I love this place, so does my daughter. I was looking some cozy place for her, and found this home…read morebased preschool. Highly recommend GR.

From the owner: We have open enrollment and we are currently accepting new students - Our school is unique in that…read morewe offer German, music, ASL, gardening, cooking, Yoga & a solid kindergarten prep curriculum. This includes a solid math, science and literacy curriculum.

BK Academy does concentrate on working with the students based on individual needs, wants and…read moreability rather than marketing themselve. I can see my child develop weekly and read at 4 (~4.3 years old). I had 9 times of moving schools for 2 children because schools often talk very well on the website, open house and school tours and then they do not do as they talk with many reasons. I decided to move my child to BK right before September (after 2 weeks of summer camp at another school where I was told to send my child more weeks and the teacher just stood to look at my child's difficulties at drop off and I saw my child sit alone on the floor or stand facing the wall). I thought BK would be the last option before homeschooling. But he has been thriving in very well: play with friends at the first week, drop off withour cry, learn life skills, read well at 4 - a preschooler, especially he is happy and confident to play and learn. Teachers, especially, Meera, is really passionate for her teaching job - beyond any curriculum. Parents here are very friendly and supportive too. Regulattion is a big job for any child, especially for gifted and 2e students and given the rainy weather of the winter, not many schools can privide a huge indoor room for kids to run and ride, but BK does offer this option. Also, the playground is so huge that children can run and play as they want. Once they regulate themselve better, they will learn better. Touring many schools, I do not see they offer huge indoor and outdoor playgrounds for the children. They may fit more classrooms? Thank you very much for helping my child grow well and happily.

Amazing experience for bright kids. That elementary school offers everything: from chess and drama…read moreclasses to playtime and advanced math. Ms. Meera is great with kids and will find a way to support and help any bright kid. We are happy to find that school; don't miss that hidden gem in gifted kids education.

The appointment was easy to make. The online questionnaire wasn't always reliable to finish…read moreproperly. The initial assessment of skill sets is relatively thorough - motor, speech, and emotional. Based on this a worker can come to your home twice a month to help as well as offer classes if warranted. So far a positive experience.

Our speech therapist (Elizabeth) was super nice but sadly our sessions were a waste of time and…read moremoney (insurance did not cover the sessions). Our speech therapist spent time chatting with me about life. Which was nice but our sessions were short and I wanted help for my kids not a friend. The speech therapist read books and played games with my girls. They just went from game to game. That's it. I wish our speech therapist actually practiced pronouncing sounds and helped with correcting their speech. There was no work or help with speech. This was just very expensive play time. If passive learning worked then no one would need speech therapy. Only after I requested to cancel services, was there an offer to do drill based sessions. This is something that should have been discussed day 1. This was so frustrating because again what a waste. I hope this message reaches the therapists. Your services are expensive. Please do not waste our time and money.

I want to share my wonderful experience at Cascadia Montessori School over the last 5 years…read more In our interview, Mrs. Franklin said that compared to the rest of the kids heading to K, my daughter was behind academically because of her delay in speech. (My daughter, Emily did not say the words "Mommy and Daddy" until 3.5 years old. Emily would point instead of talking.) Mrs. Franklin indicated that to help my daughter accelerate, parent involvement in the school and homework are essential, and her strict vacation policy is not negotiable. Nevertheless, Mrs. Franklin accepted Emily to Cascadia for K. Mrs. Franklin takes the time to talk to each parent on the progress of their child. If your kid is doing well, she will tell you. If you kid is doing poorly, whether it is academically, an attitude adjustment or something not right, she will tell you. She spends time with every child, knows their behavior, strength and areas for improvement. The kids in Cascadia are loved, they treat their teachers and classmates with respect. The kids do not use foul language in school or at home. They are happy, idealistic, safe and can be kids at this age. At the same time, they are learning so much. Each summer starting from pre-K to 3th grade, the kids are given packets for the summer so that they will retain the work and not have to spend 2 months re-learning the work in the fall. The kids learn to type in 1st grade and proficient by 3rd grade. The kids start to write 3 to 5 to 10 page-type stories and essays by 3rd grade. By the 4th grade, the kids writing proficiency at the middle-school level. Fast forward to the present, Emily is in 4th grade. She is intelligent, witty, a vivacious reader and writer, and extremely talkative. My husband and I really appreciate the attention and love Cascadia Montessori has shown to our daughter.

oth our kids have attended Cascadia since PreK. We had heard about this wonderful institution from…read moreour colleagues and were very intentional in our choice. Mrs Keeton's leadership and high bar for the teachers and students is amazing. Cascadia provides our kids with a safe environment (home away from home) where there is focus on academic rigor but also on whole child development. Mrs Keeton and all the teachers/staff genuinely care for the children and set a high bar for them both academically and socially. It is also very well recognized amongst other middle/high schools of the region (Overlake, EPS, Lakeside, Eastside Catholic etc) and Cascadia alum have made great impressions at these schools. If you are looking for a nurturing yet academically rigorous school, this is your place!

