My children are the most important thing in my life. Therefore, when it came time for me to pick a program for them, I visited every (literally) local school/daycare center and ultimately decided on American River Montessori. One of the many reasons why I chose this program is because the low student to teacher ratio allows my children to have the guidance and attention they need and deserve. The result of this is that the teachers really take their time to communicate, teach self regulation, and redirect my kids. Parents always think my kids are much older than they are because their communication skills are incredible and they have really learned how to self regulate, thanks to the teachers! American River Montessori has a wonderful outdoor space where my kids can learn all about gardening, have the space to run and creative play, work on art projects and have outdoor picnics. They are always creating something new and unique for the kids to enjoy. Oh and they have chickens so my littles love learning about animals and gathering eggs. They also spend a considerable amount of time working with my kids on different subjects (with a hands on approach) such as math, sciences, language, and different cultures. American River Montessori offers a well balanced program and I couldn't ask for anything more. read more

So thankful we came upon this school for my granddaughter Staff is excellent and Hannah loves it read more

This is not just school, it is more! It is FAMILY! You helped us a lot when we just moved from France! Not only for Noemie my daughter but for us as well! We will never thank you enough We missed you MERCI BEAUCOUP DEBBIE et JOUELLE read more

I highly recommend this school for parents who really care about their kids! If you don't care about your kids then this place is better than being at home with you! American River Montessori is truly a hidden gem! I would recommend this school to anyone searching for a preschool to send their toddler. The owner Debbie is highly educated in Montessori curriculum. She is easy to talk to and well liked by the children. Her discipline strategy is empathetic and her patience with kids is very admirable. She is very helpful with keeping the kids engaged and teaching them to read. She's very good at listening to the child's personal needs. She takes time to understand each child individually and how to redirect them to their success. Kathy and Anjerika, the assistant teachers are getting their masters degrees in child development and they works hard at coordinating fun learning activities for kids ages 2-5. They help redirect the kids to be positive to each other without being belittling. Anjerika is very patient with the kids and teaches self regulation to them also. She always has a smile on her face and creates fun jobs in the classroom out of anything ordinary. She organizes and cleans the classroom daily so everything always run smoothly. Kathy has a lot of empathy and likes creating new outside activities for the kids. She helps them to stay focused while doing fun circle time activities as well. Kathy is also fluent in Spanish and teaches the kids Spanish in a fun and energetic way. Today she focused on teaching the kids their birthday month in Spanish. I have three children and all three have attended here for at least 2 years or more. ARM is all around a well balanced school! Enroll early because it fills up fast! read more

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My first born went to Ms. Debbie school for pre-k at 3 years of age. She is 9 and she still says Ms. Debbie and American River Montessori are the best teacher and school she has attended. I agree. The dedication and one on one attention given to the children is unmatched in other places. And the quality of the education is excellent. Sofia reads at a 7th grade level at her age and math is a breeze. She learned hands on with the real life activities and experiences offered. Debbie spent all the time needed with me and the parents to explain about our kids' progress in every aspect of human development and learning. Yoga in the middle of the day? Yep. That too. Best pre-k and K school in town. Andrea read more

ARM has been a great fit for both of my children at the preschool age as well as aftercare for my Kindergartener and first grader. I have to say, I visited 10 preschools and nothing felt right until I visited ARM! The backyard is an amazing space for hands on play. As with any Montessori, inside jobs were organized and rotated for learning new skills. The teachers are welcoming, warm, personable and compassionate. Each of my kids had a favorite teacher and we still talk about them! Lead teacher and owner Debbie follows the principles of Love and Logic where discipline is respectful of children and their needs as well as helping children deal with emotions and help them gain independence and teamwork and leadership skills. Every child is respected for their own personalities and receives a love of learning through play based jobs. My children had made friends with the teachers and children. One of my kids was warmly picked up and held by a teacher as I left to help her adjust to me leaving. I can not recommend them enough! I have gained parenting skills just by watching the teachers interact with the children. It is a hidden gem that deserves a look! read more

