Our daughter just graduated from Mrs. Rosa's class at Pacifica, and while her little sister will…read morecontinue there, we wanted to take a moment to share our experience. From day one, the entire Pacifica team has been incredibly kind, welcoming, and supportive. What we appreciate most is that Pacifica is a true Montessori school--rather than a school that uses Montessori materials. The teachers genuinely respect each child's individuality while encouraging independence, confidence, and a love of learning. We've watched our daughter grow so much over the past year, not only academically but also socially and emotionally. She looked forward to going to school every day, and that says a lot. Thank you to Mrs. Rosa and the entire Pacifica team for creating such a wonderful environment for children to learn and thrive. We are so grateful and can wholeheartedly recommend Pacifica to any family looking for an authentic Montessori education.

Pacifica Montessori was my daughter's very first school in the United States. We moved here from…read moreanother country, and she spent two wonderful years at Pacifica. Looking back, I truly feel proud and grateful that our family had the opportunity to be part of this community. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Ms. Flores, Ms. Kumari, Ms. Concepcion, Ms. Cole, Mr. Cole, and all of the wonderful teachers and staff who supported and cared for my daughter over the years. Through the Montessori approach, my daughter developed so much more than academic skills. She became more independent, self-motivated, and confident, and I was especially happy to see her naturally develop leadership and kindness toward younger classmates. Academically, Pacifica also gave her a wonderful foundation. In addition to developing her English communication skills, she learned reading and writing, addition and subtraction, number rolls, and many other concepts that have given her a great head start as she moved on to kindergarten. She is now in kindergarten and has transitioned with confidence. I truly believe that much of that confidence comes from the foundation she built at Pacifica. What I appreciate most, however, is the way the teachers respect each child as an individual and care for them with such warmth, patience, and acceptance. My daughter never truly had a day when she did not want to go to school. Even on mornings when she was a little reluctant to leave home, as soon as she entered the classroom and saw her teachers, she would quickly become happy and comfortable. As a parent who moved here from abroad, knowing that my daughter was in a place where she felt safe, loved, respected, and encouraged meant more to me than I can express. I can wholeheartedly say that I am so glad Pacifica was my daughter's first school in the United States. It will always be a very special place for our family, and we will always be grateful for the two years she spent there.

Love this school! My first child is going into year 3, and my second child starts in a couple…read moreweeks. (Ashland campus) Large grounds, long tenured educators, balanced curriculum, great hours for working parents, and an amazing community. Snack, milk, water provided. I do have to make lunch everyday, but it was only hard to adjust the first week or so. Campus/Grounds: They have an upper and lower yard, literally 4 blocks from the beach! It's huge! The classrooms are also generally large and spacious with lots of fresh air and light. The bathrooms and campus are cleaned everyday and there is a "Pitch In" clean up day multiple times a year where the entire community chips in to do a serious deep cleaning. There's even a parking lot and 1 block of 15 minute parking zone for pick up/drop offs too! Teachers: Serious tenure at this school! The teachers have been here for years. They are aware, listen and react to your needs and very caring. The school also supports and provide continuing education courses to allow their teachers to keep growing. Learning/Playtime/Conflict: Lots of balance between playtime and education. The teachers don't force memorization of numbers and letters. They teach the kids to understand the foundations of math, science, literacy in a way that is fun for children. It's like when you sneak broccoli into your kids pasta sauce! They love eating it and get their nutrition too. (Side note: my daughter is 4-1/2 and she's starting to read, can write her name and do some simple addition). Regarding conflict management, I'll only say this "The Talking Chairs". It's a way to get the kids communicating about what happened vs punishing anyone. It's magical. Hours: Great long hours for working parents (both my husband and I work full time). We do an 8am drop off and 5:30pm pick up. There are several families on this schedule and it's a great time catch up with the teachers and share moments with your child. Mine always wants to show me around her classroom. Community: amazing community of current and alumni families who keep giving back to the school through volunteer hours and projects! The faculty also does a great job of connecting families and providing resources for parents. Is there a con? Yes, the school doesn't provide lunch (they do provide milk, water, snacks). It was a hard adjustment at first. But at least I know what's going in my kid's mouth!

Be sure to read all of the reviews. For some unknown and arbitrary reason, YELP has filtered the…read morelukewarm reviews of this school. There is important information for working parents in the reviews YELP is dishonorably filtering. This review pertains only to the Ashland Campus. Definitely friendly teachers that welcome the kids in the morning. Pros: nice big play yard, garden, lots of play outside, kids have an active say in what their plan for the day is. Cons: damaged asphalt covers most of the playground, can not drop off throughout the day, no meal program, bathroom is dicey Definitely friendly staff but the parent population is a little self aware and snooty. If you are a working parent family, this school is workable but takes extra effort. If you have a dr appt in the morning, chances are your kid will be home for the day and you will not be at work. The school provides snacks but no lunch service which is tough on working moms who don't have a nanny. Most kids are headed home by 4pm so if you work until 5, you can count on your kid being one of the last at the school. For sure friendly, eager staff but there are many aspects that make this a tough school choice for working parents.

