Every June, Children’s House Montessori School (CHMS) preschool graduates experience the important milestone of their first ever graduation to kindergarten. It is a moment worth celebrating, and for some parents, it is also a moment that surfaces a question: Is my child truly prepared for the next step?

The transition from preschool to kindergarten can feel significant. Parents want to know that their child will be able to act responsibly, follow classroom routines, make friends, and continue to build academic skills. At CHMS, those skills are built from day one. In a Montessori mixed-age classroom, younger children learn by observing older peers, and older children reinforce their own understanding by helping those who just joined CHMS.

Academic skills are woven into the fabric of daily life at CHMS. With guidance from trained Montessori Guides, children engage with sequential, hands-on language materials that allow children to develop a strong foundation in reading, writing, and vocabulary. In mathematics, children use similar materials to explore concepts that develop logical thinking and problem-solving skills. By the time a CHMS graduate enters kindergarten, whether at CHMS or their elementary school, they have developed a strong foundation in many academic areas.

CHMS families often say it best when describing the transition to kindergarten: Kelsey, a CHMS parent alumna shared, “our son entered kindergarten beyond prepared, and we love how the CHMS Montessori curriculum really allowed for him to learn at his own pace. I can’t say enough great things about the teachers.”

Kindergarten readiness is built every morning a child hangs up their own bag, every time they choose a lesson and complete it from start to finish, every afternoon they spend outside on the playground regardless of the weather, and every moment they spend in a warm classroom community.

Like so many CHMS graduates, these daily activities allowed Kelsey’s child to walk into kindergarten knowing how to adapt, clearly communicate wants and needs, and demonstrate grace and courtesy towards others.

For families who choose to continue at CHMS, the kindergarten year is a natural next step. The CHMS preschool and kindergarten program serves children in a mixed-age prepared environment. This means that kindergarteners do not start over in a new setting and instead step into a more experienced role within a classroom they already know. This allows them to deepen skills they have been building for years while serving as leaders for the younger children around them. The result is a kindergarten year that produces independent, confident, and empathic learners, prepared for elementary school and everything that follows.

CHMS is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year for toddler and preschool programs. Families interested in learning more are encouraged to connect with the admissions team to apply and schedule a tour and see firsthand the CHMS community.