As an early intervention speech therapist, I visit many daycare centers, and this is one of the…read morebest I've seen! The teachers are knowledgeable in child development, create engaging and creative activities, and appear to genuinely enjoy their jobs. The center is always clean, the children appear happy and involved, and there's consistently something fun and enriching happening. The management seem to be invested in both staff and children, and I confidently recommend this daycare to the families I work with!

Our son started at TLE as an infant. He has been in 3 rooms total over the past 2 years. There have…read morebeen 3 directors and turnover with many of the aides. You often don't know the aide who is taking care of your child as they do not do introductions of the new employees. As another review mentioned, there is a lack of communication at this center. With every room move, we had no formal introduction to the new teacher. No explanation of what to expect in the new classroom. Just pointed in the direction of where the new room is located. There is a monthly email with the "theme" of the curriculum. For example, Oceans, Family, Forests etc. However, do not expect to be told specifically what words, colors, numbers, letters your child is actually working on. We randomly figure out what our son has learned by the new things he says. They just started to add some information like the color and day of the week to the app. This center does not hold any sort of parent/teacher conference or provide any progress updates on your child's development. The app...Do not expect this to be updated throughout the day. Most updates come through after 2/3PM at the end of the day. I have brought up the lack of pictures and updates to management plenty of times but there was no improvement made. For the price point of this daycare, I expected the app to be maintained as promised. Their pricing is in line with Gardner School + KinderCare who also offer an app. I would consider other options if having an app, receiving development progression updates, or overall communication are important to you. The quickest we ever heard from the director was when we sent an email advising we were withdrawing our son. We got a call within 5 minutes. He never asked why we were leaving or if there was anything he could do to keep our son there. His call was to advise a form needed to be filled out...His lack of concern confirmed we made the right choice to switch daycares. To top things off, we were charged today for two weeks of care even though we were told billing would be taken care of correctly. I will say the teachers are caring and would be the only reason to stick around. Ms. Kim in Infant room is the best! Our son adores her. Sandra + Daniela in the Twaddler room are the dynamic duo and have great energy. Ms. Natalie in the Twos room is super sweet. Diana + Sam took great care of our son. We were looking forward to having Ms. Cece for preschool.

All three of my children went to this preschool. They had so much fun and learned a lot. The school…read moreis play based which allows the children to explore and learn at their pace. The staff is wonderful. They take the time to know your child and help them in areas that they struggle. Among many things that are good it's wonderful to be able to participate in helper days. You can see how your child is doing along with meeting their friends in the class. I enjoyed helping throughout the year! I would recommend this school to friends and family. It's a great environment for children and parents.

We love the Co-Op Nursery school! My now-kindergartener started there at 15 months in their…read moreparent-tot class which was a great way for us to get out of the house for some fun activities and meet other local families since we were new to the area. He then went through their other classes - 2-year old, 3-day, and PreK. He is now doing great in Kindergarten and loves school and I feel that the Co-Op is a big reason why. My three-year old now goes to the Tuesday/Thursday class from 9 to 11 am and his teachers are wonderful - patient and caring and they are so dedicated to helping the kids participate in a lot of fun and educational activities. My 15-month old will start soon with the parent-tot class also. It is so fun to watch the little ones interact with each other and explore the activities and toys in the room. Since it is a Co-Op, you have the opportunity to participate in your child's education by being the third grown-up in the classroom once every 6 to 8 weeks. (Except for parent-tot where you stay each week.) If you work or otherwise are not able to be in the classroom, there is an option that the school can provide an aide. (Just costs a little bit more.) All of the staff are very special and so great with the kids! (And they often have good parenting advice too!)

My daughter has finished 3 years at Diamanté Montessori, and I am forever grateful for the…read moreexceptional educational and foundational experience she has received from all of her teachers. I am encouraged by all of the progress she has made thus far, and fully recognize the curriculum as well as the personal nurturing of her development by all the educators were instrumental to her learning evolution. The environment at Diamanté is one rooted and centered around supporting the child. It has been evident in the past 3 years that we have been the fortunate recipient of exceptional tutelage for our daughter from all of her deeply committed teachers. We will miss Diamanté so very much and the memories we have had as a family here will be fondly reminisced upon, always.

Diamante provides a wonderful and safe learning environment that is dynamic, fun and consistent…read morewith the Montessori method!

