My daughter is in the Pink (Infant/Toddler) room. My First Montessori has great care. They love your kiddo and treat them well. The classroom is set up to allow safe freedom of movement and exploration, perfect for these tiny humans. The daily routine encourages independence. read more

My son was in Ms. Shab's class and she was such a great teacher for him! The amount of growth he had over one year was incredible. I could tell she truly cared and catered to his learning needs. She makes the learning environment fun and my son enjoyed all the school activities! read more

I LOVE this school the teachers are so NICE! BIG shout out to Ms.Angela she is the best!

After being recommended by a family friend whose children attended MFM for years, our daughter spent almost 5 years with the amazing teachers/ staff prior to transitioning to elementary school. We had a great experience with each and every teacher as we made our way through the various transitions. The front staff is also amazing! Always willing to help and most importantly, AMAZING with the kids! Our daughter still talks about everyone. Highly recommend! read more

Today is the last day of school for my twin boys. They have been attending My First Montessori for the last 3 years. We all sad to leave, but the word that comes to mind is GRATITUDE. MFM offered the best possible environment for our boys. Everything about the school is excellent. The first day we checked out the school we knew it was the perfect place for us. I knew it was a great place since every person I know that had their kids attending MFM spoke highly of the school and their teachers. My kids had Ms. Shagoofa and Ms. Maria for a year. They were amazing. My kids loved going to school, and they were talking about Ms. Shagoofa at home nonstop. The last two years, they had Ms. Kristin and Ms. Tien as their teachers. They learned so much that I am in awe. The curriculum is engaging and they add cultural activities to enhance their experience. Ms. Kristin helps kids become life-long learners, she pushes them to be curious and to be excited about learning. She is truly amazing. Every teacher had a smile, and you see happy kids everywhere. My kids wouldn't want to leave and every day, they would ask me to stay for 5 more minutes. :) Ms. Emily and Ms. Norma are kind, helpful, super professional, and they keep everything running smoothly. We'll have My First Montessori in our hearts forever. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose MFM over and over again. We couldn't have found a better place for our boys for their first school experience. read more

Didn't end up putting my child there but is definitely safe secured. And organized. Very nice and welcoming. Next time we will make sure my baby comes here instead of where he attends now :) read more

We have had two children attend MFM since preschool with our second child moving up to TK next week. I wanted to share how happy we are with the teachers and the growth of our children! My oldest child finished in the Gold Class with Ms ANGELA and was very prepared to read at the start of Kindergarten while my daughter has advanced socially and academically in the Red Class with Ms SHAB and Ms LILIES! Because of Ms Shab and Lilies she has an instilled love for learning and growth which is allowing her to move to the TK class in preparation for Kindergarten! read more

My First Montessori has been such a blessing to our family. My daughter started attending at 3 years old, when we first moved to town. The teachers and staff are so kind and caring - I always knew she was in the best hands when I left her. As a bonus, their curriculum is amazing! I appreciated the thematic units she participated in, the art projects (done by a devoted art teacher) and character-building lessons she received. MFM is the reason she has the strong academic foundation she has now. My son attended once he turned 2, and he absolutely loved it, too. When COVID hit and my daughter was in Kindergarten, we re-enrolled her at MFM because they were able to offer in-person classes while her public school was 100% virtual. They created small pods of students, had extremely rigorous cleaning/disinfecting procedures, and were strict about masking and keeping safe check-in procedures. MFM saved us when we had to work from home. Our kids had a safe and loving place to continue their learning, & my husband and I were able to continue working full time. Wendy the Director & Emily the Assistant Director were always so responsive to our questions, concerns, & needs. They took a difficult situation & made a great, safe, and fun experience for everyone. Now that we are back in public school (grade K and grade 2), we still keep in touch with the teachers and staff at MFM, as they are like family to us. I cannot recommend My First Montessori enough!!! read more

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My daughter Gia just got a blue ribbon award from her school district for her artwork - a self portrait of herself using mixed media. She was the only student from her school that got selected. Her artwork was is on display at the GGUSD VAPA center. She has developed incredible art skills and confidence while in Ms. Lorraine's art class at my first Montessori. This school was her first and the skills that she had learned carried with her to her current school. We are so grateful to have Mrs. Shab and Ms. Lorraine as teachers for our daughter. Their impact on her development is more than words can express. They made it fun, challenging but best of all promote confidence, and sense of self proudness. Even after almost a year apart from MFM, Gia still misses and adores her teachers Mrs. Shab, Ms. Lorraine and Ms.Lillies. read more

