We couldn't be happier with our experience at Lakeside Montessori School. The environment is calm,…read morenurturing, and thoughtfully designed especially their large, beautifully maintained playground. The teachers are incredibly attentive and skilled at meeting each child where they are, while gently guiding them forward. Our child has not only flourished academically but has also grown emotionally and socially -- something we attribute directly to the Montessori approach and the dedicated staff here. A special shout-out to Connie and her administrative staff, who set the tone for the entire school. They are warm, approachable, and clearly passionate about Montessori education. We're so grateful to be part of the Lakeside Montessori family. It's a hidden gem in our community.

One of the best schools in the area, my daughter loves to go here. We feel lucky to have discovered…read morethis school.

As a fellow early childhood educator who has run a childcare program before, when I was looking for…read morea preschool for my son, I knew I wanted a play-based program where my child would have plenty of opportunities to explore and simply have a great time. We came across The Farmhouse School, and I was so excited. The philosophy is exactly what I hoped to find- Play-based, a focus on social emotional wellbeing, open-ended exploration, and great family support. My son had only been with me for his first three years of life, and I wasn't sure how he would take to being away from me, but he's done amazingly well so far. He is excited to go, and even asks to go on the weekend. He always has a big smile on his face while we head to school, and he tells me about how he plays with his friends at pickup. The teachers are all lovely and warm, and are very compassionate. They understand how to work with children and families to ensure the transition from home to school goes well. I can't say enough about the school. It's great, and I wish there were more schools like this in the area so more children could experience what best practices are for this age group!

The Farmhouse School is a charming and wonderful school. The teachers are very patient, kind, and…read morecontinuously ask the students great questions. Some favorite components of the school for my daughter was the rotation of exploratory areas and touch areas. For example, some weeks they have a big bin of leaves and other weeks they have interesting beads, or water play. Some weeks there are tables with writing with interesting things or ways to write your name or guess the smell in the cup. There is even a quaint writing center and student mailboxes for sharing letters. An important component is outside play everday no matter the weather. They have a wonderful outdoor play space complete with garden and live chickens. One of the most important aspects of the school is the teacher interation with the students. For ex: When students are telling a story, the teacher is writing down what they are saying or writes down titles or explanations of the artwork created by the students. The preschoolers feel respected and love that their ideas are seen as important. Last year the students were interested in collectively creating a bug hotel, they worked on this project all year. The teachers helped the students generate lists of what the hotel needed and they were continually creating collaboratively. For a few weeks the students were interested in doing a play so the teachers started writing down their script ideas and in a few days at pick up all the parents got to watch a very charming preschool production on the back porch. When you are thinking about a place to start your child's education, Farm house is a wonderful, creative, and kind place to start.

My kid attended this daycare. We loved it, the teacher is caring and experienced. And management is…read moreprofessional and kid focused.

I'm giving this establishment a 1 start and if I could give none I absolutely would…read more I moved to issaquah in November of 2021, I called this establishment to get my daughter in for daycare as she wasn't yet the age for preschool. Somehow I kept not getting called because they didn't have enough space ok cool, she ended up going to the ECEAP program so daycare was no longer needed besides after school which she still had not been picked to go to daycare there claiming there was no space still. In January of 2022 I had my son, I had waited until after summer when I was done healing from my C-section enough to walk again I tried to get my son up for this daycare in November but of 2022 and they told me there was no space and the waiting list was long, try again next month. I called in December and they finally said they had an opening and he would be able to attend the day of or after his first birthday. I was excited thought I was going to finally get a chance to work and be able to provide for my kids properly. Once I called them in January to double check things, they told me they lost their teacher for the 1yr old class and was waiting to find a new one, so as soon as they do I was supposed to receive a call. I never got a call, so I called back the next month checking to see what's going on? They told me my son was no longer on the list and that I had to go back on the waiting list. Of course I was furious because how long do I have to wait now? Let a few months go by, summer rolled around I tried again to check his status, they told me he was not on the list AGAIN so I had to put him on the list now for the 3rd time. Today I call to check his status and guess what? Lol HES NOT ON THE WAITING LIST AGAIN AND I HAVE TO BE PLACED AGAIN ON ANOTHER WAITING LIST, just to NOT receive a call or any heads up of what's going on. I'd be fine being on a waiting list as long as the communication is together and I actually receive a call. But no, there's no sense of courtesy at all, not once has my son been set to a higher priority considering the fact that the screwup was and has always been on their end and not mine. Why is no one communicating with each other about this stuff? And why is this stuff not being written down or documented so there's proof instead of just making me feel like shit every time I get off the phone with this place. I just want to be able to provide for my kids, I don't have help with baby sitters, I don't barely have family out here. I've went to college and graduated just to not be able to work at all. Barely making ends meet and struggling in between for what my kids need. Idk something needs to absolutely be done.

