tl;dr: Montessori Matters was recently investigated for child abuse, refused to fire the teacher…read morewho hurt a child, and put on a corrective action plan by the state. We sent our daughter here as a temporary solution for the few months between when her old preschool closed and when kindergarten began. We liked the curriculum and the structure but the quality of the teachers wasn't quite up to our standards. They had immediate availability, seemed safe, were close to home, and we were assured that the teachers were well trained and had decades of experience with all sorts of kids, so we decided to enroll her. While she was there, her behavior started to change at home. She was moodier and didn't want to go to school. She said the teachers were mean. While we tried to figure out what was going on with this new school, our daughter came home and told us that a teacher hurt her. When we requested a conference with the director, Cindy, she didn't deny the accusation that Sally, one of her employees "may have been too rough" with our daughter but claimed that our daughter probably needed the behavior correction, and that the teacher wasn't really strong enough to hurt her too badly. She also claimed that our daughter was a violent child, even though she had never had a single report of hurting another person. We pulled the video surveillance that showed our daughter sitting quietly in the "watching chair" (their form of time out) when a teacher named Sally approaches her from behind, rips a fidget spinner from her hands and throws it across the room. She then wrenches our daughter up and out of the chair by her wrists and drags her out of the room by her arm into the hallway where there are no cameras. The next video clip shows 10-20 minutes later, our daughter curled up in the fetal position crying in Cindy's office. There were also two other teachers who witnessed Sally grab and hurt our daughter and lied to protect her. We asked Cindy what she intended to do to keep our daughter safe. She offered no solution and showed no concern for the well-being of our child. She even called me after the meeting and BEGGED US NOT TO REPORT THE INCIDENT TO THE STATE. As a mandatory reporter, she should know that her and I both had a legal requirement to report what happened to DCFS. In the end, the investigators agreed that Sally physically hurt our child but that it didn't meet the definition of abuse. The school was put on a corrective action plan, and to my knowledge, is still being monitored. Cindy was resistant to put Sally on leave or fire her when the investigation began. Her concern lies squarely with her business. She seems very nice but I do not trust her. Montessori Matters has had a lasting impact on our daughter an not in a good way. We've worked with other daycares and now kindergarten and have seen what it looks like when our child is loved and cared for by teachers. This isn't it.

We attended here as long as possible, had a great Montessori experience. Ms Cindy works so hard to…read moreaccommodate every little need (I had many detailed requests), and all the teachers are nurturing, understanding and supportive. Very good price too. I knew my baby would have a hard time adjusting and they eventually got her to LOVE school. They started potty training her before me, which was so helpful. Can't give enough thanks to all the care and hard work they do here. No complaints about this business at all.

Absolutely fantastic school. Caregivers have been there since day ONE (the school is now ten years…read moreold), you will not find smaller class sizes anywhere! Their Montessori curriculum is beautiful. The school is calm, supportive and intimate for learning and providing students everything they need. 10/10

My 4 year old son has been enrolled since September, and I just enrolled my 18 month old at the…read morebeginning of January. My family just loves it. My oldest son attended a different school last year, and although he enjoyed it, you can tell that he is learning so much more here. A true Montessori school, the kids enjoy their work and take so much pride in what they do. The teachers are so loving and caring, yet foster such independence. We are so happy here. After touring multiple preschools, we knew this one was the right fit for us. On top of that, they are both learning Chinese, and really enjoy the dance class they have there as well.

Wonderful place to send our kids. Love this community and the values it teaches our kidsread more

