Wildflower Montessori is an incredible school community. All three of our children have attended…read moreand thrived in this warm, supportive, unique Montessori environment over the past 5 years. Our youngest is currently in her second year. As parents, we have seen each of our children develop strong, secure relationships with the amazing teachers and with the kind friends in their class. We have also cherished the friendships we have made with other families in this close-knit community. Recommend 100%!

This is literally the most beautiful interior space I have ever seen for children and educators and…read moreparents. It looks more like a curiosity filled art and living park than a traditional school- which can be depressing and feel stifling and even boring inside. At Wildflower, the school feels like a pastoral space where learning and exploring are a natural and engaging (fun) part of life and the world.

Our daughter has been at La Petite since she was 2 (and is now almost 4) and our son started here…read moreas well at 4 months. We love this school. The teachers a warm, loving, and committed, the space is beautiful and well-equipped with age appropriate toys and games, and the Montessori approach has really helped our children grow and develop into kind, independent, and curious kids. We can't recommend this school enough for anyone looking for quality care (at a not unreasonable price) here in Somerville.

We joined Wild Rose, a Wildflower offspring, at the early stage and grew together over the years…read more WR started with 9 kids and now has over 40, with about half in primary and the rest in elementary. The teachers are kind and experienced, helping kids learn more about social values instead of test taking. Kids are given autonomy and expected to contribute to the school system by shopping for food, cooking, cleaning up the classroom, setting up projects, etc. We experienced some growing pains but overall was well worth it. Parents are expected to be involved but this has been reduced to about once a month instead of per week. The low teacher to kid ratio ensures more attention and opportunity to aid the kids in their weaker areas. The school is looking to grow into middle school (grade 5+) and is actively looking for children aged 9-11 for the next academic year. It is well worth taking a tour to see if it is the right fit for your family!

My 5yo son attends Wild Rose. The things that I think make it special are:…read more - it's deliberately a small, one-classroom, shopfront school. So it's a very close-knit group and the teachers have a lot of autonomy and passion for making the best school they can. - it's true to the Montessori tradition without falling into dogma -- observation and experimentation are important elements. The school cooperates with researchers at the MIT Media Lab that are studying new methods and materials. - it's a mixed-age classroom. This creates so many wonderful opportunities for younger children to learn from older children and for older children to practice being leaders and teachers.

Cambridge Montessori School embraced both of my children and placed them at the center of the…read morelearning experience. They love going to this school and their CMS experience has taught them to love learning. My second grader interacts with adults gracefully and articulately because of the skills and confidence this schooling experience has given her. CMS has an excellent arts, music, and drama offering and the teachers encourage academic excellence. I would recommend CMS to any parent looking for a school that supports a curriculum that encourages independence and confidence in addition to accelerated learning.

The school culture is rigid and judgmental, with a culture of pathologizing normal toddler…read morebehavior. Some of the things that made us withdraw our 3yo mid-year: Despite a stated open-door policy, parents were actively discouraged from involvement in or visiting the classroom. In March, a formal school memo forbade parents from speaking to each other at drop-off/pickup, asked parents to drop their children off at the front door instead of at the classroom door, and instructed parents not to carry their children or their children's belongings. The memo specifically suggested that any discipline problems at home were caused by not following the same rigid "expectations" as the school. When our son was afraid to use the toilet at school, the teacher forced him to sit on the toilet for 45 min while he cried in frustration. He was criticized for not doing work exactly the way the teachers wanted (e.g. sorting puzzle in the "right" order). In a parent conference, we were told our son was "too literal" because asked where rain came from, he said "From the sky," not "From clouds." He was already reading and adding at 3, but we were told this, along with his shyness, were signs of a possible psychological problem. We were bullied to take him for autism screening, even after a specialist and our pediatrician said he was likely fine. Administration, up to the head of school, either ignored problems or blamed us. When we sent a formal letter detailing our complaints, the school offered us a partial tuition refund if we signed a nondisparagement agreement. We refused. We've since learned other families had similar experiences. If you click on Yelp's "non-recommended reviews"--which are weeded out by algorithm--you'll see that other families have made similar complaints.

