Garden Gate holds a special place in my heart. This preschool took my reserved little boy in with…read moreopen arms helping both him (and his parents!) during the difficult transition of letting him go off on his own. He now comes home humming the songs and retelling the stories he's learned in story time; he insists that "toe-food" (tofu) is ok, but the bread he helped make tastes much better! When I come to pick him up I find myself lingering because it's tranquil even with little ones running around pretending to be pirates or chasing fairies. What I mean to say is that this pre school has both nurtured my little one and our family as we grow together, and I am grateful.

We have been so happy with your years at Garden Gate- a place for kids to be kids. Play-based,…read morenutritious, thoughtful food. Fun in the sun, rain, snow, and puddles! A really wholistic approach to preschool.

The administration and staff were friendly and helpful. While looking for the right preschool I…read morecalled and visited several different facilities. CMS set aside time to take me on a tour and answer all my questions. After I decided to enroll my child they facilitated an observation with me and my child to spend time in each of the three preschool rooms which allowed me to decide which room to place my child in. They even let us come back and spend the morning with the class to help with the transition. They always made time for us and my child is happy and in the right environment. Everyone from the administration to the teachers helped us while making the big decision on choice of education and care. Three months later and we couldn't be happier. It's an amazing community of parents, children and educators dedicated to success of the children and their implementation of the Montessori philosophy.

From the owner: Now Enrolling For Our Pre-Primary (Ages 2 to 3) Program!!…read more Columbia Montessori School (CMS) provides an enriching Montessori education in an environment prepared for the child, where natural curiosities are stimulated and the whole child is nurtured. With the structured Montessori environment, large playground, and outdoor classroom, we provide a place where children ages 4 weeks to 6 years develop a sense of self awareness, social responsibility, and a desire to learn while being free to explore and enjoy being kids.

TLT is tucked in off the gorgeous Stephens Lake Park. We have been involved with TLT for over 4…read moreyears and have 1 graduate of the French Program and we will conclude our preschool years at TLT this May with our son graduating:( I have been very involved with the school while my children attended and have gotten to know the staff very well. I can't say enough about the school. All the teachers are dedicated to their classrooms and to the school, usually you see high turnover in preschools, majority of our head teachers have been with us for 5+ years. Having native speaking teachers in all classrooms is so very special - we love the curriculum and the educational opportunities that they provide to children is amazing! Everyday at pick up my son is so excited to tell me about his day..the letter he learned, the circle time activity, the craft that was done or even sing me the song they are learning! It always puts a smile on my face!! If you are thinking about TLT, schedule a visit and sit in on a classroom and observe- it truly is amazing!

I sent both of my children to The Language Tree. They were in the French program. We loved Mrs…read more Stephanie, Mrs. Virginie and Mrs. Souzy! They were amazing with our children. And they gave the gift of a second language to both of them. TLT prepared them for Kindergarten and for the world!

The Academy of Early Childhood Learning is a great daycare! The teachers work with their students,…read moreas if was their own child!! If the child has special diets, the cooks do take special attention, to accommodate to that childs needs! I would recommend this daycare for a good start!!

The Academy is truly an amazing place for children. The Head Teachers are of the highest quality…read moreand the retention of the Head Teachers is hands-down above and beyond my expectations in this industry. The children are loved, cared for, and valued. The facilities are beautiful with the East location being located on acres of parkscape. I highly recommend both locations and know you will be pleased with your experience.

Windier when I was a preschooler, it was very fun lots of food, fun and games, but I swallowed a…read morechip hole very very unpleasant experience

My son went here for childcare, and they did a great job with their preschool. He learned a LOT,…read morethey had a fun playground, and he enjoyed spending time with the other kids. His teachers really cared, and that's important with your babies!

