to return materials to their places. Children are especially drawn to real activities such as buttoning, tying, pouring, scrubbing tables, sweeping, washing and slicing fruit to share as snacks. These tasks appeal to children because they are real things that adults do, and it gives the child a sense of accomplishment and sharing. All these exercises are preparation for the academic skills the child will acquire in the future. Extracted from Grand Lake Montessori Preschool's Website.

Parents' Comments

Parent #1
GLM is a Montessori program. While the supplemental resources like music, art & movement happen when a special teacher comes, and are therefore whole group and teacher led, the main bulk of the curriculum is 'work' that students choose and complete at stations. (Stations may also incorporate music, art & movement.)

Parent #2
GLM is a Montessori school, and therefore each child works independently a great deal with teacher guidance. Story-time, circle-time, sound of the week, music are all teacher-led group activities.

Parent #3
If you're considering any Montessori school, it's a good idea to learn a lot about the approach. Ask about the different materials your child is using/will use, and to what academic end--it's surprising to learn how these things lead to mastery of something that seems completely unrelated!

Parent #4
Montessori. Teachers give individualized 'lessons' and student perform tasks in partners or individually. All work is differentiated for the individual while still following a developmental continuum. 'free play' does not accurately describe the method. It's more like, individual teacher led lesson with child follow-up. Sometimes, kids teach the lessons to each other. VERY rich learning environment that is engaging and fun.

Parent #5
The check box list does not have a wide enough range. Montessori included both teacher led and free work times and I was not able to check both. I would strongly suggest you revise this.