Midwest Montessori Demonstration School

We have had our three daughters go through Midwest Montessori. Two of them have graduated through kindergarten, and the third one will be in Kindergarten next year.We are the type of parents who will evaluate and compare all options before making a decision. We visited many other preschools, Montessori or not, public or not, in the Evanston/Wilmette area, and Midwest Montessori stood out.First, the teachers are exceptional. They are patient, encouraging and extremely knowledgeable. MMDS is a demonstration school, so the teachers are actually "master teachers" who are also role models for new teachers. The whole school is completely immersed in the Montessori philosophy, in the original sense: what Maria Montessori taught and wrote, not the edulcorated version that has been simplified or perverted to fit new pedagogical fads, that you may find at other Montessori schools. It is thus individualized to each child, at the same time making sure that the child is eager to learn new things. The kids learn courtesy, dispute resolution, and many useful practical skills. However, they also learn academic topics very efficiently, thanks to wonderful Montessori materials for Math as well as reading, writing, geography and science. When you enter the classroom, it is quiet and orderly. The students are busy, each on their own project, and they always put back their work in place after they finish it. Second, the school is small, with just two classrooms, both of which feel spacious and light with large windows. They only do pre-K to Kindergarten, so the little children do not feel overwhelmed by older ones, and they are the center of attention. Children are in mixed age groups, so the oldest ones mentor the younger ones, thereby creating role models for the youngest at the same time as it builds self-confidence for the Kindergartners.It is a diverse community, with children speaking Russian, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Hindi, and of all ethnicity. Because of its proximity to Northwestern University, it also tends to attract academically gifted children, who thrive in this self-paced environment.