🏅 AMI-trained · 中文 Authentic Montessori, in Mandarin
AMI-trained guides plus genuine Mandarin immersion is a distinctive combination — authentic Montessori with a second language built into the day. What AMI training means →
Amber Staff transparency
The school’s “Our Team” page (checked September 7, 2026) presents its lead teachers, language teachers, assistants and administrators as photo tiles, with the credential claim made collectively (“every guide is fully Montessori-trained”, degrees in early childhood education, Chinese language and child psychology); no teacher’s name or individual credential appears in the page’s text. If names and training are printed inside the images, they are invisible to search, to screen readers and to our checks. Under our published standard that is partial disclosure. With five campuses, ask specifically who the guides at your campus are and where they trained. Why this matters →
Snapshot
See the school
Williamsburg & beyond
Ms. Lam's campuses cluster in North and brownstone Brooklyn — anchored in Williamsburg, with locations reaching toward Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights. Williamsburg itself is the converted-warehouse waterfront on the East River, served by the L and J/M/Z.
Overview
Ms. Lam Montessori is an independent, family-founded program that has operated since 1984 and grown to five Brooklyn campuses. Its distinguishing features are AMI-trained guides (the stricter Montessori credential) and genuine Mandarin immersion, running from toddler age through Grade 5 — a rare authentic-Montessori-plus-language combination.
Programs & ages
Toddler, 3–6 Primary, and lower-elementary through Grade 5, with Mandarin woven through daily life. Program availability differs by campus, so confirm which location offers your child's age group.
Tuition 2026–27
The comparable figure — full-day Primary (3–6) — is $39,500 for 2026–27; a half-day costs less and Elementary more. Ms. Lam is Mandarin-immersion across five small Brooklyn campuses, so confirm availability by location. Full schedule:
| Full day (8:00–3:00) | 2026–27 |
|---|---|
| mi Casa (18 mo–3) | $41,500 |
| Toddler & Primary (2–6) | $39,500 |
| Elementary (6–12, to 3:30) | $43,500 |
Half day (8:00–11:30): mi Casa $37,500 · Toddler & Primary $35,500. After-school care is extra. Compare on the tuition page.
Leadership & staff
A long-running program that describes its team’s training in general terms (AMI-trained guides, several of them from its sister schools in Taiwan) but, on the current site, does not name individual teachers or list per-guide credentials in text. Given the multi-site structure, ask specifically about the guides at your chosen campus and their AMI training.
Accreditation & authenticity
AMI-trained guides put Ms. Lam at the more rigorous end of the Montessori spectrum, and the Mandarin immersion is authentic rather than an add-on. See our authenticity guide for how AMI compares to AMS and "inspired."
What parents say
Independent review volume is limited, but the school's standing rests on longevity, AMI credentials and immersion. Families choosing it are typically seeking serious Montessori plus Mandarin — tour the specific campus you're considering.
Heard around town
Signals from public parent forums and listservs. Forum chatter is opinion — take it with a grain of salt.
Admissions
An independent Brooklyn program — inquire and tour at your preferred campus directly. Our admissions timeline and planner help you stay organized.