My child attended this school when he was 18 months old. At that age, he loved blowing raspberries…read more-- a common developmental stage in early language development. Rather than gently redirecting the behavior, one of the teachers put a mask on him, even though children under 2 are not recommended to wear masks for health and safety reasons. Unfortunately, I saw this happen to other children as well. I also witnessed and heard yelling from some teachers -- which is not only inappropriate in any early childhood setting but especially concerning for a school that claims to follow the Montessori method. You don't have to be a Montessori teacher to know that yelling at children, especially toddlers as young as 18 months to 3 years old, is not acceptable. I later confirmed with certified Montessori educators and visited other Montessori schools where this kind of behavior would never be tolerated. To be fair, there are some truly kind and capable teachers here -- like Delancey and Dina -- who genuinely treat children with care and respect. However, The director herself has also been seen yelling at children. There are two bathrooms shared by both children and staff. When the kids were potty trained, the children used to go to the bathroom alone without supervision. It wasn't until a school inspector visited that the practice changed -- only then did they start sending a teacher to accompany the children. This raises questions about the school's priorities and compliance with basic safety standards. One more thing to be aware of: at the end of the school year, parents are expected to give "tips" to each teacher -- with a minimum of $30 per teacher. If your child has one lead teacher and 3 or 4 assistants, that adds up quickly. However, the tip money is collected by the boss first, and it's unclear if or how it's distributed to the teachers who actually work with your child. That process made me uncomfortable, and I felt parents deserved more transparency. In the end, it's your decision. I just hope that by sharing my experience, I can help other parents make an informed one. Every child deserves a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment.

When my 5yo daughter and 2 yo son attended summer camp at Countryside Montessori back in 2022,…read moretheir experience was not positive. I kind of forgot about it until recently when we were talking about all of the summer camps they have attended so far and Countryside Montessori came up. My daughter started to share more details about her experience 3 years ago that concerned me. She mentioned that she would get yelled at frequently for small things like not lining up right away or for speaking up for her younger brother- something that she did out of care, not out of defiance. Once there was a birthday party and they were giving out juice boxes. When they offered one to my 2 yo son, my 5 yo daughter spoke up on his behalf and said that he doesn't like juice, to which the teacher replied "stop talking, let your brother speak for himself!!" While I understand the intention, the delivery felt a bit harsh for a 5yo who was just trying to help. Another time, my 2yo son coming home and all of a sudden he became scared of taking a bath or even a brief shower. Turns out that the teachers would hose down the kids outside to "cool them down" even though my 2yo son expressed that he didn't like it. They did not respect his wishes and kept spraying him. He eventually became terrified of water even though he used to be okay with water before this experience. When my 5yo asked them to not spray her younger brother she was often ignored. When I brought this up to the director at the time I was told "it's too hot outside, they need to cool down." Perhaps things are different during the regular school year, but based on our experience, I would not recommend this place for a summer camp. If we could give 0 stars based on how they treated my children, I would.

Both of my children attend Carrig Montessori. I am a public school teacher myself, and the…read moreteachers at Carrig are the best I have ever seen. Everything there is done so thoughtfully and purposefully. Just an example: new kids are phrased in one at a time so each child feels maximally special on their first day. My son started class in the fall knowing his letters, and in two months he's now proudly reading books to me. My daughter never willingly left me for any reason, but she loves to go to school and waves happily to me each morning. They come home each Friday with the work they have done and are so proud to show it to me. They talk to me about things I had no idea they knew. A big part of Montessori education is the kids making their own choices of what work to do, and I'm really enjoying how much more independent and self sufficient my children have become. The parent teacher conferences are amazing. After my scheduled classroom observation, two teachers met with me for *an hour and a half* conference in which they describe my children's relationship to themselves, their peers, their teachers, physical space, all the different subjects (practical life, language, math, etc). I learned so much. A few very specific examples: they noticed that my 3 yo daughter's Vs sound like Ws and are working with her in the movable alphabet to see if its a problem hearing or expressing the sound. They notice my son gets distracted 75% of the way through a work and they check in with him to give him the final push to complete his work. They talked to me for five minutes about my son's understanding of different vowel sounds. I don't think that level of detailed perception and follow through happens at any other preschool (any school anywhere?) Before Carrig, my kids had been in 4 other preschools and 1 elementary, so I have some basis for comparison. Carrig is truly a one in a billion school. Christine Carrig is committed to running a school that is excellent in every detail. Even if it is geographically less convenient for you, you should think about sending your child there because it's your kid and it's really worth it. PS I also really like that they are on Cooper Park and can use it for recess. A lot of preschools have to use a playground near a highway, which I feel is a real health issue.

