My son went to Montessori Minds a few years back and it was a FANTASTIC experience for our whole…read morefamily. The school itself is clean and bright with plenty of room for the children to explore, learn, and play. Jackie Krumm and her caring, attentive staff take every opportunity to make the learning environment stimulating, fun, and creative and are always thinking up new ways to keep the kids interested and engaged. Our son loved the school and the staff so much that there were times that he wouldn't want to leave when we came to pick him up because he was having too much fun! Bottom line, if you're looking for a preschool for your child where they can learn and grow in a safe and loving environment, Montessori Minds Preschool is the place for you!

This school is not like other schools and that's why I recommend it the most. The educators here…read moremake sure that every child here gets the attention they need to better themselves for the world that's waiting for them beyond school. Mrs.Larcy has done a great job providing a healthy learning environment not just for the students but for the staff as well.

From the owner: Is your child struggling in school? We have small class sizes with a personalized touch. This is…read morewhere leaders are prepared. At the Maria Montessori School our students work in an environment based on LEARNING, but WITHOUT the stress of constant standardized testing.

So pleased to have found South Shore Montessori in my neighborhood. Everyone at South Shore makes…read moreus feel like we are part of a friendly and loving family. Keep doing what you do. We love you guys.

From the owner: This is a Montessori School. The school only employs AMI trained teachers. It services children…read moreages 3, 4 and 5 years old. It is a unique Montessori School that offers a performing arts curriculum.

This school has been amazing for our family. One thing for everyone to note: although this school…read moreis located next to a church the school is not a religious school so it is open to all families of all religious backgrounds. I wanted my son to complete his first year before writing my review to see how the full school year went. This school has been great for us in so many ways. Our son who is now just over 2 has completed his first Stepping Stones year. His two teachers Ms. Celina and Ms. Lisa treat our son and his classmates as if they were their own children. The kids get a lot of care and attention. The classroom environment is a very positive and well organized one. Our son loves going there every single day, which makes life easier for us parents knowing our kid loves it there and is in great hands. The other families who attend there have been very welcoming and friendly. Within just 1 year we have become friends with many of the parents at the school and love hanging out with them outside of school. The staff really goes above and beyond for the children and parents. Whenever we visit the school, everyone's always in a great mood. If you're looking for a school where your kids won't get lost in the mix this is a perfect school. The school is also very safe - everyone there takes school safety very seriously which is so important these days. They even has a summer program for the children which is great. The school and parents do an awesome job with the events they organize for the students and parents. I've had the pleasure to get to know the Head of School, Meg Sheehan. She really cares about the students and the families that attend. She's very easy to talk to and is willing to do whatever it takes to guarantee the children and parents have an amazing experience there. All in all, great experience. We're looking forward to our son's next year at this school. Thank you so much NSMS for going above and beyond for us and everyone who attends your school.

I did an extensive amount of research on schools before selecting NSMS. We loved that they create…read morelesson plans and curriculum for each individual student because they know every child is different. In one year my son had developed so much independence. At 2.5 he grabbed a paper towel and cleaned up a spill at home! This was something they taught at school. As a parent I love how I can be involved and I gained many like-minded friends because it is a tight knit community of families who believe early education is a top priority .

I had 2 kids in MCR, and both loved the school. Picking them up at the end of the day, I would hear…read morestories about all the exciting things they did: what they learned, what books they read, what song they practiced, what games they played outside with their friends, what art project they worked on after school and so forth. Our experienced teachers really knew kids' personalities, their likes an dislikes. They kept close track of their progress in each aspect of Montessori curriculum and customized learning for them when needed. The school is a very safe and nurturing place with talented staff (after-school program is one of the best I've seen) and rich traditions. By the way, their celebrations are simply amazing! They remain among our most precious memories from that time.