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My daughter started in blue room with Shagoofa age 2 and my son in the pink room 6 months. My daughter had so much grown and stayed there until she finished kinder. My son had the same experience and started writing and excelling in reading in Mrs Shab room in red room at the age of 3. His independence, fine motor skills and gross motor skills were above age level. I am so happy with My First Montessori. Mrs Shab is an incredible teacher and cares so much about the students growth. read more

My First Montessori - Birthday celebration - Montessori Schools Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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I would recommend this school to everyone!! We have attended here for over 8 years. During that time the staff was consistent and amazing. All the teachers truly love and nurture the kids. This school is dedicated to early education and supporting families. Our boys learned so much more then just academic skills. They learned how to be apart of a community. The management is also incredible. We will miss MY First Montessori greatly. I highly recommend this to anymore. It is so much more then just a preschool. read more

Unfortunately, we elected to pull our son out of MFM after ONLY a month and a half!!! As a first-time mother who was nervous about finding a trustworthy childcare partner during COVID, having seriously researched / toured multiple daycare options for months before choosing MFM, and spending a considerable amount of money for MFM to take care of our son during that month and half - there is no one more disappointed than I am at how this has ended. Main Issues: 1) MFM IS COMFORTABLE WITH KEEPING $800 FOR SERVICES THAT THEY DID NOT PROVIDE: MFM had a COVID outbreak, so our son's classroom shut down for 2 weeks. Nevertheless, we STILL had to pay the FULL $800 tuition during those 2 weeks that his classroom was shut down--whereby we did not receive ANY services from MFM. Obviously, COVID is out of MFM's control, and these are part of the inherent risks at any day care. However, what is fully within their control is how they treat parents in response to these unforeseen circumstances. The fair thing would have been to offer some sort of refund or credit for the time we had to pay MFM to not watch our son. Yet, MFM would not budge at all. Meanwhile, we had to scramble to find another daycare, and ALSO pay them to do the job that we had already paid MFM to do. When we voiced our frustrations to MFM, rather than attempt some "customer service," they merely hid behind the fact that "it was clearly stated in your Admissions Agreement" that they would not refund the money, "there is nothing we can do", and my favorite "all of our other families, although frustrated, have been understanding and supportive under these circumstances." I could NOT believe it.... MFM is perfectly comfortable with keeping $800 from hard working parents for a service that they DID NOT PROVIDE!!! And then to add insult to injury, they throw in the entitled and judgmental "all of our other families have been understanding and supportive"- comment. Not every family is able to throw away $800 + pay another daycare $800 to do MFM's job - and then afford the luxury of saying, "we understand and support you." 2) MFM IS OVERPRICED. We thought that although it was pricey, it would be worth it because they had smaller room sizes which is important during this pandemic (wrong - 16 infants enrolled in his classroom, which is a lot for the infant room size), clean (wrong - my son got sick immediately after starting at MFM), and would keep in communication with us (wrong - they give you a simple chicken-scratch paper at the end of the day with just basic information, and when I picked him up - the afternoon aides also provided little information. I just had this measly chicken scratch paper to summarize the last 9 hours of his day). 3) THERE ARE BETTER PRICED OPTIONS NEARBY - YOU DON'T HAVE TO SETTLE: There are better priced options that provide the caliber of care you should EXPECT when you're paying upwards of $400 / week for childcare. I'm happy to report that we were able to QUICKLY and EASILY find another local day care that was $200 / month cheaper, only 10 kids total, 3:1 student to teacher ratio (less COVID exposure), and they send me precious real-time pictures, videos, and updates all day long. 4) THE SCHOOL IS CLOSED TOO OFTEN DURING THE YEAR - AND YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE: After the honeymoon dust went away, I looked at the calendar and counted the number of days the school would be shutdown in addition to the traditional bank holidays for full day staff trainings, spring break, and winter break.... Although they did provide the calendar upfront - it's still a lot of days that we would have had to call off work or find alternative care. Again, our new daycare doesn't charge us for their spring / winter break, they don't have excessive days off, and they allow parents to take 2 weeks out of the year for vacations without pre-charging for child care services that won't be used. I hope that my experience with MFM can serve as a warning to other parents. Do not settle for MFM's overpriced and subpar childcare services. As for me, this was my first, AND LAST, Montessori :) read more

