This is our third childcare experience, and it is hands-down the best. We came here on a recommendation from another family, and I want to share why this Montessori is a place you can genuinely trust 1) Experienced, Dedicated Teachers: The longevity of the staff speaks volumes. These are veteran educators who are truly invested in the children, not passing through a transitional job. Every teacher knows my child by name 2) Accelerated Learning: Because the learning environment is so lovingly nurtured, my child developed immensely! 3) Healthy Habits: I enrolled for their lunch program, my child has learned to love vegetables. He asks for broccoli at home during dinner 4) Diverse & Multicultural: The curriculum is wonderfully broad and multicultural, which is beautifully reflected in their diverse staff 5) Clean; Again, compared to other places, I find their facilities clean and well organized. 6) Value: The tuition is very reasonably priced. Oh and the best part, in summer they do a lot of fun activities! Go visit them, take a tour, talk to other parents, you will love this place! Good luck! read more

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Both my kids went to Alka Montessori for preschool and we couldn't be happier with the experience. Ms. Alka is very affectionate and my kids loved her. Ms. Shikha keeps everything organized and makes it easy to communicate with the school. Teachers are great and both my kids were more than ready for Kindergarten when it was time to leave. They also have a great lunch program which serves healthy meals - one less thing to worry about during the morning rush. I highly recommend Alka Montessori for anyone looking for a well-balanced preschool program that kids love to attend. read more

Before I started writing this review, I was glancing at other reviews. And 100% agree with all the positive reviews. The teachers are very kind and amazing. We enrolled our kid when she was 2 and stayed for 2.5 years; we moved her out to enroll in TK very recently. (2023-2025). We liked every aspect of the school - adequate play time, lots of montessori learning, kind teachers, shaded outdoor play area, 2hrs of play time (morning and evening). My kid asks if it's weekend and says she wants to go to school and misses her friends and teachers., which says how much she enjoys the school. They have a great summer program too. The school takes great effort in setting up exciting activities for kids. Highly recommended this school! read more

My daughter started at Alka Montessori since she was 3 and we have seen such progress in her overall social development and learning. All of the teachers are loving and caring with genuine warmth, always accommodating your child's unique needs which helps put you at ease as a working parent. We love Ms Maria - thanks to her my daughter was already reading, writing and doing basic math by the time she transitioned out of the school. She also learnt about various topics and cultures. Ms Alka and Ms Shikha have also always been receptive and responsive to any feedback or concerns. The school also has ample shaded outdoor space which kids can enjoy and they also have a fun summer program. I will recommend this school to anyone who is looking for a safe and supportive learning environment for their child! read more

As first time parents, we wanted our daughter's first daycare experience to be one that's loving and nurturing and Alka Montessori has greatly met our expectations. The primary teachers of the turtles classroom ( Ms Martha and Ms Mary) and the occasional substitute teachers ( Ms Maria and Ms Janet) have been fabulous - kind and caring towards my little one. The owner Ms Alka and admin staff member Ms Shikha are very efficient and are receptive to feedback. When afternoon naps were a bit challenging for my daughter, Ms Shikha helped try a few different techniques to successfully establish an afternoon nap routine for her. My daughter speaks fondly of her school and her favorite thing to do on Friday evenings is to show me all the artwork that she worked on that week. Highly recommend this school. read more

Our child switched from a very busy day care setting with 18-22 toddlers per room to Alka Montessori and we couldn't be happier. The classroom sizes are much smaller, and each child is helped to thrive based on where they're at developmentally. We've seen a huge difference in our child's learning, comprehension, and confidence. The teachers and administrators truly care about each child and are always so positive and welcoming. The curriculum is great and celebrates all cultures. We're so glad we found Alka Montessori and have recommended this school to a handful of other friends. read more

Our children had a wonderful experience at Alka Daycare. They absolutely adored their teachers, Ms. Maria and Ms. Janet, and Ms. Alka is a truly exceptional, caring person. We highly recommend this daycare to every family. read more

We highly recommend Alka Montessori. Our son started going here since he was 3.5yrs and left for Kindergarten to another school. Within 1-2 weeks of joining this school he got comfortable and enjoyed going to school everyday. Thanks to the amazing teachers who made every day special for the little ones and well equipped facility that kids loved. It was perfect balance of fun, care and learning. read more