Our daughter attended NMCH for 2 years before transitioning into public Kindergarten…read more We really appreciated and enjoyed the care and education that she has received. Janell is amazing and very responsive.

My child went here for a few months and he was miserable every day and really resisted going. At…read morefirst I chalked it up to him getting familiar with the new routine and a new school but he never adjusted. He also talked about how afraid he was of the teacher Mrs Janelle. And one time even the teacher admitted to us that she let our child struggle to take the cap off a marker for over an hour and not helping him or letting him do anything until he did it, but he never was able to. Now that we've been out and into another school for a long time we realize how miserable our child was at this school, since he loves his new school and actually looks forward to going every day. The teachers are far too strict and cold towards the children and it was not a good fit for us. A few odd things. It was against school rules to ever allow parents inside the classroom except once a month by appointment. And also at one point the school had their full day license suspended or taken away. So they could not watch kids for more than a couple hours. We never got an explanation why, and at this point we took our child out of the school. I think most parents did the same thing.

We have sent both our boys through Morningstar, one is still enrolled. Madhuri really cares about…read morethe kids and the school and it shows. They work really hard to provide a great Pre-K experience, in a safe and comfortable environment conducive to learning . They follow Montessori methodology and teach the kids life skills like independent play, cleaning up after yourself and sharing. They provide excellent communication, and focus on each child as an individual and are willing to take the difficult conversations. One of our kids also struggled with focus and following directions and even though we didn't always see eye-to-eye on how to handle situation that arose at school, the important part is that Morningstar staff worked closely with us, we communicated and discussed concerns and took the time to understand perspectives. As parents we want the best for our kids, and sometimes that also means making sure our kids are also contributing to that environment for the other kids and not taking away from that. It is not an easy balance to reach, but having a school that cares and works with the family to get it right is greatly appreciated.

We enrolled our son Sullivan in January 2014. He just had his last day and will be moving onto…read moreKindergarten in the fall. I can't say enough about the Montessori program, the leadership, teachers and staff at Morningstar. Sullivan thrived in the Montessori program. He became an expert in geography, knows how to read and write and has the basics of math down. He also learned how to be a great student and classmate. We are forever grateful to Ms. Madhuri, Ms. Deepti, Ms. Helen and all of the others at Morningstar. Sullivan will miss them greatly. He is excited to start Kindergarten in the fall and thanks to the Morningstar team - he is very ready!

Our son has been here 2 years. Great staff and our son made…read moresome great friends and enjoys the teachers and playing here.

My kid started at 3 at this place and WOW this place is amazing!…read moreThis place provides the perfect setting for kids to develop and grow! On top of that we REALLY LOVE the TEACHERS! YES every single one! They love the kids and treat them with love!. Our kid have developed so much from this place. It was the best decision that we have made for our kid! We are really thankful to all the teachers that helped our kid grow and we are going to miss this place alot! Highly recommend this place!

We had a wonderful experience at Eastgate Montessori Garden. The teachers and the nurturing…read moreenvironment played such an important role in our son's development. We could see how much he grew, learned, and gained confidence during his time there. What makes this daycare especially meaningful is how warm and welcoming the environment is, not only for the children but also for their families. Parents are encouraged to participate in activities and truly feel like part of the community. Monika, the owner, is incredibly caring, attentive, and supportive. She genuinely cares about each child and is always encouraging their growth and celebrating their progress. The teachers are also kind, patient, and dedicated, creating a place where children feel safe, loved, and supported. We are very grateful for everything they did for our son and for the positive impact they had on his development. Eastgate Montessori Garden will always have a special place in our hearts, and we highly recommend it to families looking for a loving and supportive environment for their children.

