Why Montessori

By tapping into how children learn best, Aidan School helps them grow into innovative thinkers, lifelong learners, compassionate leaders, and responsible citizens. Aidan follows the highest standards of the pioneering learning approach known as Montessori, which prepares children for bold and confident futures.

An Aidan education is proven to work.

Today MRI imaging is confirming that the Montessori approach we’ve been using at Aidan for more than 60 years makes for the most effective and authentic learning for children. The Aidan education taps into how children’s brains naturally develop and grow, building on their innate curiosity and remarkable ability to absorb new understanding. We also do away with some of the trappings of the traditional classroom; there are no desks in a row, no tests, no grades, and no strict schedule. The result? Children here love to learn, and their passion and inquisitiveness continue far beyond Aidan.

Montessori education is tailored to each child.

Our teachers are trained extensively to closely observe the learning style, interests, and progress of each child. They know how to help students develop their potential, how to keep them deeply engaged, and when to challenge them to advance to the next level. Progress is dictated by the child’s development, not by a rigid curriculum or a state mandate.

An Aidan education inspires a passion for learning.

Stop by in the morning, and you’ll see students bounding into school, eager to get started. Here learning is an adventure, not a burden. Curiosity is encouraged, not stifled. Lessons are welcomed, not dreaded. Because much of the learning is self-directed, children gain an immense sense of satisfaction from taking on new challenges—a complex math problem, a long book, an independent research project.

An Aidan education prepares students for a promising future.

Learning continuously, communicating persuasively, leading with vision, adapting with agility, understanding how to perceive emotions, and seeing solutions where others do not—such abilities are crucial for success in today’s innovation economy. They’re also the abilities that students develop through Aidan’s distinctive and comprehensive approach to learning. Aidan prepares students for life on many levels—intellectual, physical, emotional, and ethical.

Montessori has shaped the most innovative minds of our time.

The Montessori approach that Aidan uses is carefully designed to help children build a strong foundation for the rest of their lives. It makes a difference. The founders of Google, Amazon, and Wikipedia are all Montessori graduates. Thousands of other Montessori graduates around the world are leading and succeeding—in middle and high schools, in college, in their communities, and in the global marketplace.