Guidepost
Montessori

at West Alex
.

Tours & Events
West Alex.
Monday-Friday | 7:00 am – 6:00 pm

Toddler (16 months to 3 years)
Children's House (3 to 6 years)
Elementary (6 to 12 years)
Spanish Immersion (16 months to 6 years)

3475 N Beauregard St, Alexandria, VA 22311 US
Tiffany Hanson
Guidepost Montessori at West Alex is a vibrant Montessori school located in the heart of Alexandria, Virginia, serving families in the tri-county area of Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax.
Tiffany Hanson . Head of School
Tours & Events

Join Us for Our 2024 Elementary Summer Camp Experience!

Guidepost Montessori warmly invites your child to be a part of our enriching 2024 Summer Camp, specially designed for elementary-aged learners. Our program is a blend of hands-on activities and Montessori-inspired educational experiences, perfect for inspiring young minds to explore and grow.

Dates: June 17th - August 16th, 2024

Drop-off / Pick-up Hours: 7:00am - 6:00pm

Camp Hours: 8:30am - 3:00pm

Reserve Your Spot Today! Our camp spaces are quickly being booked. Click below to register and ensure your child enjoys a summer of learning, creativity, and joy at Guidepost Montessori.

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.

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 parents are saying.

All
7
Google
4
Yelp
3
Jp L.
Mar 13, 2023 on yelp
We've had an incredibly positive experience with Guidepost West Alex. Our daughter has thrived in both the Toddler cohort, and now since turning 3, in...
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Zhala G.
Jul 10, 2023 on yelp
My daughter is so happy to be in this schoo. I can see big improvement on he. She can writ, read and know all countries on the map. She is 5 years old....
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Kate M.
Dec 7, 2022 on yelp
Our son has been part of West Alex for almost a year and we could not be happier with our decision. His development and growth in independence has been...
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Brittanie Clement Price
Nov 23, 2022 on google
We came from San Diego and enrolled our daughter when she was 18 months old - she's now two years old and her language, gross motor skills and coordination have dramatically improved since we put her in school. Not to mention, she's potty trained before she turned 2!!! That is all thanks to the gifted, talented and loving guides and staff at Guidepost West Alex. The classrooms are clean and well-organized within the Montessori way. And while many schools will claim they have a Montessori approach many are not accredited like Guidepost is. We are especially are grateful as the administration and staff does an amazing job communicating, developing programming and getting activities together for the students outside of the classroom. Trunk or treat was the BEST! But it's truly the guides that make our experience so lovely!! They are so gifted and we're lucky to have them as our daughter's teachers. Yes, admissions are challenging but in our experience that was true of almost every solid preschool and accredited Montessori school in our area. Get on lists early - especially if you are considering Montessori - worth it!
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Alisha Williams
Apr 2, 2021 on google
Thank you Guidepost Montessori School for loving my child. Being a stay at home mom I was afraid to send my child to school. However the teachers and the staff has made our transition and experience amazing for my daughter and our family. Thank you teachers for the daily communication and pictures of her activities and academic progress. During a pandemic it is comforting to know that she is safe, happy, and loved during a pandemic. My daughter truly enjoys coming to school. We truly appreciate the cleanliness and community culture that the school provides. I highly recommend Guidepost West Alex without reservations!
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Rachael Disheroon
Jan 19, 2021 on google
We couldn’t be more happy with our decision to enroll our son at Guidepost Montessori at West Alex! We’re amazed at his independence and growth in the few short months he’s been attending. Our son also has separation anxiety and everyone there was so patient and understanding in the beginning during drop offs, that now he can’t wait to get in the building. The guides and directors are very attentive, caring, and professional. We highly recommend to those looking for a Montessori school!
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Steven Deitz
Jul 7, 2022 on google
This school has been fantastic for our daughter, who started in June 2021. It seems like the bad reviews here are for people who experienced problems trying to get enrolled, which I understand and is very unfortunate. However, it is a great daycare if you can get a spot!!
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Infant with a military head wrap crawling on the ground in between the boots and legs of a military serviceman.

Montessori for Military

We are committed to bridging financial assistance, community, and continuity of education to our nation’s heroes and their families. When duty calls, we firmly believe that your child’s education should not be a sacrifice.

We can offer a seamless transfer process from one location to another, replacing disruption with stability. To date, more than 30+ of our campuses based in the U.S. are located within 30 miles of military installations and have joined Child Care Aware of America’s fee-assistance program, bridging early childhood tuition assistance to eligible families off-base.

Learn more about Montessori for Military here.

take a peek at our school.