Our 3yr old attends Alka Montessori. All the teachers in the day care are so attentive and accommodating to each child's needs. They truly encourage each child to their strengths and patiently help progress with learning. We are very pleased with the care and attention the kids get from the amazing staff during the whole day. It feels more like an extended family to us, and I would recommend Alka Montessori to anyone considering day care needs for their little ones. read more

We love Alka Montessori. My son has been going here for last couple of months and we have noticed a tremendous curve in his development. We have also opted for their food program and we love the variety in the meal options. Would definitely recommend this place if you love Montesorri curriculum. read more

UPDATE: The links in the review are public records on a government website that prove the authenticity of the review. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I wish I could give 0 stars!! Let the other 5-star reviews not fool you. They are all fabricated and we ourselves fell prey to them. We sent our kid to this school for about a year and it turned out to be one of the worst mistakes. During the tour, we were painted a nice picture of how our kid would be "nurtured" through love and care, but the reality was completely opposite. One of their senior teachers, Ms. Nadeema, in Dolphins classroom, is well known for her temper issues. She would act nice to our face but my wife herself heard her yelling badly at one of the kids, when she went unannounced to pick up our kid before pick-up time. Ms. Nadeema instills fear in kids in the name of discipline. Some of the fellow parents confirmed what we thought and mentioned their kids being scared of her to the point their kids would have bad dreams and wake up in the middle of the night and saying they don't want to go to the school. We learnt from other parents that Ms. Nadeema also humiliated some kids in the class in the name of discipline and some kids shared incidences of her throwing toys at kids, in anger. We immediately pulled our kid out after learning all this. The school was cited recently by the Department of Social Services and it was proven/substantiated that even the basic human rights of children are violated at this school (screenshots attached). Ms. Nadeema and the school was given 'Type A' citation which falls into a pretty serious level of citation. You can read more about this recent citation (from June 2022) and what this 'Type A' citation means at this CA state official website link: https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/TransparencyAPI/api/FacilityReports?facNum=434412737&inx=9 The only saving grace of this school was the supervisor and some good teachers, but they too recently left the school due to the toxic work culture. Some remaining teachers in 'Turtle classroom' are still nice but then the director seems to be completely business-minded and doesn't care at all of children's well being. All this school cares about is money. I'll suggest doing some thorough research and verifications before even thinking of sending your kid to this school. Incidentally, this school has received multiple citations in the past too: https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/TransparencyAPI/api/FacilityReports?facNum=434412737&inx=0 https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/TransparencyAPI/api/FacilityReports?facNum=434412737&inx=1 https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/TransparencyAPI/api/FacilityReports?facNum=434412737&inx=2 read more

Alka Montessori has been a wonderful experience for both our kids as well as us as parents. The Montessori system exceeded our expectations in preparing our children for kindergarten and beyond. The teachers and staff are loving and nurturing at all age groups. And the tight knit community of teachers and parents is supportive and connected which allowed us to stay in touch with how and what our kids were doing on a daily basis. I would highly recommend this wonderful school. read more

I highly recommend Alka Montessori! All of the teachers are so kind to each child, truly encouraging each to their strengths. Ms Alka gives personal attention day to day basis. My son just LOVE to go to school everyday and learn. I am confident that this school has set a solid foundation for their learning path and that they have developed a true love for learning. The school offers yoga and art lessons which develops interest in child at early age. The sharing activity, gives your child a chance to speak about it which develops stage confidence. Teaching style emphasizes self-discipline and respect towards others. It feels more like a good family and I would recommend it to anyone without hesitation. We will miss you... read more

