Choosing the right kindergarten program can feel overwhelming. You want more than just a classroom — you want a safe, nurturing place where your child is known, challenged, and inspired every day.
At Hudson Country Montessori School in Danbury, CT and New Rochelle, NY, our private school kindergarten and bridge program gives your child a powerful final year in the Primary (Preschool) classroom before they move on to Lower Elementary. In our mixed-age Primary environment, the kindergarten year becomes a bridge between preschool and elementary school, helping your child build the skills, independence, and confidence they need to thrive.
From “Little One” to Classroom Leader
By the time children reach kindergarten at Hudson, they’re ready to lead. Kindergarten students naturally take on leadership roles, guiding and supporting younger classmates while learning through rich, hands-on experiences. Every lesson is designed to spark curiosity—building strong literacy and math foundations, exploring the natural world, and discovering arts, sciences, and cultures—so your child grows with purpose and joy.
Our teachers act as guides, not lecturers, helping each child learn for real understanding, make meaningful choices, and value their growing independence. In a Montessori kindergarten, the environment and materials are thoughtfully matched to your child’s developmental needs, creating a learning experience that inspires confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning.
“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”
–Dr. Maria Montessori
What Makes Our Kindergarten & Bridge Program Different
Literacy, Math, and an Integrated Curriculum
Hudson Country Montessori makes use of the best materials available for our kindergarten students. We are uniquely positioned to incorporate components from both Montessori and traditional education to engage our young learners, ensure strong literacy, and provide a solid academic foundation for future success.
Sensorial lessons move students through sensory explorations that lay a foundation for mathematical skills and scientific inquiry. Math lessons guide children from concrete manipulatives to abstract thinking, while language lessons move from spoken language to writing and reading. Culture and science open the doors wide to exploration of the world we live in.
Weekly enrichment programs for our kindergarten students include:
- Spanish
- Art
- Music
- Physical Education
Individualized Montessori Curriculum
Dr. Maria Montessori, a pioneer in early childhood education, observed that a child’s learning explodes as new neural connections open pathways for understanding. In our kindergarten and bridge program, every child benefits from an individualized Montessori curriculum that meets them right where they are.
Each day, Hudson teachers—certified Montessori educators with specific training for their age group—present carefully sequenced lessons designed to challenge students at just the right level. This sequence builds a sense of mastery and high self-esteem that motivates children to seek more challenging work. Montessori recognizes that children learn best at their own pace and in their own way, so our curriculum adapts to each learner rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all model.
Teacher/Guide Training and Certification
The teacher in a Montessori classroom is more of an educational “coach” or “guide” than a traditional teacher. Because individualizing the curriculum is nuanced, each Montessori teacher receives specialized training in multiple instructional approaches to support diverse learning styles.
Every Primary classroom (which includes kindergarten and bridge-program students) is led by a certified Montessori teacher with specific training for the preschool/Primary age group. In addition, all Primary classrooms have a teacher who holds a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree—or is in the process of completing one—in Early Childhood Education.
Intrinsic Motivation Is Key
Every child is born with a natural curiosity to explore and discover the world around them. At Hudson, our Montessori approach taps into this curiosity—what psychologists call “intrinsic motivation,” because it comes from within the child. When children are involved in meaningful activities of their choosing, learning becomes fun and exciting.
Through this joyful journey of mastering new skills, your child becomes more self-directed, focused, and purposeful in everything they do. We believe in nurturing their love for learning, one fascinating activity at a time.
A Classroom Designed Around Your Child
Child-Centered Environment
When you look into a Montessori classroom, you’ll see children engaged in a wide variety of self-directed, purposeful activities. Some will be working alone in deep concentration, others will be working in small groups enjoying social time while learning from each other. Still others will be working with a teacher individually or in a small group.
Montessori schools often refer to the Primary classroom as the “Children’s House” because the environment is designed to encourage children to become self-directed learners. As students master easier work, the teacher refreshes the environment with new, more challenging materials so children are always engaged in skill-building lessons that provide a sense of increasing challenge, competence, and self-esteem.
