Oakland Montessori Academy is an early learning center for children based on the Montessori system of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori (1870–1952). Each classroom provides children with a balance of academic, social and physical skill development activities. Montessori schools allow an early start on education for children (ages 2 –3), and classes have a three-year age range, much wider than a traditional classroom. At the Oakland Montessori Academy, infants 6 weeks and up are also accepted, in the nursery school program. School days are three hours long (child care hours are longer).
With a 50-year history in the community, the Mayfair Co-Op Pre-School offers programs for toddlers and children who are pre-kindergarten age. This is a member-run school, and parents are each given year-long assignments as part of the cooperative experience. Each day's activities have a theme, which is carried out in each of Mayfair's learning centers. Each learning center focuses on a specific curriculum area, from art, blocks and science and mathematics. Children start with the Mom and Tot program, which provides an introduction to the pre-school environment and includes lots of free play. From there, they move on to age-grouped programs, ending with the pre-kindergarten class. Mayfair's clean, bright facility offers a welcoming environment, and the school prides itself on its professional, high-quality staff.
Love and Peace Montessori School has been in St. Clair Shores since 2006, and offers a warm and loving environment. The school building is clean and well organized. The school follows the Montessori principles of teaching, which help children develop creativity, problem solving, critical thinking and time-management skills. Children are given skills to excel academically and the social skills necessary to be successful in the world. The school enrolls children from the age of 6 weeks old through to the age of 12 years old.
The Plymouth-Canton Montessori School is located on the south side of Joy Road, between Sheldon and Canton Center Roads. The curriculum is guided by the philosophy of Maria Montessori (1870 - 1952), an Italian physician and educator whose teaching methods were designed to nurture a child's own "natural" instincts. In theory, this method allows children to use their internal compasses, so to speak, to negotiate a learning environment. The school was founded in 1972, though it has only occupied its current location since 1991. The Plymouth-Canton Montessori School is a member of both the Plymouth and the Canton Chambers of Commerce.