We had our preschooler enrolled here for the last 2 years and we absolutely love this school! Ms. Emily and Ms. Norma are so wonderful and welcoming right when you walk in. The school feels safe and secure upon entering as well. Our son loved all the staff, activities, field trips and curriculum he was taught. We're excited to bring our toddler here soon. This school is an A+ and highly recommended. read more

I'm updating this review because the owner decided to post blatant lies in a response to my first review. Firstly, zero communication was given at any point in time other than when we we're told of his pending dismissal for being delayed. That's your first lie. At which point in time we were told that we had two weeks left and we decided on our own to leave. So secondly, you saying you didn't ask us to leave is another lie. You said we had two weeks to improve or he was being dismissed. Just because we decided to do what was best for our child and take him to a facility where they actually care about his development before our time was up; doesn't mean you didn't tell us he was going to be kicked out(sorry, dismissed). The fact that you don't care about improving your facility and instead lie to protect your financial interests; only further demonstrates how unethical you are and how little you care for the children who's parents haven't realized what you are yet. My child is somewhere where they care about him now. You can't hurt him anymore. The goal isn't to get you to change. That won't happen. I'm just trying to get one parent to read this and do what's right for their child. One parent with one less child that you can use as another paycheck; which is all they are to you. read more

My sons been going here for 2 years since he turned 3. Even the first day of school he felt so comfortable he just walked right in. His teachers have been absolutely amazing. You can tell they ready care about their kids, it's not just a paycheck. The front dress staff is very friendly and efficient at their job, handling everything within 24-48 hours. Communication is wonderful. Always extremely clean inside the school. I like the double door lock code security. I felt save sending my son here, knowing he was in good hands. The only reason I stopped using this school is because my sons now 5 and will be going into the school distric. read more

My daughters attended this school for about a year and a half after moving from Los Angeles County. From age 4 - 5. I cannot say enough goods things. It's nothing like we ever had before. The staff is diverse, amazing, helpful and they all look like they love their job. The patience they show with the children never falters. The play yard is new and clean. The school is always well kept. It is very secure with two locked door entry points. They offer a variety of onsite classes. Yes they are an extra cost but, the fees are nominal to what you would pay for a Saturday class off site. For example the cost outside for Ballet and Gymnastics. My daughter very much loved her teachers and after school caregivers. She stops to give hugs before we leave each day. She made many close friends. We will miss this place very much! The only reason we are leaving is due to distance. We live on the north side of Huntington much closer to Westminster and she is now attending public TK. read more

Excellent school and even better staff. Highly recommended. My toddler has never attended a school prior to MFM, so we carefully selected this school based on other parent's (all around positive) recommendations. The uncertainty of how my son would handle a transition full time to a new environment was a primary concern of mine, but the staff kept a close eye on him making sure his needs were being met. They would call us midday with updates, make themselves and his teacher available throughout the day if there were questions or concerns. The staff are caring, kind and know their stuff. Additionally, he was placed in a class with a very caring teacher. After a few short weeks he was excited to attend school daily, learn, play and socialize with new friends. My son was enrolled during the pandemic and since then the school has taken sensible safety measures. Attention to hygiene and consistent communication are things that stand out making a positive impact. Their approach has been supportive to say the least. My son has attended the same class (Yellow class) for more than 1 year and his teacher has been fantastic every step of the way. I'm very pleased he has developed beyond my expectations and is consistently becoming more independent with daily tasks. I can't say enough great things about his teacher's compassion, attention to detail and kindness. We appreciate her and the staff very much. read more

