Peaceful Pathways Montessori Academy

Where academic and spiritual growth go hand in hand

A Christian Montessori school serving students ages 15 months - 13 years

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Our mission is to nurture and assist children as they develop confidence and prepare for life!


At Peaceful Pathways Montessori Academy, we place equal value on the development of character and the acquisition of academic knowledge. We help students achieve their academic potential while instilling qualities of respect, responsibility and resourcefulness. Our unparalleled student-teacher relationships are at the heart of our success in achieving these goals.


We bring real world experience into the classroom to foster independence, perseverance and collaboration. We inspire and prepare students to think and do for themselves, serve others, discover their own path to success, and learn the value of contributing to their community as they transition from children, to adolescents, to adults.

Why do so many families choose Peaceful Pathways Montessori?

Lessons are designed and given to each child when they are most ready to learn.

Social, emotional, and physical development is emphasized along with academic skills. Each child is able to discover their God given gifts and talents.

Freedom to move and choose activities and socialize within our unique structure fosters independence and self-confidence.

Current neuroscience and human development research consistently backs authentic high-fidelity Montessori.

The Montessori Difference


Discover the 5 biggest limitations with traditional education and how Montessori can unleash your child's independence, confidence, and love for learning.


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Programs

We are so grateful to have found this school. It aligns with our educational values of whole child education and the community of families couldn't be more welcoming. PPMA even offers everything from Cub Scouts to band. There's a greenhouse, chickens and offers relevant and authentic learning opportunities without the burden of homework or standardized testing. As a former public education teacher, I wholeheartedly believe in the Montessori philosophy and highly recommend PPMA.

Eric Patnoudes

To say that we love PPMA is an understatement.


My son has been at PPMA since he was 18 months old and he has flourished so much. We adore everyone!

Emi C.

Visit us!


We invite you to visit to our school's campus, observe the children and teachers in their classrooms, and see our school in action. We encourage you to ask questions and learn about the opportunities available for your family.


Our campus is designed to reflect the Montessori philosophy and approach of the school and enable our mission. We have expansive indoor and outdoor spaces with plenty of room for exploration, collaboration and discovery. We offer an environment filled with unique learning materials, tools and opportunities to learn by doing.

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The latest from our blog.

01 Nov, 2024
Montessori nurtures the whole child, balancing academics, social-emotional learning, conflict resolution, and community-building in a prepared environment.
25 Oct, 2024
What’s the difference between taking a walk to keep up with a workplace exercise challenge and taking a walk because you want to? Intrinsic motivation.
04 Oct, 2024
One of the best parts of a Montessori education is that learning is so much fun! We provide hands-on activities and experiences that engage children’s hearts and minds and help them grasp abstract concepts and master complicated skills. For example, when we introduce grammar in elementary, we use the Grammar Boxes, a set of materials that involve reading, interpretation, acting, art, movement, pattern-finding, and even poetry. The result is that grammar becomes an experiential and joyful process that children get to play with and even embody. Grammar work in Montessori elementary classrooms is also a group activity, which our gregarious elementary-aged children absolutely love. The Materials The Grammar Boxes comprise an array of colorful materials that easily take up a whole shelf in the classroom. Like so many Montessori materials, they use color coding to help children establish stronger neural pathways to identify parts of speech and their function in sentences. Each of the eight grammar boxes has one large compartment that holds cards with sets of phrases and sentences, as well as smaller compartments for one-word cards. The cards are different colors for each part of speech: article (tan), noun (black), adjective (brown), verb (red), preposition (green), adverb (orange), pronoun (purple), conjunction (pink), interjection (yellow). Children experience the name, symbol, and function of each part of speech in a multi-sensorial way, maximizing their opportunity to acquire real and deep understanding. The Activity We start with little games to introduce the part of speech. For example, we provide commands, like skip, run, hide, hum, and so on, to experience the role the verb plays. Next, we select the grammar box and filler box to match the part of speech. Children fill the grammar box with the various cards, and then they choose one of the sentence cards and read the sentence. Using the one-word cards, they build the sentence by looking through the smaller compartments in the grammar box to find each word. In the preposition grammar box, one of the sentences states, “Lay the pen with the pencil.” When children look for each of the words, they will find that “pen” and “pencil” are on black cards because they are nouns. “Lay” is on a red card because it is a verb. “The” is on a tan card because it is an article. The new type of word – “with” – is a preposition. Children build the sentence and then act it out. The next sentence on the card is exactly the same except for one variation. “With” changes to “behind” so the sentence reads “Lay the pen behind the pencil.” So children keep the constructed sentence but just change the one card. They act out the sentence again, experiencing how changing the preposition changes the sentence in a certain way. The final sentence on the card reads “Lay the pen beside the pencil.” This acting out and playing around with what happens when one-word changes provides a sensorial experience of the parts of speech. We also share key phrases that highlight the function of the part of speech. For example, when working with pronouns, we’ll state, “This kind of word stands in place of a noun.” The children come to appreciate how words do important work just like they do. As a result, they experience an inspired interest in the functions performed by different words. Continued Exploration Once children have mastered this first step, the Grammar Box materials offer multiple forms of follow-up to promote deeper understanding. Symbolizing - We link each part of speech with a color-coded symbol. For example, nouns are represented by black triangles and verbs by red circles. Children love to “symbolize” the grammar box sentences, as well as sentences they have written or even sentences from books. This practice is essentially an early form of sentence diagramming and children begin to notice visual patterns in the structure of sentences. Quizzing - We can also play a little game to quiz children on the parts of speech and their functions. One form of this is to cover all the smaller, labeled compartments with color-coded paper. We might prompt the children, “What is the name of the word that told you the action?” They’ll call out “verb!” And we reveal (or they will check) the answer by removing the red slip. Transposing - When we move words around in a sentence or phrase, the meaning may remain essentially the same, change dramatically, or be lost entirely! So, with the grammar box cards, we play around with shifting the order of the words in the constructed sentences and phrases. This highlights the importance of word order in our language and also opens up some creative thinking about poetic phrases (which often enlivens the imagination of young poets!). Reading Commands - Children also love using the command cards that accompany each grammar box. These cards encourage dramatic interpretation and build reading comprehension. Children interpret nuances as they explore gradations in vocabulary and eventually even how subtle shifts in vocabulary can impact meaning or interpretation. Extensions After children learn key grammar language and concepts via the Grammar Boxes, we initiate a deeper study into classifications within each part of speech. For example, a study of the verb moves to an examination of the differences between action and linking verbs, a study of voice and mood, and an exploration of the tenses. Extension work also includes more complex and detailed written work, a study of synonyms, further exploration of ideas presented in the introductory work, and research related to the parts of speech and the history of our language. Elementary children love the extraordinary, the peculiar, and the unusual. Carefully selected words in the Grammar Boxes help spark this fascination, drawing the children into a study of the science of their language. Although work with the Grammar Boxes helps children learn about and understand the functions of the different parts of speech, the lessons also demand a great deal of active and physical expression and thus support children’s powers of expression. This is what “reading comprehension” really is. We can observe the quality and sophistication of children’s understanding by the precision with which each child carries out the actions required by any particular grammar box text. The Importance of Grammar A good grasp of grammar empowers us to communicate and interpret others’ communication with greater clarity and understanding. Thus, our goal is to help each child wield their language with accuracy and power. Grammar work in elementary invites a rich vocabulary and fosters an expansive use of our language in all of its expressions. Grammar work is an exciting, fun, and intellectually stimulating activity in Montessori classrooms.
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