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Montessori preschools and daycares

Find the top Montessori preschools and daycares in Canada.

On this page, we list Montessori preschools, nursery schools, kindergartens, and daycares in Canada. We also cover Montessori preschool costs, tuition, philosophy, and curriculum.

For a far more comprehensive guide to Montessori education, including a detailed discussion of the Montessori education method, start with our introductory guide.

Montessori preschools and daycares include toddler programs (ages 0-3) and primary schools (ages 3-6). There are lots of Montessori preschools in Canada, almost all of which are private. These schools vary in terms of their philosophy, learning environment, curriculum, and activities. The preschools listed below reflect this diversity. They can be filtered for a wide range of features, including programming, special needs support, location, and cost.

2. Choosing a school

For general advice on how to choose and evaluate private schools, check out our choosing a school guide and read advice from leading education experts. For advice on choosing Montessori schools, read our main Montessori school guide and our Montessori choosing guide. For advice on finding the right preschool, read our preschool choosing guide.

Private school expos

Private school expos are a great starting point for finding a school, at any level. We have annual private school expos in Toronto, Halton-Peel, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver. These expos allow you to learn about different types of private schools across the country, many of which are Montessori schools or have a Montessori program. Find a Montessori preschool near you.

Parent discussion forum

Another great tool in your school and preschool search is the Our Kids parent discussion forum. The forum is the ideal place to discuss options and debate topics related to Montessori schools, and other topics of interests. Take advantage of our community of parents, education experts, and school officials to get your questions answered.

Open house events

Attending open houses can also be an effective way to learn more about schools and preschools. For general advice on open house visits, check out our guide on school visits.

3. Tuition at Montessori preschools

The cost of Montessori preschools tends to be lower than the cost of other private preschools, nursery schools, daycares, and kindergartens. In fact, Montessori preschools are usually on the lower side of private school tuition in general.

Private school tuition can range from $5,000 to over $25,000 per year. Preschool (Montessori) tends to be closer to the lower end of this scale. You can learn more in our preschool costs guide.

Some preschools offer needs-based financial aid, such as bursaries or tuition relief. And some offer merit-based aid, in the form of scholarships. You can learn more about financial aid in our dedicated guide. 

Below, you’ll find the range of costs for Montessori preschools across Canada. This includes Montessori preschools in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Ottawa, Victoria, Mississauga, and Brampton. 

Academics

Special needs support

In Ontario, there are Montessori preschools in Toronto, Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Burlington, Oakville,  Ottawa, Pickering, and Scarborough. Elsewhere in Canada, you can find casa programs in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Victoria, among other cities. Most of these preschools are certified by a world-recognized accrediting institute, such as the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA) or the American Montessori Internationale (AMI).

Other countries also offer this Montessori preschool, including Poland. If you're interested in a Polish Montessori preschool, read our guide: przedszkola Montessori w Polsce (or in English, Montessori preschools).

What is Montessori preschool?

But, what is the Montessori preschool approach? And how is this approach different from other preschool and daycare programs?

Montessori preschool, like elementary, middle, and high school, is meant to accommodate the growing child. They have mixed-age and interactive classrooms which allow children to grow cognitively and socially, and become more independent and responsible.

Preschool (Montessori) is for infants, toddlers, and older children. It's usually divided up into two programs: toddler rooms (Montessori daycare) and primary schools. Each program uses a distinct method and focuses on a special set of skills (with some overlap).

Montessori toddler rooms

Montessori toddler programs, sometimes referred to as Montessori daycare or nursery programs, have children from birth (or 18 months) to age 3. These programs are often “play based”: they have lots of social activity. Similar to Waldorf and Reggio Emilia schools, children start interacting with other kids here, and start to develop social skills, such as listening, cooperation, and self-control. They also start to walk, talk, and engage in physical play.

That said, toddler programs (also referred to as "toddler preschool") also focus on some basic cognitive skills. Quite a bit of time is allotted for concrete learning and practical life activities. Though most toddlers don’t engage in long, uninterrupted work, they’re curious and love to explore. The Montessori classroom is set up to build on this curiosity.

Montessori primary classes

There are many Montessori primary classes, or what are sometimes called “casa dei bambini,” meaning “the children’s house.” These classes are for kids aged 3 to 6. They start to prepare kids for grade school.

Primary classes start to focus more on academics. Kids do lots of concrete learning, using many different Montessori materials. They also work on their speech, and start reading, writing, and math. Teachers sometimes give short lessons to kids at this level, but mostly they guide them and help them focus on their work.

Montessori students also start working for longer periods of uninterrupted time in primary school. They also start to develop intense focus and concentration. This is one of the benchmarks for moving on to elementary school.

There are four main areas of the primary school Montessori curriculum: 

Practical life: Kids take care of themselves, the environment, and learn grace and courtesy. They also work on their physical coordination. This is meant to improve their organization, social skills, and sense of responsibility.

Sensory exploration: Kids order, classify, and describe sensory impressions of length, width, temperature, mass, colour, pitch, and the like.

Math: In Montessori math, kids use manipulative materials to learn different math concepts. These include number, symbol, sequence, and operations.   

Language arts: Kids work on speech, written expression, reading, grammar, and the creative arts. They learn to express their thoughts and feelings orally and in writing.

For more details about the Montessori preschool curriculum and the Montessori teaching methods (preschool), read our preschool curriculum guide, comparison of Montessori to other preschools, and our guides to kindergarten and daycare. You can also check out our guides to Montessori curriculum and teaching approaches.

Benefits of Montessori preschool

Montessori preschool, at both the toddler and primary level, has a lot of benefits. It can foster independence, responsibility, and social skills. And, its focus on sensory exploration and cognitive learning can be very engaging for many kids. And, most Montessori preschools, like Waldorf and Reggio Emilia preschools have dedicated (and certified) teachers, who promote children's learning with a structured classroom, individualized lesson plans, and engaging materials.

Montessori preschools work especially well for kids who are strong listeners, have good attention spans, and are motivated to learn. On the other hand, kids with severe learning, developmental, behavioural disorders, or other special needs, may need extra support. 

For more details, see our article on Montessori benefits. To learn about the pros and cons of preschool in general, read our guide.

Paying for Montessori preschool

Tuition for Montessori schools and preschools across Canada continues to decline. You will find some accredited programs which cost $6,000 or less per year. There are also other ways to afford a Montessori school or preschool. They include:

• If you can show the school that you are in clear need of financial aid, you may be eligible for a bursary. Charitable or community organizations may also assist you in paying for a preschool (Montessori or otherwise).

• In some Canadian provinces, paying for a religiously-affiliated Montessori preschool qualifies as a charitable donation. This means you'll receive a tax break for it.

• Many private schools, including some Montessori schools, have sibling discounts that increase with each child that you send to them.
  
  To learn more, read our guide to preschool costs.