In the world we live in, the gifts we have to share with each other are important. I could think of no better advantage to give the world than sending my kids to a school where the environment fosters independence, imagination, and critical thinking and are given with smiles and compassion far and above what you receive in a public school.

I have a soon to be 5 year old and this is our second year at the school. When starting in the mixed age preschool class it meant so much to me that “Teacher Bethany” helped guide my kiddo and myself from half to full day taking into account her readiness and comfort as this was her first real daycare or school experience.

I value the focus on life skills and the trust each child is given to carry out tasks that build confidence. Mine loved the “water works”, learning about all the holidays, doing all the big projects like baking food and field trips and learned more songs than I can remember.

One of the many unique aspects I have enjoyed is the work between classrooms and ages. The social emotional support is also really important to me. I see compassion and empathy modeled in all aspects of the daily routine and have seen my kiddo learn to work within the classroom setting, learn to make mistakes, make friends and form a strong bond with her teacher.

Some of these things may seem normal in a school, but to me it’s the intentional respect and autonomy (with appropriate boundaries) given to students, that make this type of education different.

My two kiddos have grown leaps and bounds at Teton View Montessori.

Iris (4) can now write the alphabet and counts (mostly) up to 100. She can phonetically sound out her letters and is proficient in addition! Liam (6) reads at a 2nd-grade level, can skip count, and excels in both addition and subtraction without manipulatives.

Bethany is superb; she's always patient and seems to know exactly what they need to be challenged academically, socially, and emotionally.

If you're in the Rexburg (or St. Anthony or Rigby area) and looking for a school that is hands-on, with passionate teachers dedicated to each individual child, Teton View Montessori is a must!!

Teton Montessori in the Rexburg area allows kids to learn the way they were meant to learn—through multisensory and hands-on learning.

As a parent I feel like this school embodies the philosophy of tell them and they will forget, teach them and they might remember--involve them and they will never forget. The teachers and interactive learning materials provide scaffolding and individualization necessary for concepts to truly be understood in group based learning and individual work plans.

The school is light and decorated in a cottage-like feel, and the grounds feel like a park—creating an inviting safe and loving environment so kids can learn. They never ignore a child’s needs and will work to discover learning styles that are effective in teaching each child and will keep trying if one does not work at first. The school does not compromise educational standards for each grade level and will work to help a child reach those standards at a child’s own pace.

My son (age 5) has speech and language disorder and some early learning difficulties. The multisensory approach including kinesthetic/movement and tactile learning is the ONLY way he could have learned preschool and early Kindergarten concepts as well as science, history, life skills, and world concepts. When he came to the school, he could not hold a pencil and his vocabulary was very low. After one year in preschool, his vocabulary increased significantly from group lessons, field trips, and object-based learning. He was able to communicate his ideas, became interested in reading books, and began to draw. In Kindergarten, my son is tracing letters and numbers and is writing some independently. He can recognize numbers and count and is beginning early phonological reading skills.

Other kids in his class are supported in fluent reading, number sense, along with other goals as early as age 4 if they are ready. He has grown in independence, responsibility, and social skills. Teton Montessori educates the whole child not just teaching math and reading. In the public school system— he would have been pressured and felt like he was behind or pushed into a separate classroom. I am positive he would not have learned like he does in Montessori.

He has a classroom family and an education designed to meet him where he is and grow his skills from there. I am so grateful as a parent to have found this school. Mrs. Bethany is one of the most skilled educators on this side of the United States. You just need to step in her classroom for a few minutes to see that—if all else fails to engage my son she will find a way to make it happen even if she must fill a bucket of water and put rocks and golf balls in it to provide heavy input and tactile learning. Her loving instruction and patience are unmatched. We love her.

If you are looking for a school that will give you peace of mind that EVERYTHING possible is being done and more to help your child learn—this is the school.