My son started going to Montessori Children's Room (MCR) at 19 months and we loved this school, and…read morehe seemed to as well. When he was about to turn three this past September, he moved into the 3, 4 and 5 year old class. That is when they noticed he had a hard time sitting still and focusing. He was about to age out of EI (Early Intervention) and start CPSE (Committee on Preschool Education), which would mean the therapists that were approved (Speech, SEIT and OT) could work with him in his classroom environment. However, MCR does NOT allow ANY therapists in this school to work with children who have been approved to receive it. So, we were left with no other choice, and had to scramble to find a new school in the middle of October of 2018. Not an easy task considering that most were already full by that point. Luckily we found a school that my son adores. It is a play based, loving and nurturing environment, that is so in tune with nature and outdoor play. I guess everything happens for a reason, and we were very fortunate to end up where we are now. MCR does wonderful things with the students, my son learned a lot in his time there. Their holiday show and graduation are amazing as well, along with their camp. That said, Montessori is not for every child, especially a child that requires therapy of any sort. What bothered me about our experience is how they didn't give me any feedback of his behavior in the baby class (NK) prior to moving up. We did have parent teacher conferences twice in the school year, but they never spoke about how he was disruptive, couldn't focus or sit still. Had I known this was going to be an issue, we could have looked for other schools before he started in the toddler class. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, as we felt forced out of there in a way. In closing, I debated on whether or not to write a review about my experience with this school. However, I recently learned the same thing is happening with another child there, so I wanted to give other parents a heads up before you consider going to this school.

My daughter just completed her first year of school in the Great Beginnings Toddler program and we…read morecan not wait for September! She actually asked me to go to school again today- What a loving environment to learn in. I was so nervous with her first school and I'm so happy we chose Great Beginnings Montessori! From the learning style to her overall manners and all that she has accomplished this past year, we are in awe. The teachers and sense of community the school offers far surpasses others. Proud to be part of GBMS

My child attended this school when he was 18 months old. At that age, he loved blowing raspberries…read more-- a common developmental stage in early language development. Rather than gently redirecting the behavior, one of the teachers put a mask on him, even though children under 2 are not recommended to wear masks for health and safety reasons. Unfortunately, I saw this happen to other children as well. I also witnessed and heard yelling from some teachers -- which is not only inappropriate in any early childhood setting but especially concerning for a school that claims to follow the Montessori method. You don't have to be a Montessori teacher to know that yelling at children, especially toddlers as young as 18 months to 3 years old, is not acceptable. I later confirmed with certified Montessori educators and visited other Montessori schools where this kind of behavior would never be tolerated. To be fair, there are some truly kind and capable teachers here -- like Delancey and Dina -- who genuinely treat children with care and respect. However, The director herself has also been seen yelling at children. There are two bathrooms shared by both children and staff. When the kids were potty trained, the children used to go to the bathroom alone without supervision. It wasn't until a school inspector visited that the practice changed -- only then did they start sending a teacher to accompany the children. This raises questions about the school's priorities and compliance with basic safety standards. One more thing to be aware of: at the end of the school year, parents are expected to give "tips" to each teacher -- with a minimum of $30 per teacher. If your child has one lead teacher and 3 or 4 assistants, that adds up quickly. However, the tip money is collected by the boss first, and it's unclear if or how it's distributed to the teachers who actually work with your child. That process made me uncomfortable, and I felt parents deserved more transparency. In the end, it's your decision. I just hope that by sharing my experience, I can help other parents make an informed one. Every child deserves a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment.

