Guidepost
Montessori

at Columbus Square
.

Tours & Events
Columbus Square.
Monday-Friday | 7:00 am – 6:00 pm

Nido (6 weeks to 12 months)
Young Toddler (12 months to 2 years)
Toddler (2 to 3 years)
Children's House (3 to 6 years)
Mandarin Immersion (16 months to 6 years)

775-D, Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10025 US
Monique Shen
Guidepost Montessori in Columbus Square is one of the most trusted Montessori schools in Manhattan, New York. Indoors, rooms are spacious, bright, and light-filled, creating a warm and calm space for children to work. Our school is conveniently located at Columbus Square in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, on the corner of Columbus Avenue and W 97th St.
Monique Shen . Head of School
Tours & Events

explore our programs.

Our approach is designed to empower each child to achieve independence by combining our hands-on curriculum with personalized learning to create an environment where curiosity flourishes, independence grows, and academic excellence is a natural outcome.

We want your child to see and believe: “I am capable!”

what makes us stand out.

How is the Guidepost Montessori approach different from conventional education?.

At Guidepost, we join with parents on their mission to help their child grow and live well. Together, we design an education to empower each child to build the knowledge, skills, and confidence she needs to craft an independent, flourishing life.

Though there are many differences between the conventional approach and Guidepost, here are some of the most important:

Conventional Education vs Guidepost Montessori
What is the Guidepost Mission?.

At Guidepost, our mission is to support each child in achieving her own independence. To do this, we help her gain the knowledge, build the skills, and craft the personal character she needs to flourish. Above all, our goal is to cultivate joy—in the pursuit of knowledge, in effort applied to work worth doing, in the achievements of herself and others, and in taking the steps to author her own life.

Read more about the Guidepost Mission.

Learn about the key milestones we support—from infancy through high school.

Read more about why we educate for independence, and how we support independence for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-age children.

What are the outcomes of your programs?.

Montessori education is known world-wide for having positive impacts on both academics and social and emotional skills.

At Guidepost Montessori, when we design an environment to meet the developmental needs and interests of children alongside personalized care and support, the child can learn advanced skills at an accelerated pace.

Our students, for example, regularly learn to read by the time they’re 4-years-old and can perform all four math operations with 4-digit numbers by the end of their Kindergarten year.

The language and math skills of our kindergartners are on a par with what children in conventional programs learn in 3rd grade or beyond! What’s more, our students learn advanced academics joyfully—while simultaneously developing deep focus, self-discipline, and positive social skills.

Read more about the Guidepost Montessori advanced Language Curriculum in Children’s House.

Read more about the Guidepost Montessori advanced Math Curriculum in Children’s House.


Do your programs include Kindergarten?.

Yes! The third year of our Children’s House program, designed for 3- to 6-year-olds, is the capstone kindergarten year. In this year, the child has been well-prepared to experience an explosion of literacy, learn advanced math concepts, and use her hard-won ability to focus, problem-solve, and persist through challenges to then make advanced gains across the curriculum. Children who continue with Guidepost through Kindergarten are often well-ahead of their peers when they enter 1st grade.

Learn more about the capstone Kindergarten year at Guidepost.

Learn more about the next exciting stage: the Guidepost elementary program.

Following elementary, students continue on to our Montessori middle and high school, the Academy of Thought & Industry: a school that combines a classical liberal arts emphasis on history and great books, and a Montessori emphasis on independence and agency.

How does Guidepost partner with parents?.

At Guidepost, we want to make the best education the best for children and parents. This is why we provide year-round, extended-day programming at no extra cost, enabling consistent and uninterrupted access to the care and developmental support parents expect. We invite you into your child’s world—with daily photo and video updates, regular milestone meetings, and parent-child events that showcase your child’s progress. We work to understand your unique context and needs, so that we can provide support for milestones at home as well as at school.

In everything we do, we strive to cultivate joy as you watch your child grow!

Read about Transparent Classroom, the app that provides a window into your child’s day.

Read about recent family events such as Grandparent’s Day, a cultural celebration, and a spring celebration.

discover the benefits of our mandarin immersion programs.

Children under the age of six absorb language effortlessly, which is why we are pleased to offer bilingual environments. In our Mandarin Immersion program, children learn both Mandarin and English literacy skills, however, the prevailing language spoken throughout the day is Mandarin. The overall emphasis on Mandarin rapidly increases fluency, as children feel naturally compelled to communicate with their Mandarin-speaking guides. Learn more about our Mandarin Immersion program here

The gift of language: Mandarin Immersion at Guidepost Montessori

take a peek at our school.

what parents are saying.

