Guidepost
Montessori at
Magnificent Mile
.

Our Montessori school on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile serves families throughout Streeterville, River North, Gold Coast, the Loop, and greater Chicago Near North Side.

Our programs:

Nido (6 weeks to 18 months)
Toddler (18 months to 3 years)
Children's House (3 to 6 years)
Spanish Immersion (2 to 6 years)

Contact info:

312-796-9400
Email us

Address:

226 E Illinois St
Chicago, IL 60611

Business hours:

Monday-Friday:
7:00 am – 6:00 pm

Guidepost Montessori at Magnificent Mile offers a vibrant, child-centered learning environment in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Dr. Brandi Kondi is an experienced early childhood teacher and educational leader. She began her journey in education working as a teacher in a childcare center in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Upon earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and Illinois Professional Educators License, she worked as a 1st grade teacher and kindergarten-5th grade science teacher in Chicago for 9 years. During this time, she earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and a doctorate degree in higher education administration.

Her most recent role was at Rockford University working as an Asst. Professor of Education, Director of Teacher Preparation, and Director of Elementary & Early Childhood programs.

Dr. Kondi’s greatest passion is working with young children and cultivating a warm and welcoming school community.

Dr. Brandi Kondi Head of School

book a tour and see our upcoming events.

Montessori student counts colored beads on a math frame at Guidepost Montessori.

what makes us stand out.

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, read more
about the Guidepost Montessori approach.

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 how Montessori capitalizes on the child’s readiness without rushing development.

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.

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.

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!

start your journey with us.

Our admissions team is ready to meet you and get you started on your journey within the Guidepost community.

We’re here to provide your family with the information and confidence you need to enroll in one of our programs.