Debbie and her staff provide exceptional care and an engaging learning environment. I love the way she talks to my children leaving them feeling encouraged and confident. The outdoor play area provides many opportunities that foster learning ... chickens, bunny, garden, fruit trees, water tables. I also love that a large portion of the outdoor area is covered to protect our kiddos from the sun. I can't recommend Debbie and her team enough! read more

American River Montessori has done an incredible job caring for and preparing my kids for their next steps in education. I'm so very grateful we found this place! Debbie (the owner) brings her immense experience, training and love for children to lead an amazing Montessori learning experience. She also continually updates her impressive educational credentials to make sure the quality of education she provides is the best it can be. My children are way ahead of the game because they attended this school, and I am thankful for it. read more

I would like to commend Debbie and her team of teachers on the great work that they do as educators with the children in the American River Montessori School. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen for my own eyes in one of the open houses that we attended - my pre-schooler raising her hand to ask and answer questions, while learning and following instructions in the classroom environment. She has learned to share and cooperate with her peers while being respectful to her teachers. Wow! This is amazing! My daughter often talks about the fun stuff that she does at the school - the hundred board (never knew what that was until I googled it), her friends and the fun water play with the excavators... It makes me feel that we have done the right thing in putting her in the school. The Montessori style learning environment and of course, the well-trained teachers contributed to the optimum learning environment for my daughter. I feel as if she is getting individualized care from the teachers. My child has attended the pre-school since she was 2 years old and now she has blossomed into a confident and articulate pre-schooler. read more

We just love American River Montessori! Our daughter attends the preschool program and really enjoys it. The teachers are genuinely invested in the overall well being of each child and provide excellent materials for the kids to explore. The school is very serene and makes for an ideal learning environment. They have great extra activities like Music Together, Yoga, and Spanish. read more

Lovely preschool that uses Montessori philosophy in a calm, caring environment. The teachers provide a strong foundation in math and reading, plus lots of fun extras like Music Together, Spanish, gardening, and yoga. My child was very happy here. read more

American River Montessori is amazing. My sons learned so much while attending the school. The teachers are calm, educated, and uplifting. My kids were always bringing back artwork, showing me dance moves, counting to 100 and more. I cannot believe the progression in just a few months. I highly recommend this school to anyone who wants the best for their little one while they are at work. Kind regards, Clint read more

My husband and I are both educators. We know what to look for when we are researching preschools for our child. We visited American River Montessori 3 times over the summer, and observed the way the owner, Debbie, interacted with our son (we were not able, however, to observe while students were present, and I wish now that we had been). We felt confident sending our son to school under Debbie's care. This turned out to be a poor decision, and I was incredibly disappointed with American River Montessori. While I had been told by another parent at the school (before registering) that Debbie can be disorganized and scattered, I believed she was good with the children and I wasn't as concerned about her level of organization as I was about the way she interacted with the students. Unfortunately, her lack of organization extended further than I would have guessed. On 3 of my son's 4 days of school at American River Montessori, I picked him up at the end of the (7-hour) day and found that he had not touched his lunch. All 3 days he told me he was hungry either in the classroom, or on the way out to the car, and proceeded to devour his food in the car on the way home. On the 2nd day that he hadn't touched his lunch, I left a message after school asking about it. I did not receive a response. The 3rd time it happened, I asked Debbie when I picked my son up what he had eaten that day. She told me he had eaten snack. I asked about his lunch and she was unable to give me any kind of answer about why he hadn't eaten his lunch (she also turned to my 3-year old and asked HIM why he hadn't taken his lunch outside at lunch time). She did, however, tell me that the students play outside during lunch time and can bring their lunches "if they are hungry." Because she seemed so perplexed at my question about when my child had eaten, I asked who was with him at lunch time (thinking maybe another teacher had an answer) and she said that she was. After this exchange, my husband and I decided we were uncomfortable sending our child to a school where the lead teacher isn't able to give a clear response when asked about something as simple as a lunch time procedure, and is unaware of the happenings inside her school, in addition to being one who would expect a 3 year old to be responsible enough to choose lunch over playing. I called the following morning to inform Debbie about our decision, and to request a refund on the basis that my son was not properly cared for (I even offered to pay for the entire month, and requested the remainder of my money back.) Initially Debbie was apologetic and seemed to want to convince me to keep my child enrolled. When I made it clear that he would not be returning (based on her lack of awareness surrounding meal time, and her inability to explain the lunch time procedure), she became defensive. She insisted that he had eaten snack (which I'm sure he did, but I explained that snack is not a meal, and, further, it concerned me that she didn't know if he had even taken his lunch box outside during "lunch" time). After 3 days and several emails, she met with me and presented me with an entirely different account of what had happened during lunch time (stating it was NOT her, but a fellow teacher, that had been with my child at lunch, and that my son refused to eat). That it took her 3 full days to "gather information" seems to me to be proof that she is either being dishonest or truly unaware about what is happening inside of the school where she is the director. In the end, the meeting was not productive, and I told her I intended to pursue a refund, at which point she accused me of threatening her. Throughout this interaction, she seemed far more concerned with her own feelings and pride (continually calling me "judgmental" and "negative") than about the proper care and supervision of her students. I also received an email from her partner, who is a paralegal, placing the blame on me for not making sure she knew I would like for my son to consume his lunch, and threatening me as follows: "Communication of unsubstantiated allegations of such serious concerns to third parties could result in very serious damage to her reputation and to the business with which she supports herself and her daughter -- any such communications and resulting damage would be matters of significant consequence. " In the end, I received a portion of my money back, but not even half of what was paid, which resulted in me paying over $700 for 4 days of sub-par child care. It should be noted that the contract for this school is very odd. It requires not only 30-days notice, but also requires a parent pay until the 30th day AFTER their child dis-enrolls. I would caution all parents to carefully read the contract (oh, how I wish I had!) before signing it! I would NOT recommend this preschool to any parent. read more

