Very high turnover of staff, lack of consistency of care for children, stressful work environment,…read morepoor leadership, definitely not Reggio Emilia in practice although they claim to be on their website.

High quality safe environment with exceptional teachers and staff who actively engage with kids and…read morefamilies. Lots of indoor and outdoor activities including a large robust vegetable garden.

Our family has been with Global Early Learning South for the past 2 years, since our younger…read moredaughter was 1.5 years old. We have been incredibly happy with our experience and feel very fortunate to have found this wonderful daycare. Our daughter has been truly loved and well cared for here. She adores all of her teachers, and it is clear that they know and care about her as an individual. The teachers are exceptional. They are not only kind, loving, and full of positive energy, but they are also deeply passionate about what they do. We are constantly amazed by the variety and quality of activities offered. It is obvious that the teachers invest a tremendous amount of thought, time, and effort into developing the curriculum and preparing engaging learning experiences for the children. Their dedication goes far beyond our expectations. The school also does an amazing job of building a strong sense of community. Throughout the year, they organize events such as summer movie nights, family picnics, family field trips, Halloween celebrations, and the annual Nutcracker performance. These events create wonderful memories for both children and parents. We highly recommend Global Early Learning to any family looking for a nurturing, engaging, and high-quality childcare program.

Our family was looking for a daycare after having a negative experience at another one. We tried to…read moremake it work at the other daycare, especially since it was right next to my work, but in less than a week, we knew it was not the right fit for him. He was unhappy and did not want to go back. So we found ourselves touring other daycares and felt the most at ease with Global Early Learning South. Our son immediately felt comfortable with Maggie, the teachers, and his peers there. Even in his first few days, we saw in his videos that he fit right in as he was jumping around with his shaker during dance class and roaring like a lion in his yoga class. In addition to the photos and videos in Procare, Maggie texted us extra photos and videos during the first week to give us peace of mind that he was in good hands. The school provides breakfast, snack, lunch, then another snack in the afternoon. These are all healthy meals and most of the time the food is organic. As a home daycare, Maggie shared that she buys only what she would eat with her family. The kids enjoy a wide variety of engaging activities, including arts and crafts and seasonal experiences. One of our favorites was watching the children raise caterpillars and then release them as butterflies. They even host fun events like mini Olympics, where the kids get to stand on a podium to celebrate their accomplishments. In addition to their regular day, they have enrichment four times a week which is included in the tuition. A yoga instructor comes in on Mondays, a dance instructor on Tuesdays, Stretch & Grow on Wednesdays, and Tumble Bus on Thursdays (my son's favorite). The school has amazing community events, a family picnic day, a zoo day, summer movie night, and the highlight of the year is the Winter Nutcracker performance. On this night the students from South and Abra's school (Pre-K across the school, aka Global Early Learning - which we know from a family friend is also amazing. These schools are right across the street and partner with each other) all perform a series of songs and a play. It is very impressive! And food is provided as well. Our son is happy and thriving at this school. Maggie and the teachers truly care for each child and you can feel it. Each student gets a special birthday party with gifts. Communication is great since Maggie and the teachers know each kid well. The student to teacher ratio is low and the tuition is more than fair (low overhead as a home daycare). There's also a lot of little things too that just makes life easy for parents. Maggie provides muddy buddies for rainy days, sun hats for sunny days, and we even get to leave our water bottle at school which gets washed every day. We could not be happier with our experience at Global Early Learning South. If you're looking for a nurturing, engaging, and caring environment for your child, I highly recommend it. This is a special place. We love this school.

I went to FASPS for pre-school-1st grade and overall it was ok. I made good friends and I kind of…read moreliked my teachers. I learned quite a bit of French that I'll take with me and hopefully use one day.

I had a great time with the kids and food and activities! There are lots of things to do!read more

Our daughter absolutely adores Nannan laoshi and all the staff at Little Scholars. Nannan is the…read moremost kind, thoughtful and friendly caregiver that we could have ever hoped for in a daycare. We so appreciate her communication, dedication to outdoor play and love for our toddler. The outstanding value of this daycare is continually astounding and we can't say enough amazing things about everything --the location, the cleanliness, the care, the consistent schedule, the nutritious and homemade food, the list goes on. We love Little Scholars!

