We have had a wonderful experience with Rising Stars. Low teacher turnover, very caring staff and a…read morewonderful group of kids. My daughter was beyond prepared for kindergarten! My son has found a wonderful group of friends and we have built community with other parents. We consider the staff to be like family and partners in raising our children.

I am so glad we enrolled our son here. The experience we had with Rising Stars was exceptional. The…read moreteachers are so caring a sweet. My son was happy to go to school every morning and we were sad to leave. They send out a detailed schedule for the week with planned activities and learning objectives. They host holiday themed events in class and have small class sizes.

My daughter has been at ACA for over two years and will be graduating and heading to Kindergarten…read morethis fall. We are sad to be leaving the school but so thankful for the teachers, staff and administration for giving her and us a wonderful experience while she's been enrolled there. Her growth while attending ACA has been remarkable, with her language (Spanish and English bilingual class), math, reading, and independent life skills being way above average. We give so much credit to the amazing teachers she has worked with in both pre-K classes she has been in...truly wonderful people who are not just educators but curators of the kids' minds and social/emotional wellbeing. If you are looking for a welcoming and loving Montessori environment to enrich your child's early education, I could not recommend ACA more!

Our daughter has been enrolled at ACA for about six months now and here is our experience. We moved…read moreto Texas from California and first enrolled her in another montessori school. We noticed after a few months that the teachers there were stretched thin and would ask us to teach her to sit still during circle time at home. We felt that wasn't in line with what we read Montessori is about (individualized care) so we began looking for another school. When we found ACA, i read through their About Us and noticed they deliberately overstaff in order to prevent teacher burnout, keep teachers happy and energized, which will in turn trickle down to how the children are cared for. I thought this was super wise and loving so we decided to go in for a tour. We met Estella, one of the owners of the school, and she shared their philosophy and showed us the grounds. I immediately felt her energy was starkly different from the energy of our prior school. I also asked if the teachers are actually montessori certified, which i found wasn't true for our previous school. she was happy to confirm they are indeed Montessori certified and go through rigorous and regular trainings to maintain/obtain/enrich their certifications. (note to parents out there, most montessori schools in austin are "montessori inspired", not montessori certified. basically BS. we've had a chance to meet and develop a relationship with owners Sam and Estella, Ms. Hong, Ms. Sara, Mrs. Gupta, and other teachers and staff of the school. And With every single one of them, there is genuine love, honesty, and long-term thinking. This is school is love and people first, profit second. they are reasonably priced as well. and if you're looking for a daycare for your child where your child will be safe, loved, and enriched, I cannot recommend this school enough. Not just because the other schools around Austin suck (which is generally true), but mainly because the folks at ACA actually care and come from love.

My son started here two weeks ago, he LOVES it. He feels safe and is learning both Spanish and ASL,…read moreand we see it at home. He is learning to swim and that is really his favorite thing to do outside of school. He calls it "my school" and loves the room he is in, the playground, and the teachers. Best change for our family and totally worth it.

Stepping Stone has been such a positive experience for my family. This was both of my boys first…read morereal experience with school. My 4 year old adjusted easily but my 2 year old had never been away from me and he struggled. He spent the first week very upset at drop off and at every transition, but the staff was very attentive to him and helped him through the adjustment. He is thriving now and having a wonderful experience. He is learning and socializing and growing and I appreciate the efforts they have made to make this a great memory for my family. We have been here 6 months now and both boys are still growing and learning and happy to be a part of their stepping stone family!

Thanks to Sarah, helped with process a lot! I think this school should be top pick for the kidsread more

There were a few hiccups in the beginning, but they were addressed quickly and professionally…read more Anytime I've had a concern, it's been taken seriously and resolved right away. The staff here is truly committed to creating a safe, fun environment for all the children and they act immediately if anything goes against Montessori principles--which I deeply appreciate. All the lead teachers have been in Montessori education for over a decade, and their passion really shows. My daughter absolutely adores everyone here. Miss Amanda is an absolute gem--genuinely perfect for this role. She has such a deep love for the kids and brings so much joy to the classroom. Every day, they do fun, hands-on activities and learn practical life skills like cleaning, cooking, cutting, and setting up their lunches. Mrs. Sarah is also incredible--she's such a gentle, kind soul with a calm energy that's instantly comforting. She's been in Montessori for many years and is the kind of person who just gets it. You naturally gravitate toward her. I'm so glad I gave this place a chance. It feels more like a family than a school, and my daughter truly feels at home here.