Sent our one and only daughter to this school for 4.5 months then took her out to send her somewhere better. This was her/our first school experience. Pros: The school is big, clean, newish. The playground area seems nice and new. The exec director Wendy is great but she's spread across three schools so you primarily work with the assistant director. Personally for us the school was very close to our home and that was one of the primary reasons we decided to settle there. Our child enjoyed her time there and made some great friends but she is very extroverted and gets along with any kid. Cons: The school has transparency issues. They tend to hide information. The administration is very disorganized and aren't good at follow-thru. They do charge full tuition during a covid positive case (class shut down for 2 weeks) in the class and do not provide alternative lessons. Their covid policy on cleanliness and encouraging kids to wear mask is very loose. There was no child progress updates outside of the first two weeks of enrollment. They secretly disabled the parent communication feature on their communication app when they saw the conversation log - so parents can't speak to each other (parents were sharing some of the concerns of the school). The kids only get taught by a certified montessori teacher every other two weeks as the assistant teacher takes half the class and there are rotations. There was a case when half of my child's class was vomiting and throwing up followed by a covid positive case. Overall it's a nice over-priced daycare (not a great montessori school). My child had a good time but as a first time parent I would not recommend this place. If you have multiple kids and want a daycare and don't require much involvement in school communication, this could be the school for you. read more

Our family has been attending My First Montessori for 6+ years, both our preschool and 1st grade sons are currently attending (we are enrolling both for 2021/2022). Joining MFM has been one of the best decisions we have made as parents and worth every penny. Hands down, the best investment in our children. When we initially enrolled as dual full-time working parents, knowing our babies were safe, getting ALL of the LOVE and thriving developmentally, was beyond comforting. We will never forget the partnership and time the amazing teachers and staff put into supporting us in breastfeeding struggles during the transition process with our youngest. Over the years, passing through the infant - preschool programs, our children have flourished as independent individuals while learning in the Montessori Curriculum. They were loved/celebrated and both developed a self initiated desire to learn. Fast forward to the current situation. We pulled our 1st grader from public school when he lost his "fire" for learning and we noticed poor engagement/no interest in education with the distance learning schedules. Thankful he is now back at MFM to continue his educational journey. He wakes up, excited to get out the door to school, LOVES his teacher and has shown tremendous progress (and interest) in educational development. In a year of such uncertainty, the MFM team has been accommodating to our family and best managed what they can control. We are grateful for My First Montessori - to the exceptional teachers and professional staff, you have become extended family to us. Thank you! read more

We have been going to My First Montessori for over a year now and are extremely happy! I have twins with very differently personalities and the Montessori has really been able to work with each of them on an individual basis, which has been awesome! I have seen them grow in so many ways- academically, socially, and emotionally. Additionally, I have been so pleased with all of the extracurricular activities that are embedded. My kids absolutely love their music and art classes!! Im so happy they get to have those experiences at their preschool. While my twins are getting ready to exit MFM and enter kindergarten, my infant will be starting in the fall. I have toured that program and look forward to the opportunity to start her at MFM at an early age. Lastly, every single staff member we have interacted with has been so friendly, warm, and helpful. This has always brought me a lot of comfort. We love MFM :) read more

I am devastated that I am writing this amazing review. We are leaving after 5 amazing years here only because we moved across town. Both of my daughters started here at 6 months old. In the pink room, my children were well-loved and cared for. As they aged, each transition was seamless because the teachers loved and cared for them as they moved to new classes. Through the pandemic, MFM did everything they could to keep us all safe. And I can't say enough about our amazing teachers, Ms Shab and Ms Sara. And listen here, nothing is perfect. People make mistakes. But the directors take feedback well and do what they can to improve. Our family has been so well-loved by this school, thank you MFM for the memories and for helping my girls grow. We love you! read more

We interviewed several learning centers prior to choosing MFM. The educators here have cared for both our sons the past 5+years. MFM has really prepared them for the next step in their education. The afterschool programs are a bonus as we really liked "fit kids" (coach Jason is awesome) Emily and Norma (front desk) are kind and helpful. Wendy, the director is fantastic as well. If you are searching for a safe, fun, and structured environment, we highly recommend MFM. read more

My son got 2 weeks off from Christmas time. But the school is not working but they insisted we still have to pay for those 2 weeks.

I checked out a few places in the area and MFM stood out above the others for its teachers and staff. The environment (classrooms and play areas) were clean, safe, and welcoming. The montessori progam was also well-thought out for both academic learning and social activities. The teachers and staff are very friendly and they geniunely care for the kids, which makes me feel at ease when my child is there full-time. For peace of mind and quality, I would recommend MFM to other parents who are looking to transition their child to preschool. read more

I have visited many preschools but My First Montessori is by far the best I've seen! I personally know the staff and teachers here and they are amazing! Just walk through the front door and you are immediately greeted with a kind smile! The school itself is immaculate and clean, doesn't smell like dirty diapers! The classrooms are organized, open and all are super tidy! I have recommended this school to many of our clients! read more

