This is our first year at Tree of Life, and we truly believe it is a "diamond in the rough." Not…read moreonly is the school more affordable than most early childcare providers (and certainly less costly than any other Montessori programs in the area which are known to be quite expensive), but the quality of education is top notch. Prior to enrolling here, our son attended a language immersion school. The first year, he had an amazing teacher and made great progress socially and academically. The next two years, however, he began to regress due to high teacher turnover, inconsistent instruction, and a 13:1 student-teacher ratio that wasn't conducive to much individualized attention. The 6:1 class size at Tree of Life has allowed my son to get lots of 1:1 time with his teacher. In addition, the mixed-age classroom, which is a staple of Montessori education, has provided my son with the chance to learn from older students. Moreover, the student-led, choice-based instructional approach, which is also a key feature in Montessori classrooms, has provided my son with ample opportunity to explore his interests while developing independence, confidence, fine motor skills, and intellectual curiosity. A mathematician and Montessori certified educator, Marla understands the stages of child development, and the value of high rigor and hands-on kinesthetic learning. Her classroom management style is firm but fair, and her guidance has informed some of the ways my wife and I support our son at home. Marla has a genuine appreciation for multi-cultural education. She regularly teaches about other cultural traditions like Holi, Kwanzaa, and the Chinese New Year, and invites special guests (including parents) to enrich the classroom experience by sharing their unique talents and traditions. Marla sends an update (both written and via FB group) on what was taught each week and what is forthcoming, is very responsive to email and text messages, and takes multiple measures to ensure her classroom is clean and safe (i.e., locked door, classroom cameras, optional masking, temperature checks, etc.) If an affordable Montessori education, in a small, in-home setting, with a highly skilled and caring teacher is an ideal learning environment for your child; and if an 8:30-4pm pickup works with your schedule, I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND Tree of Life Montessori. It's a wonderful place!

My daughter attended the school from the age 2 to 5 from 2008 to 2010. She loved the teacher,…read moreMarla, loved the cozy environment and the montessori method. I picked this school mainly because it was so close to my work, but ended up loving the school. Marla is very serious about teaching, very responsible, and dependable and I can feel very comfortable leaving my daughter every morning. She has only up to 6 kids in her classroom and each child gets plenty of her attention. Only thing I did not like much about was the long nap time...she had a difficult time sleeping at night. A few years after we moved out of Atlanta, we visited the school because I had a conference. She welcomed my daughter for the week that I was staying in Atlanta and she loved being back in the school. The school has such a welcoming, warm environment and this school is my gold standard for preschools.

We moved here last year, it's obviously very nerve wracking starting over, but then adding a new…read moreschool for our young child was really scary. Thankfully we found DMS. It's really a family environment here. They have a lot of event where parents, teachers, and students come together. Then we can also come to the class to observe our child's development. I think that's one of my favorite things about Decatur Montessori School. We're very fortunate and it's safe to say we're not going anywhere!

I would not recommend this school for any child. My family and I were extremely excited to enroll…read moreour child at Decatur Montessori School with the expectations that this would be an amazing educational environment for their development. However, the educators are lack luster, and the owner is extremely rude. She is very condescending, and simply is beyond unprofessional. Fortunately, we were able to enroll our child in an amazing private school that has been amazing. Please don't waste your time even thinking about placing your child and/or children here.

My son has gone to Kingfisher Academy for 6 years. He is bright, but a reluctant learner, yet…read moreexcels there. Every teacher we have had there has been outstanding. They really care about teaching to the child the way they learn best. The small class size allows for each kid to work at his own pace. My son was very excited to be able to start some algebra in the 5th grade. They get recess at local parks and lots of interesting field trips. Even though the school is small the director always strives to have a variety of extra curricular options available. Everyone there goes the extra mile to make sure the kids are getting what they need.

We have had at least one child at Kingfisher Academy for over four years. The school is amazingly…read morewelcoming and positive and fun for children. Each child is treated as an individual and learning programs can be tailored to each child's needs, as the class sizes are intentionally kept small. The kids spend plenty of time outside, where they can play and discover and interact with the world around them, instead of being cooped up inside all day. The teachers make learning exciting and collaborative, focusing on each child as an individual. My older son is flourishing at Kingfisher after a very difficult experience at a Montessori school. He is advanced in some areas and lacking in others, and Debbie and the teachers at Kingfisher have been wonderful about updating us about his progress and working with him and with us to ensure that he gets everything he needs, both academically and emotionally. My younger son is more typical and fits right in as well. Both of my children are happy and excited about getting up in the morning to go to school, and are allowed to be creative and share their enthusiasm for learning. We are completely happy with Kingfisher and will keep sending our children there for as long as we can.

1 star is being generous considering management has no integrity. The small residential turned…read morecommercial property is one star only because of the uniforms the children are required to wear. Not wheelchair accessible either with no cameras was also a red flag. They have a problem keeping staff around, I noticed months ago and I was told during my visit that a senior instructor was leaving. I dont blame the staff because of managements spurious sense of care. No need for you all to lure parents in to visit your little house school with false promises and covert discriminatory behavior once they leave because they didnt pass your projecting manipulative test. If you dont like the look and skin colors of the intellectual parents you cannot manipulate, surely you couldn't genuinely care for their offspring. Be careful not to leave your children around people so miserable they refuse to provide or heat up food for a 17 month old enrolled at their "school" with a tuition. This is optional childcare before grade school and these are the type of people that make you want to keep your kid home schooled.

