We love NWM! Great teachers and community I've sent both my kids here and they've had wonderful experiences. Ms Wang clearly loves the children and is an amazing teacher. Maddy goes above and beyond, making all the difference for my son who had a hard time adjusting to preschool at first. read more

Comprehensive education with great communication from teachers! My kid's self confidence soared.

I have had two kiddos at the Wedgwood campus, and we've known several families at the Woodland Park campus as well. All have been enrolled in the primary program (ages 2.5 to 6, including Kindergarten). We can't say enough positive things about this school. The teachers are wonderful, striking a great balance between structure and play--my kids are constantly learning without even realizing it. They are always building new skills in ways that our previous play-based daycares simply couldn't cultivate. The mixed-age classrooms are also a highlight. Have you ever watched your 3-year-old coach a 2-year-old on how to put on their shoes? It's really special. :) On the subject of safety: Our experience at the Wedgwood campus has been one in which the faculty and administration are both welcoming of neurodivergent children and deeply committed to the safety of -all- children. Preschoolers do, in fact, get into fights--this is true everywhere--but how teachers and administrators handle conflicts varies wildly between institutions. Many parents may not realize that the average preschool expels children at -twice- the rate of public kindergartens. These expulsions disproportionately affect neurodivergent children (prevalence of 5-15% depending on definition), boys, and children of color. Removing children from school at such an early age deprives them of the opportunity to -learn- the social skills they need, and sets them up for long-term struggles. We had an awful experience at a prior school that singled out children with "problem behaviors" and relied almost exclusively on practices such as isolation, age-inappropriate discipline, and pointless "contracts for safety." These were well-meaning actions by educators who simply lacked the resources and training to handle conflicts and physical behaviors in a developmentally appropriate way. Northwest Montessori has been COMPLETELY different. The teachers are highly attuned to each child's needs. They routinely anticipate and prevent conflicts, and they leverage every available resource to help children develop and outgrow challenging behaviors. They don't hesitate to "spring into action" when necessary--I once saw one of our kids' teachers, normally relaxed and cool as a cucumber, literally fly out of her chair during play time to resolve a conflict that had escalated quickly. The impact of this skillful approach extends far beyond individual children with challenging behaviors. My kids have learned to embrace differences amongst peers, and they have learned to anticipate, avoid, and resolve conflicts skillfully as a result of positive modeling. They have even learned how to distinguish between behaviors and intentions--all at a young age, and all through positive modeling and a culture of inclusivity and safety. True safety isn't about exclusion, and it isn't about bubble-wrapping your kids. It's about giving children the tools to navigate challenges, and -this- school does that exceptionally well. read more

Northwest Montessori School - Woodland Park campus - Montessori Schools Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The head of school (Truman) appeared eager for us to sign the contract and to get our money. The lower elementary classroom is like a daycare. The leadership is also very slow in their communication. The lead teacher (Born) in the lower elementary was a stoic, unfriendly, and unwelcoming individual. I was quite appalled to hear that he would call the kids, "dodos." He also failed to provide our kid with adequate number of lessons in many areas, including math, writing, science, and reading. When we brought up our concerns, he either blamed us, our kid, or made an excuse and would not take responsibility. The most concerning was when an older student (3 years older than ours) in the classroom targeted our kid and acted inappropriately with him. This older student started grooming ours by saying that he was also inappropriate with another child. We brought this up to the attention of the lead teacher in the lower elementary, the head of school, and couple of administrators many times. They were slow to respond. The head of school even tried to put the onus on our child in regard to defending and there were no real consequences for the other child. They all failed to protect our child while he was victimized many times in the presence of three adults (the lead teacher and his two assistants) until they finally separated the other child a month before the end of the semester. This place failed to provide a safe learning environment for our child, let alone offer a good Montessori education. Update: Later found out why the older student who targeted our child was allowed to stay. His mom, graduated from #1 Ivy League, is a FB Engineering Leader and dad is also IT professional. They sent their child to school even after it was communicated about the kind of inappropriate physical contact he was engaging in. Both the school and the parents showed no real remorse or responsibility. read more

We are incredibly grateful for the Northwest Montessori Community and truly LOVE having our children be part of such a rich, multimodal, engaging, and child-led learning environment. Our first child began in 2021 at two and a half years old in the primary multi-age classroom. It has been wonderful to witness how the older children naturally care for and mentor the younger ones. As each child grows, they are thoughtfully observed and guided with developmentally appropriate lessons that gently challenge them toward greater independence. It is amazing to see children helping one another tie aprons, thread sewing needles, practice counting, sweep the floor, play sound games, and engage in meaningful conversation. The classroom culture fosters confidence, collaboration, and genuine joy in learning. The teachers are exceptionally well trained and committed to ongoing professional development. They are passionate about Montessori education and truly take the time to know each and every student as an individual. They also organize frequent parent partnership events that help families better understand the Montessori approach while building strong connections within the broader school community. When our second child turned two and a half, he was welcomed with open arms. Even before officially joining, he already felt connected to the school. Now in his second year, he is thriving. Our oldest is currently in the lower elementary program and is always excited to go to school each morning. He often wants to stay late to take full advantage of the enriching afterschool offerings, from comic book creation and cooking to putting on plays with friends. Northwest Montessori has nurtured not only our children's academic growth, but also their independence, confidence, creativity, and compassion. We feel deeply thankful to be part of a community that supports the whole child and creates such a joyful foundation for lifelong learning. read more

We've had such an amazing experience at the school and the entire community built around it. Our son has been attending for 3 years now in the primary classroom. He's thriving and loves the structure, freedom and agency the school provides. We have a strong network with other parents and Ms Juan has been an amazing teacher! read more

