Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School
Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School (AGBMS-AEHI) is an affiliate of the NCSA.
AGBMS-AEHI first opened their doors in 1986 as Northwestern Montessori School. The school began with a small group of parents of deaf and hard of hearing children and educators in Chicago. Many of these families had moved from New York, Oklahoma, and Minnesota and used Cued Speech in their previous communities. After a Chicago public school refused placement for one family in their home school utilizing Cued Speech, the families decided to start their own school to provide their children an education that would be accessible through cueing.
Since then many new programs have been introduced to ensure the success of students and professionals in the field. One important program, Cue College provides opportunities for the broader community to learn and practice Cued Speech.
Some families attended a Montessori School where their children received services from a teacher of the deaf. The parents loved the hands-on visual approach of Montessori and thought it would best suit their very visual deaf children. They also wanted classrooms to be shared with hearing students, who would serve as incidental language learning partners. The Montessori approach to teaching reading also complemented the way Cued Speech was introduced. On many levels, the Montessori approach was a perfect fit for the school they envisioned.
AGBMS-AEHI presently serves children ages 6 weeks through 8th grade. The school holds multiple accreditations and is a Registered and Recognized school by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Visit the AGBMS-AEHI and the Cue College websites to learn more.