Our daughter started the toddler program a couple months ago and I couldn't be happier with our choice for her first daycare/school experience. The whole staff is engaged in making the environment comfortable for her and accommodating to her initial needs. Everyone is so friendly and knows her by name already! It's a huge relief to be able to have a place with people we can trust to watch and help our little ones grow. I also love the cleanliness of the school. Everything is so neat and visually appealing! Way to go MFM!!! read more

If I could give My First Montessori a 10-star review I would. My now 8 and 6 year olds have been here since they were each 18 months old and we couldn't be happier with the care and instruction they have received. This is a long, detailed review, but after 7 years there, I think it justified and I hope you read it all! Infant, Transitional age and preschool: we were totally obsessed with their teachers at this age. Everyone was so amazing and really seemed to take a vested interest in both my kids. My younger son has some development delays (physical) and also requires some special services and MFM was super accommodating for both. They had the brilliant idea to put him in a group with some older kids as motivation for him to start walking, and sure enough, it worked. My husband and I both work so the therapy he needed was private and out of pocket and MFM was accommodating for it to happen there during the school day which was hugely helpful for us (obviously, this was pre-covid, not sure if this is an option these days). I also love the structure. I am very type A and scheduled and regimented so I very much appreciate that the Montessori way is the same, establishing set routines while allowing kids to choose from a mix of activities during the appropriate times. They got my kids napping better, got rid of binkies and pacifiers earlier, and potty-trained!!!! You read that right, it was worth every penny in the world HA! And I very much liked that the preschool environment was a mix of ages in the classroom. When they were younger, they liked to be with the older kids and I think it drove them to do better, and when they were older, it nurtured them to be good helpers. Kindergarten and elementary: we love MFM so much that when my older one was ready for public school kindergarten, we kept him at MFM kindergarten, partially because it was one pick up and drop off since my little one was still there, and partially because he was excelling so why rock the boat. Ms. Angela, Mr. Ted, Mr. Jason....all are so gifted as teachers. Both boys were reading at public school first grade level! I also love that they are still with a mix of ages and the teachers are great at catering to each child's learning level. Lab class: when schools started virtual this past fall, we re-enrolled the 6 year old at in-person MFM (I am positive that I am NOT capable of doing virtual kindergarten), but they offered something called a "Lab class" for elementary age kids. My 3rd grader was able to attend Montessori during school hours (8:30-3:30) and do his public school virtual work there! With assistance from real actual MFM teachers. It may have been the biggest stress-relief to happen for me during COVID: trying to figure out how to balance work from home and kids at home, and school was a mess. The lab class was, and still is, life saving. Cost: so I haven't price checked daycares in quite some time, but back when we were researching options, MFM was in the middle somewhere. Not the cheapest, but certainly not the most expensive either. While I am never going to calculate how much I have spent here on childcare and school because I don't want to cry, I can already tell you it was worth it. And I mean there were times we were tapping into savings to pay for it and it was still worth it. Staff: this is where I believe MFM really shines. The staff is world class. They care about your kids and their wellbeing first and foremost, and they treat my husband and I with a ton of respect and friendliness. If any issue has ever come up, they have addressed it with us professionally, and even if we have disagreed on something, it was always handled easily. I'm very sad that our time with MFM will be coming to an end in the fall, but I hope this long review helps anyone researching daycares or preschools feel encouraged to send their kids here. They are like a second family to us and hopefully to yours too! read more

Some children excel in a Montessori structured classroom! However I would not recommend this particular school. Not enough structure given. Per my observations students easily spent half of the school day accomplishing nothing. Staff is very kind but the discipline and instructional control is lacking. read more

My daughter started here 5 months ago, with 3 kids between the ages of 2 and 11 this is not my first experience with childcare or montessori, the teaches here have been friendly, compassionate and communicate with me every day about the activities, my child's mood, achievements as well as set backs throughout the day. In 5 short months she has opened up and is communicating wonderfully, she is much further along in potty training than I would have expected and most importantly she is happy. I know she is in a good place and I am happy I chose MFM. The school is clean and bright, the staff is pleasant and flexible. If I was to point out any down side it would be the potty area in a few of the rooms seem odd and a little too open, however I think it is a county regulation that they be open and visible and to be quite honest while I think modesty is important I also think the openness reduces any possible mistreatment, and I know that my older kids did not develop personal (self directed) modesty until they were 5 or 6 so the issue is more with me than the kids. I for one look forward to the years ahead! read more