Best of the best! So grateful for this school. I've had a child at Carrig since 2018 and they…read morecontinue to have wonderful teachers and a great community.

Lefferts Gardens Montessori (aka LGM) is a neighborhood gem. It's run by some of the most dedicated…read moreand passionate individuals and the teachers are phenomenal. I've had the pleasure of sending multiple children to LGM over the last 7 years from their 2 year old "Discoverer's" program through their 3-5 year old Pre-K program -- and have never thought twice about sending our kids elsewhere. If you are interested in Montessori, it's true Montessori. (Note: being a Montessori school/kid doesn't mean stale/sterile learning environments!! It's engaging, fun, and has all the normal aspects of a pre-school but within a beautiful structure). If you are interested in academics, my kids all went to Kindergarten at public schools after LGM and were reading and had math skills ahead of the curve. Can't recommend LGM enough to any family with young children!

Our daughter spent two wonderful years in pre-school at LGM. We knew that she was safe, well cared…read morefor and learning in a stimulating and diverse environment. What we didn't fully appreciate until moving on to our next school, was the incredibly high calibre of instruction at LGM. Each morning, the amazing teachers warmly greet students with handshakes and smiles, organized and well prepared for the day's lessons. Through out the day, kids enjoy the perfect blend of structure and individual choice and all activities are thoughtful and instructive. Don't be fooled by all the fun they're having, this school is teaching kids to love learning. The supportive administration and well-rounded parent body added to our great experience. A true gem - can't recommend it highly enough.

One of the worst schools in my history of being a mother. I had such high hopes until one incident…read moreoccurred where one child was hurt and the school closed temporarily and went through an investigation. A teacher and a teacher's aid were removed. After some time the school reopened. About a month after reopening the teacher that was removed was reinstated. My child was not involved in the incident and continued to attend. Upon speaking to a teacher during an interview I discovered awkward body language which told me there was more than meets the eye. About a couple of months went by and there was a new teacher's aid. She was not introduced to the parents. This woman did not look friendly which lead me to further investigate without the help of the school. At the students' graduation the school administrators Irene and Shirley and this particular woman that went by the name Ms. Janet did not not show up to celebrate this special moment with the students. Red flags After the last of school, I was contacted by a fellow parent stating that something serious happened at the school. I was told that Ms. Janet was hitting the children. The students were being abused by this monster. The following thought was the teachers have to have known. It broke my heart and made me mad. I write this review in hopes that you think twice about sending your child to this school if it ever reopens in the future which I hope it does not. The administration consist of young irresponsible women who do not have enough information to offer when it comes to staff members. Just a lot of ummmm uhhhh a Hamina ahamina and made up nonsense. And SHAME ON YOU TEACHERS FOR NOT PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN FROM THIS MONSTER. Kudos to the student that bravely spoke out. This review does not warrant an arrogant response. Police reports have been made to support this review.

My daughter attended Aleph Bet for 5 months and I decided to not return in the fall this year for…read moreseveral reasons. They provided 1 day notice to parents about extensive demolition and construction while school was in session. Kids were moved into a basement room instead of their usual space. To take it one step further, they were painting right next door. We were very concerned about the paint smell and brought this up to Shirly, who assured us that it was fine. When we picked her up it really smelled like paint within the children's room. Several days later major demolition started in the building. There was a lot of dust in the common lobby. As we became more concerned of possibly hazardous conditions we asked the owners if any tests were conducted prior to starting demolition. Specifically if they tested for lead paint and asbestos, since it's a building from the 60's. They refused to share the results. I am in contact with the EPA and department of health and hygiene regarding this matter. Also, see picture of the children's bathroom, this is the only one (looks friendly, right?). I was not shown the bathroom during my tour and made the mistake of not having asked to see it. When I was ready to start potty training with my daughter I discovered this bathroom which looked more like a janitors closet and decided to postpone potty training. Hygiene is important and I would not want my child in a tight space with dirty mops and buckets within arm's reach. Also the light bulb wasn't working when I took this picture. Their yard is a nice play space, however it is infested with mosquitoes. My child came home with new bites ever day. The yard is lined with old AstroTurf that holds water for days. Instead of fixing the problem they sprayed the kids with bug spray daily. The last straw was when they refused to return my deposit of $880 after I decided to not bring my daughter back in the fall. When I registered my daughter it was based on the calendar dates they provided in the contract. After I realized the calendar was inaccurate and the dates did not work with my schedule I asked for a refund since my daughter would not be returning in the fall. When I confronted them they dismissed their error as a "clerical issue" for which I should be held financially responsible. They used words like "extortion" when I insisted on a refund of my deposit and "slander" when I was transparent about my plans to leave a negative review. Both of these are illegal and I don't think I've entered any criminal activity by writing my opinion, wanting to know if my daughter may have been exposed to any hazardous dust and asking for a refund based on an inaccurate contract which they provided. I will say that the staff provided good care to my daughter for the time she was there. Ms. Jenny, Ms.Cindy and Ms.Gina we're always great.