We've had a wonderful experience with Eastgate Montessori Garden. Our daughter joined when she was…read morejust 2 years old, and even after only half a school year, we've already seen tremendous growth. She has become noticeably more confident, more social with other children, and her English skills have improved dramatically. What truly sets this school apart is Teacher Monica, a rare gem in the Greater Seattle area. With over 30 years of Montessori teaching experience, she brings a depth of understanding, patience, and guidance that's incredibly hard to find. She also had a knack for recruiting compassionate and loving assistant teachers such as Rebecca, Lori, and previously Gnana, whom we greatly appreciated. While only a very select number of schools in the area have teachers with comparable experience, those schools tend to be quite large, and it's not always guaranteed that your child will be placed with one of their most seasoned educators. At Eastgate, the environment is more personal and intentional, and we felt confident that our daughter was receiving direct support from someone who truly understands Montessori principles and how to nurture each child's growth. We're grateful for the warmth, consistency, and quality of education our daughter received here. Highly recommend!

We have had two children go through the Goddard School on 228th Ave. NE, with our youngest…read moreapproaching the final year before kindergarten--7 years of cumulative time with our kids. The administration has been top notch. The teachers have been consistently bright, caring, and gentle. The school policy "errs" on the side of protecting our children, even if that includes occasionally asking another parent to withdraw a student after multiple aggressive behaviors (they are fair and give chances). We have found this policy to be a blessed relief after having children in schools in Texas who were at risk of injury from bites, especially, and other aggressive behaviors. One common criticism in reviews has been staff turnover. It is true--I noted it on one of the feedback evaluations a few years ago. It is an unavoidable part of running a program in the costly Eastside of Seattle. Goddard cannot afford to pay their teachers Microsoft salaries while maintaining a reasonable market price for tuition. There are, however, staff members who have been there from the beginning. While childcare in our region is not anywhere close to cheap, Goddard has a very fair pricing structure and the well-developed curriculum and nurturing that is part of the experience makes the price, in my opinion, a bargain of sorts. The school administrators have ALWAYS been immediately responsive to any concerns, requests, questions, or feedback. They work hard to make the school the best it can be. I don't give 5 stars lightly, but as an educator and a parent of four, I have seen what works and what doesn't. This place works.

We had a positive experience with the infant room and some toddler-room teachers. Unfortunately,…read moreour experience changed significantly after our daughter transitioned to a toddler room shortly before turning one, especially after a caring teacher went on leave. Communication and management issues further worsened the situation. One major concern was the toddler room's policy against bottle feeding. Despite practicing with sippy and straw cups, our daughter was still unable to use them reliably, and we did not believe she was developmentally ready to stop bottles, particularly since she was born three weeks early. We asked to delay the transition or allow temporary bottle use, but our initial requests were declined without a clear alternative. We ultimately escalated to the owner, who allowed bottle feeding as an exception in another room. This raised concerns about whether the transition was developmentally appropriate. Washington regulations state that children should transition from infant care to cups when developmentally appropriate. The center focused on the toddler-room ratio, but our concern was whether our daughter was actually being treated as a toddler when she still needed infant-appropriate feeding support. Bottles were not permitted, there was no refrigerator or bottle warmer, and the materials were primarily designed for toddlers. We were also told the favorable ratio during her first week was simply because enrollment was low. We were told she had to transition before one because there was no space in the infant room in September - they enrolled more infants. We were additionally told that it was important to let children "suffer sometimes" so they could learn. Different families may have different views on this philosophy. The final trigger for us was how our daughter's crying was handled. After being out sick for several weeks, she returned needing extra comfort. At pickup, we found our 12-month-old crying alone on the floor in a different room while two teachers were occupied cleaning. She had no other children around her, her eyes were visibly puffy, and she looked exhausted. The experience was deeply upsetting and made us question whether she was receiving the responsive care she needed. That evening, she also appeared unusually thirsty, had dry diapers, and drank a significant amount of water at home. This was especially concerning given the inconsistent communication we had already experienced regarding her food, fluids, and naps. When we withdrew, the office administrators were apologetic and acknowledged the teacher-turnover challenges. The owner maintained that the bottle accommodation addressed our concerns. We also requested that October tuition be waived since our daughter would not attend a single day after withdrawing in mid-September, but the request was denied based on the enrollment agreement. Ultimately, every family has different expectations for childcare. As two busy working parents, we need to trust that our child's developmental needs are recognized and that basic information about her care is communicated consistently, without repeatedly having to advocate for it. We are grateful to the teachers who cared for our daughter warmly, particularly in the infant room, but based on our experience, we decided this was no longer the right environment for our family.