Where does one begin a stupid online review when a teacher physically assaults your child? It's…read morehardly a means of retribution, but there are other avenues being pursued to that extent. I make this review more as a warning to the other parents who send their children to Chesterbrook. My wife and I had enough issues dealing with the "educators" at Chesterbrook when our child came home with a head injury or covered in human feces - but if you batter our child, you have started something you cannot stop. Perhaps other parents reading this will feel the same way. To be sure, we are in no way 'helicopter parents' and believe in discipline. But, there is, of course discipline and abuse, and this crossed the line. Our son became scared and hesitant to attend Chesterbrook, and would tell us approx. a week later about this incident. Upon hearing this, we met with the "principal" - who showed us the video of the "teacher" being physical with our child. Oddly enough, the principal agreed that the contact was inappropriate and that steps would be taken to remedy the situation. Upon picking up our child a mere three hours later, we were told that the principal had been fired. Following that, in an act of retaliation, we were told that our child was moved to a class of children two years younger than him. When we met with the district manager (or whatever she claimed to be), she not only admitted that she had never video and laughed in our face while we met with her. Completely unprofessional and indicative of somebody who cannot handle their job responsibilities, much less have some control over the well being of children. I could (and would like to) name the relevant individuals, but that will only serve to have this post removed. Nevertheless, those responsible will be held responsible in court. But, my advice - ask questions and get your child out of Chesterbrook asap.

I have a 4 and 7 year old who have attended Chesterbrook for 1.5 years. My daughter is in PreK 2…read moreand my son attends the before and after school program. A few months ago, we were looking for a new place to send our children. I had really had it with all of the changes in staff and leadership at the school. I really loved the teachers when we first started but the atmosphere had changed and the teachers were very unhappy. I was beginning to see that it was hurting my children's experience at school. Right before we were leaving Chesterbrook, there was announcement that a new principal (Jen) would be transferring from the Plainfield Chesterbrook. I've never seen a school turn around so quickly (and I have worked in education for 15 years myself). I noticed an immediate change in teacher morale, cleanliness of the school and communication with parents. Because of the changes, we decided to stay. Jen sets high expectations for her teachers and is a great communicator. The teachers seem happy and the kids also seem much happier. Jen has also led new changes such as getting organic milk into the school, ordering new furniture and adding new learning materials. I hope the school continues to make these amazing improvements. As for the curriculum, my 4 year old just read her first book last night, teaches me words in Spanish, can add and subtract and talks about all of the "cool things Ms. Becca teaches her" at dinner each night. My kids are safe, appreciated and have a lot of fun at school. I'm not sure I can ask for much more!

I went to this preschool when I was younger. I absolutely loved it and it taught me so much. When I…read morestarted kindergarten in a different city, I was surprised at how little the other kids knew. There were so many fun memories there, field trips, toys, gym days, and the fun playground. The teachers were so nice and helpful, and would combine the learning with fun activities so I was always excited for class. 100% Reccomend!

We have had a great experience at this preschool and plan to send our daughter again next year. She…read moreis coming right along with learning her letter sounds and writing of letters. The teachers are very knowledgeable and caring towards the children. I especially like that they have open gym days at the park district building to help the kids burn some energy in the winter months. I am a teacher of older children and like to see the combination of schoolwork with fun activities. I'm saddened to see that another reviewer gave this program one star. It sounds like he is using Yelp to resolve a personal issue. My only concern has been that my daughter's car seat has needed adjusting after picking her up from the program (they escort to the car.)

Really kind folks that work here! My son is thrilled to go to preschool each day, and is…read moreconsistently happy when I pick him up. They have also handled the Covid pandemic with professionalism and grace, taking all necessary precautions. I highly recommend!!

My 4.5 year son has been attending LCP for about 4 months now after we relocated to this area. Our…read moreexperience with the school has been nothing short of amazing. My son has some development delays and the teachers have shown him/us unconditional support with any of his needs. We also love seeing his excitement at drop-off and how much fun he is having when we pick him up. I'm so grateful that we found and chose this school

