The classrooms are designed to allow younger students to learn from older role models and older students to test and reinforce their knowledge by helping their younger classmates. Working in one class for two or three years, a child is able to develop a strong sense of community with both classmates and teachers.

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The environment in the classroom is set up to captivate the child's interest during his or her "sensitive periods" for touch, order, movement, language and math. Most of the work is individual, self-correcting, and invites repetition. Three focal points are care of self, care of environment, and care of others. The children enjoy freedom within well-defined limits. In short, the program is designed to respond to the universal cry of the young child: "help me to help myself."

The environment helps children to explore through sensorial experiences and to study every aspect of their physical world, language and culture. The materials attract the child, excite him to focus, manipulate, and repeat activities, finely tuning the senses, improving muscular coordination and developing vocabulary and language skills. Children who complete our program through 6 years old can read, write, and acquire a solid foundation in math.

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The three-year age span in the primary classroom and the philosophy of individualized and self-directed instruction encourages the development of respect for individual differences and a helpful attitude toward others.