Montgomery Montessory Institute

Information may not be reliable

Franklin's mission is to provide a Montessori program that focuses on the developmental needs of the child within a context of freedom and structure so that each child may learn at his own pace, maintain a joy for learning and reach his maximum potential. The Franklin Schools provide a prepared environment that promotes academic excellence, cultivates independence, stimulates individual growth, embraces cultural diversity and fosters mutual respect and cooperation.

You have probably heard the adage "success begins with a dream." With such inspiration, Franklin's success story began in 1977 opening as a one room school house comprised of seven ready, willing and able preschoolers. The Franklin Schools began their legacy of excellence in preschool education as The Franklin Montessori School with a morning program for children ages three to five. In 1986, as an outgrowth of societal changes, growing demographics and the need for extended care for young children, Franklin Country Day Montessori School was founded to provide additional classrooms.
Today, with an enrollment of 285 children, The Franklin Montessori School (FMS) and Franklin Country Day Montessori School (FCD) offer full day and part-time instructional and child care programs for children ages two through six. The Montessori instructional program is the same for both schools. The only difference is the school year calendar. Think of The Franklin Schools as the wings of a mother bird who nurtures her nest comprised of two schools: The Franklin Montessori School (FMS) and Franklin Country Day Montessori School (FCD). The school calendar and other notices many times are coded with the abbreviations for the schools. Knowing your child's school helps clarify which events apply to your child's classroom so you don't have to "wing it!"
The purpose of The Franklin Montessori School and Franklin Country Day Montessori School is to provide a quality early learning environment for children ages two through six years based on the century proven teachings, methods, and philosophy of the late Italian physician, Dr. Maria Montessori. Dr. Montessori believed children learn best within a social environment which supports, accommodates, and respects the differences that make each child a unique individual. A main objective of The Franklin Schools is to provide both creative and stimulating intellectual, artistic, and developmental experiences for all children.

Dr. Maria Montessori
In the early 20th century, Dr. Maria Montessori based her approach to primary education upon the idea that a human being is not educated by another person. Rather, education is achieved through one's own experiences. Dr. Montessori devised a unique learning process based upon individual interests and developmental stages. The Montessori approach requires the cultivation of a child's natural desire to learn, think, and act independently.
At The Franklin Schools, children begin self-education within a prepared classroom environment of specially designed, enriching materials to maximize each child's development. Children advance as their interests lead from one level of complexity to another. The use of the materials creates a lot of movement. Silence is not the goal.
The activities at The Franklin Schools are purposeful and attuned to the child's muscular and intellectual level of development. When children of mixed ages work in the same classroom, the younger child benefits from having models for imitation and identification. Similarly, the older child benefits from working with the younger children while reinforcing and developing his own knowledge. The child's social development is considered as important as her intellectual growth. Soon the child learns how to interact with peers and adults.
Montessori schools and classrooms are distinguished by several key validating requirements including: teachers who hold Montessori credentials; prepared classroom environments employing Montessori materials and equipment; and multi-aged groupings of children.

The Franklin Schools are very proud of their professional, experienced and highly trained staff of credentialed Montessori teachers and instructional assistants. Talented and experienced classroom specialists enhance the curriculum at The Franklin Schools. Continuing Education workshops, conferences and seminars are part of the ongoing staff development programs at Franklin.
Franklin is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for extended care. The core of the school day program is 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The Franklin Schools are proud to be a Rockville landmark and of the reputation the schools have established in the community for excellence in education.
The Franklin Schools are accredited by the American Montessori Society (AMS), approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and licensed by the MSDE Office of Child Care.

Tour the School
A visit is worth a thousand words! We urge you to visit The Franklin Schools before submitting an application. Tours are given, by appointment, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. Please call the office: 301-279-2799 or send an email to: montessori@hers.com to schedule a tour. The Director of Admission will be available to discuss your needs and answer your questions.