TL;DR: This is a horrible place. Save your kid and find another school! This year, a number of child abuse cases came into picture against this facility in May-June and the school was cited. A teacher in Dolphin's classroom, Ms. Nadeema, is an absolutely horrible person who mistreats kids. There have been known instances of her shouting loudly at kids, literally dragging them by hands and punishing them by making them sit in a corner away from other kids, making them stand in the playground alone, stomping her feet when angry, and throwing her hands in the air all the time. When we checked with other parents, everything was validated. We got to know that one of the kids was so terrified of her that the kid would wake up at 4am crying to not go to school. Some parents even reported that their kids are much quieter after attending her classroom. After all this came to light in May-June this year, many parents immediately pulled out their kids (including us), and some long standing reputed teachers left the school because they could not bear the work environment anymore. The bigger issue, however, is that the director and owner of this school, Ms. Alka, let everything slide. In spite of knowing everything, she still supports her. She supports that horrible teacher because she gets the job done of disciplining the kids by traumatizing them. On your face they both would act very sweet and caring, but all Ms. Alka cares about is money. You will not even find the fees structure anywhere in writing - on their site or the admission packet. We could go on and on but the reality is we went through many sleepless nights when we learnt everything but hope that no other child and parents go through this. Do your child a favor and find another school! read more

We wanted to take a moment to thank the teachers at Alka Montessori. Our son has been enrolled since he was 2 years old and he is almost turning 4 years old. My son LOVES going to school, and is constantly learning so much each day. I love to hear what activities my son enjoyed that day and what he's learning with classmates. The classroom activities that are planned for the children everyday encourage a fun learning environment. Also, he made so many friends that we will never forget in his future. At 3, my son knows his letters, can spell and write his name, and is continuously challenged to reach his next level of learning. He brings home lovely crafts and paintings and always has a story to tell about what he did at school. My husband and I are grateful and thankful to find such a wonderful daycare. I would highly recommend the Alka Montessori to anyone looking for quality child care. read more

Alka's preschool exceeded all our expectations for the structure, fun, and love that would be shown to our daughter. We started when she was 2 years old in the younger child classroom, where she eventually graduated to the older kid classroom and turned 3. We always felt that our daughter was supported, even when she experienced big life changes that can be hard for a toddler/preschooler to process. She spoke fondly of her school every day and would come home on Fridays with folders of the awesome crafts and school work that she accomplished each week! I cannot recommend Alka Montessori enough. read more

My daughter has been going to Alka montessori since April 2021. She loves going to school everyday and likes all her teachers. The school has a well planned month which is published on the notice board . The teachers do a lot of activities around different topics like ocean ,rainforest , etc which makes learning fun. Every Thursday is a show and tell where kids are encouraged to talk in front of the class. There are so many fun summer activities like bouncy castle, cooking class, pajama day, crazy hair day, bring your soft toy to school, movie and popcorn fridays etc. Miss Alka who is the owner of the school is very open to feedback from the parents and is ready to implement any changes that are necessary for the well-being of the kids. All in all we have had a very positive experience at the Montesorri. read more

Alka Montessori has been a wonderful experience for us and our kids. The community of teachers and parents is supportive and nurturing. The Montessori system has surpassed our expectations in preparing our children for kindergarten and life. We loved our time at Alka and appreciate all the teachers caring for our little ones. read more

I am so thankful to learn the truth about this school from a parent as I was going to enroll my son this coming week to have him start on 10/17. I went for a tour in May and was quite impressed with the curriculum and the teacher who gave me the tour and I think because of her I made a decision that this school will be a right fit for our son. We are very disappointed. We are definitely doing a thorough search for another school and reading reviews of these schools. Thank you Arun for posting the links to read the citations, couldn't come at a better time. read more

Caring, nurturing environment, kids learn and grow in a safe space. The problems mentioned in the previous bad reviews are now gone due to staffing changes. Greatly recommended! read more

My son went to Alka montessori preschool for 3 years. He started in the under 3 class (Turtle classroom with Ms Maria) and then moved to the 3-5 year old class (Dolphins with Ms Nadeema). The school follows Montessori philosophy and made my son very independent. They have done a good job on the academic front by teaching him writing, phonics, reading and numbers. They have monthly themes like Oceans/Continents/Rainforests and do art and craft based on that. They celebrate all the holidays with vigor and pomp, Kids are encouraged to dress up. My son did an amazing performance with his friends for Christmas as well as Graduation. The kids have a show and tell every Thursday where they are encouraged to bring something from home and talk about it in the morning circle time. All these activities have made my son confident and helped in social-emotional development. They communicate via emails and send class room pictures and videos regularly via message group. We have made a lot of friends with the parents in the school and have regular playdates with the kids. For any concerns - we have reached out to the owner Ms. Alka as well as the respective class teachers and have received prompt response. Overall a very positive experience. read more

