Guidepost
Montessori

at Deerbrook
.

Tours & Events
Deerbrook.
Monday-Friday | 7:00 am – 6:00 pm

Nido (6 weeks to 15 months)
Young Toddler (15 months to 2 years)
Toddler (2 to 3 years)
Children's House (3 to 6 years)

1085 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield, IL 60015 US
Krista Reed
Guidepost Montessori in Deerbrook is one of the most trusted Montessori schools in Deerfield. Rooms are spacious, bright, and light-filled, creating a warm and calm space for children to work. The campus has multiple outdoor playgrounds with ample space for children to run and explore. Our school is conveniently situated between interstates 94 and 294 on Lake Cook Road.
Krista Reed . Head of School
Tours & Events
Child crawling with toy

Learn more about Guidepost from the comfort of your own home!

Just starting your childcare search? Not ready to tour in person?

You’re invited to Making the Most of Childhood: A Virtual Tour of Guidepost!

Get your questions answered and learn more about our:

  • curriculum and approach
  • schedule and a typical day
  • communication & collaboration

explore our programs.

Our approach is designed to empower each child to achieve independence by combining our hands-on curriculum with personalized learning to create an environment where curiosity flourishes, independence grows, and academic excellence is a natural outcome.

We want your child to see and believe: “I am capable!”

Nido.
A nurturing space for babies to walk, talk, and explore
Toddler.
For children ages 18 months to 3 years old
Children's House.
A preschool for hands-on reading, writing, math and more
Guidepost at Home.
For children ages 0 to 12 years old

what makes us stand out.

How is the Guidepost Montessori approach different from conventional education?

At Guidepost, we join with parents on their mission to help their child grow and live well. Together, we design an education to empower each child to build the knowledge, skills, and confidence she needs to craft an independent, flourishing life.

Though there are many differences between the conventional approach and Guidepost, here are some of the most important:

Conventional Education vs Guidepost Montessori
What is the Guidepost Mission?

At Guidepost, our mission is to support each child in achieving her own independence. To do this, we help her gain the knowledge, build the skills, and craft the personal character she needs to flourish. Above all, our goal is to cultivate joy—in the pursuit of knowledge, in effort applied to work worth doing, in the achievements of herself and others, and in taking the steps to author her own life.

Read more about the Guidepost Mission.

Learn about the key milestones we support—from infancy through high school.

Read more about why we educate for independence, and how we support independence for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-age children.

What are the outcomes of your programs?

Montessori education is known world-wide for having positive impacts on both academics and social and emotional skills.

At Guidepost Montessori, when we design an environment to meet the developmental needs and interests of children alongside personalized care and support, the child can learn advanced skills at an accelerated pace.

Our students, for example, regularly learn to read by the time they’re 4-years-old and can perform all four math operations with 4-digit numbers by the end of their Kindergarten year.

The language and math skills of our kindergartners are on a par with what children in conventional programs learn in 3rd grade or beyond! What’s more, our students learn advanced academics joyfully—while simultaneously developing deep focus, self-discipline, and positive social skills.

Read more about the Guidepost Montessori advanced Language Curriculum in Children’s House.

Read more about the Guidepost Montessori advanced Math Curriculum in Children’s House.


Do your programs include Kindergarten?

Yes! The third year of our Children’s House program, designed for 3- to 6-year-olds, is the capstone kindergarten year. In this year, the child has been well-prepared to experience an explosion of literacy, learn advanced math concepts, and use her hard-won ability to focus, problem-solve, and persist through challenges to then make advanced gains across the curriculum. Children who continue with Guidepost through Kindergarten are often well-ahead of their peers when they enter 1st grade.

Learn more about the capstone Kindergarten year at Guidepost.

Learn more about the next exciting stage: the Guidepost elementary program.

Following elementary, students continue on to our Montessori middle and high school, the Academy of Thought & Industry: a school that combines a classical liberal arts emphasis on history and great books, and a Montessori emphasis on independence and agency.

How does Guidepost partner with parents?

At Guidepost, we want to make the best education the best for children and parents. This is why we provide year-round, extended-day programming at no extra cost, enabling consistent and uninterrupted access to the care and developmental support parents expect. We invite you into your child’s world—with daily photo and video updates, regular milestone meetings, and parent-child events that showcase your child’s progress. We work to understand your unique context and needs, so that we can provide support for milestones at home as well as at school.

In everything we do, we strive to cultivate joy as you watch your child grow!

Read about Transparent Classroom, the app that provides a window into your child’s day.

Read about recent family events such as Grandparent’s Day, a cultural celebration, and a spring celebration.

hear from our head of school, krista reed.

Explore our school's upcoming events

explore our school's upcoming events.


take a peek at our school.

what parents are saying.