The Franklin Schools are located in Rockville, Maryland at 10500 Darnestown Road between Key West Avenue and Muddy Branch Road. Franklin's 3 1/2 acre campus has 12 beautiful classrooms; a library; great hall with sunroom and terrace for fine arts, creative movement and hospitality; 4 playgrounds; a paved track for bicycles; cultivated gardens; and a wilderness area referred to as "The Back 40" where the children engage in many Beyond the Walls activities including gardening, composting, stick hut building and tunnel exploration. Franklin is proud to be named a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

"On this Jayden's last day at Franklin, I want to say thank you to all of you who have enriched his mind and his life. For the past three and a half years he has experienced a warm, caring, nurturing environment that has expanded and developed him intellectually, socially and emotionally. What a lucky guy. To all of you from a proud Franklin grandma, I respect your professionalism and devotion to your task." -- Joan Armour
"We currently have two boys at Franklin Montessori. Both of our children are thriving at Franklin and have wonderful relationships with their teachers and classmates. Our younger son loves his teachers so much that he includes them in his prayers at bedtime! We have observed him in the classroom and he is confident, happy and thoroughly captivated by all there is to learn. Interacting with classmates on a regular basis has increased his social skills and his circle of friends. Our older son literally cannot wait to get to school each morning! He loves the rich curriculum...all components have helped provide him with a strong foundation to attend a well regarded school in the fall. Our boys are quite verbal and we like that Franklin encourages them to express their feelings and their opinions. We also like that our boys are respected as individuals and encouraged to show respect and compassion to others. We recommend Franklin to friends and family alike." --Andre Fraser and Mondi Kumbula-Fraser
"Our two and a half year old child has been attending Franklin for the last year and we are thrilled with the program. She is exposed to music, language, cooking, animal care and best of all the Beyond the Walls outdoor naturalist program. Most other schools do not encourage their teachers to spend lots of time on outdoor learning; however, Franklin ensures that kids get physical exercise and fresh air while learning about plants, animals, paw prints, leaf patterns, and many other natural wonders on their daily excursions. My daughter comes home every day excited to show us her art work and share songs and other skills she has learned. She has really blossomed this year and I look forward to what she will learn next year in the 3 - 5 year old class." --Christina Villar & George Harris
"We are very pleased with so many things that Franklin offers to our child. The environment is very nurturing and the educational system, whether on the social or intellectual development of the children is the best we've seen. Our five-year old child has grown tremendously over the last year at Franklin thanks to the teachers. We wish we had sent our child to Franklin earlier." --Lihan Yan
"We started sending each of our two boys to The Franklin Schools when they were two and it was one of the best decisions we have made as parents. The Franklin Schools is such a warm place and our children felt loved and cared for there so, it was an easy transition from home to school. The education the students receive is amazing and not only was my older boy prepared for kindergarten when he transitioned to his new school, but he was much more advanced than the other students. The foundation that The Franklin Schools' Montessori program provides for reading and math skills is very impressive and gives the students not only the skills they need to thrive, but also a real understanding of the concepts behind the facts. The school also teaches so much more than just "academics", and the teachers focus on imparting to the children an appreciation both of nature and world cultures, as well as an understanding of respect, friendship and kindness. I only wish the kids could stay there through high school!" -- Anonymous
"Matthew is an ordinary child, but the Franklin teachers are not ordinary teachers. It takes patience, professional skills, tremendous effort, determination and intelligence to take good care of a child and that is what Matthew's teachers did. Under their care, he became a better mannered, better focused, responsible and independent child who loves to reason and holds his dreams dearly. My heartfelt thank you to all of the Franklin teachers and staff that influenced Matthew and also influenced his dad and me This is the school we felt cared so much, welcomed us, listened and sought the best interests for our child. As a person from a different cultural background, you all guided me in order to raise Matthew here. You will always have a special place in our minds and hearts. There is a Chinese proverb saying, "If you want one year of prosperity, plant corn. If you want ten years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want one hundred years of prosperity, educate people." We salute Matthew's teachers for they have added over 100 years professional experience! You are the backbones of our children's futures!" -- Anonymous
"Our son spent three years at The Franklin Schools, right from when he turned two years old. We want to sincerely thank Ms. Pam and all of his teachers for the high-quality education and the tender loving care he received during his time at Franklin. He has progressed very well over the last three years. We are certain that the quality Montessori education he received at Franklin is going to be of enormous benefit to him for an entire lifetime. We recognize and appreciate the value of this strong foundation of high-quality preschool education under the Montessori method at The Franklin Schools and we are sending our second child to Franklin next year." -- Anonymous