When we were first looking at daycares, The Learning Station was the only spot to respond to us…read more.. so we didn't have much choice but it was a blessing. The classroom is located on the 1st floor of a small residential building and might not be as fancy or obvious as the other large daycares, but they are clean, attentive, consider safety, and have everything toddlers need to grow and learn. They try hard to keep costs reasonable. My son (18mos) has been attending TLS since he was 6 months old and from the very start, he has loved it there! Every week he learns something new, and you can tell that Miss Cira and her staff put a lot of energy and thought into every kid's individual development. I love that the place is small, so we know each child gets lots of attention & the staff have a good understanding of each personality. They are also flexible with drop-off/pick-up times as long as it's between 8a-6p - which is perfect coverage for two parents with full-time jobs. They helped my baby build muscles to crawl, stand, walk, and now he's coming home reciting ABCs, counting, and building his vocabulary (mostly verbal English but some Spanish & basic ASL too)! Best of all, they've taught him to tidy up after himself so even at home just puts toys back when he's done with them... when he sees toys, pacifiers, or books on the floor (even the dog's toys lol) he says, 'uh oh!' and picks it up to put away or give to a grown-up (or dog)! He even wipes the table after himself and can wipe his nose/face (very convenient), and loves washing his hands. It doesn't get much better than that. At drop-off he sits at the door waiting for it to open & then runs inside without a backwards glance. At pick-up, he sometimes cries and runs back into the classroom because he's having too much fun to leave! While they're not the most consistent with communication/photos, Miss Cira will happily chat at pick-up or drop-off and texts for any questions or updates. I personally do not need constant photo updates since I'd rather the staff concentrated on the kids' activities and safety (vs. being distracted trying to get daily pics of every child) so just occasional photos works for us. I assume if some parents want more frequent updates, they'll provide that. We trust TLS and are very happy that our little one is excited for school every day.

We have the utmost appreciation for Cira and the wonderful staff at the Learning Station. We first…read morediscovered TLS when we needed a space for my oldest son to interact with other children and to be on a scheduled routine. From the very first day we were greeted with warmth and love, as if it was our second family. During drop-offs my oldest son always walked in confidently and happy. My husband and I also walked away with confidence and peace of mind that our son was being taken care of by highly responsible, loving and professional people and in a safe and secure place. We also knew that he would have an amazing learning experience and great so is interactions with other children. Now, our youngest (infant) son attends and we can honestly say we still hold those strong feelings. Our youngest son cannot wait to go everyday! Its a great sign when he gives me his jacket to put on every morning! I cannot say enough about the program itself, they are always up to something so creative through arts and crafts projects, sensory play and even seasonal food making. I have and will continue to recommend families to send their children here!

My daughter had a fun time in Les Enfants Montessori School. She was there for a year for…read moreNursery/Pre-k. It was expensive but worth it in my opinion. I would of kept her there for longer, however when the principal said they weren't accredited and some parents were having issues with their child transferred to another school, that's when I decided to pull her out. I don't know if anything has changed since then. I hope so.

All 3 of my grandchildren have attended the School- one still does. The staff are so caring. The…read morechildren have learned so much socially, education, the arts, and athletics. I pick up the students and chat with other parents about their experiences- we all agree. Les Enfants Montessori School is a gem!

The Montessori School of NY is amazing! The school has fostered a love of learning in my son. They…read moreteach through experiments, presentations, art, songs and field trips. It feels like a well-rounded homeschool curriculum. The extracurricular activities are also incredible. Swim, chess, martial arts, acrobatics, robotics and tennis are offered to all who want to participate. It's a gem with low student to teacher ratios. My absolute favorite thing is teaching with paper and pencils. No ipads, laptops, etc.

We just moved out of New York City, and We are missing this school. We are at another Montessori…read moreschool - but it is not the same unfortunately. We were at this school for 3 years, and were happy with the progress - and the parent community. My son is already bored because he already knows the curriculum they are giving him. We miss you Montessori School of NY!