We love it here! Our son has just completed his first year at Montessori Dual Language Academy and it's been wonderful. He's only 4 and has learned so much and has become so independent. 10/10 read more

We could not recommend MDLA enough! Our son started there about a year ago and attends both preschool and the summer camps. He learns in Spanish for half of the day and also gets to do fun activities like yoga. He's become so much more independent and well-mannered since going there. We're also thrilled that hot lunch is now included with tuition. The hours are great for working parents, and the staff is so wonderful and caring with the kids. We're grateful that they were here for us when we moved to the area! read more

Our 4.5 year old is in her second year at MLA. We are so grateful that she has been able to safely continue to grow at school with her friends and teachers during this strange year, adding proper mask wear & care, mindful hand washing, and other health-and-safety focused skills to her practical life toolkit! We don't speak Japanese at home, but we incorporate songs and phrases that she has picked up from school, and we sometimes watch Japanese movies and videos, learning together casually at home. Similarly we don't aggressively augment her learning of letters or math, but instead follow her lead regarding what she is working on and enjoying at school enough that she wants to do it at home, too. It's been wonderful to see her drawings develop naturally, to overhear her speaking with her toys in Japanese, and to know what she means when she wakes us up to say she's "peko peko" every morning. As she's gotten older, we hear more about what she's learning and it is always with such true confidence, contagious enjoyment, and deep understanding: cycles of a pumpkin and a flower, details of different planets and their temperature, and how to cut out a heart (& not waste the folded paper with the outline!). She has always loved to do things her own particular way, which we have encouraged within the boundaries of safety and kindness -- it's clear that her teachers similarly support (and enjoy!) that individuality, while thoughtfully guiding her towards opportunities for growth in herself and collaboration with others. Clearly I could go on forever--we love this hidden gem of a community so much! Thank you, MLA! read more

Montessori Dual Language Academy - Preschools Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

We originally chose MLA because it is a dual-language Japanese Montessori school. While already familiar with the Montessori approach for learning, what we did not expect was dedication of the school's director, Yoko-sensei, to your child's emotional as well as educational development. We also appreciate how the director is willing to offer-up constructive and honest feedback about your child. Our daughter's other schools were quick to say "she's doing fine" - minimizing amount the personal attention they would have to give. That is certainly not the case with MLA - they go out of their way to address your child's individual needs. MLA is so important to us that when we moved to another city 30 miles away, we chose to commute a total of 90 minutes each day just to keep her there. read more

My son attended MLA from ages 3-6 and my daughter attended for one full school year (until we moved to another city). The school is very well organized, the teachers are all highly competent and caring, and our kids loved going to school. No question, our kids lives have been changed for the better thanks to MLA, and they will enjoy the benefits from their time there for the rest of their lives. They were challenged, they grew, and they had fun every day. They constantly amazed us with the language and numbers work they brought home. We feel so lucky that our kids were able to attend MLA and give it our highest recommendation. read more

My child attended MLA from age 3-6 and I couldn't be happier with the school!! Looking back, I was skeptical that my rambunctious, social kid would take to the Montessori method. But he thrived and is now a confident, kind, soon-to-be first grader. The teachers genuinely care for the students and are trained and certified in the Montessori model. My child started preschool, not knowing how to speak or write Japanese, and he can now read books in Japanese and hold conversations with native speakers. Apart from the language aspect, the school encourages older students helping younger students. This mentoring relationship was so important in helping my child adjust to the rhythm of school and supported him when he needed help washing his hands or using the restroom as a preschooler. And when he was the kindergartener, he helped the 3 year olds. I could see how he took pride in caring for others and being independent. The curriculum is both academically rigorous and flexible so that if a child is struggling with a subject, the teachers work with him/her to work through the challenge. And if a child is excelling and needs more difficult work, the teachers provide that. My child and his classmates were doing math and reading several grade levels above the average kindergartener, and they received music and art classes, as well as fieldtrips to the Shedd Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, and the Museum of Science and Industry. MLA is a gem of a school and I highly recommend it to families interested in a great bilingual Montessori experience. read more

Yoko Sensei provides a school where your child will connect with others and develop a love of learning. 20+ years later my sons (who were her students in pre-K) have done well. Both continued Japanese language through high school and college (Boston University - physics and math; Manhattanville College - theatre.) Both are recent grads with B.A.s. Yes, they still speak and read Japanese hiragana to kanji. You'd be surprised how it can come in handy with clients or interviews. And the arts and culture is amazing! I think MLA gives children that exposure and makes an impression. A great start. read more