All
8
Google
5
Yelp
3
Judy L.
Nov 11, 2022 on yelp
We've been with the Guidepost for a couple of months and it's been an outstanding experience! Teachers and staff are friendly and resourceful, and...
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Emily B.
Jul 7, 2021 on yelp
This is our daughter's third preschool. We loved her first daycare in the city and hated having to leave, but after moving to the suburbs, it didn't make...
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Michael F.
Oct 25, 2022 on yelp
Our family is new to the area but so far our son has been loving his time at Guidepost. We have seen a growth in his development in such a short time. The...
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Judy Lee
Nov 11, 2022 on google
We've been with the Guidepost for a couple of months and it's been an outstanding experience! Teachers and staff are friendly and resourceful, and communication is prompt and clear. I compared over 10 daycares thoroughly prior to sending him here and I'm very happy with my decision. I love that my little one does a variety of creative and fun activities daily with Montessori philosophy as a foundation. I feel sincere care and love from the teachers and staff here, and I appreciate the teachers taking the time to do a parent-teacher conference to share detailed feedback on the child. It helps parents understand where we can better support him to enjoy his day and grow. I also like that the school puts lots of effort into building a community. The monthly gatherings/ events for families and kids, sending out weekly newsletters, and having a FB family communication page... they go above and beyond! I highly recommend Guidepost to my family and friends!
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sera niz
Nov 4, 2022 on google
The moment I walked into Guidepost I instantly felt at ease. I knew this was exactly where my kids were going to flourish. I had done extensive research on childcare and the Montessori way of life. And I knew that I wanted my kids to be an environment where they felt listened to, cared for and could grow independently. This school has checked off all our wants and needs plus more. They truly treat your kids as if they are their own. I couldn’t have asked for a more prefect school. We have been at Guidepost for 2 years. Starting in the young toddler house to now children’s house. We love the staff, especially Mrs. Christine and Ms. Abbey and ALL they do for us. Every single teacher is so patient, kind and loving. Ms. Karly, Ms. Ellie, Ms. Ariel and Ms. Hayley have truly changed my now 4 year olds lives for the better and we couldn’t be happier with our experience! If you are looking for a home away from home for your kids, this is the place!!
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Heather Mintz
Nov 11, 2022 on google
Our family has been part of the Guidepost- Deerbrook community since June 2021. Our now 3-year-old daughter is in Children's House and absolutely thriving under the warm and compassionate guidance of her teachers, Miss Karly and Miss Ellie. The mixed age classroom is such a wonderful model that is challenging her to meet her full potential, and the teachers and materials are of the highest caliber. Our 1-year-old son has been in the Nido classroom for almost 4 months now and we have only incredible things to say about Miss Sonia and Miss Jenny who create such a nurturing environment. Miss Sonia has made such an effort to get our shy son comfortable and thriving in his new environment, all the while helping me to feel comfortable with the transition as well. He is making leaps and bounds with his motor skills and social skills thanks to their guidance. The leadership of the school is also absolutely top-notch. Christine and Abbey are warm, friendly, organized, and so enthusiastic about running the best possible school for our children. They know all of the kids and families so well and have fostered a caring and inclusive community that we feel lucky to be a part of!
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Alyse Shapiro
Oct 18, 2022 on google
I cannot recommend Guidepost Montessori Deerbrook enough! After moving to the suburbs in May of 2021, I needed childcare for my now 3.5 year old (who was in daycare in the city) and 16 month old. We were still looking for a house, so I ended up researching 21 childcare options all over the Northshore to find one that fit our needs, and Guidepost instantly felt like the right place. The facility is clean, spacious, and beautiful, the administrators and teachers are amazing, and the hours/days of operation can't be beat (very few closures, flexible with part time for my newborn!). It is such a warm, welcoming community of families and staff, and my kids are thriving. We have been in all of the classrooms over the past 1.5 years (Nido, Young Toddler, Toddler, Children's House) and have had a great experience with each. I feel like the teachers and admin truly know and love my kids, which makes it easier for me to go to work every day. We are so happy to be part of the Guidepost family!
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yali wu
Oct 31, 2022 on google
We were luck to get referred to Guidepost. All the teachers and administration team are caring, reliable, and responsive. My older daughter was thriving here and my younger one loves going to school everyday. The teachers are patient and cuddle her with love to make sure she has a smooth transition. Love it and highly recommend!
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start your journey with us.

Our team of admissions specialists are ready to meet you and get you started on your journey within the Guidepost community. We're here to provide your family with the information and confidence you need to enroll in one of our programs.

Learn more about Montessori.

Read our enrollment guide.

Book a school tour.

Submit your application.

Start your journey with us