15 years ago we chose Montessori Education for our children. It was an investment we were…read morepassionate about. WMS offered the perfect conditions to nurture and "grow" our children. I wrote an essay years ago, Locally Grown, about our experience of the treasured early elementary years. Fast forward and our oldest is graduating High School and youngest is a freshman. As a family, we are compelled to share our honest and sincere feedback of this experience from a retrospective perspective. These thoughts have been communicated with the head of school directly however, we feel called to share publicly as to offer insight to those families considering the AP. Our children's recommendation is: "Stay through 6th and skip the AP". The Adolescent Program at WMS presents a conflicting experience for several students and families, highlighting significant concerns and areas for improvement. While the school claims to provide a holistic approach to education, it falls short in crucial areas, leaving some students unprepared for the challenges of high school. The AP  has strayed far from the original Montessori philosophy, which emphasized neutrality, respect for individuality, and a focus on grounded, thoughtful education. The current approach has deviated from those principles, favoring an agenda-driven model that seems to place the needs of its teachers above those of the students. The most striking issue is the lack of preparation in foundational subjects, especially math and writing. My oldest states she was at a disadvantage due to the insufficiency in these core areas, leading to regret and frustration as struggled to catch up in her freshman year. She expressed she was profoundly underprepared for the rigor of her high school, acknowledging the gap could have been much wider had we not chosen to leave the AP before the completion of the 9th year. The social environment at WMS also presents challenges. We observed evident favoritism towards certain students, creating an atmosphere of exclusion and uneven attention. Additionally, teachers engage in questionable behaviors, including texting students and discussing other students in a negative light both in front of students and sometimes parents. A total lack of integrity. The teacher-student dynamic often feels less like a mentorship and more like a friendship-seeking relationship which undermines the authority and maturity required in an educational setting. For example, encouraging students to experiment with nail polish, twerking, and other frivolities rather than teaching math and writing. Some teachers seem more interested in fulfilling their own emotional needs through vulnerable adolescents than providing the guidance, wisdom, and leadership that students require. The program's attempt at inclusivity and open-mindedness is overshadowed by a lack of neutrality. Teachers actively promote personal social beliefs, leaving little room for objective discussion or diverse perspectives. The curriculum, too,  leans heavily into certain ideologies, and teachings, creating an atmosphere of comparison, while neglecting broader educational goals. As parents, we were told by staff "The adolescent brain is broken " and they will struggle with decision making and managing emotions. Indeed, the adolescent brain's developmental limitations are not adequately considered in decision-making. The emphasis on identity exploration, and identity-dependent worthiness, adds to the confusion and emotional turmoil during a period when students should be focusing on personal growth and academic development.  Our observation has been that the adolescent program has strayed from"following the child" to "following the cause".  A distinct contrast to the original Montessori philosophy, which emphasized neutrality, respect for individuality, and a focus on grounded, thoughtful education. The current approach appears to favor an agenda-driven model that often places the needs of the school and its teachers above those of the students. In conclusion, while the WMS Adolescent  Program may appeal to some families for its progressive approach, it is our determination it falls short in preparing students for future academic success and personal development. A return to the original Montessori mission--focusing on respect, objective learning, and appropriate developmental guidance--could better serve the needs of these adolescents during one of the most critical stages of their growth. Investing in a Montessori education was a good parenting decision but pulling them from the Adolescent Program was our greatest decision.

Our son has been at WMS since January 2023, and we couldn't be happier with the quality of…read moreeducation he is receiving. He attended preschool and Kindergarten (primary ages), and Montessori learning has been wonderful for his development. Thank you particularly to Mrs. Berdick for her help in bringing our boy out of his shell even more and helping him excel academically but also in his independence. We plan to have him enrolled through 9th grade, and we can't wait to be long-term members of this great community.

My kids came to this school from a home daycare. I found the Owners to be very helpful and…read morefriendly. In particular, Paul -- always gave my kids high 5s. Director Amanda is excellent and responsive. My son was in the Pre-K room there and my daughter in the 2s and then Preschool Rooms. Megan is/was the Pre-K teacher and I adored her. She was open and up front with the parents. Which is always appreciated. Paulina was my daughter's teacher for the majority of the time she was there and I miss her. She was sunshine. A couple of things I didn't care for: When we'd pick up the kids (at 4:15) my daughter's preschool class was often mixed in with the Pre-K class. And the same when we'd drop them off in the morning. At those times, I kind of felt like they were never doing anything....always running around playing but not doing anything organized. And by running around playing I mean that it came across as complete chaos sometimes. In the end the school did not offer Kindergarten so that is why we pulled my kids out. The school is pretty new, considering the ages of many of the places around here...so I think in time and when there are more kids there, that the kink I mentioned above may work themselves out.

My daughter attended from 3 months until age 2. We moved out of state. As I'm looking for a new…read moredaycare I realize how important reviews are. This school is amazing! I was so scared to put her in child care but I didn't have a choice and this school made it so much easier. The teachers are great you can tell that they really care about the kids. I cried on her last day. She learned as well as had fun.