I have two children currently enrolled at Meadowbrook Montessori. My eldest has been there for 2…read more 1/2 years and has thrived in this environment. At 4 years of age my son's degree of concentration, ability to problem solve, love and understanding of nature and level of creativity are far beyond my expectations. I know with these skills he will have an outstanding foundation to grow from. My 1 year old is also greatly benefiting from this environment, at 15 months she has shown me how capable even a toddler can be. She feeds herself independently, can drink from a cup, is working on dressing herself, "helps" me with chores and takes great pride in showing me what she can do. The teachers or "guides" are all wonderful and truly care about your children. I strongly recommend this school to anyone.

Montessori School at Emory (MSAE) on N Decatur Road is fantastic and we are so lucky to have found…read morethis place. We've been so impressed by our child's growth and learning and how he has established independence at such a young age. I know reviews were important to me when searching for a school and being new to the area, and I want to help anyone else looking - this school is the real deal. We're very lucky!

Amazing school with knowledgeable caring staff. My children have received an excellent education,…read morethe middle school environment is awesome and the lower schools are top notch. I recommend MSAE wholeheartedly.

Our child attends here, and if you are at all considering Montessori and this in your area, come…read morehere and meet the owner and staff. I won't preach about Montessori, but will say that Garden of Discovery embodies a lot of the great concepts. They are accredited in the method and have great teachers. 5 stars, plain and simple.

Our kids attend Duluth Montessori. It's a safe community where children learn iteratively through…read moreself discovery and experimentation over the same old teacher lecturing the class. Children develop confidence, independence, and true feeling of self reliance. We encourage you to come check us out.

From the owner: Established 30 years ago, The Duluth Montessori School is fully accredited by Association…read moreMontessori Internationale (AMI), the organization established to protect and maintain the integrity of the Montessori principles. We educate children 14 months to 15 years of age.

My grandson has been attending this school for 3 years. The Montessori teaching method provides an…read moreoutstanding learning environment. He started writing and sounding out words at 4 years old. The school is a community where all are welcomed, parent involvement is encouraged, and provides an outstanding education!!!

ConS: They give great tours and promise you the world, but their follow through on their promises…read moreis weak. They struggle with communication. Upon asking for a meeting with the head of school, she refused, as I had not spoken with all of her subordinates first, even though I was paying almost $1000 per month for a glorified daycare. They spent most of their day outside, even in the hottest hours of the sun... in the dead of summer. I was highly disappointed with CBMS. They lack in diversity, and it is evident. I even wondered, at times, if race played a part in the "issues" they had with my two year olds behavior. They are not equipped to deal with any kind of transitional period for toddlers. I began getting calls to pick up my toddler two days after school began because he was crying at nap time, even though, Tracy told me that they were amazing with the kids and helping them transition. They were very supportive of my son having a bottle at nap time, and even said that they are willing to rock kids in the rocking chair, if a child is having a hard time at nap time. Then, once I paid the $800 non refundable registration fee and the contract, Tracy told me that rocking and bottles are not aligned with the Montessori way of creating independence. I would have appreciated it more, if they told me that when I was touring their facility, instead of trying to sell me on the dream, just to get the money. One of the "issues" was that my two year old would tap the teacher on the shoulder when he wanted her attention.... again, he's two. Their expectations are unrealistic. My child is not a robot, and he is an amazing kid because of that. CBMS is just not cut out for anyone who wants a positive, encouraging environment for their child. They don't even believe in saying "good job" or "wow! That was great! I'm proud of you" to kids. I wish I had been warned about them, prior to paying so much to receive so little. We left before this point, but beware- at the 6 week mark, they can dismiss your child if you don't align with ALL of their beliefs and if your child hasn't adjusted to the Montessori way (which is apparently playing by themselves and napping on their own with no transitions). Positive: The afternoon teacher, Bailey, was amazing! We loved her and her positive attitude and outlook. She always had a smile on her face, and the kids respond very well to her positive energy!

This school is hands down the best kept secret in town! I am thrilled to have my 17 month old son…read moreat a true montessori school! Can't say enough about the staff & facility! My son, an very active toddler has shown a tremendous improvement in such a short period of time! I didn't think it was possible!

Per the other one star review below, I totally believe something like that could happen at Scott…read moreBlvd Montessori! My visit there was far from confidence inspiring. So that you understand where I'm coming from- I have a masters in Early Childhood Development, I've been teaching for 10 years, and I recently toured 6 Montessori schools in the area looking for the right preschool for my daughter in the Fall. We chose Montessori at Emory because of the beautiful, spacious and new facility and the loving, educated AMI certified teachers. Now- my tour of Scott Blvd Montessori was a different story. While we waited for someone to let us in the front door EVEN THOUGH I had an appointment (which they never did because no one was overseeing the front desk from 3:15-3:40, a parent coming to pick her child up finally let us follow her in- completely dangerous btw), I witnessed something on the playground that made my decision not to send my daughter to Scott Blvd M immediate and definite. I watched a toddler teacher who I can only describe as uneducated and dare I say, ghetto, scream at this kid, forcing her to sit facing the fence, yelling unintelligibly repeatedly . It was unprofessional and unnecessary. I couldn't believe staff is allowed to talk or discipline children that way, and certainly couldn't believe this was occurring outside for anyone who walks up the front door to hear. So sad- I hope that kid's parents wise up soon. I took the tour that followed to be polite. The teacher was nice, the classrooms were NOT! These were the worse montessori classrooms I saw on all of my tours. Only a few activities that are unique to montessori schools allowed to identify the classroom as such- otherwise, it seemed bare and unwelcoming. The children there were sitting in a circle doing NOTHING at 3:45, and furthermore, Scott Montessori is not AMI certified yet. In effect, this place came off as a public aid daycare- not a private Montessori school. 1 star for Scott Blvd Montessori.