* Montessori environments are furnished with specifically designed learning material and apparatus that promote active learning that brings out the child's spontaneous curiosity, discoveries and explorations.
* Montessori environments aid the mental, physical, and social-emotional development of the child by promoting independence, concentration, problem-solving abilities and competence in basic skills.
* Montessori classrooms group children in multi-age clusters called "sensitive periods", periods when the child shows unusual capabilities in acquiring particular skills. A modern name for this phenomenon might be "formative periods", a period in which the child is psychologically attuned to learn or acquire given ideas or skills more easily that at any other period.. * Bennett Valley Montessori School is a privately owned and operated,non-denominational school that will accept students regardless of color,creed,religion,race or national origin. Admissions are based on availability and siblings will be given priority.
* Children are accepted between the ages of 2 years and 6 years. The child does not need to be potty trained if they are under the age of 2 years and 9 months.
* The school operates from September to min-June and is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (these times may vary depending on enrollment needs). An eight-week summer school is offered during July and August.
* Academic hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and can also be broken up in two half-day programs from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m..
* Daycare is provided from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and again from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.