We moved my son to MFM when he was 18 months old, and he has been in the Purple class (18months-2 years) this school year. We could not be happier- the teachers (Mishay in particular, plus Emma and then all the helpers such as Julia and Alivia) are so so amazing - they take such personal care and attention to each kid, and I feel like they really know and love my son. He talks about his teachers and friends at school regularly and he has developed SO much in this class! He talks in mini sentences, and gets so excited about school. The front desk staff are also really helpful and accommodating. They went out of their way to work with us when we decided to potty train our son early, and when he experienced an accidental dislocated elbow at school they took such amazing care of him and were so concerned and kept checking in. We are so grateful for everything! read more

We have 2 kids currently attending My First Montessori and we are so happy with the school. Our son started in the toddler room and the teachers were wonderful. As he's moved up each class has been great and his current preschool class is fantastic. Ms. Stacy has been an amazing teacher and he has learned SO much. We initially chose the school for it's facility and fun classrooms but have been so impressed with the education the kids are getting. Everything is very hands on, I love that they have a dedicated art teacher and music class. They also get to garden, which the kids think is so cool. Our daughter started in the baby room at 6 months. Even though I knew the school and teachers I was super nervous. She was a difficult baby and I was afraid it would be a disaster. Well, I needn't have worried- the teachers were so wonderful and she LOVED it. She would light up when she saw her favorite teacher and I was so confident and happy with the class. I knew she was safe and well-loved. So important! She's now in the transitional class and doing really well. I've really appreciated that there is little teacher turnover. The same teachers my son had, my daughter now has two years later. I've found the parent communication to be great- we get calls when the kids have gotten hurt on the playground, notices about changes in schedules, etc. Overall, everyone from the admins and directors to the teachers are so great and we highly recommend this school. read more

My kids have been at this school for over a year now. They love to come to school. My daughter is 2 and my son is 5. They are both very different kids. The teachers have been wonderful in trying to personalize their teaching approach to accommodate my son, who is very easily distracted, bored, and learns by visual and hands on experience. The school recently started a library/computer area and is working hard to give access to the children to enrich their learning. Thanks for everything! read more

THE BEST MONTESSORI SCHOOL WITH WONDERFUL TEACHERS! Our grandchild has been attending My First Montessori for over two years, ever since they opened, and she has learned and grown admirably. We previewed several other schools prior to selecting My First Montessori and we firmly believe we chose the best. My First Montessori school is dedicated to the overall growth and development of children, mentoring them into good citizens. Through every step, the teachers have always instilled good moral character in their students. They continually assist in the development of large and fine motor skills, the natural and correct way, the montessori way. We receive daily input from the teachers, good or bad, in order to have a unified rather than disjointed approach in providing praise or correction to our grandchild. They have a marvelous teaching program and everyone is in sync. Our grandchild has progressed so tremendously at My First Montessori that we could not be more pleased. We would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the teachers. Safety is a great concern. In addition to the crash posts to prevent a vehicle from penetrating the classrooms, My First Montessori has recently installed fingerprint readers to ensure that the parent/guardian or authorized designee is the actual person picking up the child and not someone unauthorized. Even before the installation of the readers, the principal/adminstrator and teachers have always been highly attuned to this sensitive yet critical relationship; they know who belongs, how many students they have, and who is authorized to pick them up. We have always been confident of our grandchild's safety at My First Montessori. We have seen the systems (or lack of) in place at the other schools and they leave a lot to be desired because we won't compromise on safety. Finally, I can't say enough about how great My First Montessori truly is. Go ahead and compare, then judge for yourself. MY FIRST MONTESSORI TRULY IS THE BEST. THANK YOU. read more