My daughter had a wonderful experience with this school. We've recently moved, but Misti, Ivania,…read moreBailey and their team will all be missed dearly. The curriculum is actually implemented throughout all ages, and I truly feel my daughter is advanced from having been in this environment. This is just my experience, so make your decision AFTER you tour. All parents are different, and some families have different wants/needs. Our needs were met and our expectations were surpassed! They had a lot of events which allowed us to be involved with the teachers and other parents too! Trunk or treat, Easter Bunny, Cookouts, etc! I'm so impressed with the impact that they are making in the community. We were heartbroken when we moved, but I will forever be thankful to this school and those that work so hard to make it great!

Love our teachers and friends AMKC! They are our home away from home! And we knew they would be…read moreimmediately!

My son started his preschool classes in 2022 and I was so hesitant to put him into school. After…read moretouring the establishment, meeting Steffani, seeing how wonderful the school is I fell in love. I knew my son was in good hands. My son wasn't speaking too much before starting school but after his first year he was speaking full and complete sentences and writing. The teachers there are amazing! They all either had their own kids go through FFP or have taught there for 10+ years. Everyone just seems to be one big family there. My son is now onto kindergarten and my daughter will start her first year there come August. I have nothing but nice things to say about FFP and the wonderful people there.

First Foundations served as our family's first experience with preschool, and for that we are so…read moreextremely thankful. Our shy little daughter just blossomed at this school, to the extent that our friends and extended family remarked on the change in her confidence and demeanor. I'm admittedly a pretty anxious mama bear and I am still, a year later, so shocked at how seamless the adjustment to going to preschool felt for both my daughter and for myself. There were no tears from my little one when I dropped her off, but on more than one occasion she was adamant that she didn't want to leave the school when I picked her up. I could write paragraph upon paragraph, but I'll try to keep it short and sweet because I know firsthand how much energy it takes to search for that perfect fit. Here are some of the aspects that stood out to me! - The whole entire staff here is so wonderful. The director, Mrs. Wilkins, truly pours her heart into her school. She knows and loves each child and greets them by name. She also personally ran my daughter's lunch box/jacket/show and tell item down to her classroom on the more than one occasion that I completely forgot those items in a sleep deprived haze. Our daughter's teachers, Mrs. Gamoneda and Mrs. Pallota, were so kind and loving. Our kiddo can be stubborn, and she started the school year insisting that she didn't want finger paint on her hands. Mrs. G and Mrs. P worked with her, encouraging but never pushing (they even asked my husband and myself if there was any sort of alternative glue or paint she might find more tolerable), and our daughter was beaming with pride when she presented us with a finger painted keepsake a few weeks later. I said I'd keep this short, so bullet points for the rest. - All of the teachers are very qualified. - The school is clean and the teachers had the children wash their hands several times every day even in a pre-coronavirus world. - There are all sorts of fun theme days, class parties and a Christmas program. - This was my daughter's takeaway from our initial tour - two playgrounds! Here is my takeaway - two safe, age appropriate playgrounds that are fenced in. - In addition to the classroom, the children attend Chapel, Spanish and music class (we had the opportunity to observe a bit of the music class on our tour, and the kids were having so much fun). - A perfect combination of play based learning and learning skills that will be needed in kindergarten (our 4 y/o is now able to write her name but she had a lot of fun at school too) - The teachers incorporate super cool activities (a volcano, a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly, a classroom full of tents, reading Biblical stories via blacklight) into their daily lesson plans. - The school is safety minded. This was huge for me. - If you have a baby on your hip, everyone will help you. :) There is a wonderful drop off program, actually, in which teachers are in charge of getting kids from your car. It's very safe and coordinated well. - The school has a bridge program and a kindergarten program. This is actually how I learned about First Foundations. It's seriously the best school, and the only thing I would ever change about it is that I wish our kids could attend for a couple more years.

