The Child Unique Montessori Schools, Alameda, CA. Authentic Montessori education since 1983.
The Child Unique Montessori Schools
& Montessori Elementary Intermediate School of Alameda
Curriculum grounded in historical accuracy and honor for the contributions of indigenous peoples and people of color.
Welcome.This is a place of inclusivity and acceptance.
At The Child Unique Montessori School and Montessori Elementary Intermediate School of Alameda, we work from a place of intention to help children become the change-makers of tomorrow: dedicated, resilient and joyful.
Our mission is to create a warm, supportive environment that fosters creativity, curiosity, self-confidence and independence within a diverse community. We empower students to become compassionate models of peace and advocates for social justice.
Here — there are no “others.”
Bias-Informed Education
Social Justice
Multilingual
Authentic Montessori.Honest education that creates allies.
Classical music in the classrooms. Preschoolers doing four-digit arithmetic. Five-year-olds who can tell you about Maria Montessori, the Ohlone people, and the Chichenyo language they spoke long before this was California. This is what Montessori was meant to be.
Social Justice & Bias-Informed Curriculum
At The Child Unique, we are the face and the actions of social justice. We learn the history of all people — what the Ohlone spoke (Chichenyo), how they lived, and what happened to the land we’re standing on. Inclusion and historical accuracy are baked into every grade.
The Feeling of True Peace Education
Walk in and you’ll hear classical music. You’ll see children in slippers, children doing yoga, children speaking kindly and working through problems at the peace table. Montessori is peace education — and it starts from within.
Academic Excellence Through Sensorial Learning
Every child takes in information differently — visually, auditorily, kinesthetically. We observe how each child learns and teach to that specific way. That’s how preschoolers end up doing four-digit math, naming every continent, and identifying flags from around the world.
Children Learn Accurate History
Children here learn that Memorial Day was a Black-invented holiday. They learn about Harriet Tubman as a Civil War spy. They learn what the Ohlone spoke (Chichenyo) on the land we’re standing on. World history is everybody’s history — especially the history of people of color.
Spanish Immersion
Native-speaking teachers integrate Spanish into daily classroom life.
Mandarin Program
Early exposure to Mandarin Chinese through songs, stories, and conversation.
Three campuses,one community.
Located across Alameda Island in the San Francisco Bay, our campuses serve children from eighteen months through thirteen years.
Toddler to Kindergarten (18 months to 5 years)
Pacific Campus
2212 Pacific Avenue, Alameda
A renovated Craftsman with walnut wood interiors, carpeted classrooms, and a newly renovated playground and children's garden.
Preschool to 1st Grade (3 to 7 years)
Encinal Campus
2226 Encinal Avenue, Alameda
A beautifully remodeled Victorian with hardwood floors, radiant heating, spacious light-filled classrooms, and an expansive playground.
Elementary through Middle School
Elementary / Middle School Campus
New campus coming for fall semester
Our newest campus is opening for the upcoming fall semester. Details on location, ages served, and enrollment coming soon.
95%
Staff Diversity
50%
Student Diversity
3
Languages Taught
18mo–13yr
Ages Served
Authentic Montessori,not the lite version.
Montessori has been imitated, watered down, and rebranded for a century. We do it the way Maria Montessori designed it. The materials. The multi-age classrooms. The three-hour work cycle. The practical life curriculum. All of it.
Children choose their work
Self-directed learning is not a slogan here. Children pick the materials they want to engage with, work as long as they need, and move on when they're ready.
Multi-age classrooms by design
Three-year age spans in every classroom. Older children teach. Younger children watch what's ahead and lean in.
Real materials, real concepts
Concrete objects make abstract ideas physical. A child holds a thousand cube before they ever write the number 1,000.
Trained Montessori teachers
Our teachers hold actual Montessori credentials, not just a certificate from a weekend workshop. The difference shows up in every interaction.
What families say,in their own words.
The Child Unique is one of the best preschools in Alameda. Both my children are now in elementary school and I couldn't be happier with how well they're doing. The teachers are outstanding.
Movoto Review
Verified Parent
The children feel the emotional safety to be themselves here. It's quite a diverse group of people, not just as far as color, but also gender, and there are parents from all over the world.
Emmanuel Enyinwa
Featured in East Bay Times
The Child Unique is an incredible school and contributor in the community. The teachers and staff are the type of people you want involved in the development of your tiny human.
Niche Review
Verified Parent
See it.Then decide.
Words on a screen can’t show you a four-year-old explaining the difference between a square and a square root, or what it sounds like when a classroom of children is genuinely concentrating. Tour any of our three campuses.
What to expect on a tour
- Walk through every classroom with the principal
- Observe children at work during the morning cycle
- Ask anything about curriculum, philosophy, or daily life
- See the materials your child would actually use
Tour duration
About 45 minutes