My daughter completed the three-year primary program at Violeta. It was an outstanding experience…read morefor our family. Her first interaction with Violeta was a picnic for incoming families, followed by an individual home visit by her teachers before the first school year began. From day 1, the teachers and students are not strangers, thanks to the introductory events. Here's how Violeta continued to support my child's development: The mixed-age model was very effective at giving her practice leading and taking leadership from other children. In the first year, she mimicked the advanced children and took interest in more advanced tasks. By her third year, she was proud of receiving the more difficult presentations from the teachers (like division) and assisting younger classmates in learning skills she was already proficient with (like tracing, grading colors, and phonetics). I am thrilled to see my daughter, at age 6, already has teaching experience herself. Setting the table, using a napkin to wipe her mouth between messy bites, doing dishes, washing napkins, pouring her own glass of water from a pitcher, sewing with a needle and thread, tying her shoes, preparing a snack for herself and a friend, planting and harvesting from the garden, asking for help and helping others. Every day the teachers did this with the children, so my daughter's life skills are second nature now. The teachers are very thoughtful in how they design and prepare the environment to allow every student to practice at their own level before advancing to more challenging tasks and skills. Perhaps most importantly, Violeta has cultivated my daughter's motivation to learn, her skill to learn through observation and hands-on practice (standard in Montessori), and her ability to focus. At home, she self-initiates projects and remains on task without losing focus. She is attentive to her environment, thoughtful about what is around her, and happy to spend a day without screens. Violeta does not use screens. The school offers many ways for children to experience all their senses: smelling distinct scents in bottles, listening to world music with headphones, tending to living plants and animals, exploring the outdoors twice a day, and working with natural materials like arranging flowers for display. With bilingual instruction reinforced by proactive daily practice (e.g., Spanish mealtime conversations, workbooks, audiobooks, bedtime stories and more) beyond school hours, my daughter's language development has thrived. She has learned to do math, read, write, and build relationships with all ages in Spanish and English. For her, fluency has been a natural outcome of bilingual practice at home and at school.

My daughter is nearing the end of her 2nd year at Violeta. The current teachers are great at…read morelearning what each individual child needs. My daughter was very reserved and quiet when she began and has blossomed socially, now able to speak up and stand up for herself. The learning environment is beautiful and well maintained by the teachers. They encourage parent involvement and the kids are all a tight knit group. Highly recommend this school for anyone who wants to see their young child flourish!

The teacher-leaders at Aster (the directors of the school as well as the classroom teachers) are…read morekind, well-trained, talented educators with whom I'm glad to entrust my son. Under their guidance, he has made huge gains in the past year. He is more confident in his thoughts, actions, and his ability to communicate. They encourage curiosity, exploration, and self-motivation, allowing an interest in a wide range of topics. They address his and each individual child's needs and value their different backgrounds. As a former teacher, I see the educational environment at Aster as one in which I'm happy my son participates and one that I feel all children deserve. The support, access, and awareness each child develops will give them an incredible start to accessing their full potential. Some of my favorite things about Aster include: -daily outdoor time at one of the parks or playgrounds nearby. -a beautifully designed space that includes photos of each family, lots of plants, and materials that are accessible and interesting to the children, but never feels cluttered or overwhelming. -the encouragement of strong friendships among children and families (further developed by opportunities to connect outside of school as well as during drop-off and pick-up each day). -a convenient location (we walked to school every day last year). -quick responses to emails, phone calls, and texts (outside of school hours, of course). -diverse teacher perspectives/race. -a strong scientific basis and the use of data and observation to assess needs and guide learning. And finally, I truly believe that not only is my son safe and growing and learning every day, his teachers love him and care about his future happiness and success. I cannot think of anything greater.

My wife and I have been sending our daughter to Aster since she was 3 years old, and we have been…read moreamazed at how well she has been thriving, developmentally, socially, intellectually, and spiritually. She has grown to be more independent, confident and socially active. For someone who is the younger child at home, she now feels pride in helping her younger peers while continuing to have older peers as role models. One of the things that we love most about Aster is the sense of family that permeates through the school. Through weekly parent days at school and monthly parent education evenings, we feel that we get to spend time with our children, build a community with the other Aster families, and learn more about the Montessori method. Through these shared values and this shared time, Aster has come to feel like an extended family for us. This sense of family extends to the community as well -- whether the children are planting a garden in the park across the street or baking cookies for their neighbors or just greeting people on their daily walk to the park, they are becoming contributing members of their surrounding community. We feel great pride as parents to be associated with a school that not only cares for our child but also cares about making a difference in the world around them.

