Common questions, gentle answers.

Fabienne Deaton, an AMI-certified guide with two AMI Diplomas (Primary 2.5–6 and Elementary 6–12), an M.Ed. in Montessori Education, and a Master's in International Education. She founded Starling to build the kind of small, family-run school she believes children deserve.

No. Starling is family-run. We have one Toddler Community at 201 4th St SE, Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, and a Primary Classroom opening at 301 A St SE, Saint Mark Episcopal Church, in August 2026.

Toddler: 201 4th St SE, Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church. Primary (opening Aug 2026): 301 A St SE, Saint Mark Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill.

Association Montessori Internationale — the organization founded by Maria Montessori herself. AMI training is the most rigorous Montessori credential and the closest to the original method.

AMI training is anchored directly in Maria Montessori's curriculum. Other certifications (AMS, MACTE) vary in fidelity. AMI is widely considered the strictest standard.

Maria Montessori designed Primary as a three-year experience. Younger children are inspired by older ones; older children consolidate knowledge by mentoring. The result is a community of learners, not a lockstep grade.

Both approaches honor the child as a capable, curious individual — that's their shared root. The difference is in structure.

Montessori provides a carefully sequenced environment with specific materials (pink tower, golden beads, sound game) designed by Maria Montessori to teach concrete and abstract concepts through hands-on work. Children choose their work freely within that prepared environment, and a long uninterrupted work cycle — about three hours — gives them time to enter deep concentration.

Reggio Emilia, born in post-war Italy, takes a more emergent approach: curriculum unfolds from the children's own questions and interests, often through extended group projects expressed in many media (drawing, sculpture, dramatic play). Documentation of the process is central to the work.

Many Reggio schools beautifully serve infants and toddlers. For young children, Montessori's concrete materials and carefully ordered environment are often seen as especially developmentally appropriate because they support the child's need for consistency, independence, movement, and hands-on interaction with reality. Montessori extends that respect for the child into a continuous developmental program from 16 months through elementary, with concrete tools for academic foundations.

Waldorf, founded by Rudolf Steiner, is rooted in a specific philosophy (Anthroposophy) and structures childhood into seven-year developmental phases. In the early years, Waldorf focuses heavily on imagination, storytelling, handicrafts, and rhythm — and intentionally delays academic instruction (reading, writing, formal math) until around age 7. Screens and most media are kept far from young children.

Montessori shares Waldorf's reverence for childhood and its respect for slow, deep development. But Montessori introduces reading, writing, and mathematics earlier — not through worksheets but through self-correcting materials a child works with using their hands. The Montessori 3–6 classroom routinely shows four-year-olds writing words and concrete mathematical concepts such as skip counting or addition with golden beads, because their hands and minds are ready.

While Waldorf education often places a strong emphasis on fantasy, storytelling, and imaginative play from an early age, Montessori education is grounded in the developmental reality that young children are still forming a clear understanding of the difference between fantasy and the real world. Montessori approaches early childhood by nurturing the child's natural drive to explore and understand their actual environment through concrete, hands-on experiences rooted in reality. Rather than focusing heavily on fantasy narratives, Montessori classrooms introduce children to real-world concepts, practical life activities, nature, science, and meaningful responsibilities that support cognitive development during this sensitive period. This approach is considered more developmentally appropriate for young children because it aligns with their stage of development: children under six are actively constructing their understanding of the world and benefit most from experiences that are tangible, authentic, and directly connected to reality.

In Montessori education, imagination is still deeply valued, but it emerges from a strong foundation of real experiences and knowledge, allowing creativity to develop in a way that is both grounded and meaningful.

Both methods limit technology and prioritize beauty in the environment. Choosing between them often comes down to whether you want academics introduced early through materials (Montessori) or delayed in favor of imagination and storytelling (Waldorf).

Honestly, no. Reggio, Waldorf, and Montessori all rest on a shared belief: that children are capable, that they grow at their own pace, and that the early years matter deeply.

What makes Montessori the right fit for Starling — and for many families — is that it offers a complete, sequenced developmental program from toddlerhood through elementary, anchored in a hundred-year-old curriculum that has been refined globally. The materials are precise, the teacher training is rigorous (AMI is the most demanding credential in early education), and the outcomes — independence, concentration, intrinsic motivation — are observable and have been scientifically proven.

Ultimately, families often choose Montessori because it offers:

• A developmentally informed and research-based approach
• Hands-on, concrete learning experiences
• Strong academic foundations without pressure or extrinsic rewards
• Independence, responsibility, and executive function development
• Respect for the individual child and their natural pace of growth
• A calm, purposeful classroom environment rooted in real-world learning

Montessori seeks not only to educate children academically, but to help them become capable, confident, compassionate, and intrinsically motivated individuals.

If you've spent time in a Reggio or Waldorf classroom and loved it, you'll likely love a Montessori classroom too. Come tour, watch the children, and trust what you see.

Toddler: 16–36 months. Primary (opening Aug 2026): ages 3–6, including the kindergarten year.

All days start at 8:00 AM. Toddler offers half-day (8:00–12:00), school-day (8:00–3:00), and full-day (8:00–5:00). Primary offers half-day (8:00–12:30) and full-day (8:00–3:30). Extended care options are listed below.

Yes. The AMI Primary cycle is a three-year experience, and children stay in the same classroom from age 3 through 6.

Inquire → tour → apply → reserve. Every family meets Fabienne directly. See the Admissions page for the full process.

Tuition rates vary based on our program schedules. Please reach out to us directly and indicate the programs you are interested in to receive more information regarding rates & pricing.

We accept military subsidies through Child Care Aware of America. For other situations, please reach out — we'll discuss what's possible.

Comfortable, layerable clothing they can manage themselves — independence is built into every detail of the day.

Yes. Most of our families are dual-income with demanding jobs, so we offer extended care: Toddler 3:00–4:30 PM or 3:00–5:00 PM (added to the school-day schedule). Primary 3:30–4:30 PM or 3:30–5:30 PM (subject to enrollment numbers).

Toddler runs at a 1:4 ratio (one guide for every four children). Primary runs at a 1:8 ratio. Both are well below the licensed maximum and a deliberate part of how we work — every child is genuinely known.