We love BMS. My kid has been attending Montessori school for 2 years and I'm so impressed and proud…read moreof her progress. She has learned so much and she is always happy and excited for new challenges. The teachers are constantly rotating subjects in a seamless manner which keeps the children engaged. The blended age learning style really works for our child because she learns not only from the teacher but from the older children in class, it also helps her practice her kindness and patience by helping the youngest kids. Some of the things they teach them are practical life skills, so she is always eager to help around the house with cleaning, food prep, gardening, etc. She is in the Sweetgum classroom with the lead teacher April and we are very pleased with her leadership and with the kindness and professionalism of the other teachers (Terri, Nancy and Lindsey). You can walk your kid to their classroom so you get to see the class and how the students are working independently in such a calm and nice space. I always get quick responses from the teachers whenever I need help with anything. She gets to stay with the same teachers and the same classroom for 3 years which I think is unique from other schools. It is a community, our kid is constantly invited to birthday parties, play dates and the parents association is always planning fun events for the parents and students to come together. They also have a Spanish program and the teacher Paola is very fun and knowledgeable. The director Quinn and subdirector Jess, are very accesible and they are always there in the front office as soon as you come in, so you can always talk to them. Mc Kenzie at the front office is very attentive and quick to help with anything. One of my concerns about my kid starting prek so soon was the food but I'm so pleased with their food. Emily preps fresh and healthy food for them everyday, my kid now likes to eat curry, pea soup and all of the variety of food they prepare for them. They don't get any processed foods or snacks and that is very important for us. We have nothing but positive experiences with the school.

If I had to rate it based on our experience in the Pre-K classroom, it would be higher, but we went…read moreto Bloomington Montessori because we hoped to have a continuity in our children's educational experience until grade 6. Unfortunately, your experience is very dependent on the teacher you get. While the Montessori philosophy promises a child-led education, the 6-9 classroom regularly employed punitive punishments like taking away recess if the child "fell behind" in their "child-led curriculum". There was poor communication with the parents; parents at the beginning of one school year were told about certain curriculum changes, and those were later modified without further communication with the parents. The lead teacher (now Director) in the 6-9 classroom had a history of difficult interactions with one of our children (it was bad enough that another teacher at the school approached us with their concerns about it!), so we attempted to work constructively with her to help her navigate the child's (extremely mild) anxiety issues. This teacher had at times paired this daughter with children that were bullying her in the classroom, dismissing our concerns about the classmate, laughing that "well, they may be fighting but it makes her vocal; sure, she's screaming, but that's a good thing, because she's coming out of her shell." This teacher treated our child's anxiety like it was a disciplinary or tough love issue and responded angrily as if the effort to work constructively with her on the issue was an attack. The classroom regularly discusses issues related to peace and community, but the leadership doesn't appear to live up to it. They reacted defensively and dismissively when several parents attempted to provide constructive feedback about certain policies that were not inclusive. Honest effort to work together as a community was dismissed as "negativity." "My way or the highway" appears to be the rule, which doesn't demonstrate much dedication to the community. We were quite happy with the other teachers in the classroom, and with the community of parents, the aftercare program, and our Pre-K experience. The quality of your BMS experience is very teacher dependent, and it is likely the parents giving five star reviews here simply had a different teacher. Though a lot of these reviews appear to be from teachers. Unfortunately, the school has high turnover with its teachers and aides, so I can't recommend it, in its current state, as at this point it's like gambling with your children's education. We are now getting a more child-led education in a multi-age classroom (a major part of what attracted us to BMS) in the public school system, saving $10K a year per child. Of course, they are missing the peace curriculum, but the current BMS leadership fails to live up to it, and their new school is a much better model for social justice and inclusiveness.

What can we say about IMS? There are almost too many wonderful things to mention in one review!…read more Miss Ranee has such a passion for teaching children. She is patient, calm and direct. She expects the children to excel, and she helps give them the confidence to rise to the occasion. All of the teachers are quick to identify student's strengths and areas for growth and have consistently communicated his learning plan to us via daily notes and parent teacher conferences. My son was recognizing his letters when he first started Kindergarten, and is now able to read level one chapter books at the end of the year. His verbal and written communication have improved exponentially as well, and despite his naturally shy demeanor, he is now confidently reciting poetry in front of classmates and parents. The curriculum is top notch as well and we love the diversity of subjects that the school teaches. The school staff is also fabulous. Miss Erica in the front office is always there to help with anything the parents or children need during the day. I always felt confident sending my child to school each day. I can't recommend IMS enough!

We love IMS! Both of our girls started there around age 3 or 4 and both will have completed…read moreKindergarten there as well. The teachers are all supportive and reliable. The education is well-rounded. We love the cultural appreciation that the children are taught. Our oldest entered elementary school ahead of the curve on her reading/writing and math. The individual attention is remarkable. Both of our girls have loved all of their teachers and support staff and always looked forward to a fun day at school.

The teachers at Footsteps are above the rest. My son has been a handful at times, and they have…read morebeen very patient and loving with him. I would highly recommend them to others. He has progressed so much over the past months.

I've been a fan of the Montessori philosophy for years, and Center Grove Montessori has been a…read moreperfect home to enrich my child's growing years. This system has instilled so much confidence, care, and creativity in my child that it is beautiful to watch as a parent. The teachers there are also so gentle and nurturing, I couldn't be more pleased. I'm glad we have a Montessori in our neighborhood, and my child had the privilege to attend. Enrolling my child in Center Grove Montessori must have been one of the best decisions we've made so far. I highly recommend Center Grove Montessori to every parent to help blossom their little geniuses into independently confident, mature, and conscious youths of tomorrow.