Freehold Montessori School was my (now four-year old) daughter's first introduction to a…read moreclassroom/learning environment and we could not have been more grateful and appreciative of the entire experience. Nothing has compared to the peace of mind of dropping her off every day knowing that she was being thoughtfully developed in a safe and joyful environment by an academic staff that would embrace her individualism while instilling within her the skills to become a life-long learner. Honestly, our only regret was not enrolling our daughter sooner. While I cannot say enough wonderful things about this school, here are the most immediate that come to mind: 1. Ms. Margaret - If only we could clone Ms. Margaret and put her into every classroom across the country! She is truly an effective teacher that is passionate about sparking curiosity in her students and ensuring they are given the tools to maximize their potential. She effortlessly goes beyond "textbook" teaching to insert micro lessons about everyday life. The students are constantly learning in a fun and memorable way. Ms. Margaret also understands that every student is different, she is very tailored in her engagement. While we did not have the pleasure of working with teachers from the other buildings, I have to assume they are just as spectacular and aligned with the overall vision and philosophy of the school. 2. Relatedly, we were very appreciative of the thorough parent-teacher/director feedback loop at FMS. Parent-teacher conferences are in-depth and productive. We were given the details of our daughter's performance, saw samples of her work, side by side progress in her writing, and tangible examples of her day-to-day/contributions to various activities in the classroom. We were given the gift of learning about our daughter in a completely different setting and were able to understand areas we could reinforce at home. 3. Similarly, the school director - Ms. Yogi - is prompt, accessible and always acting in the best interests of the students. If we ever needed anything, she was very responsive, took action immediately and was incredibly thoughtful in following-up. During my initial tour of the school with Ms. Yogi, I noticed that she not only knew each student across all three buildings by name - but she truly understood each child and their personality/needs. She is an impressive leader and has cultivated a nurturing and emotionally secure environment for her students, while delivering excellence in academics. Within the first few minutes of speaking with Ms. Yogi, I knew this was the school for my daughter. Having meticulously researched and visited most preschools within the area - I can say FMS operates in a class of its own. There is no other school out there that provides a nurturing, yet academically enriching and diverse learning sanctuary. I am confident that any parent enrolling their child here will be just as pleased with their experience.

It's a great environment and an amazing experience. My daughter loves it. She loves going to…read moreschool and has made a fond attachment to the teachers and assistants. Everyone is super friendly. Ms. Amorosi, Ms. Ortega, Ms. Fiorillo, Ms. Eato, and the staff take great pride and joy in their work. They all are incredible teachers who ensure that our daughter is getting the best nurturing, training, and education a growing child needs. -

This school is great. My daughter is well cared for but learns to take care of herself. She always…read morecomes home singing a new song or telling me a new fact.

Having small children and working full time is a challenge. Not because of the long hours or the…read moreexhaustion, but because finding someone you trust to love and care for your children while you are working all day is tough! I went back to work when my oldest (now 5) was just 8 weeks old. I searched everywhere. Seriously, if there is a place or person that watches kids in South Brunswick, I have interviewed them and might have even sent my girls there. We were lucky and had some good situations for daycare for our daughters over the years but we were never 100% thrilled with where they were. Of course, no one is going to love and care for your child the way that you do, so you become critical of things. Well, that all changed when we found The Montessori Learning House. Debbie Starinski is amazing, she runs her school with pride and love....you can feel it! All the of staff members are so sweet with the kids. Currently, 2 of my girls go to the school. Jo is in the preschool and Franki is in the toddler program. They are learning so much! Every day they come home with new work and art projects. Franki is speaking so much too. Everyday she has more words and sentences added to her speech! The school also uses an app that the teachers use to let parents know how the day went and what the kids did all day. I love the app!! Communication is a huge component to making me happy about childcare and Debbie and the teachers are great at it. There has never been a moment that I felt "in the dark" about what was going on at the school. The teachers and before/after care staff is so sweet and caring. There are times that I come to pick up the girls and Franki will be sitting on the after care teachers lap giggling...just so happy! They are always smiling when they are dropped off and when they get picked up. Mrs Allen told me that it was taking Franki some time getting used to sleeping on a cot. So she sits with her and rubs her back until she falls asleep...I seriously almost cried! Instead of just scolding her for not sleeping, they took the time to help her adjust to her new situation! Another person mentioned that the school is closed a few days a year for in service days...this is very common with not only private schools but people that do daycare out of their homes as well. What the person failed to mention is that this is one of the VERY FEW schools that is open on school holidays. In the past I have had to find placement for my girls on school holidays...I didn't have off but they did! This school is open the week of Spring Break and Christmas Break. They are also open on Holidays like Martin Luther King day....a lot of schools are closed! As a working parent, I don't mind the schedule they have...I actually love it! Thank you Debbie, thank you staff....thank you for keeping the most important people in my life safe and happy all day! Thank you for giving this working mama peace of mind that my babies are safe all day!!!!