Multi-Age Classroom: Built-In Role Models and Mentors
Modeled after a typical family structure with multi-age children, the Montessori learning environment is both collaborative and appropriately challenging. Younger students look up to their older peers and are inspired to tackle more advanced work, while older students—especially kindergarteners—develop leadership skills by mentoring and teaching their younger classmates.
This family-like atmosphere helps build a close-knit community and fosters a strong commitment to learning. Over their years in the Primary classroom, teachers form deep connections with each child and their parents, creating a partnership focused on the child’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development.
Supporting Gifted and Advanced Learners
While every child is born with intrinsic talents, some students show special strengths in one or more domains. In the Montessori classroom, we encourage students to fully express their strengths and develop strong learning skills in those areas of natural ability and interest.
Because students with higher aptitudes are not “held back” waiting for peers to catch up, they can excel in their areas of strength to the extent of their ability. At the same time, our individualized curriculum helps nurture a growth mindset in areas they find more challenging, resulting in well-rounded students with advanced abilities in one or more areas.
Beautiful, Hands-On Materials That Make Learning Click
“The Hand Is the Pathway to the Brain”
Research shows there are more neural connections from the hand to the brain than from any other part of the body. As Dr. Montessori put it, “The hand is the pathway to the brain.”
Recognizing this connection, Dr. Montessori designed didactic materials to teach children specific concepts using their hands, eyes, and, to a lesser extent, ears. One of the great strengths of Montessori education is this multisensory approach to learning: children learn with their whole bodies, and especially their hands.
Montessori materials are made of beautiful wood, metal, or ceramic and are designed to be attractive to young children, inviting them to touch and explore. Materials are thoughtfully arranged on child-sized shelves in a clear sequence from simple to complex, allowing children to work through the sequence with a high degree of independence.
Many materials are “self-correcting,” so when a child makes a mistake, they can spot it and use critical thinking to correct it themselves. This process builds confidence, perseverance, and a deep sense of accomplishment.
STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math
Exploration and discovery are at the heart of STEAM learning in our kindergarten and bridge program. Montessori called her method a “scientific pedagogy” because it mirrors how learning happens in real laboratories: through careful observation, hands-on exploration, and thoughtful experimentation.
Our materials are introduced in a deliberate sequence of increasing complexity, so each new work builds on prior success. Some lessons require specific outcomes that teach children to be orderly and precise, while others are more open-ended and invite imagination and creative problem solving. Across the day, your child is building a foundation in science, engineering, math, art, and design — all through meaningful, joyful work.
Joyful Group Activities, Outdoor Play & Growth Mindset
Community, Music, and Play
While much of the day at Hudson is devoted to self-directed work and small-group instruction, there is still plenty of time for music, group activities, and play. Children enjoy freedom of movement around the classroom and can invite friends to join them in their work.
Every class has multiple large-group circle times to sing songs, read stories, and explore topics of special interest to young children. These shared experiences foster community, communication skills, and joy.
We also believe it’s essential for children to go outside every day. Whether they are running, digging, exploring, or playing with friends, outdoor time supports healthy physical development and social connection. Students enjoy a rotation of playgrounds so outdoor play always feels like a new adventure.
Building a Growth Mindset
At Hudson, we believe mistakes are powerful opportunities to learn. We explicitly teach and model a growth mindset, helping children understand that effort, practice, and courage in the face of challenges lead to real growth.
Each day, children have dedicated time to practice new skills on their own or with peers. Teachers carefully monitor progress and introduce more challenging activities as students are ready. In this way, every child is working toward their highest potential, learning to embrace effort and persistence as part of their identity as a learner.
Part of a Three-Year Journey in Primary
Kindergarten Included in the Primary Program
Our kindergarten year is not a stand-alone program — it is the third year of our Primary (Preschool) program. Your child spends three wonderful years in the same classroom community, building a deep relationship with their teacher and classmates.
