Rooted in Montessori. Shaped by our community.
For more than 50 years, Lefferts Gardens Montessori has offered Brooklyn children an authentic Montessori education grounded in respect for the individual child, hands-on learning, independence, and belonging.
A Montessori education with deep Brooklyn roots.
Lefferts Gardens Montessori was founded in 1973 by Lenore G. Briggs with a vision of making Montessori education available to children and families in her community.
That vision continues to shape LGM today.
We believe children deserve an education that recognizes who they are, gives them room to grow at their own pace, and provides the foundation they need to move through the world with confidence.
Our classrooms follow the Montessori philosophy while reflecting the diverse community we have been part of for generations.
Every child is known as an individual.
Children do not all learn the same way, at the same pace, or through the same interests.
At LGM, we begin with the child in front of us.
Our teachers observe carefully, introduce lessons and materials with intention, and give children opportunities to follow their curiosity as they develop new skills.
Rather than asking every child to be in the same place at the same time, we meet children where they are and help them build from there.
Because education should never lose the child in the process.
More than academics.
A Montessori education develops much more than academic knowledge.
Every day, children are learning how to:
These experiences help children develop confidence, responsibility, independence, and a lasting relationship with learning.
At LGM, we see the child as a whole person — intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, and creatively.
Montessori that reflects the community it serves.
For LGM, access and belonging have been part of the story from the beginning.
Our founder believed Montessori education should be available within this community. Today, LGM remains a Black-owned Montessori school serving a culturally diverse community of children and families.
Our classrooms are places where children can learn alongside people with different backgrounds and experiences while being respected for who they are.
That diversity is not separate from the LGM experience.
It is part of it.
More than 50 years of learning — and still growing.
More than five decades in one community means generations of children, families, teachers, lessons learned, and relationships built.
We are proud of that history.
But our history is not simply about how long we have been here.
It is the foundation we continue to build on.
The Montessori principles that shaped LGM in 1973 remain central today: respect for the child, independence, meaningful work, careful observation, and learning that develops from the child's own curiosity.
As our families and community continue to evolve, so do we.
Why families choose LGM
Authentic Montessori
Our classrooms are grounded in Montessori philosophy, materials, and practice.
Individualized learning
Teachers observe each child carefully and support their growth based on where they are developmentally.
A whole-child approach
Academic learning is one part of a larger experience that develops independence, confidence, responsibility, social awareness, and curiosity.
A diverse community
Children learn in an environment that reflects and values different cultures, families, and experiences.
Deep community roots
LGM has served Brooklyn families since 1973.
A place to belong
Children are not simply enrolled at LGM. They become part of a community where they can be known, challenged, supported, and encouraged to grow.
A foundation they carry with them.
The goal of Montessori education is not simply to prepare children for the next classroom.
It is to help them become capable, thoughtful, confident people who understand themselves, engage meaningfully with others, and contribute to the world around them.
That foundation begins early.
And at LGM, we have been helping children build it for more than 50 years.