Hands down the best balance of academic and personal growth. My kid has shown remarkable progress in vocabulary, confidence and public speaking. He was shy and hesitant in new settings but after only a few months of going to Alka Montessori there is tremendous change in his personality. We are very pleased so far. read more

Great school, great teachers and great program. We relocated to the Campbell area from East Coast and needed to find a preschool program for our second child. With all the changes, our daughter took to this place and warm teachers straight away. An amazing find in our own neighborhood. We couldn't be happier. read more

My son has attended this school since July 2017. I've searched high and low before eventually decided to send him there (surveyed 30+ schools in total lol). Pros: - They run the school as if they were a big family, so all teachers know my son. - All teachers + the director + the school owners are open and prompt to any feedbacks. - My son was a picky eater before he went to this school, and now his appetite is super good (he even loves veggies!) - My son is not the easiest kid to handle, but everyone in the school always make sure that we can go through every stage (even the hardest ones) with ease. Cons: Sometimes there were gaps in communication between the school and the parents. However, it has been addressed and improved significantly in the past few months. In my opinion, every school has its own plus and minus, but I'll never send my kid(s) to anywhere else considering all the above points. read more

So happy I found this school ! My son was a late bloomer for every mile stone. When he first joined he was still in diapers and didn't say too much. Less than two months he was out of diapers and talking away to everyone. I love how passionate and caring the teachers are. I can't wait to enroll my daughter next year so she can enjoy the same experience he had! read more

My son has been going to Alka Montessori for the past one and a half year, starting when he was just 18 months old. He is fond of going to school, and keeps mentioning "Ms. Maria's house" (meaning Ms. Maria's class which he is currently enrolled into) during casual conversations at home. He liked Ms. Martha a lot too when he was going to her class. All the teachers in the school are very helpful and understanding. I definitely recommend this school. Although this school currently adds extra 30 mins daily on our pick/drop route compared to other available options, we have been reluctant to change because of my son's comfort level here! read more

I feel compelled to write this review since I was asked to write one. I will be honest, I do agree with the reviews, yes it's some of the teachers there who make this place a wonderful place for my child. A few years ago I looked at 4 different schools before I set my mind on this one. Ms. Dee was very honest, warm and a lovely person. She answered all my questions and more. I met the other teachers Ms. Maria, Ms. Uma, and Ms. Martha in the younger class and I knew this was the right fit for my child. They were very friendly and surprisingly my child did not want to leave. My beef and disappointment truly lies with the owner, Alka Sharma, who is also the director there. I find she lacks communication skills and professionalism. Every time teachers leave suddenly or there are any big changes in the structure of the school, we parents are not notified until we hear from the teacher who is leaving and their reasons for leaving. It appears she is unable to resolve the problems the teachers have there. This is a large concern for us and my child and other children as well when teachers leave. We do not have enough time to prepare my child of these changes. My child does not do well with teachers leaving and the big changes in the classroom. In fact, it took my child 2 months to adjust. My child cried every morning at drop off. I bumped into Alka one evening during pickup and she said my child was doing so well in his class but to my surprise she did not even know which classroom my child was in. That same evening the teacher said my child did not have a very good day, my child was very sad and cried a few times. I know some parents who have tried several times to schedule a time to talk about daily happenings at school via email and phone, but she avoided any correspondence. Yet she is not shy to call if you owe couple $$s. I do remember we overpaid about $10 on our tuition and we realized it a few months later. However, she never gave us a call to say we over paid. But if we paid $10 short we would have gotten a call from her immediately. All these incidences have led me to believe that she runs her business in a greedy, cheap and unethical manner. I would not want deal with this woman ever again. I am happy my child learnt a lot there. Thanks to all the teachers who played a big role in caring for my child. read more

My daughter went to Alka Montessori when she was 3 and 4. She loved studying at Alka Montessori. There are great teachers and students. She learned so many things, English, math and cultures, not only American but also Indian and others. She learned cultural diversity and she liked it. My husband and I were lucky to find this place for her. read more