Great in-home daycare with good teachers in a quiet and safe neighborhood with a bright and clean…read morehome. Nannan laoshi, the owner, is very friendly, responsive, and professional. She shares calendars, and menus, and special events prior to each month. The kids sign in and out every day and parents take their temperature to make sure they aren't sick. They do part time and weekend care as well. Hours and prices are all available on their website. Highly recommend!

Our daughter started her journey in the U.S. at Aster Montessori, and we are incredibly grateful…read morethis was her first school. The teachers created such a warm, loving, and nurturing environment that made her transition into a new language and culture so much easier. She grew in confidence, made wonderful memories, and always felt cared for. Choosing Aster Montessori was one of the best decisions we made for our family. We will always be thankful for everything the school has done for her.

Our youngest son has been attending this school since he was 3.5 years-old and potty-trained. He…read morewas very ready to ditch his large daycare in downtown Issaquah Highlands. I found Aster when it was recommended by the director of Sno-Springs School, near our home. I was admittedly skeptical as I was not particularly impressed by other Montessori schools on the Plateau and in the Highlands. Ms Aparna and her assistant director worked with me and my wife to devise a plan to acclimate our son to their environment and routine. We started with part-time enrollment in their summer camp program. My son immediately loved their large grassy and wooded play area, which was 3x bigger than his old daycare's concrete one. We then continued with Aster into the school year. Although it was very difficult for him at first, Aster Montessori was very patient with our headstrong son's adjustment to Montessori. He quickly improved his social skills ("grace and courtesy") and made good friends at the school. He looked forward to going to preschool each day. As parents we are pleased that our son is achieving his language & math milestones with ease -- he is ahead of his older sibs when they were in preschool -- we are most excited that he's maturing as person. That is, he is starting to understand and regulate his rather challenging temperament. I just wish Aster had been around when our daughters were in preschool! Pros: Happy and eager classmates Low turnover among the teaching staff; they are experienced, too Great communication with parents at pickup, by e-mail and during conference. Clean and bright classrooms Big playground for a small preschool Nurturing environment Many attendance options available Amazing music teacher Cons: Montessori not a natural fit for every personality (like my son's?) Can be difficult to get to know other parents Once-a-month snack duty (ok, not really a problem) Only offers preschool-to-kindergarten (i.e., 3-year 3-to-6 y.o. cycle through Kindergarten)

This is a very long overdue review. We started our daughter in ECA when she was just 4 months, and…read moreshe will be leaving ECA next summer/fall when she starts kindergarten. She has been to almost every classroom and has been taught by all the teachers and staff. You know the staff really cares about my daughter as they all know her by name. Although there was initially more turnover when she started, it seems to have become more steady and there is a longer-lasting relationship with the teachers. We didn't necessarily seek out the bilingual aspect of ECA when looking for a daycare, but I am thankful of the opportunity for my daughter to learn the Chinese language and culture even though we don't speak Mandarin at home. She surprises me with the amount she knows. Looking back, they were a bit more strict during the COVID years, but this is much appreciated as a parent. Although my daughter eventually did contract COVID, it was only at the peak of Omicron that it occurred. They had safety measures that straddled the line of being cautious but also fair to working families. The management has been communicative and transparent. When we have questions or concerns, they are always taken seriously and are open to feedback. We have been very happy with our experience here and don't hesitate to recommend other families to consider ECA.

