My daughter has now been at M.I.A. for almost 2 years and we love it just as much as ever!…read morePrincipal Sumikawa is incredible, and every teacher/staff member has been so kind, patient, and nurturing with our daughter. At M.I.A., she has learned great life skills such as putting away her things, confidence, independence, cooking, writing, healthy snacking, folding clothes, and politeness, to name a few. When we were at her annual doctor's appointment, my daughter impressed all of the other parents in the doctor's waiting room when she got up from the kids table and pushed her chair all by herself (a polite habit she was taught in her M.I.A. preschool class!). One of the highlights of this school is the lunch program: a very nutritious, rotating menu of Japanese-style dishes that you can opt-into. My daughter loves broccoli, fish, and many new foods now because of the healthy lunches at M.I.A. There are so many fun events throughout the year, such as the Sports Festival (Undokai), plays/musicals, cooking classes, observation weeks, cultural events, and the school is great about sharing pictures of the students' activities so we can get a sense of their days. Also, there are many options for afterschool extracurricular activities, which my daughter loves! PE Class, Japanese Dance, Piano Lessons, Art, Nenchu class, Karate/Kendo, and more. Sometimes when we arrive to pick her up after school, she tells us that "we came too early" -- because she's having so much fun and wants to stay at school even longer! We're looking forward to our daughter's continuing journey at M.I.A.!

I was surprised how the other reviewers just put bad review without understanding school well and…read morebackground. My 3 year old son goes here. It is the only Monte school with Japanese background. They have both English and Japanese teachers. Here are the two big advantages of this school. 1. Although it is Monte school but they do teach Japanese style of politeness and respect. Which I think it is important for our kids to learn. 2. My son does not speak ANY Japanese when he enter school. But teachers are very supportive. Very passionate of educate and take care of our son. Now after 6 months he understands lots of Japanese and getting much smoother in communication. 3. Unlike many other American preschool, Your kids will not need to off diapers. Teachers will support your kids and they will slowly learn toilet from other kids. 4. School has optional Hot cooking Lunch prepared by Japanese chef which is big plus! Their lunch is very nutritional and healthy Japanese food! 5. They have optional daycare, which allow you to send kids from 8am to 6pm the latest. Which save lots of parents who has full time job.

Our child completed gold class with Ms. Indira at MMI before moving to elementary school and we…read morecould not be more pleased with our experience. Ms. Indira helped them grow from a child who had trouble paying attention and was difficult to direct to someone who was more confident about themselves and more keen to classroom instruction. Without Ms. Indira and the entire MMI staff, we would have felt so afraid of what elementary school had in store for our child. But with her and the rest of MMI's help, we feel like our child is ready - thank you!!

We just wanted to thank Milestone Montessori for being there for us during the 2025 Palisades fire…read moreincident. Our cousin's kid went to this school and asked them if our Montessori child could attend for a week or two during that time. Thankfully, they were able to accommodate us. Everyone was so sweet, welcoming, and understanding. It made such a scary and stressful period much more tolerable knowing that our child was safe, happy, and still learning & socializing. Because of the consistent Montessori method, our child was able to transition easily and make new friends. They also helped the cousins get closer with each other! We truly appreciate our time there and would highly recommend this school. They also have a cool and friendly bearded dragon pet you can pet! Thank you for being there!

Dear Ms. Ruby, Ms. Susie & Ms. Jessica -…read more I wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for the beautiful graduation ceremony you hosted yesterday. It was clear from every detail that an enormous amount of care, creativity, and dedication went into making it such a special occasion. As a parent, watching our children take the stage with such confidence, poise, and genuine excitement was an absolute joy. The fact that they were so well-rehearsed and yet still completely in the moment is a true testament to the incredible work your teachers and staff do every single day. The event was so thoughtfully organized, and it showed. Every moment felt intentional and meaningful, leaving all of us parents with full hearts and the biggest smiles. These are the memories our families will treasure for years to come. Please know how deeply appreciated you all are, not just for yesterday, but for everything you pour into these children throughout the year. You don't just teach them; you help them grow into kind, capable, and confident little people. Yesterday was a beautiful reflection of that. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for making this milestone so truly unforgettable. With warm gratitude, Happy Mama