At first glance this school seems ideal. The classrooms are neat and organized, there is a very cute garden and play area, and many Montessori jobs for students to use. However, much of the Montessori method is not utilized. Because any school can call themselves a Montessori school, it is difficult to tell which ones are true Montessoris until the teachers and classes are observed. At this particular school, there is a rigorous academic program. Students as young as 2.5-3 are sent home with weekly homework packets. Homework is work that would be seen in a Kindergarten or 1st grade classroom. I am not against exposing young children to curriculum that is designed for an older child, but to expect them to regularly complete work that is beyond their developmental range does not seem beneficial. Also, parents are given a form weekly that lists out in detail what their children do not know and asks parents to review those items with them. This includes things like letter sounds for all letters of the alphabet. In my opinion, sending weekly reminders that cause a child and her parents to feel as though they are already "behind" when, in fact, they are not, is not the most effective way to instill a love for learning, nor does it follow the Montessori method of self-directed learning. Additionally, in traditional Montessori schools, meal time is a main area of focus, as it teaches children socialization, grace, helpfulness and caring. At American River Montessori, mealtime is an afterthought, and there is not an emphasis on "family-style" meals, but rather a play time during which children may eat if they feel hungry. The director of the school is friendly and speaks kindly to the students, but is disorganized and scattered. She has been observed talking to parents with her back to the class, totally unaware of their behavior (and the parent observing noted that children were not doing what they should have been doing). The director lacks communication skills, and is not able to clearly communicate to parents simple things like expectations, and the details of the daily schedule and activities. She often fails to return messages and calls, and regularly needs to be reminded about previous conversations. In all, I would not choose this preschool as a place to send my child. read more

I am responding to a very unfortunate review by Erica. Contracts are made to protect the business owners and customers. Unfortunately some people believe that the rules of society do not apply to them and when they don't get their way will do anything to get even. I am also an educator, I have also been a teacher for this preschool. We have never been in the habit of force feeding children. A healthy and substantial snack is always available, Kids in Montessori are learning to help themselves by getting snack when they are hungry. Furthermore, students are asked to bring out their lunches to the playground. Some students do like to play first and are encouraged to sit and eat with friends but never forced. When recess is over and we go back into the classroom students are given another chance to eat their lunch provided by their parents. Of course again for the second half to the day another substantial snack is provided for children to eat when they feel hungry. I encourage anyone to come to the school and see for themselves how happy and well fed the students are at American River Montessori Preschool. Sincerely, Jamie Matsumoto read more