Montessori Compass
Brightwheel
A place where your child is known, not just watched.
Folsom Lake Montessori Academy is one Montessori community for children six weeks to twelve years. From the Nido through the elementary years, each environment is intentionally prepared around your child's stage of development, giving them space to move, explore, build independence, and grow when they are ready. Montessori-trained guides, a fully licensed program, and daily photos and updates sent to your phone keep you close to your child all day.
You want to know your child is safe, learning, and genuinely seen. We have cared for Folsom families since 2010 with that idea at the heart of everything we do. Here, children are trusted with meaningful choices, real materials, purposeful work, and increasing independence. Mixed-age communities help children learn from one another, while Montessori-trained guides observe closely and introduce the right lesson when each child is ready. And with hot lunch and snacks, karate, yoga, Spanish, robotics, field trips, and more, ordinary days become stories your child cannot wait to tell you.
Programs for every age, from infancy through elementary
Five programs, one Montessori community. Your child can grow from the Nido through the elementary years without changing schools, each environment thoughtfully prepared for the developmental needs, growing independence, and natural curiosity of the child in front of us.
Nido Program
A calm, prepared environment where your baby is respected as an active learner, free to move, explore, connect, and develop at an individual pace.
Step inside the Nido →Toddler
Purposeful, hands-on work that turns “I do it myself” into growing independence, coordination, language, and confidence.
See the classroom →
Children’s House
Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics, and Culture come together in a prepared Montessori environment built for curiosity, concentration, and independence.
Explore the Children’s House →
Kindergarten
The culminating year of the Children’s House cycle, where independence, leadership, and strong academic foundations come together.
Explore Kindergarten →Elementary
Before- and after-school care grounded in independence, purposeful choice, hands-on exploration, and respect for the growing child.
Explore Elementary →More than care. A place your child belongs.
You see their day, not just hear about it
Throughout the day, you receive photos, daily logs, and quick notes from your child's guide. You will know what your child ate, when they napped, and what made them laugh.
Montessori guides who know your child
Our Montessori-trained guides do more than supervise or deliver a group lesson. They observe each child closely, notice interests and readiness, introduce purposeful work at the right moment, and know when to step back so concentration and independence can grow.
More than academics
Montessori develops the whole child. Independence, confidence, coordination, responsibility, creativity, and social awareness grow alongside academics. Karate, yoga, Spanish, Amazing Athletes, robotics, Zumba, field trips, and STEAM experiences add even more ways to discover the world.
One school, open early and late
Open 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Hot lunch and snacks served daily so your child eats well even on the busiest days.
A school built around the child
Folsom Lake Montessori Academy is a caring Montessori school, built to support every child enrolled. Our teachers — guides, in Montessori language — work together with families, with the child at the center of every decision and every part of how the school runs. Our hope is that everyone involved at FLMA finds a rich and rewarding experience that always seeks to do what is best for children.
How FLMA began
FLMA was founded in 2010 by Dr. Uma Kudupudi, a leading natural medicine physician who had spent the early 1990s working with young mothers and their children. After moving to San Francisco in August 2000, she found Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy and educational methods, and followed that inspiration into early childhood education and development.
A community of many languages
FLMA promotes diversity by creating learning environments that represent and respect varied cultures, races, abilities, family structures, and backgrounds. We believe that promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our program helps children develop empathy, reduces bias, and builds a sense of belonging for every family and every member of staff.
Our staff come from many ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and between them speak thirteen languages.
- English
- Japanese
- Vietnamese
- Russian
- Mandarin
- Indonesian
- Hindi
- Telugu
- Tamil
- Malayalam
- Bangla
- Sinhala
- Punjabi
If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men.
Three steps to your first day
We have walked Folsom families through this exact process for twenty years. It is simpler than you think.
Connect with us
Whatever suits you: book a visit, call us with questions, or go straight to an application if you already know.
Apply & enroll
We will share the admission packet for your child's age and walk you through every form.
Settle in
Drop off with peace of mind. Real-time photos and daily updates keep you close to your child's day.
From the first tour, we knew. The teachers actually knew our daughter by her second week. We get photos every afternoon. Fifteen years of looking, and FLMA is finally the place we wanted.— A current FLMA parent
A proud member of the International Montessori Council
Folsom Lake Montessori Academy is a recognized School Member of the International Montessori Council — an affirmation of our commitment to authentic, high-quality Montessori education.
Membership No. 288751 · Valid July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.
Get to know us.
Come see the classrooms, call with questions, or start an application.