What are the opening hours?

Monday 7am - 5:30pm Tuesday 7am - 5:30pm Wednesday 7am - 5:30pm Thursday 7am - 5:30pm Friday 7am - 5:30pm

http://www.balasmontessorischool.com/

Balas Montessori, 555 S China Lake Boulevard, Ridgecrest, CA (2026)

09/30/2026

Meet Ms. Ciara! 🍏👋🏻

“Hi everyone! I’m Ciara. I’ve been teaching in Montessori classrooms for over 10 years. Montessori has always felt like home to me because it honors each child as an individual and allows them to learn in the way that works best for them.

One of my favorite parts of teaching is watching children discover confidence in themselves. I love creating an environment that encourages curiosity, independence, kindness, and peace—not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well.

Outside of the classroom, I’m a mom, a yoga instructor, and I help manage a local wellness studio. Whether I’m teaching children or adults, my heart is always in creating spaces where people feel safe, supported, and empowered to grow.”

09/24/2026

Meet Ms. Katie! ✨🍏

“Hi, I’m Katie! I’ve been part of the Balas Montessori family for the past two years, and I feel so grateful to be part of this wonderful community. My passion for working with children began long before I became a teacher, but my love for Montessori truly started when my son attended Balas as a toddler. Watching the Montessori philosophy come to life and seeing the confidence, independence, and joy of learning it inspired in him motivated me to become part of this amazing school.

I hold my Master Teacher Certificate and am continuing my education to deepen my understanding of child development and the Montessori philosophy so I can provide the best possible learning experience for every child. One of the things I love most about Montessori is how it encourages each child to grow at their own pace while fostering independence, curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning. It’s a privilege to watch children discover their unique strengths and develop respect for themselves, others, and the world around them.

As a wife and proud mom of three wonderful children, I understand how important it is for families to know their children are in a safe, nurturing, and encouraging environment. In my classroom, I strive to create an atmosphere where children feel safe to ask questions, explore new ideas, and celebrate each milestone along the way. My goal is to help every child feel valued, supported, and excited to learn each day.

When I’m not in the classroom, you’ll usually find me spending time with my family, curled up with a good book, or enjoying time in my garden.

I’m honored to be part of the Balas Montessori community and look forward to partnering with families to help each child build confidence, reach their full potential, and develop a lifelong love of learning.”

09/19/2026

Pre-Language Magic at Balas Montessori! 🍎🧸

Did you know that long before a child learns to read or write, they are building the foundation for language through touch?

Here in our toddler and primary environments, our little learners are exploring object-to-object matching work.

By holding, examining, and pairing identical miniature realistic objects (like matching a tiny toy apple to an identical toy apple), children do much more than just sort items.

✨ Building Vocabulary: They learn the real names of concrete items through direct, sensory interaction.

✨ Visual Discrimination: They practice noticing small details, similarities, and differences.

✨ Connecting Meaning: They bridge physical reality with oral expression and communication.

💪🏻🧠 What the hand does, the mind remembers! It is a joy to watch their confidence grow as they move from concrete touch to spoken meaning.

09/17/2026

✨ Developing Tomorrow’s Readers, One Object at a Time! ✨

Have you ever wondered how toddlers prepare for reading and writing long before they ever hold a pencil or learn their ABCs?

In our Montessori environments, it all starts with pre-language activities like this Object Sorting Work!

In a sorting activity, children sort miniature objects into categories—such as colors, animals vs. vehicles, or living vs. non-living things.

While it looks like simple play, this work is actually laying a critical foundation for literacy.

Here is what is happening behind the scenes:

👀 Visual Discrimination: Children learn to notice small differences in shapes, sizes, and details—a skill they will later use to tell the difference between letters like "b" and "d."

🧠 Classification & Logic: Sorting helps young minds categorize the world around them, building the cognitive structures needed for reading comprehension.

💭 Vocabulary Enrichment: As they name each object, children absorb new nouns, verbs, and descriptive words, rapidly expanding their spoken language.

➡️ Order and Focus: Completing the task from left to right mirrors the direction of reading and writing, preparing their brains for future literacy.

Every material in a Montessori classroom has a purpose, helping children build confidence and independence step by step.

09/15/2026

🌱 Practical Life: Finger Transfer Work 🌱

What looks like simple play is actually purposeful work!

At Balas Montessori, our finger transfer activities invite children to move objects like pom-poms, beans, marbles, or beads from one container to another using just their fingers.

While it seems basic, this hands-on work plays a huge role in early childhood development:

💪🏻 Builds Hand Strength: Gripping and picking up small items strengthens tiny finger muscles.

🤏🏼 Refines Pincer Grasp: It directly prepares the hand for future skills like holding a pencil and writing.

🧠 Encourages Focus: Repeating the left-to-right transfer cycle helps children build deep concentration and calm attention.

❤️ Boosts Confidence: Starting with fingers eliminates the intimidation of tools or utensils, giving young learners an accessible path to independence.

Even the smallest movements lay the foundation for big milestones!

