Three Programs. One Community.
A Completely Different Kind of School.
Alma Learning Lab is a Montessori-inspired microschool in Thompsons Station, Tennessee serving children ages 3 through 6th grade. We offer three intentionally designed programs built around how children actually develop — not around arbitrary grade cutoffs.
Every program meets two days a week in-person. The other three days are supported through Alma in the Wild, our home extension program that keeps curiosity alive between school days. This is not a gap in the program. The home days are part of the design.
KinderClub
Ages 3 through 5 — Fully potty trained
$650 per month
KinderClub is where little learners discover that school can feel like the best part of their week.
Rooted in Montessori principles, KinderClub gives children ages 3 through 5 the freedom to learn through doing — through touching, building, growing, cooking, and caring for living things. Every day includes hands-on work across literacy, math, science, and practical life skills in a calm, beautiful environment with guides who know your child by name.
Our Early Childhood ratio is 4:1. We maintain two guides in the room at all times, which means your child receives individual attention that is genuinely rare at any price point.
KinderClub children care for Alma's garden and four goats, cook snack together on a rotating basis, explore the outdoors in every season, and build the confidence, independence, and curiosity that set them up for a lifetime of learning.
Two days per week — families choose their days from available options 9:00am to 3:00pm 4:1 student-to-guide ratio Two guides in the room at all times
KinderClub is not school prep. It is the real thing.
Lower School
Kindergarten through 3rd Grade
$550 per month
Alma's Lower School is a hands-on, project-based program for children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade — the developmental years when children learn best through story, movement, real materials, and direct experience with the world around them.
Our multi-age classroom means children work at their developmental edge rather than at an arbitrary grade level. Kindergartners learn alongside 3rd graders. Older students become natural mentors. Younger students are inspired by what is possible. The community itself becomes part of the curriculum.
Structured, hands-on reading and math programs run alongside the Montessori-inspired curriculum to ensure every child progresses through Tennessee state standards at their level. Every child has a personalized learning path. Every child is known.
Meets Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00am to 3:00pm Alma in the Wild home days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12:1 maximum student-to-guide ratio Two guides in the room at all times
We do not prepare kids for the next test. We prepare them for life.
Upper School
4th through 6th Grade
$550 per month
Alma's Upper School is designed for the learner who is ready for more. More independence. More depth. More real-world complexity. More ownership over their own education.
Children in 4th through 6th grade are crossing an important developmental threshold — they are beginning to think abstractly, reason independently, and care deeply about fairness, systems, and how the world actually works. Alma's Upper School meets them exactly there.
Structured, leveled reading and math programs ensure every Upper School student is progressing through Tennessee state standards and building the academic foundation they need for middle school and beyond. Independent work cycles are longer and more self-directed than Lower School, preparing students for the autonomy and responsibility that secondary education demands.
Meets Monday and Wednesday, 9:00am to 3:00pmAlma in the Wild home days: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday12:1 maximum student-to-guide ratioTwo guides in the room at all times6th grade enrolling Fall 2026 — founding family spots available now
This is what a student who has been given real ownership of their learning looks like.
Alma uses Lexia Core5 for adaptive reading development and Prodigy Math for standards-aligned math practice. Both programs are available at school and at home, giving every child a continuous and personalized learning pathway across all five days of the week.
What Makes Alma Different
A living curriculum. Alma's garden and four goats are not extracurricular. They are the curriculum. Children measure garden beds, track plant growth, care for animals, and learn science, math, and practical life skills from things that are actually alive.
Three programs, one community. KinderClub, Lower School, and Upper School share a campus, a culture, and a set of values. Older students know younger ones. Families know each other. The community itself is part of what children are learning.
Real ratios. Our Early Childhood ratio is 4:1. Our Lower and Upper School maximum ratio is 12:1. We maintain two guides in the room at all times. Your child is never anonymous here.
Showcases instead of tests. Four times a year children present real work to a real audience. This is how we assess growth at Alma — not with a scantron but with a child who can show you what they know and how they got there.
Montessori-inspired, standards-grounded. Our daily rhythm, classroom culture, and project-based curriculum are rooted in Montessori principles. Our reading and math programs are structured, leveled, and aligned to Tennessee state standards. You get the best of both — a joyful, child-centered environment and the academic confidence that your child is on track.
Secular and inclusive. Alma is proudly secular and welcoming to all families.
Ready to See It for Yourself?
The best way to understand Alma is to walk through the door.
Schedule a tour and see the environment, meet the guides, and watch the work cycles in action. Your child is also welcome to join us for a Demo Day: a morning where they explore and connect before you make any commitment.
If you have a child entering 4th, 5th, or 6th grade and are interested in Upper School, we would love to connect now. Founding family spots at the Upper School level are available and we are building that cohort intentionally.
“The kids fell in love with you. That’s where they want to be.”
-Tiffany, Alma parent