Our experience with Irvine Montessori School has been good. From the front desk where Ms. Ruby and…read moreMs. Suzie manage parent interactions, to classroom teachers like Ms. Ana and Ms. Angie, the commitment to the children is evident. Our child has shown progress in language and social skills, and the staff puts clear effort into milestones like graduation ceremonies and holiday events. The campus itself is clean and modern. This is definitely one of the top 10 Montessori schools in Orange County. Refine a few operational details, and they have the potential to easily break into the top 5. Areas for Improvement: Teacher rotation does cause disruption in student learning. While staffing shifts are common, the school needs to do a better job of getting ahead of these rotations and being proactive about the transitions. Furthermore, the administration should establish a structured, year-round channel for parental feedback. While daily communication from individual teachers is fine, an administrative feedback loop like bi-annual parent surveys would allow families to share insights on scheduling logistics, administrative clarity, or classroom dynamics. It remains a solid option for families in Irvine, and showing better foresight regarding teacher transitions and structured parent communication will help them reach that next level.

Our son Stanley enrolled in this school at 2 years 3 months and he just turned 3 years old. He…read morebecomes outgoing and love dancing now! He love his teachers Mrs Rose and Mrs Eva and always come back home with a smile! Both of them show their love, care and patience to the children and always make sure my boy is eating well,taking snap and learning happily. There is a positive and encouraging vibe in the class and kids are pretty organized and learning new things everyday. Montessori school is unique. They will arrange learning schedules, including drawing, spelling, counting and even spanish language！After being here for almost a year, my son becomes more self-discipline and he enjoy reading books now! The school hosted Halloween party and invited parents to celebrate together. Kids dressed up to dance,sing and play, which is a memorable experience. We will relocate to other states but would like express our appreciation for Mrs. Eva and Mrs.Rose!

I do not recommend this school as it is not all inclusive. The school discriminated against my…read morechild because they have Type 1 Diabetes. The ignorance displayed by Ms. Giuliana about the disease was insulting, she even asked me to consider enrolling my child at her school once the disease is "cured". I wish there was a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, unfortunately, there isn't one and there won't be for a while. Bottom line: children with medical needs are not welcome here because their medical needs are an "inconvenience" to the staff and other children in the school.

We couldn't be happier with our experience at this preschool. From the amazing directors to every…read moreteacher and staff member, everyone genuinely cares about the children. They are patient, loving, and always make us feel like part of a family. My twins have learned so much here, and it's been wonderful to watch them grow with such caring educators. Thank you for everything you do--we truly appreciate you all!

Our family has had a wonderful experience with Gaowa Montessori…read more We first visited during an open house before the school had even opened. We were immediately impressed by the beautiful campus, and how clean everything was. We were so confident in what we saw that we put down a deposit that day, and our son started the following spring when he was two years old. Gaowa has been an incredible place for him. They nurtured his natural curiosity and love of learning, especially when it came to reading and math. He was reading before he turned four, and I truly believe his teachers played a huge role in fostering his love of reading, even bringing in chapter books just for him. When our son was four, we went through a period where he was having some behavioral challenges. Instead of blaming him or us, or making him feel like he was a "problem child," the teachers worked alongside us to give us tools to help him. They approached the situation with patience, compassion, and genuine care, and I'm incredibly thankful for the way they supported our family during that time. We put our daughter on the waitlist before she was even born. She attends Gaowa now, and we've made the decision to keep her there for TK instead of moving her to public school because the education and nurturing environment are exceptional. The teachers genuinely care about the children. They know each child as an individual and create an environment where kids feel supported, encouraged, and excited to learn. Like any newer school, Gaowa experienced some growing pains in the beginning. There was more staff turnover than we would have liked during those early years. However, through all of that, the quality of the education remained outstanding, and over time the school has become much more stable. If you're looking for a Montessori school that provides a strong academic foundation while also nurturing independence, curiosity, and a genuine love of learning, I highly recommend Gaowa!