When my 5yo daughter and 2 yo son attended summer camp at Countryside Montessori back in 2022,…read moretheir experience was not positive. I kind of forgot about it until recently when we were talking about all of the summer camps they have attended so far and Countryside Montessori came up. My daughter started to share more details about her experience 3 years ago that concerned me. She mentioned that she would get yelled at frequently for small things like not lining up right away or for speaking up for her younger brother- something that she did out of care, not out of defiance. Once there was a birthday party and they were giving out juice boxes. When they offered one to my 2 yo son, my 5 yo daughter spoke up on his behalf and said that he doesn't like juice, to which the teacher replied "stop talking, let your brother speak for himself!!" While I understand the intention, the delivery felt a bit harsh for a 5yo who was just trying to help. Another time, my 2yo son coming home and all of a sudden he became scared of taking a bath or even a brief shower. Turns out that the teachers would hose down the kids outside to "cool them down" even though my 2yo son expressed that he didn't like it. They did not respect his wishes and kept spraying him. He eventually became terrified of water even though he used to be okay with water before this experience. When my 5yo asked them to not spray her younger brother she was often ignored. When I brought this up to the director at the time I was told "it's too hot outside, they need to cool down." Perhaps things are different during the regular school year, but based on our experience, I would not recommend this place for a summer camp. If we could give 0 stars based on how they treated my children, I would.

I have been fortunate to have my three daughters at the school for several years. I am very happy…read morewith their progress, the teachers, the facilities and the staff. I can see the positive effect the Montessori education is having on them and how much more advanced they are compared to students at other schools.

From the owner: The Children's Tree Montessori School was founded in 1995 to provide children and their parents an…read morealternative to public school education. We offer a nurturing, child-centered environment where children can develop independence, respect-for themselves, others and the world we live in, and a lifelong love of learning. The Children's Tree is the only Nationally Montessori Accredited school on the Connecticut Shoreline with toddler (1-3) primary (preschool & kindergarten ages 3-6) and elementary (grade 1-6) programs. Students come from all over - Old Saybrook, Clinton, Westbrook, Chester, Old Lyme, East Lyme, Branford, Essex, Waterford, and Middletown, to name a few. We are proud to offer every student an individualized educational plan, which is based on their interests and needs.Students at the Children's Tree benefit from small classes, which are guided by teachers and aides who are Montessori certified. Our school is more than just a building and teachers though--it is a community made up of all the different families who believe in a better form of educating our children. We will be holding an Open Houses on Saturday February 8th and March 7th from 9:00-12:00.

To put it simply: this is a truly special place. My 3 year old twins started in the infant class,…read morethen went to Toddler, and began Primary (pre-school) in September 2019. Honestly, as a new mom, I had no idea what kind of expectation I could or should have for early education. The Montessori School shocked me with what I could expect of an "out-of-home" environment - it truly raises the bar. The investment every teacher puts into each child is amazing, the setting is so peaceful, and my kids are thrilled to go to school and do their "work" every day. The teachers are also highly educated (degrees in education and special certification in Montessori). There are 2 Toddler classes with about 10-13 students and 3 primary classes with about 15-25 students. There are also Lower and Upper Elementary levels which go through 6th grade. Each class has a Head Instructor and an Assistant. I saw a review critiquing diversity which was confusing to me because there is a high degree of diversity in both the staff and student body. I'd encourage every parent to visit and observe a classroom - it's incredible to see such young children being so independent, and the teachers and environment are purpose-built to encourage self-sufficiency and to engage young minds.

Getting a child into a Montessori program requires enormous trust, and it is much easier when your…read morekid is a toddler or a preschooler. By the time elementary school rolls around, people start to have doubts. No grades? No tests? 3-year cycle? Kids get to choose what to work on? How do I know if my child is doing better here than in other schools? We came from another Montessori program into 2nd year of Lower Elementary at TMS. What unfolded in front of us over the years was nothing short of amazing: strong supportive parent community, classrooms that inspire creativity, experienced dedicated teachers; rich, often above grade level curriculum; projects/events that made us wish we went to Montessori school ourselves. Digging deeper, we found that behind warm, nurturing and seemingly fluid classroom experience there is a rigorous system that ensures each student excels. When someone who left the school half way through the cycle tells you that the program didn't deliver, take it with a grain of salt - they didn't want to wait for the pieces of the puzzle to come together. Those who saw it happen become its staunch supporters. A note on diversity: international teaching staff and families across the world (you may hear as many as four different languages spoken in the parent room at the same time) make this school special. No diversity stats will show you that.