Are Montessori teachers AMI-certified?

AMI Montessori teacher education is rigorous. It typically requires 9 to 12 months of graduate-level study, hundreds of hours of supervised practice teaching, and extensive coursework in child development, observation, and Montessori philosophy. When visiting a school, ask specifically which organization issued the teacher's credential and how long the training was. At Ms. Lam Montessori, all lead teachers hold AMI diplomas from accredited training programs.

What does a Montessori morning work period look like?

An authentic Montessori morning work period is an uninterrupted block of time, typically two to three hours, during which children choose meaningful work, solve problems, repeat activities, and reach deep concentration. This is different from a conventional preschool schedule of frequent rotations between teacher-directed group activities. The uninterrupted work period is what allows genuine learning to take place.

What does a Montessori teacher do while children are working?

Rather than standing at the front of the classroom, a Montessori guide moves quietly through the room, observing children, offering individual lessons, and recording careful notes. Observation is one of the Montessori teacher's most important responsibilities. The guide asks not 'What should I teach today?' but 'What is this child ready for next?' Those observations determine when to introduce a new lesson, when to step back, and when a child simply needs more time to practice independently.

Do Montessori schools use stickers, prizes, or reward systems?

Authentic Montessori classrooms do not rely on sticker charts, prizes, or reward systems. Montessori education is built on the belief that children are naturally motivated to learn when given meaningful work in a carefully prepared environment. Frequent external rewards can shift a child's attention away from the joy of learning and toward seeking adult approval. Instead, Montessori teachers help children experience the satisfaction that comes from mastering a challenge or completing meaningful work independently.

Questions to Ask on a Preschool Tour in Brooklyn | Ms. Lam Montessori

Q: Are Montessori classrooms mixed-age?

Yes, in authentic Montessori schools. One of the defining characteristics of genuine Montessori education is the three-year mixed-age classroom. In a Primary classroom, children between approximately 3 and 6 years old learn together. Toddler communities typically serve children from 18 months to 3 years. Children remain with the same teacher for up to three years, allowing deep relationships and individualized learning to develop over time.

What to Ask When Touring a Montessori Preschool in Brooklyn

Choosing a preschool is one of the most important decisions you'll make for your child. During a school tour, it's easy to notice beautiful classrooms, thoughtfully arranged materials, and smiling teachers. But the qualities that matter most aren't always immediately visible.

Today, many schools use the word Montessori. Yet Montessori is not a regulated term in the United States, which means schools can vary widely in how closely they follow the method. The research supporting Montessori's outcomes was conducted in classrooms that faithfully implemented the Montessori approach—not simply in schools using the Montessori name.

So how can you tell the difference?

Here are five questions we encourage every parent to ask when visiting a Montessori preschool.

1. Are Your Teachers AMI-Certified?

The quality of a Montessori classroom depends less on the materials than on the preparation of the teacher.

AMI Montessori teacher education is rigorous. It typically requires 9 to 12 months of graduate-level study, hundreds of hours of supervised practice teaching, and extensive coursework in child development, observation, and Montessori philosophy.

What to Listen For

A school should be able to clearly explain its teachers' training.

You might hear:

"Our guides hold AMI diplomas."

"Our teachers completed AMI-accredited Montessori certification."

If a school cannot explain how its teachers were trained, don't hesitate to ask more questions.

2. Are the Classrooms Mixed-Age?

One of the defining characteristics of authentic Montessori education is the three-year mixed-age classroom.

In a Primary classroom, children between approximately 3 and 6 years old learn together. Toddler communities typically serve children from 18 months to 3 years.

This isn't simply a logistical decision.

It is a carefully designed learning community.

Younger children naturally observe older classmates and become inspired by what is possible. Older children reinforce their own learning by helping younger friends, developing leadership, empathy, and confidence along the way.

Without mixed-age classrooms, children lose one of Montessori's most powerful learning experiences: learning from one another.

What to Listen For

An authentic Montessori school will typically explain that children remain with the same teacher for up to three years, allowing deep relationships and individualized learning to develop over time.

3. What Does Your Morning Work Period Look Like?

If there is one element that defines a Montessori classroom, it is the uninterrupted work cycle.

Rather than moving children from activity to activity every 30 or 45 minutes, Montessori classrooms provide a long period—typically two to three hours—for children to choose meaningful work, solve problems, repeat activities, and eventually reach deep concentration.

This uninterrupted time is essential.

It allows children to move beyond simply completing an activity and into the kind of focused engagement where genuine learning takes place.

What to Listen For

An authentic Montessori school may say something like:

"Children have an uninterrupted work period each morning. During this time, teachers observe carefully and present individual lessons, while allowing children to remain deeply engaged in their work."

If the day consists primarily of frequent rotations between teacher-directed group activities, it does not reflect authentic Montessori practice.

4. What Does the Teacher Do While Children Are Working?

Many first-time visitors expect to see the teacher standing at the front of the classroom leading every lesson.

Instead, they are often surprised to find the teacher quietly moving through the room, observing children, offering individual lessons, and recording careful notes.

This is intentional.

Observation is one of the Montessori teacher's most important responsibilities.

Rather than asking, "What should I teach today?" the Montessori guide asks, "What is this child ready for next?"

Those observations determine when to introduce a new lesson, when to step back, and when a child simply needs more time to practice independently.

What to Listen For

A strong Montessori teacher will explain that observation is an essential part of their daily work and that lessons are presented individually according to each child's readiness.

If most instruction happens through whole-group teaching, the classroom is not be following the Montessori approach as it was designed.

5. Do You Use Stickers, Prizes, or Other Reward Systems?

Montessori education is built on the belief that children are naturally motivated to learn when they are given meaningful work in a carefully prepared environment.

For this reason, authentic Montessori classrooms generally do not rely on sticker charts, prizes, or reward systems.

Over time, frequent external rewards can shift a child's attention away from the joy of learning itself and toward seeking approval from adults.

Instead, Montessori teachers help children experience the satisfaction that comes from mastering a challenge, solving a problem independently, or completing meaningful work.

This intrinsic motivation is one of the qualities many Montessori families notice long after preschool.

What to Listen For

An authentic Montessori school will often explain that children are encouraged through observation, guidance, and meaningful work rather than through external rewards.

Beyond the Questions: Observe the Children

As you tour a school, pay less attention to what the adults are saying and more attention to what the children are doing.

Are they deeply engaged in purposeful work?
Do they move confidently around the classroom?
Are older children naturally helping younger ones?
Does the environment feel calm—not because children are being controlled, but because they are genuinely absorbed in what they are doing?

The children themselves will often tell you more about the quality of a Montessori classroom than any brochure or presentation ever could. Children reveal the quality of a classroom long before the adults do.

Ready to See It for Yourself?

Ms. Lam's 60-minute campus tours include time in the classrooms during the morning work period, a conversation with our admissions team, and a look at the Montessori materials your child would work with.

Schedule a Tour at Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, or Park Slope —>