As a mother, entrusting your infant to a daycare is one of the hardest things you do. You tell…read moreyourself they'll be safe. I wish that had been true for us. We enrolled our 10-month-old daughter here, and within two months she came home with a fractured arm. The school said nothing when we picked her up -- just a vague mention of her being fussy. It wasn't until our pediatrician took X-rays that we learned the truth. What broke my heart wasn't just the injury -- it was her first birthday spent in a cast. As her mother, I will never forget that. When we asked for answers, there was no security footage to review because the cameras had apparently been removed months earlier. No accountability. No transparency. Nothing. Four years later I still think about it. I hope this school has since made real changes -- better vetted teachers, cameras restored, and proper incident reporting. Every child deserves that. Every mother deserves to feel her baby is truly safe. I'm posting this because I'd want another mom to warn me.

ICMA was the best preschool for our son. He went there as a toddler and just graduated to TK. The…read moredirector Maria is fantastic, especially with updates, and his teachers couldn't have been better. He learned so much there, we are so grateful for the experience. He was our youngest child, and this was the best experience of all of the preschools that we went to, and at a very fair price. We highly recommend ICMA!

We were incredibly blessed to enroll our daughter into this school! All of the teachers here are so…read morekind and loving! Huge shout-out to Ms. Cecil and Ms. Sandy for being such awesome teachers! Many thanks to Ms. Maria, Ms. Kiran, and Ms. Hailee for helping provide such a positive and caring atmosphere for all the kiddos. They all really nurtured our daughter into a much more confident and social little girl. Their emphasis on teaching real life skills and social competence really shows in the way our daughter carries herself outside of school and we're super proud parents because of it! Some background: My daughter went to two other preschools before we landed permanently here at GG Montessori. She had some trauma from very rigid teachers. She seemed stressed during drop-offs and pick-ups at those previous schools and one teacher had made comments that she was "lazy". Turns out she just didn't want to listen to the teacher because she was mean to the kids and my daughter was scared of her. This changed when we switched to GG Montessori. She began being excited to go and would always have a bubbly happy smile as well as something nice to say about the day come pick-up time! Ms. Cecil had let us know that she took extra care to get our daughter to warm up over their first couple months together. We are so grateful to her for repairing the damage done by the other schools! We also saw tons of the worksheets where she was learning to write both numbers and letters and all of the fun craft activities that improved her dexterity. Our favorite was the little dance numbers and songs they put together about twice a year. Those were super adorable and fun for everyone! We really hope to be able to come back for our second child in a couple years!

We are so grateful to have found this preschool for our son. He currently attends here and…read moreabsolutely loves all of his teachers. Our son has a speech delay and can become frustrated when he's unable to express his needs, but his teacher, Ms. Cecile, has been incredibly patient, supportive, and motivating in helping him communicate more. We've already seen such positive growth in his confidence and willingness to talk. The director, Ms. Kiran, is also very kind, accommodating, and genuinely caring. It's clear that everyone here truly cares about the children and creates a warm, loving environment for them to grow and learn in. As a parent, it means so much to know your child is in good hands. Highly recommend this preschool to any family looking for a nurturing and supportive place for their child.

Our son attended this Montessori school from age 3 to 5, and it was the best possible start to his…read moreeducation. From day one, the school's commitment to authentic Montessori principles was clear: independence, curiosity, respect, and hands-on learning were woven into every part of his day. He grew from a shy little three-year-old into a confident, capable, and joyful five-year-old who loved to learn and took pride in doing things for himself. What set this school apart most was the love and care his teachers showed him. They didn't just teach. They knew him, guided him patiently, celebrated his small victories, and met him exactly where he was. He always felt safe, seen, and valued. The same warmth extended to the entire staff and the community of students, and the friendships he built there were real. His attachment to the school, his teachers, and his classmates was strong. He looked forward to going each day, and leaving was truly bittersweet for our whole family. The prepared environment gave him the freedom to explore, make choices, and discover who he is, which is exactly what Montessori is meant to do. This is an excellent school, and we recommend it wholeheartedly to any family looking for a nurturing, Montessori environment where children can grow into their best selves. We're endlessly grateful.

