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Long Beach Montessori School was founded by Barbara Stalle McClean, M.A. She completed her B.A. degree in 1962 and the American Montessori Society teacher training course in 1964 at Mount St. Mary's College in Westwood. She received an M.A. degree in 1969 in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in early learning from CSULB.

Mrs. McClean opened, taught for, and directed the first Montessori school in Long Beach in 1965. She has continously operated various Montessori programs in the city since that time.

We are dedicated to operating a top-quality, year-around preschool which is State licensed and an elementary school which is registered with the appropriate State, County and local agencies.

Maria Montessori was Italy's first woman physician. She began her work at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Montessori developed a scientific approach to facilitate early learning and to encourage the development of a well-rounded person.

Her approach was to create a PREPARED ENVIRONMENT which allows the child to select activities from a "smorgasbord" of attractive, hands-on learning materials available to the child on low, open shelves.

She found that young children are capable of a great deal more than many believe. By using concrete, manipulative and stimulating sensory materials, the young child can grasp abstract ideas at an earlier age. Piaget, who was a contemporary of Montessori's developed the theoretical aspect of this view, while Maria Montessori developed the practical educational framework.

Long Beach Montessori School offers an authentic Montessori program which follows her principals, philosophy and method.