I have been a staff member and parent at MFM for 6 months now and plan on staying until I retire. I have been an Early Childhood Educator and Montessorian for over 10 years and have never found a school where the administration is warm, welcoming and sincere. Yes, an admin is freshly 23 and out of college but she IS educated and cares deeply for children. Everyone has to start somewhere! This school has not been open long enough to have all the kinks worked out and they are trying everything to make the school flow and create a nurturing and loving environment for the children in attendance. As far as method, they state that they are a Montessori school intertwined with a Developmental approach! Every classroom has at least one certified Montessorian, some have two! Every classroom has its own uniqueness and each teacher brings an amazing array of experience. Sure teachers come and go...thats the name of the game in this field... Its is a HARD job, probably the hardest, and most important job anyone can have. Turnover shouldn't necessarily reflect how the school is...The school may have let them go because they wanted better quality. I have seen BAD schools....this one IS NOT one of them. Its pretty sad when someone takes their experience blows it up a million percent and then blasts it all over the internet.... I would HIGHLY recommend this school..don't read reviews, come check it out yourself and take a complete tour and load yourself with questions ....then look at the children's faces that will tell you all you need to know! Also ask to have a meeting with the possible teacher your child might have...ask her questions...be informed! If it isn't for you...then it isn't for you! doesn't mean the school is inept, and worthless.. One man's trash is another man's treasure. read more

Our son has been attending MFM since May 2017, and we have had nothing but positive experiences to share about the school and its programs. Much like other parents, there were certain criteria the school had to meet before we committed to MFM. As we exit MFM and transition to a STEAM school, I'd like to share our experiences with prospective parents. Let's begin with security at MFM. There are 2 sets of doors with unique keypad codes located at the front entrance and leading into the atrium. If you manage to bypass the front doors, you'll have to bypass the front desk staff. The front staff knows everyone. I've witnessed these ladies flagging down individuals and asking for ID. MFM's curriculum is fun, engaging and thoughtful. These kids are taught practical life skills and encouraged to develop their artistic skills as well. MFM also offers dual-language immersion programs in Spanish and Vietnamese. Our son has learned to count from 1-100, conversational phrases, and songs in Spanish. Also INCLUDED in the monthly tuition are gardening classes with Ms. Jan, music lessons with Mr. Michael, and our son's favorite - art/art history lessons with Ms. Loraine. There are extra curricular activities (Webby dance, chess, FIT kids, soccer shots, sculpture, and painting classes) for an additional but reasonable fee. Our son LOVED his painting classes, and has developed amazing artistic skills. The kids are painting on canvases, and bring home display worthy artwork! As for his Pre-K class, I cannot be happier with the progress behaviorally and academically! He is able to read at Level 1 & 2 books, do simple addition and subtraction, able to tell time on analog clocks all thanks to Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Jurincka! Through his teachers' guidance, our son has become much more compassionate and responsible. Most importantly, he's a happy and confident kid! I highly recommend MFM's summer program as well. There are various weekly activities/themes. This summer, MFM arranged in-house field trips such as a petting zoo and the Aquarium on wheels. Our son has attended other field trips such as Pretend City and Tanaka Farm outings. Those are super fun for the kids as well! They're absolutely safe and well-organized. Every staff member at MFM from top to bottom always puts in their best effort to ensure the children are in a safe and nurturing environment. Thank you to the teachers and staff at MFM, especially Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Jurincka for a wonderful and life-changing experience! We will return in Spring 2019 with our younger daughter, and can't wait to see what's in store for her! read more

Our daughter attended My First Montessorri 4 1/2 years, my husband and I couldn't have asked for a better school, we were extremely blessed with a wonderful staff, the professionalism, and heartfelt care everyone provided for our daughter. It has and always will have provided a moral and ethical base towards further development. My First Montessorri will forever have our deepest gratitude. read more

My twin boys have been attending MFM for about a year now and we are very pleased with the experience we've all had there. No school is perfect, but if we have ever had an issue the administrators were more than happy to sit down with me and figure out a way to resolve it. My husband is a teacher and I have worked for several school districts as a long-term substitute teacher and an instructional assistant, so we are very familiar with appropriate curriculum, behavior management techniques, and teaching methods. We've been very happy with the way the teachers and staff run their classrooms and treat the kids. My boys are always greeted with smiles and hugs by the teachers when I drop them off in the morning and given hugs and words of encouragement when I pick them up. The school has a music teacher who comes every Friday that is part of the regular tuition. They also have field trips and other classes, like Tae Kwon Do, that are optional. My boys are in the process of potty training right now and the teachers and staff have been very encouraging and helpful. It is clear that the entire staff loves what they do and that they are dedicated to creating an enriching, friendly, and comfortable environment for their students. We definitely recommend MFM! read more

