About Us

Corte Madera Montessori was founded by Daniel Sapien, an AMI -trained teacher, in 1992.  For over 30 years CMM has been serving the families of Marin County.  Daniel has gone from being the Head Teacher, to the Director, to the Executive Director, as the CMM teaching staff has grown.  In the afternoon, he can frequently be seen playing his guitar for the children and teaching them how to play chess.

Corte Madera Montessori provides a traditional Montessori experience in an intimate, family-focused environment.  We believe in a holistic approach, valuing physical, social-emotional, cognitive-intellectual, and creative development.  We feel honored to be able to make Maria Montessori’s brilliant educational approach available to Marin families.

About Montessori

The Montessori Method was designed by Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian pediatrician and anthropology professor.  Her medical practice took her into the world of education where she began to develop “manipulatives” that helped children learn through active learning.  For four decades she observed thousands of children all over the world, while designing the curriculum and education philosophy that is now known as the Montessori Method.

Dr. Montessori’s approach was unique in two ways.  First, she believed that an education approach should fit the natural tendencies of the child.  This way, learning would feel joyful and free rather than forced.  Second, she believed that observing children engaging freely with activities was critical to understanding child development and to the design of any educational approach.  Through her observations, she discovered that very young children have the desire and capability to learn to read, to take care of their classroom environment, and to make their own decisions.

The Montessori Method has been implemented in schools for over 100 years and is currently used in thousands of schools world wide.  It’s universal nature and focus on holistic development transcends time and place.