Academy Child Development Center at Stone Mill Center

Magnet Montessori Preschool is a small home-style Montessori preschool and daycare in North Potomac, Maryland, run by Ms. Hana, an AMS (American Montessori Society) certified teacher. The program is licensed by the Maryland State Department of Education (license numbers are posted on the site), and it serves children roughly ages three to six. Parents describe a single-teacher classroom with a small class size and a classroom feel, where children stay with the same teacher each year rather than rotating between rooms. The school also draws families 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 the 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. Day to day, the teacher keeps an organized schedule that mixes academics, crafts, and hands-on activities with daily outdoor and free play time. Outdoor equipment such as swings and tricycles is available during outside time, healthy snacks are provided each day, and the class takes field trips out into the community. The teacher also works on interpersonal skills, safety skills, problem-solving, and attention to patterns, which fits the program's stated focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills for children with developmental challenges and language-based learning differences. The site does not publish tuition, enrollment numbers, a founding year, or specific therapeutic services, so families should contact the school directly for current rates, openings, and how it accommodates individual needs.

Prime Montessori Academy, formerly Prime Foundation Montessori, is a private Montessori school in North Potomac, Maryland, serving Montgomery County families in and around Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Potomac. The school was founded in 2011 by Osato Ojofeitimi, a scientist turned Montessori educator, and originally began as a prepared environment in Miramar, Florida before relocating to Maryland. It enrolls children ages 2 through 12, spanning toddler, preschool, and elementary years. Instruction is organized into three age-based classrooms the school calls ateliers: the Petite Atelier for toddlers roughly 20 to 36 months, the Primary Atelier for ages 2.5 to 6, and the Elementary Atelier for ages 6 to 12. The approach is authentic, AMI-aligned Montessori, built around uninterrupted work cycles, hands-on materials, mixed-age groupings, and individualized observation of each child. Programming emphasizes early literacy and numeracy, concentration, practical life skills, independence, and grace and courtesy rather than grade-level lockstep instruction. The founder and Head of School, Osato Ojofeitimi, 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 reports a Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) child care credential at Level 6, the state's highest tier, and states it has operated for more than a decade. Admissions are selective and run by invitation rather than open enrollment, with placement decided through an application and family-interview process and a limited number of spots each cycle. Tuition is not published on the website and is discussed privately with families during admissions. The school presents itself as a college-prep-minded, character-focused Montessori program; it does not advertise special-education or therapeutic services, so families seeking specific clinical supports should confirm fit directly with the school.

4STEPS Therapeutic Riding Program is a nonprofit therapeutic riding center on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, located in the Wicomico Forest at 5367 Sixty Foot Rd in Parsonsburg. Sandy Winter founded the program in 2002, and it operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a PATH International Member Center. The program serves children and adults with disabilities, including developmental, emotional, and physical challenges, using therapeutic riding and equine assisted activities. The farm setting includes an outdoor arena, a covered arena, and sensory trails, so sessions can run year round and move outdoors for trail rides through the forest. Programs cover both mounted and unmounted work. Therapeutic and Recreational Riding focuses on horsemanship and basic riding skills while working on muscle strength, coordination, balance, stamina, self confidence, and social interaction. Equine Assisted Learning and Horsemanship offers unmounted, experiential activities on the farm. The HORSEPOWER Empowerment Program uses horses for communication, problem solving, team building, and emotional growth, built around its four parts of Healing, Learning, Growing, and Riding. Equi-Thera-Play pairs horses with sensory stations, crafts, and outdoor play and is geared toward children, with an emphasis on social skills and engagement that fits families navigating autism. The center also runs HORSEPLAY, an adaptive summer camp, and Operation Charlie Horse, which provides riding lessons, trail rides, and seasonal trail ride socials for veterans, active and retired military, and their families. Private, one-on-one lessons are available for participants who prefer individual instruction, and programs can be tailored to individual needs. Summer camp cost varies according to available funding, so families should contact the program directly about pricing and any financial assistance. Instruction comes from certified therapeutic riding instructors, including PATH Intl Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors (CTRI) and CHA-certified instructors for riders with disabilities, supported by a trained volunteer team that helps keep sessions safe. Every participant completes an application and health history before riding. The 2026 spring session runs from March 3rd through May 23rd. The program can be reached at giddyup4steps@aol.com.