My son attended this preschool once he was 3 years old and he had an absolutely wonderful…read moreexperience. We received many updates from the staff during the week with pictures and updates of fun things the kids were up to. There were so many special activities for the children where they could learn about libraries, nature, different cultures, etc. We loved his teachers Ms Frankie and Ms Christina, they were so patient and kind and Ms Frankie made wonderful itineraries for the children every week sent out ahead of time so you would always know what the children would be doing. We are especially grateful for this school now that he has started TK as he is so well prepared, ahead of many other students, for the experience of TK. Focusing, sitting at small tables with other classmates, learning letters and numbers, learning manners and how to be a good person. I feel that his experience at Grandview definitely set him ahead for his jump into TK and beyond.

They left my 2-year-old son unattended and he was able to open the school gate and walk to…read more Washington by himself, took about 4+ minutes until a teacher noticed he was missing and went to rescue him. That already says a lot about why I would not recommend this school, safety is #1 priority! The teachers are genuinely lovely with the kids, but staff changes often, so that's not a great thing. The new owner/director isn't professional or prepared to be running the school.

If you are wanting your child to have an educational experience that is rooted in an understanding…read moreof education not so much as "putting in" (seeing kids as receptacles for adult knowledge) as it is about "drawing out" (supporting kids to know themselves, to figure out how to relate to others, how to really be in the world), then this school is the place to be. Our now 6 year old is in his 4th year at the school and loves going to school. He learns a lot, though not in traditional academic advancement terms. He wouldn't pass standardized test on math or reading at this point, but that actually is a plus for us. Because he would pass any test of human engagement. He sees adults not as people to please or to fear, but as humans who have resources (experience, strength, perspective) that he might want to engage with. He is grounded in his emotions, is okay being himself, and also learns about what works for others and how to respect their boundaries while voicing his own. He's developing intrinsic motivation and authenticity. These are lessons and practices oft sought after and rarely achieved. And what a gift to have regular experience of them as a young person. A rare gift. And of course learning to read and write and do math and science matter. I'm confident the foundation he's getting here will set him up to have success with those and to learn not just the content but relate to it. To learn how to learn. If this sounds appealing, I'd encourage you to check the school out. And I'd be happy to talk with anyone who's interested.

A rare preschool that teaches emotional intelligence, not just to kids, but to parents too…read more Play Mountain Place has been incredibly special for our family. From the beginning, it felt like more than just a school. It's a community that really supports both children and parents in building respectful, connected relationships. The head of school, Joe Ringlehan, is amazing with kids and also offers parenting classes that have genuinely helped me grow. I've taken the class more than once, and this year something really clicked on a deeper level, especially around facilitating conflict and allowing children to problem-solve themselves. Recently, my daughter had a challenge with a friend whose family has different boundaries than ours. In the past, I might have felt anxious or just given in, but instead I stayed grounded, upheld both families' limits, and let the kids work through it. It took time (like 30 minutes of negotiating), but they came to a solution together, and it felt honestly revelational. I walked away feeling like I had unlocked a new level of confidence in my parenting. We started in the Little Nursery program with Maydeh, who is truly exceptional. She brings so much warmth, intuition, and humor to the classroom, and the kids absolutely feel it. There's a lot of laughter, and at the same time, children are supported in expressing big feelings, frustration, anger, all of it, in healthy, constructive ways. One of the biggest things that stood out to me is their approach to separation. There's no pressure to drop your child off crying. Instead, they support a gradual, attachment-aware transition, which made a huge difference for both me and my child. The social-emotional learning is woven into everything. The kids talk about "problems and plans," practice setting boundaries, and learn how to communicate with each other in really thoughtful ways. We've even brought things like "special time" and family-style check-ins into our home, and it's been such a positive shift. After two years here, I can honestly say this school is helping raise kids who understand themselves, respect others, and feel confident expressing their needs, and it's helped me grow just as much as a parent. If you're looking for a play-based, relationship-centered preschool that goes deep on emotional development, this place is truly special.