This place is excellent for toddlers and older kids. I like the fact that is a Spanish language…read more(Bilingual) Montessori school. Something hard to find if you come from an Hispanic background and you want your child (children) to explore their ancestry language outside of home. Also great for those who want their children to start learning another language too. So, you get a bargain here they teach them the Montessori way a second language at the same time. The teachers are very caring and friendly. They show a lot of respect and kindness to the children and their parents.

Our daughter, age 4, has been a student at Montessori Escuela for almost two years. We have been…read moreconsistently astounded by every aspect of the school - the gentle kindness, the astonishing academics, and the true love for learning they instill in the children. The teachers are incredible. They each embody the type of kindness we need more of in this world. They model patience, respect, grace, gratitude, and kindness at all times. They teach these qualities with elegant purpose, integrated into a curriculum that beautifully weaves in discussions of diversity, respect for differences, and peaceful resolution of conflict. On top of their wonderful work to promote strong character development and peace, Montessori Escuela runs a top-notch educational program. The students positively thrive. They excel academically (we are constantly in absolute wonder at the students' work), while most importantly developing a true love for learning. Our family only speaks English at home, but to our delight, our daughter is seamlessly learning Spanish. When you enter Montessori Escuela, you step into a beautiful educational preserve. The children are happily involved in their various "works," often helping one another. The sunlight shines through the windows. There is a reverence for concentration and true accomplishment. The children are smiling, truly genuinely happy, absolutely thriving in their special discoveries. Our daughter comes home happy, singing tunes from "Circle Time," and enthusiastically telling us stories from her day: what object was in the "Mystery Bag," what foods they prepared in the kitchen, what project she is working on (and can't wait to get back to!). The range of projects from all subject areas is mind-blowing. We love the influence of the Montessori method that we see trickle into our home: she understands the value of organization, responsibility for her own actions, and quiet focus. She is truly excited to initiate things like sounding out words or seeing how high she can count, with a twinkle in her eye. This happens at home without prompting - seemingly from an internal curiosity, although I know it has been significantly cultivated by the loving educational environment of Montessori Escuela. I cannot say enough good things. I feel incredibly grateful to this preschool. This program is a hidden jewel!

We started at Bright Horizons on the Charles when our daughter was 16 weeks old. Our experience…read morethere completely exceeded our expectations (and they were high). As first time parents, we needed a lot of reassurance and they went above and beyond to provide it. They offered so much time and advice as we were navigating the various stages of early parenthood, and our teachers were accessible through weekly zoom calls for questions and information on our daughter's development. Their encouragement meant everything to us. Their facility is one of a kind- you will not find outdoor play space like they have, or a center with so many movement and play options inside their facility. Every teacher has been wonderful, and the administration at this facility is phenomenal. Not just great at running their entire operation but at being kind humans to parents during a pandemic. Our family has made wonderful memories and lasting friendships from Bright Horizons and we are so grateful for everything they have done for us.

FYI - The jackass below has no clue and has falsely lowered the star score. Idiot.read more

Update: our daughter's been going to BH for over two years now and we're really happy with…read moreeverything - in fact, our five-month-old has recently joined her!

Most of the staff here are caring and genuinely want to provide a safe and enriching environment…read morefor the children. But parents who are considering any Bright Horizons location should know that it's a publicly traded, multinational corporation (stock symbol: BFAM). That means that minimizing costs is the ultimate goal. And you can see it when you pick up your child: late in the afternoon, staff are shuffling kids from one room to another and counting heads, trying to consolidate so that management can tell "extra" staff to clock out ASAP. This profit-protecting shuffling can come at the cost of children's well-being; at pick-up time, our son often seemed distressed and confused at being moved into new rooms with unfamiliar people at the end of the day. On a related cost-minimizing note, we have it on good authority (a former staffer) that the teachers aren't paid what they're worth, even those who have been there for years.