Can't recommend this preschool enough. Our son has been with Alka since he was 1 year old. As a working couple you feel guilty about having such young kids stay away from home all day. But I am happy to say that our son has never expressed any reluctance to go to school -- and he is 3.5 years now. I think that has a lot to do with the emotional support he gets there. The staff is tightly knit and you can tell that they really love working with kids. On the academic side, our son is doing great. The kids get a lot of personal attention. We've heard from numerous parents that their kids are very well prepared when they enter kindergarten. Alka Montessori is also very good with non-academic development. They do a lot of activities such as painting, paper crafts, singing, etc. They make it a point to send all these work back home and you can see how your baby is growing up to be a big boy. read more

My twins(daughter and son) were earlier in a another famous school when they they started schooling at the age of 3yrs 2months. We had so many challenges there with kids adjusting to the new school and not getting the right attention and care they needed. We could clearly see problems in their development and communication. They even had nightmares and were afraid of going to schools. We decided to research more for nearby schools and Alka Montessori's name came up with some great recommendations. We met Miss Alka and told her about our concerns and she was really understanding and assured us that she would do whatever it takes to help my kids be the best. So, we changed the school for our kids and they started going to Alka. From Day 1 they have always been happy going there and they have learnt so much and doing extremely well as per their age. All the teachers are so kind and caring and always ready to listen and share feedback about your kids. That too has helped along the way to help our kids learn n grow. My kids were really shy and a bit dependent but now they can do most of the things on their own and have made so many friends at schools. They enjoy learning Maths, coloring, Alphabets, Maps, cultures etc everyday and share their daily moments of joy everyday. I really can't express how much grateful I am to have made the decision to send my kids to Alka. Thanks to all the teachers who make the kids comfortable everyday with their love and teachings. read more

Our twin boys have been attending Alka Montessori since July 2016. We are lucky to have found Alka Montessori and the staff and teachers will be missed when they move to Kindergarten later this year. The Montessori education they have received has been phenomenal. I know when they enter Kindergarten they are more than prepared. They know their ABC's, the sounds of all the letters, are blending words and reading, can count beyond 100, and so much more. I'm impressed every day with what they come home having learned. My boys love all of the teachers and are happy every morning at drop off and each afternoon when I pick them up. They talk continuously about the friends and fun they have at Alka Montessori. We would absolutely pick Alka Montessori again as a preschool for our kids. read more

My son went to Alka Montessori for one year. He is in school now. We were very happy with the day care center. There is a Montesosri preschool curriculum and well balanced hot lunch and snacks are included in the program. Alka is a very warm teacher and my child became very easily attached to her... in talking to other folks with kids our age, we could easily see that we were getting the best value for our money. read more

Excellent preschool all around. Our son has been going to Alka Montessori for the past 2 years. He will start kindergarten this Fall and we feel confident that he will thrive there. This is is no small way due to the efforts of the teachers at Alka Montessori. He writes well, reads very well and is good with addition and counting. He loves artwork and is very good at coloring and painting. Like any parent I worry about my child spending so much time away from me and how he is being cared for. Time and again I am reassured when I go to pick him up. He is usually playing happily in the playground with his friends or working on some artwork or a jigsaw puzzle and I have to wait for him to finish so we can go home. Recently they started an optional sports program consisting of baseball, basketball and soccer (1 sport for a month or so, then the next) that my son has really been enjoying. I am also quite happy with the food and snacks they provide. There is always fresh fruit and they serve hot lunch. Alka is an expert is this field and her connection to the kids is evident when she is in the room with them and helping with any project. Being a teacher in a preschool/daycare is one of the most demanding jobs and the teachers at Alka do it with a smile. I am sad my son will be moving on from this preschool where he has grown so comfortable but that is the nature of life....we wish Alka and her family of teachers all the best.... read more

My daughter went here for a year. Very kind and caring teachers. We were apprehensive as it was my daughter's first daycare experience, but she adjusted very well thanks to the teachers. Some of the teachers were highly qualified and so there were some turnovers. Overall, my daughter had a great experience here. read more

