Our Founder's Note
Since 1990, I began with one dream — to offer the best early learning experience to my own child. That dream became the spark that ignited my journey as an educator. From the very beginning, I was determined to learn, to explore, and to experiment. Though there were many obstacles along the way, each challenge opened the door to discoveries worth celebrating.
Many years have since passed, yet my purpose remains steadfast. Today, I continue with a renewed goal: to inspire and support those who share the desire to work with young children, and to ensure that they too may offer the best care and education. Guided by this vision, I carry on my mission as a lifelong learner—constantly seeking new approaches, new perspectives, and new ways to enrich the lives of children.
I do not know whether I will be here to witness the next twenty years. But of one thing I am certain: Greentree will continue to grow. Like the tree for which it is named, it will stretch wide and tall, sharing its vast and nurturing greenery with all who pass by, and with all who carry the same mission and vision for educational excellence.
Charmaine Soh Chian Mui
Written on 2 May 2010
on Greentree’s 20th Anniversary
About our Founder
Ms. Charmaine Soh is the founder and director of Greentree Montessori, Singapore. She has been in the education field for over 48 years, with the last 35 dedicated to the early childhood industry. Before entering the National Institute of Education, she was also a Singapore national volleyball player, demonstrating the same discipline and spirit that she would later bring to her career in education.
She obtained her Certificate in Education from the Singapore National Institute of Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Studies from the National University of Singapore. After being a successful high school physical education and Chinese language teacher, she decided to change her educational path from teaching older students to nurturing the very young. She went on to obtain intensive training in Montessori and Early Childhood Education, receiving both AMS (American Montessori Society) and AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) credentials for ages birth to 3 and 3 to 6. She later earned a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, USA, and formal training in RIE® (Resources for Infant Educarers) practices. In 1992, after learning directly from Magda Gerber, founder of RIE®, she pioneered Singapore’s first infants’ programme. In 2018, she further deepened her expertise at the Pikler Institute in Budapest under Anna Tardos, daughter of Dr Emmi Pikler. Most recently, she completed a Diploma in TCM Pediatric Healthcare Therapy at the Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, reflecting her continued pursuit of holistic approaches to children’s wellbeing.
Ms. Charmaine is a certified MACTE (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education) and American Montessori Society Trainer. She is currently the president of Chinese Montessori International, and a well-known educator and trainer with many local and overseas teacher training institutions. Over the course of her career, she has coached, trained, and mentored more than 10,000 teachers across Asia, equipping them with both professional skills and a deep respect for the child. She is recognised for her active teaching strategies, dynamic classroom interactions, and ability to inspire both children and adults.
Ms. Charmaine has been constantly invited to share her knowledge and expertise, and has been featured extensively in countless media outlets across various Asian countries. Her articles have appeared in leading parenting magazines, newspapers, and online platforms, and she has been interviewed on television and radio stations including Singapore’s Channel 8 and Beijing Broadcasting Station. Her influence as a thought leader has reached audiences throughout the region, both in print and digital media.
She has also played a key role in shaping professional dialogue through international conferences, including the Montessori in Asia Conference (2012), Tokyo Fuji Kindergarten’s Professional Sharing Conferences (2015, 2016), China’s Birth to Three Conferences (2017 to 2019), and the Singapore Early Years Symposium on Pikler and RIE® (2018). More recently, she served as organiser and keynote speaker of the landmark 10th Asia Montessori Conference (2024), which returned to Singapore after 12 years. That same year, she was also appointed President of the Asia Montessori Association, recognised for her leadership in consolidating and relaunching the organisation to serve the region more effectively.
Beyond conferences, Ms Charmaine has expanded Greentree’s impact. Between 2023 and 2024, she responded to community demand by growing Greentree to three additional campuses, bringing authentic Montessori education to more families in Singapore. She also spearheaded distinctive new initiatives such as Overseas Exchange Camps and Nature Programmes, ensuring that Greentree children gain not only academic mastery but also real-world experiences that connect them to life, culture, and the natural world.
Ms Charmaine Soh’s current pursuits also include authorship, with three published books sharing her insights with parents and educators worldwide. Through her leadership at Greentree Montessori, her international training work, and her continuing innovations, she remains devoted to her lifelong mission: to honour every child’s pace of development, and to prepare educators and families to nurture children with respect, confidence, and joy. Having personally trained and mentored over 10,000 teachers, her influence extends far beyond the classroom, shaping the future of early childhood education across Asia and leaving a legacy that will inspire generations to come.