I don't know why it's taken so long (about four years) for me to review this place, but it deserves…read moreabout five-star "as good  as it gets" review.  My boy was there from about 18 months until almost three years old, and really appreciated the place, particularly after mixed experiences with a subsequent Montessori school. It is open to children from 15 months to 6 years old.  The facility is the basement of a large residential home. The owner-headmaster of the school (and a much school in Issaquah) lives upstairs. The entrance is around the back, shielded by the house from the street noise of Bel-Red Road. Access from the parking lot is by a nicely landscaped boardwalk.  The schoolyard is securely fenced, with lots of forested natural scenery outside the fence. The highlight is a stream called Country Creek, through the corner of the school's property. (It starts near Cascade View Park and flows into the Sammamish River.) The city has it marked as salmon spawning habitat, but I haven't seen its salmon run. Indoors, there's a toddler school room, and preschool room, and some office and other private space. Both classrooms were brightly lit and cheerful even in the gloom of winter. They were spotlessly clean -- and our boy was there before pandemic. It was well equipped, with learning materials organized Montessori-style.  The teachers were dedicated and caring, and because of the small classes they always had abundant time for the children. And because the owner is a Montessori teacher who lives upstairs, a familiar substitute was always available when teachers needed days off.  Communications were excellent: a simple form with a few little status updates, written notes about anything unusual during the day and scheduled events ahead, plus availability to talk about any concerns at pick-up time. (They weren't champions with e-mail, but better at it than a subsequent school.)  A highlight event (scheduled well in advance so parents could see their kids' delight) while our boy was there was a visit from a mobile petting zoo. A truck (maybe more than one) arrived one day with rabbits, goats, sheep, assorted other animals -- and a pony. Their staff set up cages and hand-wash stations, and let the kids interact with the animals. In the parking lot, kids took turns riding the pony. Now I want to look at my photos and videos and share them with our boy.  The tuition was very affordable. In part, that's probably because it shares overhead with the owner's house. But it's also due to the place's one inconvenience, that parents had to send lunches when dropping off the children.  A note about Montessori schools in general: the learning style is exploratory and largely self-directed. Budget permitting, I think it's ideal for most toddlers and preschoolers, except for some with special needs. But it's not such a clear choice for elementary school and up; if a child absorbs a strong sense of self-motivation to work at school, it's superior. If not, a conventional classroom with stronger guidance may be a better fit. But Prime Time enrolls kids during the early years when Montessori is best for most children.  In retrospect I wish we had kept him there until he was too old, but we had previously wait-listed him at another Montessori school (which provided excellent lunches). Our reasoning had been to transfer him while he was little, to get the disruption of changing schools over with earlier. But as it turned out, the pandemic was a vastly greater disruption to children (and adults) of all ages.  After all that praise -- and the observation that the inconvenience of sending lunches was balanced by the very reasonable price -- I feel comfortable giving Prime Time a five-star "as good as it gets" without any concerns about grade inflation.

Great school with small classrooms! Loving teachers. They provide a very clean and nurturing…read morelearning environment and really love the kids! The playground area is very beautiful and offers lots of things for the kids to do.

My son has been with LPW-Bellevue since he was 4.5mo old and flash forward 5.5 years, he just had…read morehis last day this past week to start kindergarten! There are so many wonderful things to say about LPW-B but first and foremost will always be the dedication of the teachers and staff to the kiddos. Many teachers have been there for over 10 years and that certainly speaks to their love for the job and how they are treated by the administration (just ask anyone in childcare, esp. from a larger chain). They're also very accommodating to your child's needs -- my son has many food allergies and also requires the use of a feeding tube. The teachers & admin had zero qualms about providing him with his tubes feeds (twice daily at specific times). This was a huge relief as first time parents who really struggled getting the appropriate nutrition to their kiddo and then had to worry about food allergies and whether or not medical accommodations could be made. Finally, the monthly tuition is incredibly affordable. For both of my children, the monthly tuition is equivalent to my friend's one child at one of the nearby larger chains. The only "negative" I will mention is that if you really like the idea of having real-time updates via an app, LPW-B is more like your traditional elementary school where you'll get an update at the end of the day.

Highly recommend! We started sending our son to Lil People's World when he was 5 months old and he…read moreloves it! Every evening when we pick him up from the daycare, he always has this big smile on his face and we know he has a great day. The teachers are truly kind and caring. As first time parents, we have so many questions about his development (like starting solids, learning to use sippy cups etc.). The teachers are always so helpful and patient to address our concerns and provide recommendations. Special thanks to Director Ms. Lizette, Ms. Ana R and Ms. Ana S - they've provided us with great help for my boy's transition in different stages! I also want to special thank Shelley from LPW billing department! I encountered several payment setup and Dependent HSA claim issues in the past, and Shelley was such a great help. She's responsive and wonderful to work with, and all the issues got resolved in just a few days. LPW is like a part of our family whom we can count on getting the support we need when we need them. Thank you!

