Academy Child Development Center at Stone Mill Center

Ms. Hana, an AMS (American Montessori Society) certified teacher, runs Magnet Montessori Preschool, a small home-style Montessori preschool and daycare in North Potomac, Maryland. The program is licensed by the Maryland State Department of Education and serves children roughly ages three to six. Children stay in one classroom with the same teacher each year rather than rotating between rooms. Families also come from nearby Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Germantown. The curriculum follows the Montessori "follow the child" approach and is organized into seven areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, History and Geography, Science, and Music, Movement and Art. Children work with standard Montessori materials, including dressing frames, water-pouring exercises, the Movable Alphabet for early reading and writing, and the Golden Beads, Spindle Box, and Red and Blue Rods for hands-on arithmetic. Practical Life work covers dressing, preparing snacks, watering plants, sweeping, and basic manners, which builds motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and independence. Language work leans on phonics so children can begin reading and writing earlier than in a traditional setting. The day mixes academics, crafts, and hands-on activities with daily outdoor and free play. Swings and tricycles are available outside, healthy snacks are provided each day, and the class takes field trips into the community. The teacher also works on interpersonal skills, safety skills, problem-solving, and attention to patterns. The program focuses on critical thinking, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills for children with developmental challenges and language-based learning differences.

Osato Ojofeitimi, a scientist who became a Montessori educator, founded Prime Montessori Academy in 2011. The school was first a prepared environment in Miramar, Florida, and later moved to North Potomac, Maryland. It was formerly Prime Foundation Montessori. Children ages 2 through 12 attend, across toddler, preschool, and elementary years, and families come from Montgomery County, including Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Potomac. Classrooms are called ateliers. The Petite Atelier is for toddlers roughly 20 to 36 months, the Primary Atelier is for ages 2.5 to 6, and the Elementary Atelier is for ages 6 to 12. The approach is authentic, AMI-aligned Montessori, with uninterrupted work cycles, hands-on materials, mixed-age groupings, and individualized observation of each child. The day emphasizes early literacy and numeracy, concentration, practical life skills, independence, and grace and courtesy, rather than lockstep grade-level instruction. Ojofeitimi, the founder and Head of School, holds dual AMI Montessori diplomas at the Primary (2.5 to 6) and Elementary (6 to 12) levels, earned through the Washington Montessori Institute, the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies, and Loyola University Maryland, along with four graduate degrees across the sciences and education. The school holds a Maryland State Department of Education child care credential at Level 6, the state's highest tier, and has operated for more than a decade. Admissions are selective and run by invitation rather than open enrollment. Placement is decided through an application and a family interview, with a limited number of spots each cycle. The program is aimed at college preparation and character.

ASDEC is the only IMSLEC-accredited center providing reading and math specialists who are nationally certified by ALTA and AOG. Your child will have access to specialists who have trained for up to 1000 hours to deliver intensive one-to-one or small group instruction designed to meet their unique learning needs.