I am a working mother of 4 and all 4 of my children have gone/are going to this Montessori at this…read morelocation or the Jamesburg location. I keep coming back because of the curriculum and because the well being of the children and staff is a top priority here. They have become an extension of my family. My 18 mo old just started this week in Ms. Allen's class and is having a tough transition. Ms. Allen holds him until he is acclimated and everyday when I come to pick him up he is sitting in her lap. It warms my heart how loving and caring she is with him as he struggles to separate from me. I have even sat in the office to watch him on the screen and she encourages him to be independent but is still loving in how she speaks to him. Each day I get the update on his and my daughter's progress (she is in the PreK program) in an email and on the app, but Ms. Allen also takes the time to update me, very honestly, on what went well and what didn't go well for him each day. Teachers don't always take the time to do that, but she knew that my son and I were adjusting during this first week and she did what she could to help us transition. My 4 year old daughter is now in her third year at this school. I loved my experience here and any time one of the parents voiced a concern about something, the school addressed it, including adding the daily reports, shifting staff, and even adding flexible hours for parents who need it. Mrs. Crandall is wonderful with the preschoolers. My daughter is learning social skills in addition to academics. She has the kids shake hands and make eye contact as they leave. She does this with each child, excusing them one at a time, to make sure they get the individual attention needed. I also have every confidence that she will be reading before she starts KG this fall. My older 2 were also reading at 4 years old, before they started KG in public school. Again, this is a school that has just recently offered daycare hours, due to parent request. This is not a standard daycare. With that in mind, there is a focus on education and enrichment and they have to follow school schedules and rules. I feel badly about the one other reviewer's experience. It's not easy when our child is struggling and needs some type of disciplinary attention. But, like any other school, they have to watch out for the other children and for the teachers. If a child is hitting, there are a few options they try but if the behavior doesn't stop, the child has to be taken out of class. They have to do it because otherwise you are putting the other children at risk.

Monmouth Montessori Academy is the most amazing school! The director puts forth so much effort to…read moreknow every child, the teachers are full of love and patience, the children my kids have gotten to know are amazing, the families come together like a community, and the academic experience my kids are receiving is incredible! MMA is home away from home!

Since we discovered we were going to be parents we have made decisions based on researching what…read moreintuitively feels right for our son. We are always discussing what types of experiences will support him and allow him to grow into who he is and what he is here to be. We believed that choosing a school was one of those decisions that would have a tremendous impact on his growth and development. We concluded that Maria Montessori's method of learning would support our child in reaching his full potential...in a naturally occuring process....and most importantly a process he would LOVE. From the moment you pull up to the school it is evident something wonderful is happening here. A beloved community of children and families who radiate kindness, joy and a love of learning! Exactly what we had hoped for. The bonus is a 4 year old who has surpassed any academic expectation we could have even thought to place on him who looks forward to going to school everyday!

My nephew started school here in September 2016, in the 1 year old classroom. I have attended some…read moreparties they had and the Halloween parade and I love this place! The teachers are all very sweet and he has progressed so much in just a year! I feel safe with him being left here and know he is well taken care of.

This school is hands down the best school in Monmouth County. They offer year round childcare with…read moretrusted certified teachers. Not only are their prices the best and most reasonable, but the teachers are extremely caring and good at what they do. The owner, Carrie is very caring and involved. She makes sure the kids are safe and engaged and keeps the place extremely clean. My kids are now 6 and 4 and have been going here for 4 years. They love this place and the people in it. In the summer they offer camp with various summer activities and little field trips, including swim lessons with the top rated Monmouth County school, Silton Swim. I wouldn't put them anywhere else. Best ever!!!

My two kids go to Peace Rose Montessori school and after attempting several different schools, I…read morecan finally say we found the best, most cherished, loving, transparent and caring school. Ms Carmen, Ms Carla and all teachers and Assistants truly care for the children. The kids learn so fast, but above all, they are allowed to be kids, play, express themselves and build strong friendships. thank you all for your love and dedication!

I can't say enough about how great the school and staff is,I had both of my children in this…read moreschool(preschool and kindergarten) they have came such a long way & learned so much and can only thank the peace rose for this! Amazing environment like a family will will miss everyone!