大推 Dr. Lin's Play-to-Learn Bilingual Academy…read more 因為我從外州搬來，我在查詢西雅圖的資訊時就已經看到林老師這裡，除了看很多人推薦，自己也相當認同林老師的教學理念。(去完open house 後更在心中吶喊希望能被她選上 !) 很感謝林老師讓我女兒提前入學，因為舊的學校是一般制式化的大學校，我女兒一直待得不太開心。還好換到林老師這邊後，女兒好像就忽然變了個人似的， 除了再也沒有吵著不想上學外，每天放學甚至都還不想回家! 也因為這樣，我們家二寶馬上也跟著(擠進)來林老師這裡。有幸能讓雙寶都來這邊上學，真的很感恩！ 林老師是一位充滿熱忱的老師，個性非常正向、細心、歡樂! 她與家長的即時溝通也做得非常好，讓我們放心把孩子交給她。她學識淵博，對提升學生的學習興趣非常重視，另外還有高品質的美術課、歡樂中文課。我的孩子在短短一年內中文進步神速 -- 她從完全不識字，到現在可以自行閱讀短篇故事，遇到不會的字再看注音補上。我的婆婆是在美國學校教中文的老師，她知道小孩在上學接觸了英文環境後, 要再回頭學習"認讀"中文的不易。她看到孫子去了林老師那邊以後，竟然已經可以自主閱讀短文故事，而且非常樂於中文閱讀，她非常驚訝! 我真的很感謝老師的教導，讓孩子在美國也能快樂地學習中文。 學校室內有很多遊戲器材，樓下還有攀爬運動設施，很適合西雅圖陰雨綿綿的天氣。如果天氣好的話，孩子們可以在戶外玩各種玩具、騎車，夏天甚至可以玩游泳池！ 午餐還有鮭魚炒飯跟牛肉麵等營養美食，小孩超愛。（媽媽我很羨慕他們的生活） 因為工作等因素我們要搬離華州了。如果說搬離華州會有什麼捨不得的事，林老師這裡絕對是排名第一! 如果您也重視中文學習，並且希望讓孩子在快樂的環境中學習，我強烈推薦林老師這裡！lol

We've had a wonderful experience at Evergreen Montessori Academy! The Montessori curriculum is…read morethoughtfully designed and encourages our child to grow into an independent, curious, and confident learner. It's been amazing to see how much she developed both academically and socially through hands-on learning and self-directed activities. One of the things we appreciate most is the low student-to-teacher ratio. The teachers truly get to know each child and tailor their support to meet individual needs. It's clear that the staff genuinely care about the students, and that makes a huge difference in how our child feels about school every day. Another unexpected bonus has been the lunch program. Chef Renato prepare food that is healthy, balanced, and kid-friendly--and our child actually looks forward to lunch! It gives us peace of mind knowing she is being well-nourished during the day. We're so grateful to have found a school that aligns with our values and supports our child in such a holistic way.

My daughter Nora is having a great time at school here. She not only has learned to respect other…read moreteachers and friends, but also has become more independent and confident. I highly recommend EMA.

My son did two years of preschool plus kindergarten at Lake Hills Montessori School. I'm sending my…read moredaughter next year, so I guess you could say we love it. The small class sizes mean that the teachers can really give each child individual attention: most often, lessons are one-on-one. This school has a great balance between discipline and freedom. Kids are allowed to choose what works they do, within reason, but the environment never feels hectic. My son was very shy and worried when he first started preschool and he had really blossomed in this environment. I think having consistent familiar teachers for all three years made a difference. They were willing to be patient with him and work slowly at his level until he was ready to open up. Financially speaking, this school is a really good deal for what you get. 5 days a week, 2.5 hours a day. The price is higher than a church-run play school, but much cheaper than a day care school, and the educational quality is much better than either of them. I love that my son really learned things instead of played all day, but did it in an age-appropriate way (no worksheets, no sitting at a desk). He was always so excited about the new things he had learned and remembered them years later.

My wife and I are so pleased to have our daughter enrolled at this school. Lake Hills Montessori…read moretakes awesome care of children, teaching them responsibility and giving them a sense of belonging. Literacy, team work, leadership, communication, respect, patience, all aspects that are important for littles to work on are addressed through meaningful and well-articulated curriculum. As a Bellevue School District teacher, I appreciate the communication I receive about what she is learning in class. My wife and I are empowered to ask questions about what she is learning in class thanks to the weekly themes and regular progress updates. Students going through the Montessori method are regularly creating things they can bring home with them, so we get a piece of her learning back with us nearly every day. The kinds of soft skills that Lake Hills Montessori enforces is on display anytime you go to visit. Classroom procedures and expectations are clear and transparent, and you regularly can observe students working on and teachers giving feedback about those procedures. This enables a classroom environment that is remarkably calm and focused for students as young as three years old. Our daughter is full of energy 24/7, but this program has an excellent way of channeling and focusing students learning during their time there. As a music teacher, I also appreciate the use of song and the recognition of composers throughout the school year. The implementation of music is clear when we drive home and hear fragments of new songs and lyrics that we don't recognize. This provides one more way for us to interact with our daughter about her education, seeking out videos of the music she is learning and singing with her at home. The staff at this school are kind and nurturing while also being fierce professionals at what they do. The intentional preparation and attention to detail is evident from the first visit when we met the staff and continues with each visit afterwards. We are both so thankful for this excellent program!