My child turns 5 this year, and will be moving out of ECA only because... they don't offer…read moreKindergarten. If they did, we would have probably stayed. He has been in ECA for over 2 yrs and we've loved how much he's grown at his time here. I have two kids, and older one was sent to a different Daycare as ECA was not available at his time, and I can truly say that ECA has exceeded our expectations on what a daycare can and should provide your little one during their prime years. My son at ECA has learned how to take care of himself, clean up after himself, manners, and properly greeting etiquette. We do not speak mandarin at home, so seeing him be able to pick up so much from school has been so heart warming and amazing. We feel that ECA has done much more, along the lines of controlled learning. Not does he only have free play, but they really do believe that learning about the outside world is just as important. He's learned about continents, the 5 oceans, the solar system. And not only does he learn them in English, he's learned them in Mandarin as well. He has been given the ability to practice his cutting, pasting, writing letters, and number... but he's also been given the experience to learn how to make dumplings, and moon cake with his peers. The art that they do is also tied in to the subjects they are learning... which is how it should be done. They get to see, hear, and do.. which is essential in active learning. We don't speak mandarin at home. And being able to watch my child read mandarin words, sing mandarin songs, and reply to his teachers in mandarin... has been amazing. I can truly say that he speaks better mandarin than I can now. I've added a video to my review as a small sample of how much my son has learned reading Chinese at ECA. Also, once they are in pre-k, there are some days, where your kid gets to bring home, homework (not mandatory). Haha if that's your thing. My child loved it. And was proud to do the work "all by himself". I truly believe my little one has been able to grow a lot from ECA. And we're really happy about the staff, and the head school, Jenny. They have less turn over rates than our prior daycare, and the staff really seem to enjoy their time with the kids. The cameras are also always a nice touch to ease any parent's anxiety. Thank you ECA!

The other two negative reviews are from a prior teacher. We spent 2 years with Ms. Jillian and are…read moreabout to spend a third. We LOVE this school. I've scrutinized every school in the valley and Issaquah trying to find the BEST place for my kids and this one tops them hands down. Thank you all for being so amazing!!!

I have had two kiddos go through the program and we have had such an amazing experience. It is…read moreaffordable, has multiple engaging play spaces, a teacher who is committed to providing enriching play-based experiences, and the time I spent helping at the school was such a gift as I got to experience how my kiddos learn and interact in the classroom setting. The former negative reviews are from a previous teacher and I can whole-heartedly say that the current teacher, Ms. Jillian, is 100% an amazing person to be around. The Bellevue College parent educator, Ms. Sara, is also an amazing support person to have in the classroom, as well as for parenting questions and she has validated so much of my parenting journey. Not only was my kiddo much more prepared for kindergarten than others in his kindergarten class, but I also feel like the family-interactive school experience has made me a better parent and closer to my children. I highly recommend the co-op experience for those with the lifestyle that suits it!

Not sure why there are so many bad reviews. My son has gone here for 3 years; first in a 50/50…read moreEnglish/Chinese environment, then in a Chinese immersion environment. We're very happy with the teachers he's had, with the friends he's made, with the extended hours of the school, etc. At first we didn't think he was learning much Chinese, but then his grandma came to live with us from China, and we realized he was just shy, and he could actually speak Chinese very well. Overall, great school, happy with his progress in English, math, Chinese. Happy with a structured curriculum that also gives him free time to choose his own passions.

I would give 0 star if I could. This is a fake Montessori school. It has no Montessori…read morecertification. Unlike other Montessori schools, kids play with toys in the afternoon instead of doing work. The classroom is full of Montessori material, but that's only for decoration. The kids have never touched some of the materials because teachers don't even know how to use them. Also, most teachers don't have certification either. The way they treat student is completely wrong. They dont comfort kids when they feel said. I feel like they don't actually care about their students and their feelings. The school is closed this year in March due to coronavirus. Parents send tons of emails asking for tuition refund and we receive no response. Not even to just acknowledge that they have received our email. The director refund 25% of tuition fee for April while the school is closed for the month. Some parents want to hold off their April payment until school reopens. They received a notice from school saying that if you don't pay for April, we will consider this as an act of withdrawing your child from school. The 2 month deposit would be gone. Their decision is very business driven to benefit their needs. They are still making money from us during this time period and use it to support school development(they are building a new campus) and teacher training program. Would a school without certification spend money on teacher's development? I doubt it.