Our children attended LPE in 2020-21, the first school year following the start of the COVID…read morepandemic; our 5-year-old son was enrolled as a Kindergarten student, our 2-year-old daughter as a preschooler. There was a high likelihood of Columbia's (very good) public schools relying on virtual or hybrid learning that fall, and we worried about our son's ability to thrive under those conditions. My spouse had the opportunity to return to the workplace that fall after being a stay-at-home mom for five years, and LPE's proximity to our home and its commitment to maintaining a safe, healthy, in-person learning environment gave her the confidence she needed to move forward with that job. While we were excited about our children attending a school where they would learn a second language, I will readily confess that the dual-language nature of the school was less important to us than the prospect of the kids attending school in-person. We never hid the fact that we would likely send our kids to public schools in future years, once the pandemic had subsided. The school's administration tolerated this, but we could always tell that it irked them a bit; that said, we weren't the only family who were using LPE that year as an emergency measure. Both of our children really thrived in their dual-language learning. My wife and I do not speak or read French and have no familial, social, or professional connections to French-speaking regions, so it wasn't a language the kids were hearing us use at home. The fact that they absorbed so much is a testament to the efficacy of language immersion. We no longer live in Columbia, and while we like our current home, we always find ourselves wishing that more language-immersion programs existed around here. Columbia is lucky to have at least two of these schools. (Maybe more?) I must commend LPE for its COVID protocols that year. Teachers and staff used PPE and worked hard to ensure that the school's various pods of students did not mingle and mix in ways that would spread illness. If I remember correctly, the school only closed once during the entire 2020-21 school year out of an abundance of caution--the ill staff ended up testing negative for COVID. Our son completed Kindergarten at LPE. Sadly, our 2-year-old daughter was asked to leave midway through the school year. We've learned in the four-plus years since that she has autism. This disability was already manifesting itself in its toddler years, often in the form of sensory sensitivities, difficulty with transitions, and delayed skill development. Unfortunately for us, LPE's administration and staff were wholly unprepared for her needs. We understand that it can be difficult to work with a toddler who is not behaving like her peers; that said, the degree of obstinance and cold-heartedness exhibited by some key individuals was shocking at times. One administrator in particular took pride in what she characterized as a traditional disciplinary approach to childcare. She may believe it is appropriate, and I've certainly read favorable comments from families who share her philosophy. But in our opinion, she spent far too much time engaging in power struggles with our small child, interpreting any of our daughter's inabilities to meet expectations as willful disrespect of authority. More than once, this person told us, "Your daughter knows what to do but is choosing not to," or, "She's making bad decisions, and I must let her know that we will not tolerate that." She routinely punished our daughter for not completing worksheets, not engaging in activities, or even not drinking out of a cup properly, by making her sit on a pillow in the hallway or in an otherwise empty room for hours at a time. She responded with exasperation when we noted that we were not disciplining our daughter at home for her shortcomings at school. It was clear from her comments to us that she felt we were failing the school by not taking an equally hard line with a child who was trying her best in the moment. Whether it's France or Belgium or the US, this is 19th-century behavior. Families are welcome to pay for it; I certainly wouldn't have had we been aware of other options and had a better understanding of our child's disability. Thankfully, we found a far more welcoming, patient, and acccommodating dual-language school on the other side of town. That school was founded by families who liked LPE's immersion approach, but not the more peculiar and dictatorial aspects of its pedagogy. I don't blame them. Yelp has suppressed a 2014 review from Crystal B. that expresses a lot of these concerns. Reviews by parents and former staff published on other websites mention this same authoritarian mindset. That's a sign that this wasn't a temporary problem brought on by the very real stresses of the COVID pandemic. It was real. Let's hope it has changed.

Loving the adult French classs with Maxime as instructor I look forward to next sessionread more

We love Countryside! The program includes a lot of fun, age-appropriate activities and the director…read moreis extremely responsive and really a wonderful teacher and person. Our child was on the old side for her grade and they were able to adapt to try to meet some of her interests and needs even though they weren't always in line with the rest of the class. Would highly recommend to anyone.

Very disappointing. After my son's second day in the 4-5 class Ms. Jackie labeled him as special…read moreneeds and has insisted that at 4 years old he be labeled as such and enroll in the IEP program through CPS. Because his parents don't agree with her diagnosis, which she took upon herself to forward to CPS on his third day without our consent, he is no longer welcome at the school. If you want a preschool where they think they know better than the parents and it's Ms. Jackie's way or the highway then sign up for Down to Earth preschool. Personally, I think it is appalling that they would expel a child from school because they think he has a learning disability.

My daughter just started in the 4-5's classroom this year with Ms. Kristen. I am very pleased with…read moreher teacher. She is so sweet and passionate about her job. I love the small class-size and school. Ms. Jackie, the director, is engaged in the daily activities and keeps me updated on my daughter's progress. She is also very laid back and trusting of each family. This is her first time in a school setting so I enrolled her for the Tues/Thurs class. It was really nice to have the 2-day option because I found most preschools are M/W/F for the 4-5's class. They also have 3-day and 5-day options which is great. I also liked that this school was in session from Labor Day to Memorial Day so she has the whole summer off.