We moved our son to this school in Aug'12 from another large day care in Sunnyvale. The reasons why we decided on this school were 1) High teacher to student ratio; 2) Focus on learning based on individual kids' abilities. We visited two more preschools in the Saratoga/Campbell area (which had openings at that time) and decided on Alka Montessori. It has been close to an year now and we love the following 1) Our son has shown great progress in academics (counting, alphabet, words and reading). He practices writing letters and numbers on his own at home and when we read to him. 2) He has shown a lot of interest in music and sings and dances around a lot. 3) The staff at Alka Montessori is very nice and helpful. Our son loves them and talks about them all the time. 4) They were very helpful in potty training for our son when he was transitioning out of diapers. 5) School events around holidays (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Diwali etc.). We loved the school event around Christmas and how the kids prepared and performed at that event. Our son has developed strong bonds with the teachers and made many friends at Alka Montessori and loves to spend his time there. We would highly recommend this preschool to anyone who is looking for a preschool in this area. read more

My Son Sohum was a shy and not very social kid before we put him in Alka Montessori. The team of teachers over a period of 2+ years helped him interact very easily with other kids and people. He was very well taken care of during those years and learnt a lot of things including academically, sports and extra curricular. We moved to a different location in bay area and so moving him out now but very thankful to all the help he got from the teachers and facilities here. read more

My son has been going to Alka Montessori for more than a year and we are very happy with the school. He started with the 2 year old class where the teachers are very caring and the focus was on to get knowledge with fun. The teachers make the kids do a lot of activities but don't push a lot and I think my son learnt a lot from this environment. The three year old class is the next stage where there is a methodical schedule followed and students are groomed for Kindergarten. They teach kids about reading and Math in the morning and have arts, crafts and story time in afternoon. I am very sure this will provide my son with a perfect platform to excel when he goes to regular school. The school also has sufficient outdoor time with Sports and Art class once a week which helps in their all round development. If we have a second kid in future this is the place he/she will be joining. read more

My daughter has been attending this school since November 2017. I visited and looked for information about some other schools, and I decided to enroll my daughter to Alka Montessori because it's a small school but with good sized classes and playground. All the staff are very friendly and loving. The first day for my daughter was hard because we've just moved here and she didn't speak English, but when I picked her up she told me that she didn't understand anything but she had had a good time and lots of fun. Since then she has learned a lot; she speaks fluent English and every day she explains me some amazing thing that she's just discovered about different topics. Every morning she is so happy to go to school and she enjoys every moment there. Next semester she will start TK and I'm sure we will miss Alka Montessori a lot. read more

Our 22 month old son has been attending Alka Montessori for a couple of months. We are already impressed with the entire staff and the facility. The smaller class size allows a good teacher:student ratio and more individual attention which is what we love. The nurturing environment offers good academic/play based/ values based learning per Montessori method and helps develop the whole child. Children are disciplined in a manner they best understand and inculcates respect, social skills and self esteem development. The playground is padded, covered and has a variety of structures, sand pit and toys. The optional lunch program is good with a variety of cuisines. The student body is diverse, there are specialty programs offered over summer and the school celebrates various festivals/ holidays. The staff is the best part of this school, they are hand picked by Ms.Alka and Ms.Dee and are truly vested in the child's well being (not there just as a job). We are grateful to Ms. Alka and all the teachers, particularly Ms.Dee and Ms.Uma, Ms.Martha, Ms.Rajni, Ms.Maria, Ms.Binita, Ms.Naoko,Ms. Akshata, Ms.Crystal, Ms.Chetna. Ms.Lekha (and all the teachers) for their love, patience and care for our son and all the students at Alka Montessori. read more

My daughter has been going to Alka Montessori for almost a year and loves it! The teachers care a lot for the children and my child looks forward to going to her daycare everyday. She had never been in a daycare setting before she started here, having been either with grandparents or her nanny. I was worried how she would adjust and boy did she cry those first few weeks. But Alka and her staff were super caring and made special meals especially for her to make her feel comfortable. They pay individual attention to a child's special needs and their hot lunches (extra $) are very helpful for working parents. My daughter has grown into a social butterfly and chatters non stop about the fun she has at daycare. She comes home with some new thing she learnt almost on a daily basis. Their new facility in Campbell (moved Sept 2012 from Saratoga) is bright and cheery and kept clean. Even my older child looks forward to playing in their playground at pickup! All in all, I drop off my child and head to work without a worry about how she will be cared for the rest of the day. read more