This continuity helps children feel secure and truly “at home” at school. By the time they reach kindergarten, they naturally step into a leadership role. Kindergartners often become role models and “little teachers” for younger friends, which helps them consolidate learning and build strong confidence before moving on to Lower Elementary (1st–3rd), then Upper Elementary (4th–5th) and Middle School (6th–8th).
School–Family Partnership
We believe the best education happens when school and family work together. In addition to ongoing daily communication, we host Parent Education events and hold Parent–Teacher conferences twice a year to talk about your child’s growth. If questions or concerns arise in between, teachers are always happy to schedule additional meetings.
Our experienced educators are here not only for your child, but also for you. With many years of expertise in early childhood education, they can offer valuable insights and practical support to help make parenting your young child a little easier and even more rewarding.
A Diverse, Accredited Montessori Community
Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect
We cherish our diverse and inclusive community. Our founder, Musya Meyer, a WWII refugee and educator, believed deeply in teaching children to embrace and celebrate differences. Through our Montessori education, children naturally learn to respect and be curious about their friends’ diverse backgrounds.
Throughout the year, we celebrate our community with events that invite families to share their cultures and interests. While Hudson provides a secular education, we honor and respect the wide variety of beliefs and values our families bring and ask everyone to practice kindness and respect.
Our classroom materials and library reflect the rich diversity of our students, and we include global perspectives in our lessons. We also offer weekly Spanish language and cultural lessons to help broaden your child’s worldview.
Trusted Accreditations
Hudson Country Montessori School is accredited by:
- The American Montessori Society (AMS)
- The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
These accreditations reflect our commitment to offering an authentic, high-quality Montessori education and a strong independent school experience from toddler through middle school.
Schedule, Calendar & Year-Round Options
Flexible Programs for Busy Families
Our broader school calendar provides flexibility and continuity for families:
- School Year Program: Follows the Danbury or New Rochelle public school calendars, with a commitment for the full year.
- Summer Camp Program: Eight weeks at New Rochelle and nine weeks at Danbury; children can enroll for as few as two weeks.
- Extended Day/Extended Year: Before- and after-school care and vacation programs are available for enrolled students.
- Year-Round Program: A preferential tuition option for families participating in school, camp, and extended day/year programs.
From our Infant Program (Danbury only) and Toddler Program through Preschool/Primary, Kindergarten, and the Elementary and Middle School years, we provide a seamless, nurturing journey that grows with your child.
See the Best Kindergarten Program Near You
Your Next Step
When you’re searching for the best kindergarten program near me, a private school for kindergarten, or the best private bridge program between preschool and first grade, we’re here to guide you through a simple, supportive process.
We’d love to show you how your child can thrive emotionally, socially, and academically in our Montessori kindergarten and bridge program in Danbury, CT and New Rochelle, NY.
Schedule your tour today so we can help you decide if Hudson Country Montessori School is the best kindergarten program near you.
Ready to Move Up: Montessori Progression from primary to lower elementary
As your child moves from Primary to Lower Elementary, they step into a stage of learning full of curiosity, independence, and growing reasoning skills. This is the time when children develop the ability to solve problems, think critically, and collaborate with their peers. Our Lower Elementary program builds on the strong foundation established in early childhood, guiding your child as they transition from concrete to abstract thinking. Through hands-on exploration of the natural and social world, your child strengthens relationships, discovers their unique place in the community, and continues to develop confidence and a love of learning that will carry them through the years ahead. Click on the programs below to learn more.
At Hudson Country Montessori, we’re committed to supporting your child’s development every step of the way. From infant care and toddler learning through preschool and kindergarten in our primary program, to elementary with both our lower elementary and upper elementary programs , and onto our middle school, we provide a seamless, nurturing path that grows with your child. Schedule your tour today so we can show you how your child can thrive both emotionally and academically here!