We've had multiple children go through the Trimmersion (Mandarin + Spanish immersion) program, and…read moreevery single one of them have absolutely loved their time at CCM. My older kids were devastated to leave. The teachers and staff are beyond exceptional, and they treat the kids with so much love and kindness. We've become close friends with many of the other families, which speaks to the care and thought CCM takes in putting classes together. They also have a robust activities/enrichment program, including soccer, tennis, and dance. Most importantly, my kids have come out of the program fluent in 2 foreign languages! There's really no other preschool like it on the Westside. My only note is I wish CCM would extend through elementary school! :)

Our kiddo just graduated from the best preschool which prepared her for the global world!…read more Specializing in full immersion programs Spanish only Mandarin only Mandarin & Spanish dual (switching classes after nap) I read that exposing children to multiple languages before the age of five unlocks part of the brain otherwise not developed. I researched and toured countless preschools before selecting CCM. Our kid did the dual which was the best decision ever. My husband speaks Spanish (but doesn't at home) and I know very rudimentary Korean. Our daughter at the agent of 2 years 3 months picked up both languages quickly. Hearing multiple languages was normalized at her young age. She has loved learning the language & experiencing both Latin & Chinese traditions. All kids get to dance with mariachi singers for Cinco de Mayo Break piñatas Lunar new year Dragon or Lion dances And too many more cool events to list Culver City Montessori is intimate, clean & safe. We loved the teachers & staff. They became family throughout the years and we hope to continue to be a part of the CCM community for years to come. Highly recommend!

After a rocky year at a Montessori school, a behavioral therapist highly recommended Young Minds…read moreLearning Academy (YMLA) to help our son strengthen his executive functioning skills. From the moment we toured, we felt the difference--the commitment to nurturing the whole child was unmistakable. We enrolled him that week. Over the two years our son attended YMLA, he flourished. He learned to use his words, respect boundaries, build confidence in his social-emotional skills, and academically reached a kindergarten level while still in TK. At some schools, education can feel like a job. At Young Minds, it is clearly a calling. That dedication is evident across the entire staff and support team. The level of care, patience, and individualized approaches they pour into each child is nothing short of remarkable. As TK began winding down, we heard countless parents express the same sentiment: "What do we have to do to get the owners to open a Young Minds Elementary?" That says everything. As our son moves on to an independent grade school, our entire family will dearly miss Young Minds. We are incredibly grateful for these two formative years and for the foundation YMLA helped build in our son.

We are so grateful we chose Young Minds for our daughter's TK year. It was truly one of the best…read moredecisions we made for her. Before TK, our daughter attended a play-based daycare. Since she is naturally shy and quiet, we wanted a program that would help her build confidence and prepare her for kindergarten. Young Minds exceeded our expectations. The teachers are caring, patient, and genuinely passionate about helping every child succeed. At first, our daughter needed time to adjust to a more structured classroom, but her teachers supported her every step of the way and helped her gain confidence. We loved how Young Minds balanced academics with fun. From art, music, sports, and holiday celebrations to hands-on learning activities like the Classroom Store, every day was engaging and meaningful. Our daughter loved earning coins and "shopping" for small prizes, and she couldn't wait to come home and tell us all about it. Over the course of the year, we saw an incredible transformation. She became more confident, independent, and outgoing, and she truly developed a love for learning. Most importantly, she loved going to school every day. Even now, she still tells us how much she misses her teachers and asks if we can go back to visit them. We are incredibly thankful for the wonderful teachers and the caring community at Young Minds. If you're looking for a TK program that will prepare your child for kindergarten while making them feel happy, supported, and excited to learn, we highly recommend Young Minds!

The loveliest preschool in LA. Every teacher is so supportive, engaging and just wonderful, and…read morethey clearly love working with little kids. My son and daughter always come home talking about their adventures and ready to go back the next day. I can't imagine what it's going to be like now that they are graduating ti kindergarten, well miss Green Beginning and look for ways ti remain involved.

I can't say enough amazing things about Green Beginnings Preschool. My son thrived in his 3 years…read morein this special environment. Veronica and Keone create a play based program that also provides the childen with the social/emotional skills needed to excel in the world. My son loved playing at his own pace but also learned to verbalize his emotions. Every staff member is so kind and big hearted. The school is warm and caring, not just for the kids but the parents too. I will miss GBCP and highly recommend to any parent in the area.

Meadowlark is truly the most adorable preschool in the area! My daughter attended back when it was…read moreInglewood Montessori Preschool, and it was wonderful even then--but WOW, the new owners have completely transformed it. They've remodeled, rebranded, and added amazing programs that have taken it to the next level. My twin boys absolutely love it--they're all smiles at drop-off and pickup every single day. The staff is incredibly caring, attentive, and friendly. I honestly don't know how they don't have 5 stars yet--they're simply the BEST, and I couldn't recommend them more highly!

My baby girl just started at Meadowlark over the summer and so far I have nothing but nice things…read moreto say. She is in the Infant Center and the teachers have been so lovely and understanding of how difficult starting in a new environment can be. They've not only attended to my child's needs but have helped soothed many of my own anxieties. On top of that, there have recently been many upgrades to the school, with a wonderful revamp of the classrooms and school yard which has been great to see! Looking forward to watching my daughter grow over her next few years here!