All
6
Google
5
Yelp
1
Merve S.
Sep 30, 2020 on yelp
Great school. Very friendly and professional guides and staff. They were very transparent and supportive under these circumstances. Montessori style classes...
Read more
Katie McHugh
Oct 31, 2022 on google
Reviews Guidepost Columbus Square Montessori is, in my opinion, one of the best educations you could give your preschooler! Not only is it a fully rounded extremely well crafted, 100+ year foundation, but it is also fun and stimulating for families. Let’s breakdown why. First, it’s about the heads of the school, Emily and Disha, they’ve worked so hard to creat an environment of love, caring and attentiveness for the teachers and students to work within. Their attention to detail is outstanding, and their constant communication with each and every family is above and beyond. Next, it’s about the teachers, ALL of them are high level educators well versed in the methodology behind Montessori and Guidepost is the most original practice you’ll find. We get weekly updates about not only the individual progress our child is achieving, but we also get classroom information and pictures. And to top that off, I have daily conversations with them at drop off, so I feel more supported on this journey, and trust me, as a mom, that’s priceless! Now for the facility—- WOW OH WOW this place is STUNNING. Bright sunny SPACIOUS classrooms complete with a rooftop terrace and garden and basement that is extraordinary, library, play space, huge mat for classes and kids kitchen and arts and crafts section! It’s brand new, they’ve truly built this space to be the ultimate happy place for our children. If you’re considering this school for your child, know that you have chosen the very BEST!
Read more
Farrah Sanchez
Mar 17, 2022 on google
Our daughter has been at Guidepost Montessori Columbus Square location since they first opened their doors in January 2019. We loved Guidepost from the beginning. We searched many other nursery/preschools prior and always felt there was something missing either in the warmth, care, and/or transparency of the school. With Guidepost, our daughter, then 2yrs old, toured the school with us and instantly started playing with all the puzzles and was just fully engaged. We knew from then that this was the place for us since our daughter is usually very shy and takes time to warm up to new spaces and people. Each classroom is large themselves with large windows that pours in sunlight with street views, making the space airy and bright. All the guides, Head of School, and Asst Head made us feel involved and always comfortable to ask questions or have an open discussion about anything. As soon as our second daughter turned 2yrs old in 2021, we enrolled her too without question. We've made many parent friends within our class and throughout the school. The community of parents are down to Earth and the children are so playful and loving. Both of our daughters (the eldest mostly) are now fluent in Mandarin (we do not speak Mandarin at home), are very independent, social, and learning to find their voice- which is heavily nurtured. One of the best perks of the school is the all inclusive program. It covers the regular school hours (8:45AM-3:30PM-with option of early drop off at 8AM), extended care until 6PM, parent portal with weekly pictures and progress notes, option for Mandarin immersion, and all the extracurricular activities. It's amazing! We truly love the school and have had such a great experience.
Read more
Pat Moore
Sep 12, 2022 on google
My child started go to Guidepost Columbus at 18 month. We were debating nanny or daycare for a while. We are so happy that we made the right choice by choosing this school. The facility is clean and beautiful, the guides are warm and knowledgable. Receiving my child's photos and update is also the highlight of our day! We highly recommend the school for any family looking for a quality 1st school experience for your child.
Read more
Yael
Mar 15, 2022 on google
Guidepost Montessori at Columbus Square is excellent, with very supportive staff and teachers who immediately solve any problems. They are always happy to help. My 4 yo child attends this school and he loves it. Coursework is challenging enough to challenge advanced kids, and the teachers are compassionate enough to help those who are still learning. The staff works hard to ensure that the students feel seen and cared for. Academics and social emotional learning go hand in hand. Guidepost Montessori at Columbus Square is a great choice for parents who are considering enrolling their child.
Read more
Ann Loft
Nov 29, 2022 on google
Guidepost Montessori at Columbus Square is, quite simply, amazing! The teachers are caring, knowledgeable, and compassionate. The facilites are beautiful and clean (having that outdoor terrace for daily play is really great). And the management team of Disha and Emily is incredibly warm, responsive, and approachable. They really set the tone for the entire school. In addition, the curriculum is top notch, and the outside vendors/services that the school engages for the students is unparelleled -- music, karate, soccer, yoga, and art. Going to school at Guidepost Montessori at Columbus Square is an incredibly enriching experience, and our son loved it and thrived in that environment.
Read more