Shopping for San Jose Elementary Schools

Before you start looking at San Jose elementary schools for your child, it helps to consider what your family wants out of a private education. Take a look at your child's personality. Is she shy or outgoing? The former might do better in a small elementary school, while the latter will thrive in a busier environment with lots of children. If you have a budding athlete or musician on your hands, your ideal school should have enrichment classes to address your child's extracurricular interests. Other factors you should consider are what you want your child to learn, how your child learns, and extra services you need, like after-school care.


Once you have these figured out, finding the right school for your child will be a more streamlined process. You might want to begin with these highly-recommended schools.

Almaden Country School

Educator Nan Hunter believes that children should learn from an educational program designed around their individual needs and talents, rather than a one-size-fits-all curriculum. If you agree with her educational philosophy, consider sending your child to Almaden County School, the K-8 school she founded. Almaden aims to tailor-fit their education according to the learning style and interest of each student. With project-based, hands-on learning experiences, kids at Almaden are able to make interdisciplinary connections across various subjects so they can apply what they learned in real life situations. At the end of the day, Almaden educators hope to equip children with important life skills, not just abstract concepts and facts.

Another reason to consider Almaden is their solid enrichment program. Unlike the typical elementary school, Almaden believes that these classes are just as essential as math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. Students can choose among classes in the performing arts, visual arts, technology, science, athletics, and foreign language. They are also encouraged to participate in various after-school clubs and activities to further develop their interests in an exciting and educational manner.

One World Montessori School

Maria Montessori is another educator with a unique vision. She developed the Montessori method, a type of teaching that immerses students in a "prepared environment" filled with sensory activities. In this manner, students can learn at their own speed, according to their own interests, and at their level. Your child can experience this learning method at One World Montessori School, a PK-8 school that incorporates foreign language, art classes, and parent education with the elementary program. The aim of the school is to develop the whole child through a specially-designed curriculum that meets the need of each child at their specific stage of development. One World also makes use of the Education for Peace Curriculum to make sure that each child learns to resolve conflicts peacefully and develops meaningful friendships with fellow classmates.