Ivybrook Academy Sterling

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Join our current Ivybrook families for a fun summer evening at One Loudoun. Everyone is welcome! Reach out if you want more details!

At 18 months old, the true work of preschool is entirely hands-on.

When you peek into our youngest classrooms at Ivybrook Academy, you will see toddlers actively engaged in the profound work of sensory and physical discovery. Daily activities include:

‣ Building Fine Motor Control: Carefully pouring water between containers.

‣ Fostering Independence: Learning the necessary steps to put on their own shoes.

‣ Exploring Cause and Effect: Discovering how different materials and tools create different marks.

These moments of practical independence are not just play. They are the essential, physical foundations for every later academic skill, from early handwriting to mathematical reasoning.

Discovery enrichment is built into every Ivybrook Academy day.

Every child experiences:

‣ Spanish: early exposure during the language-acquisition window

‣ Music: building rhythm, listening, and the foundations of literacy

‣ Movement: gross motor work that supports focus, regulation, and academic learning

‣ Art: open-ended creative expression using real materials

‣ Literacy: small-group, leveled, individualized to each child

Discovery enrichment is not an add-on. It's how a complete early childhood education is supposed to work.

When we talk about preschool readiness, we almost always focus on the child. But the reality is, preschool readiness is just as much about the parent.

Most families underestimate how big a shift this is. It is entirely normal to feel hesitant about the transition.

You will know you are ready when you have processed that the first few drop-offs might be hard, but you are willing to navigate them.

You're ready when you can trust your child to have experiences you won't witness, when you are clear about the growth you want to see in them, and when you are finally ready to receive a child at pickup who is full of stories from their own day.

If you're still unsure, touring a campus is one of the best ways to find clarity. Seeing a classroom in action teaches you as much about yourself as it does about the school.

Math comes to life through hands-on learning. Using Montessori bead materials, our Pre-K students explore numbers and place value in a concrete, meaningful way. As they count and work with the beads, they’re building a deeper understanding of math while strengthening concentration, independence, and confidence along the way.

A complete early childhood education requires more than just one way of learning. At Ivybrook Academy, our individualized curriculum is intentionally designed to blend the unique strengths of multiple proven philosophies.

What does this look like inside our classrooms?

‣ Building Independence: Through the Montessori method, children learn self-direction and focus by selecting their own tasks and mastering fine motor skills.

‣ Building Collaboration: Through the Reggio Emilia approach, children engage in group investigations and project-based learning that spark curiosity and peer communication.

‣ Honoring the Individual: Guided by Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, we ensure our teaching methods adapt to how your child learns best.

By bringing these philosophies together, we help children develop into critical thinkers who are equally comfortable working on their own and collaborating with their peers.

Big learning often begins with the simplest invitations.
Here, one of our young learners is exploring a sand tray, following his curiosity through a hands-on experience that strengthens fine motor skills, supports early writing, and builds focus, creativity, and problem-solving. At Ivybrook Academy Sterling, we thoughtfully prepare our environment to encourage independence and honor each child’s unique journey of discovery.

Montessori curriculum benefits that parents tend to notice first.

‣ Independence that looks like confidence

Children practice doing real tasks in a real classroom: choosing work, finishing it, and resetting their space. Over time, that becomes “I can do hard things.”

‣ Strong attention and follow-through

Montessori work cycles are designed to build sustained concentration, which is one reason families often describe Montessori classrooms as calm and purposeful.

‣ Hands-on learning that sticks

Montessori materials are intentionally tactile and sequential, helping children “feel” concepts before they’re asked to perform them abstractly.

At Ivybrook Academy, Montessori is one part of a blended curriculum that includes the Reggio Emilia approach, creating the foundation on which our students grow into capable, curious learners.