My daughter loves coming to this pre-school and she is learning Japanese so well even though my husband and I do not speak Japanese. What I did not expect, but has happliy turned out to be the case, is that her interest in other languages has increased dramatically since learning Japanese. (I am fluent in German and previously spoke German to her to no avail. Now she asks me to teach her more German words.) The school has such a special air about it. I am very impressed with the curriculum and how the school is run. The staff is award winning, just fantastic. My daughter does Japanese immersion the morning and then English in afternoon. The school has special teachers for each language. Art and music classes are included in the price of the tuition as well. While language immersion montessori programs are never inexpensive, MLA's cost is extremely competitive. The tuition is for a school year that runs from September until almost the end of June (a full month longer than other programs so that needs to factored in when comparing tution rates.) I would highly recommend this school to anyone who is looking for a language immersion montessori pre-school. I don't think you will find a better program for the money in the Chicagoland area. read more

My son went here from age 3 through K. The school is spectacular and not just b/c of the language immersion. The staff are thoughtful and know how to inspire the children to love learning. I would highly recommend it if you are thinking about Montessori for your children. read more

Our daughter attended MLA from 3 years old to 5.5 years old. This school is nothing short of amazing. I feel that the time my daughter spent at MLA has been (and will be) instrumental in how she grows going forward. By the time we finished with MLA my daughter was speaking, reading and writing japanese at a very proficient level. The teachers are so caring and so invested in the children. I have never experienced such a positive academic environment. My daughter is still sad to be finished and often asks to go back. I wish I had learned of MLA years earlier so my older son could have also benefitted from them. The director/owner is very hands on and is still the lead teacher. She really sets the style and tone for the caliber of instruction and the culture of the school. The school overall has a strong community focus, and you feel like you are part of a family when you are there. Their tuition is very competitive, almost to the point of surprising based on the quality of education you receive. I loved the "small school" aspect and the range of cultural experiences the kids are exposed to. There are additional classes such as piano and spanish that can be taken as well. I can not say enough positive things about MLA, the teachers, the education and the environment. A truly hidden gem among a sea of schools in the area. Like no other I've experienced. We will always be grateful for what MLA gave our daughter. read more

So, this is a very special sanctuary of learning. My daughter is in her third year in attendance. The teachers here are really the special component that makes this school so special. They teachers are unbelievable in their ability to connect with these young impressionable minds. They are thoughtful, tender, loving, and go the extra mile every step of your child's education. The language aspect of the school is also very special. Teaching a child a second language isn't easy, but they make it look effortless at MLA. My daughters Japanese is like a first language for her. The last thing I'd like to say about MLA is, the teacher to child ratio is like no other school we've come across. They also had the highest Montessori accredited teachers to child ratio in the city. I love this school, and only wish it was a k-8 school. I hope you be as lucky as we were to get our child enrolled in this very special school. read more

Our son attended MLA from the time he was 3 until he turned 5. He enjoyed it and grew tremendously from the experience. The staff is great, both in Japanese and English, and students focus on personal growth and on helping each other. They are calm, well-behaved, and curious. Most of them wind up reading in two languages and doing mathematics before they enter kindergarten. Our son attends a Selective Enrollment Elementary School in Chicago now... a number of Chicago-based MLA students do that, and last year the acceptance rate was 100% for students that applied from MLA. When one considers that the aggregate acceptance rate is somewhere around 5%, this speaks volumes about the school. read more

I am currently working on my type 10 language teaching license and completed my field experience hours at this location for my first and second language acquisition class. I have completed 125 field hours in 6 different schools and this school was by far the best learning environment. This school is truly amazing! Children with zero background in Japanese before coming to the school were actually speaking and reading/writing in Japanese at 4 years old. They were also reading/writing in English! I saw 4 YO MLA children working at a more advanced English reading/writing level than the 5 YO monolingual children I visited in other schools, AND they were able to read/write in Japanese!! Ah-mazing!! For all those parents afraid of raising bilingual children for fear of hindering their English progress, read the research on bilingual children and check out this school! Children do not suffer in school when raised as bilinguals-these children are great proof of that. These children were speaking more fluently in Japanese after one year at MLA than college students studying Japanese for one year. The teachers were all very professional and caring. It was great to see them in action with the children. I believe I learned a great deal from them and I was able to walk away with a lot of great ideas for what I want to do in my future classroom. I was thoroughly impressed!! I would absolutely send my children here! read more