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United States, San Francisco
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Languages taught include Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and English. The program provides dual immersion for toddlers (Japanese/Chinese) and choices of Japanese/English or Chinese/English for preschool and kindergarten. The elementary program provides bilingual immersion in English/Chinese or English/Japanese and continues through 5th grade. The school welcomes children who already speak Japanese or Chinese at home, and English-only speakers may be admitted if they join the program before age four; older students may be admitted based on individual assessments.
A bilingual immersion model is used. Toddlers (18 months–3 years) participate in dual immersion, Japanese and Chinese. Preschool and Kindergarten (3–6 years) choose from Japanese/English or Chinese/English programs. The private elementary program (1st–6th grade) offers bilingual immersion in either English/Chinese or English/Japanese.
A full immersion Montessori program is offered in Japanese and Mandarin Chinese for ages 18 months through 5th grade. For toddlers, the entire day is in the target language. In the Children's House, mornings (9 am–1 pm) are taught exclusively in Chinese or Japanese, with English introduced in the afternoon by a separate English-speaking teacher. The elementary years continue with all-day immersion, supported by three Montessori elementary teachers, one native speaker of each language (Japanese, Chinese, English).
American International Montessori School (AIM) is a bilingual Montessori day school serving toddlers to elementary students on two Berkeley/Oakland–area campuses. Founded in 2009 by Ernest Mahr, AIM offers three Montessori programs: Infant Community (18–36 months), Children's House (3–6 years), and Elementary (1st–6th). Language immersion is embedded across all divisions, with toddler tracks in Japanese and Mandarin, and elementary bilingual options in English/Chinese or English/Japanese. Immersion is 100% in the target language for younger children, with English introduced in the afternoon for older students; elementary classrooms maintain all-day language immersion. Classrooms emphasize authentic Montessori materials and native-speaking teachers. Two campus sites host distinct language tracks, with Montessori-trained staff across every classroom. The campus features bright, natural-light rooms, child-sized furnishings, two large play yards, and abundant outdoor and garden activities. After-school enrichment includes sports, art, and dance—most notably Yosakoi Japanese dance—and annual cultural events like Setsubun, broadening students' world awareness and curiosity.