After much searching, interviewing and site visits we have enrolled our daughter in this preschool…read moreand are quite happy with our decision. Our daughter was previously at an all play based preschool where she would have very little structure. We wanted to find a school that not only promoted more learning but also promoted learning through play, dance and song. We found that Challenger offered that. We have always shared creative learning with our child and wanted to make sure that she had all options available to her. There are some comments on here about diversity, but this is one of the most diverse Challenger campuses. Also, Challenger is now offering a referral tuition discount program for 2017-2018 year. If you are interested in this program, please contact me so we can both have the two-way 15% referral tuition discount every month throughout the academic year! If you use me as a referral for the 2017-2018 year. Message me for details.

The school is great. Love their program. On the 1st day of school no kid was crying in my son's…read moreclass ! It was the 1st day for a lot of kids but the teachers were amazing about keeping them calm. Ms. Erika is very sweet and always willing to work with you.

My son has been going here the past couple years and I can tell he really likes his teachers. It's…read morevery well run and a great welcoming environment.

Every morning when I drop my son off he goes up to the teacher and wants to get a hug and to be…read morepicked up. You know it's a quality place when you see your child do that.

While I was pregnant with my first child I started looking into childcare and thought, for sure,…read morethat an in-home provider would be my favorite spot. I found a woman who lived near me that I really clicked with and started there, and...My son hated it! He cried all day every day and they just didn't click like I did with the caregiver. I thought he might actually need a center where there are more people to pick you up and kootz the babies if something is wrong. One person only has so many hands, but if there's an aid or director and more organized activities, maybe he would like that better. Not only did I find something he was more happy with, but also I found extremely adept caretakers at Trillium Montessori. The teachers are the real gold here. They are steady and consistent and have been there many years. They know their age up and down and truly care about children. The infant teacher we met first put me right at ease. She is hands-down one of the best humans I have met. Every teacher after is reliable, consistent, and educated in Montessori and development. The teachers made my experience going back to work much less stressful. I have full confidence in them. I have a second child now and happily sent her through the same set of teachers. In fact, I frequently asked the infant teacher for advice and input. There is are double locked doors to enter the center and there is a check-in and out kiosk where teachers can message and upload pictures after you check-in your child. I have never worried about my child's safety here. There are shoe drop caddies outside every room. No one wears shoes in the rooms.

We swung by to check out this school, among 3 other schools. To be blunt, this school was extremely…read moreghetto. Honestly don't believe this is an authentic Montessori--how in the world did they get certified as such is beyond us. 1)Majority of the staff are Indians with an accent. Being a minority ourselves we have no issues with that but we would like our kids to be more diverse than just that. 2) all the classrooms are hard floors, including infants. This seems dangerous to us. 3) everyone wore shoes into the class where infants crawled around, touched, licked and played on 4) place smelled like urine 5) security was minimal as there was no check in checkout 6) outside play area is filled with rocks and pebbles. And playscapes were all cheap, small plastic ones. 7) price was comparable to other places that offered a lot more

We attended Bluebonnet School from when my son was 13 weeks through Pre-k. He's now on kindergarten…read moreand does their after school program. From Ms Erika to Ms Rachel the teachers have been fantastic. Ms Erika (Room 1) is so experienced with young babies that I knew my child was in good hands with her. As a first time mom she taught me many things. And capping of the experience with Ms Rachel (room 18) was perfect. She will prepare your child for kindergarten, no doubt. She gives the kids so much structure and really prepares them with reading skills. There have been some issues with teacher and staff turnover during our time but this is the unfortunate nature of the industry especially with how challenging the last few years have been (pandemic). The assistant teachers seemed to change frequently and it was hard to keep track of who would be in his room. In the past there have occasionally been communication issues but I feel that the current director has worked a lot of that out. Any issues we had, the teachers and staff have always been eager to solve. My son has enjoyed the amenities at the school like the splash pad, nice outdoor play area, Spanish and music classes and the other vendors that come in offering classes like Gymstation for sports and gymnastics and Waterloo for swimming lessons.

Teachers are nice, but administration seems to care more about running a business than actually…read moresupporting children/families.