Here at Francis W. Parker Montessori School 56 we serve students from Pre-Kindergarten all the way through eighth grade, and we are one of the three excellent IPS Montessori schools. In the Montessori method, teachers are guides and students are explorers. They receive direct instruction in small groups, and there are always a wide variety of materials in the specifically designed environment that supports all aspects of learning. Students have individual work plans that allow them to work at their own pace. Classrooms are multi-aged, meaning that there are students in more than just one grade in each classroom. This provides opportunities for students to help each another as well as collaborate. In addition, students learn how to solve conflict through conversation and discussion in the Peace Center that is in every classroom.