Really special school! heading into a 4th year with our 3rd kid and so happy with the community, the structure and the gentle guidance each kiddo receives. Especially big fan of Ms. Juan Wang! read more

We LOVE this school!!!! My daughter is so happy here. Her teachers are engaging, funny, and loving. Culturally inclusive and explorative environment--by October, they had celebrated and LEARNED about Dia de Los Muertos, Diwali, and Rosh Hashana. Three campuses from West Seattle, Woodland Park, and Wedgwood converge to form an elementary school at the main campus across the street from the zoo!!! Our child attended primary in West Seattle and we had reservations about sending her north for 1st-6th, but after I observed the math presentation for the elementary program at Woodland Park and met the amazing staff, the decision was made. The school graciously and reliably offers a shuttle from West Seattle and Wedgwood campuses to the Woodland Park campus each day (there and back!!), which I worried would be a boring trip for my daughter and a pain in the butt for me, but it's perfect!! An 8AM drop off and 4PM pick up time at our local campus offers the perfect-length day for me to crush out some work. And if I'm running behind, my little is warmly welcomed to hang out at the West Seattle campus. Also, my kid loves taking the shuttle for the companionships with older students that trip and because they sometimes get to "rock out" and listen to stories with the beloved Meghan. It's been fun! It's perfect for us. Another thing that really sealed the deal on our decision to commute north for school was witnessing ALL of the primary teachers discreetly tearing up at the graduation of their kindergarten students They truly LOVE these students. It's a wonderfully loving, beautifully inclusive, highly engaging environment and COMMUNITY. From parents to students, and staff to administrators, we could not be happier or more pleased with the whole institution. Thank you!!! Last notes--tons of outdoor time, great after-care program offering cooking, drama, art activities, Spanish and Mandarin languages. Just perfect! read more

I was walking past a group of children walking from NW Montessori to the park across the street, with my own child today. It was an after school program because it was about 3:30-3:45pm. As we crossed the street and walked by them, one of the 'teachers'? Aids? Was yelling at the children. Specifically calling one girl out, (Augustina?) for "wiggling" her body. She then proceeded to harshly tell the children they weren't going to the park unless they were 'completely still, silent and eyes forward ' these were like 4 or 5 year olds. Notoriously a wiggly age and perfectly natural. My own child was very shocked at how she was treating the children. And the children looked scared. If I were a parent there I would be extremely concerned that this was occurring If I were an administrator there I would have a long talk this person about how she talks to little children and how it's completely normal for children to wiggle and move and talk. Or get rid of her. All I know is she had short blond hair and was 'leading' the line. Shocked for any teacher to talk this way but especially when you're paying for a Montessori school experience. read more

My 7 and 4 year old attended this school for almost 1 full school year. I wish I pulled them out earlier than we did. I'm writing this review to hopefully prevent additional neglect to children. The administrators tolerate repeat violence from students in the name of neurodiverse learning. Since the physical violence (examples are kicking and punching in the face resulting in a black eye, repeat punching in the back, slamming heads into food...) is linked to a health condition, the behavior is considered private health information and is not reported to parents. This means children are witnessing this (imagine the children's mental health of experiencing this environment) and nothing is acknowledged to the children or is said to the parents. Administrators say they take violence seriously and reports are filed if a child is directly involved. My child was punched in the eye and no paperwork was filed with my family even after I asked for it. My children loved school before attending NWM. They begged me not to take them each morning here. My husband and I thought maybe all kids eventually say they don't like school that maybe our children were just embellishing stories. We arranged a handful of 1-1 meetings to gather as many details as we could to see how we could better support our children, their classes and the school. Nothing changed. I asked 4 families if their children had been physically hurt. 4 out of 4 said yes. Parents are left in the dark with no tools to navigate this. Near the end of the school year (which is plenty of time to have acclimated if the environment was healthy) my children were terrified to go to school and broke down crying, refusing to go inside. We pulled them out. I can't believe we paid for this school. We have since found a beautiful school and are working through the emotional damage NWM left on all of us. read more

We had good luck with the teachers. The administration and teaching assistants, however, were dodgy at best. Our child's new school communicates EVERYTHING to the parents without being prompted or begged. The administration at NWM rarely communicated anything about the school and they were never open to discussing with us any concerns we had. Also, one of the teaching assistants chewed one of us out one time, which was totally inappropriate; another brought something to the after-school program that the assistant's friend had made for the kids to eat (without asking anyone if that was okay). Your child will learn. Just don't expect your child to learn much math (ours was way behind at the next school), and don't expect to have an open line of communication with the people who run the school. read more

The staff and even the classroom setting change every year forcing the kids to readjust year after year to the drastic changes. They do not hold themselves accountable for the fluctuations in the school and the impact it has on the kids, nor the dysfunctional, inconsistent, communication with children or parents. Staff targets certain kids. There are children every year that get booted "weeding out" by an irrational bar. Staff needs to be trained better. Very few staff are AMI-trained. The setting is too relaxed, letting the kids freely roam. My son is still struggling with certain subjects and is behind because of the laxed education. Most children aren't challenged by the program and many eventually leave. Parents aren't informed on where their child is on national level. After speaking with a parent that had their child in my son's class, they told me they had an evaluation done on her child after leaving the school and that he was 2 grades below what he should have been. We don't plan to attend this school anymore (he's been in it for years). I warn any parents seeking a true Montessori or even a decent education, you will be very disappointed. For those in the school currently. I highly recommend having your child's development evaluated based on the national level. It will speak for itself. read more

Our child is at the Wedgwood branch, but we visited this one as well and were impressed. Very happy with our choice.

This location is not closed. Northwest Montessori School at Woodland Park is a great school. My daughter has attended there for the past 2 years. read more