A year ago, I had to withdraw my daughter from her preschool midway through the school year because…read morethe program wasn't challenging enough for her. Finding a new school at that time wasn't easy. When I first visited FVM, there were no spots available, but I was impressed by how well-organized everything was--from the classrooms to the curriculum. I even asked Ms. Sneha, the school director, if I could pay a higher tuition just to secure a place for my daughter because I wanted her to attend so badly. Fortunately, a family was about to leave, and we were able to enroll her. That turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. Since then, my daughter has thrived with teaching tailored to her abilities rather than her age (she has a late birthday, so in the public school system she would still be at the preschool level). Thanks to the support of her teachers, she has excelled academically. After a year at FVM, she took the GATE exam through the school district. Not only was she able to skip a grade, and she was also accepted into the GATE program. I truly believe this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't attended FVM. I'm incredibly grateful to FVM and all the staff. Ms. Sneha is such a kind and caring person. Without her, my daughter wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn here. Ms. Neranja, one of my daughter's primary teachers, holds strong teaching principles, and whenever I speak with her, I feel confident that my daughter is in good hands. My daughter often talks about her teachers at home, especially Ms. Neranja and Ms. Erika. Although my daughter has only been at FVM for a short time, the experience has had a profoundly positive impact and laid a strong foundation for her future educational goals. I cannot thank everyone enough--I am truly grateful.

I had no idea this school was there as it is across from another school. I toured it and it is…read morewonderful out of all of the schools I toured and trust me I toured like 10 in the area for my child this stood out. The facilities are wonderful, the staff was calm and seemed very kind. And most of all, the children looked happy and focused. The director is kind and very informative.

We've put both of our kids in ICMA and it's been a solid daycare/Montessori/preschool for our them…read more When we were looking at the different places years ago what made this school stand out was the years of experience all the teachers have. I think all of the teachers have been with the school for at least 10 years, some are probably closer to 20 at this point. I'm not an expert on the Montessori way but, academically, our oldest was more than ready for TK. When she left ICMA she was starting to read, write, and had started basic math. From 18 months all the way up to 4 years old, we've had almost all the teachers and can't recommend them enough. The teachers and staff are accessible if you have questions or want to discuss something and they keep parents in the loop on what's going on with the class.

We put our son at Newport Ave a little after he turned 2 years old and we loved it over the past 2…read moreyears. They helped with potty training and he learned so quickly. Fast forward to now, I was always surprised with what he learned from school. He just turned 4 and he can read a little bit of 3 letter words and simple adding. He really liked his teachers and made friends. The staff have been so accommodating to our family's schedule as we had to stop school here and there and change days. They are super easy to work with and understanding. I would definitely recommend having your kids attend this school. The tuition is also very reasonable compared to other schools.

Our son attended Newport Ave Preschool for two years (from age 3 to 5) and we have nothing but…read morewonderful memories of his time there. We wanted him to take his next steps with learning and experience things beyond what we could offer him at home. He got exactly that and then some. His teachers did a fantastic job getting him through the Pre-K and TK curricula; we still have a lot of his old school work showing how much he had learned and how much practice he had gotten. He would frequently speak fondly of his last teacher, Ms. Jackie, as well as the friends he played with at school. There was a classmate he would refer to as "Melon" that we think was his best friend and we thought it was so cute. We'd like to give our thanks to all of his teachers - Ms. Jackie, Ms. Emily, Ms. Nikki, and Ms. Bella! He really enjoyed the variety of extra curricular activities offered at Newport Ave, like dance, music, soccer (his favorite), arts and crafts, and taekwondo (his other favorite). As parents, some of our favorite things include the winter holiday performances, the picture updates on Remind showing what everyone is up to throughout the day, and the final letters from all the teachers he had connected with over the years. Ms. Mayra was a pleasure to talk to when dropping him off in the morning, as were the other teachers when picking him up at the gate. Communication over the Remind app is super simple and responses tend to be very quick. Since starting kindergarten, Nate has become a top performer in his class, and we believe Newport Ave Preschool deserves a great deal of the credit for that. We're so grateful for everything this school gave him.