Montessori Academy of Colorado

Our family loves this school — the staff, parents and other children. We have three boys, one in each of the age groups and can say that the experience is THE BEST

My son has been at MAC since he was 6 months old, starting off in their baby area called Nido and currently in the Toddler environment. We’ve had a great experience at MAC. The staff is very contentious and dedicated to each individual child’s development. The Montessori work is age-​appropriate, engaging and instructive. There are also ample opportunities for gross motor development and free play.
As a working mother, the highest praise I can give is that I never worry about my son at MAC. I know he’s in good hands, well cared for, challenged to be independent and to learn, and is a happy camper when I pick him up.

I would give this school 4.95 stars if I could. When our kiddo was still an infant, we put MAC on our short list for one simple reason: the classrooms were so peaceful. Not to name names, but we toured every Montessori school in metro Denver, and most classrooms featured preschoolers playing tag in the rooms and squealing down the halls; others were marked by toddler tantrums that threw all the other children into fits of their own. This kind of disorganization just will not work with the Montessori philosophy. But MAC is Montessori done right: teachers provide insightful redirection for the inevitable toddler tantrums, and all the other kids stay on track. Preschoolers «work» (the Montessori term for child’s play) alone or in thoughtful, small groups directed by these amazing teachers. We recently had an opportunity to observe our three-year-old’s preschool classroom (with kids ranging in age from 2.5 to 5) and we stayed for over an hour because it was so darned interesting. Our kiddo spent 40 full minutes working alone on one task, only to switch up and work for 40 more on another project. And I don’t say that because she’s my super-​special snowflake – that kind of prolonged focus was typical of most of the kids in the class. If you want to expand the realm of the possible for your child’s attention span, consider Montessori education.
Only two slight negatives about the school: They have a lot of vacations, including 2 weeks’ winter break, a week of spring break, a week of break in August, every single federal holiday (whether your office closes or not) and at least one teacher in-​service day per month. I don’t begrudge them this; these in-​services keep our teachers engaged, educated, and fresh. But if you don’t have ready access to backup care, it can be a challenge. The other oh-​so-​slight negative is the outdoor environment, which is not at all shielded from the street in a neighborhood that can be a little rough around the edges. I understand the school is fund raising for a project that will make the play areas more private and a little «greener.» We look forward to this welcome change!

Observing my son’s classroom and playground at MAC is one of my favorite things to do and I often wish I could stay longer. The classrooms are incredibly peaceful places (at least when I’ve been there) and the gravity with which the teachers apply the Montessori method is impressive. This isn’t to say that it’s dour there; the children are active and having fun — but you can really tell that it’s not an average «day care.» MAC is clearly a school with management that takes our children’s success seriously.

We love MAC! Our son has been in the Toddler Community for almost exactly a year now. He loves to go to school. He comes home with lots to say about his friends and teachers, what went on in «specials,» the work he did during the day, etc. His relatives are amazed at his independence, self-​confidence, and manners. I recommend MAC because of the community, the parent involvement, the teachers’ love and respect for the children, the level of training (and ongoing training) of the teachers, the spacious and well-​prepared classrooms, and the weekly art and music classes (with teachers who have music and art degrees!).