A great little school! I knew the moment I walked in that this was the place for my children and we…read moreare still here 11 years later :)

Our experience was great with this school and I'm glad we found Scott and Emily. My youngest son…read morestarted here for what we thought would be one year before we started him in The Orchard School, which is where our oldest is attending school. Instead, the experience was so good they earned the right to keep our son one more year before heading off to Orchard. There were lots of little things I appreciated about his experience here: 1 - Healthy eating! Emily and her staff were consistent in their message that kids need healthy snacks and this fits well with my personal belief we are what we eat. My son came home asking for broccoli! 2 - Geography and pin poking - This is a Montessori activity that I didn't know anything about until his experience. My son completed a map of each continent, opening the door to talking about those areas of the world and what they do there, eat there, sing there, etc. We still have these maps up in our home and use them as a reference when talking about areas of the world. 3 - Reading and singing - Scott coming and playing Rudi music on Wednesdays was a highlight for my son. When he started there, my son wasn't sure about himself or going to school and Scott's music brought out my son's personality and helped give him confidence and joy for singing and learning all the new words, sounds and days that came with those songs. He really started his love of reading here, too, which I appreciate as an avid reader. 4 - Behavior growth - My son really thrived in a time where learning those social skills, learning how to manage your emotions, learning appropriate responses to others in those situations, etc. because of the guidance at this school. I very much recommend this school as a solid choice for helping your young child get started on the right foot for their education.

Our daughters both attended CMS. We had a great experience. Both learned so much while they were…read morethere and made a lot of good friends. We always felt secure dropping our kids off at CMS--we knew they would be seen, loved, cared for, and educated.

There is nothing not to love about this incredible school! From the loving expertise of the…read moreincredible staff to a curriculum that uniquely molds to your child's passions and curiosities, learning at Habitat is so much fun for my children! When they can follow their own lead, they learn at an alarmingly fast rate--from understanding the formation of our planets at age 4 to a very ground, real understanding and ability for multiplication and division at 5. And as a parent, I love learning here too! Volunteering as a parent has manifested the strongest group of like-minded parent friendships I may have in my adult life. So grateful for this place!

My husband and I chose Villa Madonna Montessori for our little boy even before he was born! It's…read morereputation is impeccable, and our son's preschool experience has been better than we ever hoped. The teachers are so loving and affectionate, yet maintain perfect order, discipline, and manners in the classroom. With Patti, Theresa, Gail, and Stacey's help, our son began reading at four years old and makes amazing progress every day. As importantly, he has learned to be a "solid citizen" towards his teachers, classmates, and family. The school and its setting on the hillside Villa Madonna campus are idyllic, and I feel such joy every morning when we arrive. Villa Madonna Montessori has made our son excited for school and eager to learn -- the greatest foundation we could imagine from his preschool and kindergarten education.

I can't say enough about how wonderful this place is. My daughter is in her 3rd year here (Kinder)…read moreand the ladies that run this place are the most caring and compassionate I've seen. They have decades of Montessori experience and have seen it all. It's like life slows down and proceeds as fast as each child needs in this place. It's full of heart and patience...just what these kids need in today's crazy busy world. They are taught to be compassionate, kind, and good citizens of the world. The most well rounded kids around!! Love this place and Sooo thankful for Molly, Gail, Patty, and Stacey's presence in my daughter's life.

We were very excited to have gotten in and joined this school. But quickly discovered that the…read moreschool was not willing to deal with and help our son who was in the prek classroom. He went through a phase of behavioral issues and instead of dealing with them, the school kindly asked us to stop coming, even though we had paid tuition through the year (which was not refunded). After some meetings about what we were going to do and them about moving forward they had no plan in place and it became very evident that they love the students, but only if they are easy for them. They treated us all very badly and made our 4 year old extremely confused. Stefanie was less than desirable to work with and had her puppet Rae do all of her dirty work for her. After two months of not "inviting" our son back after we were working with him at home and a child therapist, we decided to pull him out indefinitely. Would not recommend this very yuppie school to anyone. Kids need guidance and help and if you want them to fail you like they did us, then by all means sign them up. Good luck.

My family lived in Columbus, IN for three years, when I was in 2nd - 4th grade. Because the local…read morepublic schools had a poor reputation, my parents enrolled me in the elementary school at ABC Stewart and my brother in the pre-school. Although I was pretty young at the time and only attended for a few years, I look back at ABC Stewart as being an amazing experience that has positively impacted me in adulthood. ABC Stewart's elementary school is a small, intimate environment. The years I attended the total population ranged from 60 to 90-something students, and the younger grades usually had more people than the older grades. This allowed for a highly personalized learning environment. Although the default was to be grouped by grade, Stewart School allowed us to learn at our own pace. For example, I was ahead of my grade in spelling and English classes, so I was allowed to work with the higher grades for those periods. For math and science, where I was grade level, I returned back to my peers. ABC Stewart is not a true Montessori school but uses many Montessori aspects. We had traditional classes part of the day, but the other part (the fun half!) was independent study. In independent study we could travel from classroom to classroom and learn the subject of our choice. (There was a system in place to make sure kids didn't spend all the time in one subject.) I loved independent study and feel the system instills an enjoyment of learning I didn't get when I was older and in public schools. ABC Stewart Elementary is truly a nurturing and caring environment with great teachers who genuinely love their jobs. Mrs. Carmichael, the founder, is a visionary who is committed to the students, parents, and keeping the school great. If you're stuck in the Columbus area and have kids, I would definitely send them here.