Our son has been at My First Montessori for about a year now. The transformation we have noticed in him since starting at MFM has been pretty incredible. He had a very hard time in the beginning, as he had been at home with a babysitter until he was 18 months old. All of the teachers and staff at MFM really helped us along the way to transition him to a daycare setting. I truly feel like Jamie and Wendy went way above and beyond to help us get to a place where he wasn't kicking and screaming every morning at drop off. Choosing a childcare facility can be a stressful and emotional experience; especially when it's your first child. But we couldn't be happier with our experience at MFM and our son now willingly walks to his class each morning and looks forward to his time at school. We have been very pleased with his developmental progress as well. He is definitely more outgoing and his vocabulary and comprehension have improved dramatically since he started attending MFM. read more

Our son attended here for two years. Here is why we left.: His classroom was insanely over crowded (26 children per class, two teachers). LePort, which is just a bit more expensive has a ration of 1 to 10 and the school (not Leport) that we transfered to has a ratio of 1 to 7. Fountain Valley Montessori has a current ratio of 1 to 12 and caps class size at 24. Something MFM does not do. The teachers tried hard, but often appeared over whelmed and tired. Kids are regularly passed between classrooms (and on one occasion, when i arrived to pick up my child it took ten minutes for them to locate him (i had to check four different classrooms)), and there is no good reason why other than understaffing. When our child first started this was less of a problem, but as the school has grown, the staff has not. They do very little actual montessori work (at least the pre-k doesn't). The methods used are not standard Montessori and the majority of classroom instructors do not have any actual experience in Montessori style instruction. As my child got older, the quality of instruction did not keep up. There is exceedingly poor communication between the administration and parents. A new teacher was introduced into my sons classroom, but we were not told. No letter to parents, no introduction, just a new random face on the playground one day. Teachers leave and no one explains why. Teachers are reassigned classrooms and again, no one tells parents. It is as if the teachers are treated as an oversight, not an actual partner in the child's education. It is disruptive to the students and again, almost always done with no notice to parents. The facility itself is not well maintained and clean. I get that little kids are messy in the bathroom, but this is why schools have full time janitors. No such luck at MFM. By the end of the day, the bathroom and sink areas are overfull of used tissues and wet napkins. It is incredibly unsanitary and these conditions exist in EVERY classroom. Even the furniture in the lobby is shabby and frankly filthy. The school needs a good scrubbing top to bottom, but that doesn't ever seem to happen. The photos posted are dated and not an accurate reflection of the current state of the school. The one star is for the few good things about this school (not enough for you to send your child there, but they deserve a mention). The PE teacher, Mr. Matt, is wonderful, as are Ms. Jen the art teacher and Ms. Debbie the piano instructor. My child's teachers, as overwhelmed as they were, were always kind and polite, they were just overworked and under assisted. If you are looking for a daycare center, then this is a fine place if you can get over the mess...But if you are looking for an actual educational experience then you should look elsewhere. read more

The teachers seem professional and nice, but there are a few things to be aware of before enrolling your child which they are not very forthcoming about when you visit. The tuition seems on par with other schools until you realize that there are several days a year when they are closed that other schools aren't, so you have to take vacation time from work and pay the same tuition as a school where they would be in school. That adds up and is difficult for working parents. 3 days/yr they close for 'staff development day', the entire week between Christmas and New Year's is closed, pretty much all federal holidays which many parents don't get off, as well as a full week each spring when they open late and close early. So just be informed before you enroll and be prepared to take a lot of time off that you may not if in another school. Also for that same tuition, they are not providing children with healthy snacks and parents are expected to bring them for all the kids in the class each month and in most classes there are nearly 30 kids. The administration makes it sound entirely optional as though the school provides healthy snacks if parents don't, but it seems more like the school provides cheap, easy processed food like goldfish and animal crackers if healthy snacks are not provided by a parent. You also have no idea what your child is being given every day by other parents and what is contained in it -artificial sweeteners, a lot of salt, etc... The school administration should be more educated on children's diets and use some of the tuition to ensure children are eating healthier food. These are things they do not really explain when you go to enroll so just be informed. Overall we have appreciated the teachers, but I think the administration could be more honest about the differences with how they run things compared to what we have experienced with other schools for our kids. It feels like they put a lot of burden on parents by being closed so much and they should use some of our tuition to provide healthy snacks for the children. read more