09/11/2026

Meet Mrs. ReAnn ✨🍏

Hi! My name is ReAnn, and I am so excited to be part of the Balas Montessori family. I have spent most of my life working with children, but I truly found my passion when I discovered Montessori. I love watching children grow in confidence, independence, and curiosity as they learn through hands-on experiences and explore the world around them.

I’m also a proud mom of three amazing children, all of whom attended Balas Montessori. Seeing firsthand how much they learned, grew, and flourished here made Balas feel like home to our family. I first joined the Balas Montessori team in 2016 and remained here until 2020. Returning in April 2026 has been such a joy, and I’m incredibly grateful to once again be part of this wonderful community.

In 2019, I became UMA-certified, which allowed me to deepen my understanding of the Montessori philosophy and strengthen my skills as an educator while continuing to pursue what I love most—helping children learn, grow, and thrive.

Outside of the classroom, family is at the heart of my life. My husband, Eric, and I celebrated 17 years of marriage this year, and with three children, life is rarely boring! We spend much of our time cheering on our boys at their many sporting events and living what often feels like the “practice, game, repeat” lifestyle.

When life slows down a little, I love getting lost in a good book, exploring hiking trails, and spending time at home with our two cats and our potbellied pig.

I’m looking forward to getting to know each of your families and creating a classroom where every child feels safe, loved, valued, and excited to learn. I’m so happy to be back at Balas Montessori and am excited for a wonderful year together!

09/05/2026

🌿 Every Child Deserves the Opportunity to Thrive

At Balas Montessori, we believe every child should have the opportunity to experience an accelerated, individualized education. We also understand that the cost of private education can sometimes feel like a barrier for families.

That’s why we work with agencies and programs that can help make Montessori education more accessible, including Community Connections, which may provide assistance to qualifying families to help reduce the burden of monthly tuition.

Balas Montessori also offers in-house tuition savings, including:

✨ Discounts for paying tuition early each month
🇺🇸 Military family discounts
🤝 Community Connections and other outside assistance programs

Don’t let the cost of tuition stop you from exploring what a Balas Montessori education could offer your child.

We’re happy to help families learn about available resources, discounts, and programs that may make tuition more manageable.

🌱 Give us a call today to schedule a tour and learn more about your options.

760-375-8261

09/02/2026

✨ Ever wonder why Montessori classrooms use small floor rugs for work? 🤔 Montessori work mats or rugs are a staple in the environment, but they are much more than just a cozy place to sit!

Here is why these simple rugs play such a huge role in a child’s development:

🗺️ Defining Personal Space

Clear boundaries: The rug creates a defined workspace, helping children understand where their activity begins and ends.

Respecting others: Classmates learn to walk around a rug rather than through it, teaching mutual respect and protecting each other's focused work.

🎯 Building Focus & Concentration

Visual order: A dedicated mat helps a child tune out the busy classroom around them and zero in on their task.

No runaway pieces: Small items like beads, blocks, or puzzle parts stay safely contained on the fabric instead of rolling away across a hard floor.

🛑💪 Teaching Independence & Care

Motor skills: Unrolling and rolling up a rug takes coordination and builds hand strength.

🪵Full cycle of work: Children take ownership of the entire process—getting the rug, doing the activity, and tidying up when finished. 🧹

It might look like just a simple floor mat, but it is actually a powerful tool that fosters deep concentration, order, and independence! 🌟

08/31/2026

✨🍎 Meet Ms. Baily!

Hello! My name is Baily, and I am excited to begin my seventh year at Balas Montessori. Ever since I was a child, I have felt called to work with young children. What started with babysitting as a teenager eventually led to nannying, and ultimately to finding my passion as a Montessori teacher. During my time at Balas Montessori, I have had the opportunity to work in each of our classrooms and while I have loved learning from every experience, I have truly found my home in Classroom Four with our toddlers. Watching children develop confidence, independence, and a love of learning during these early years is the most rewarding part of my job. I have a pet jumping spider named Nyx, who spends much of her time in our classroom. She has become a special part of our community. Outside of school, you’ll usually find me with a good book or practicing yoga. I look forward to another year of learning, discovery, and growth with your children. Thank you for trusting me to be part of their Montessori journey!

08/29/2026

✨ Focus in Practical Life ✨

It may look like a simple pour, but there is so much learning happening in this moment. 💙

Practical Life activities in a Montessori classroom are intentionally designed to help children develop concentration, coordination, independence, order and confidence. As a child carefully pours, transfers, scoops, washes, or prepares, they learn to slow down, focus on each step, and complete a task with purpose.

That deep concentration becomes the foundation for future learning. When children strengthen their ability to focus through meaningful, hands-on work, they are preparing themselves for more complex skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and beyond.

At Balas Montessori, we know that sometimes the biggest learning happens in the simplest moments.

Small hands. Serious focus. Lifelong skills. 🌱

Balas Montessori

09/30/2026

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Monday	7am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	7am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	7am - 5:30pm
Thursday	7am - 5:30pm
Friday	7am - 5:30pm