Our daughter recently started at BIM. I am originally from Japan so I was looking for a full japanese immersion school and I have so far been impressed. BIM does an excellent job at incorporating traditional Montessori teaching methods with japanese language and culture. The children not only learn the language, they also get to experience the culture including holidays and other traditions. The educational team is excellent, a group of teachers who pride themselves on being warm and loving while encouraging the children to grow at their own pace. We have another baby on the waiting list, make sure to sign up early as it can take a while for your space to open up. read more

I had the great honor of working at BIM as an office admin and co-teacher for 3 years. Even though I had tons of teaching experience and ECE units under my belt when I started, BIM was the first and only Montessori program I worked at. I learned so much about the Montessori method from my fellow co-teachers and was always inspired by their hard work and dedication to their craft. Japanese is my second language that will no doubt deteriorate if I stop using it, so being able to use it daily in various situations at my place of work was also a huge benefit for me. The BIM community as a whole is extremely tight-knit and supportive. I had never felt so loved and appreciated by the families I worked for before BIM, and it was heartening to witness new bonds and friendships being formed among everyone firsthand. Of course, I really miss the kids most of all and the funny things they would say and do, but feel very lucky and privileged to have 3 years' worth of fond memories with them. BIM, iroiro arigato! Mata ne! read more

Our son enrolled this year at Berkeley International Montessori School (BIM) and we are all happy with his experience. A lot has been said in other reviews about the exceptional quality of the school but I wanted to highlight a couple of things. Even though we are not of Japanese descent, our son is fully capable of communicating at the school. It's thrilling to see him speaking Japanese and we have found that the exposure to another language has helped his ability to communicate with others. In other words, don't let the Japanese aspect scare you if you don't speak Japanese! The kids soak it up like a sponge, and the teachers expose them to English reading and writing as well. At BIM they follow the Montessori methodology closely, and we saw its effect on our son quickly. It has been an empowering experience for him. He wants to do everything himself, which we are delighted by. We've seen other positive aspects of the Montessori method: his willingness to share, his ability to concentrate on tasks, he cleans up after messes, he communicates with adults and peers well, and others. We have been happy with how BIM adapted to life under Covid. They have reasonable policies that keep the kids, teachers, and parents safe. It's a difficult decision to send a child to school while the outbreak is going on, but we feel like it is important for our son to be in a nurturing, learning environment with his peers, and the staff BIM has ensured that their school is safe, with temperatures taken on entry, mask usage, and strict policies for handling children with symptoms. read more

We originally intended to send our son to BIM to just immerse him in the Japanese language. My husband and I spoke Japanese and wanted to instill the same language skills for our kids. BIM not only helped us achieve our language goal, but it also exceeded our expectations! Our son became one of the kindest big brothers his little sister could ask for. We owe it all to the teachers who paid attention in class and worked together with us on his development. He was fully conversing with us in Japanese by the end of his time at BIM. Also, the Montessori aspect of the school has helped him become more responsible, self-reliant, caring, and confident. Through BIM, he learned to clean up after himself and take on age-appropriate chores at home. For our family, BIM isn't just a school but a community of teachers and parents working together to nurture the children. We have a close-knit community where the parents help and support each other collectively. The multi-aged environment at BIM has allowed the children to feel a sense of community within the school as well. All the children were given developmentally appropriate tasks during their circle and "oshigoto (work)" time and allowed to play freely in between. BIM has shown us how well Montessori can affect children positively in all aspects, whether it's social, mental, or academic. There is no doubt we made the right decision for our son with BIM! read more

Our daughter started in BIM at 2.5 years old. I vividly remembered how heart-wrenching it was to hear her cry at the top of her voice on the morning of Day 2. Fast forward to today, after 7 months it is exceedingly gratifying to see not only that she is happy to go to BIM in the morning, but also that BIM has "grown" into her and made her flourish beyond our imagination. The hallmark of early Montessori education is an emphasis on a child's independence and self-reliance. BIM takes this message seriously and makes sure that you do, too. Less than a week in, we had received multiple calls from Saki Sensei about parental tasks that went wrong: putting a button-down shirt on our daughter that she could not take off herself, preparing a lunch box that she could not open herself, giving her shoes that she could not handle herself, etc. No kidding: at BIM, a 2.5-year-old is expected to handle her own clothes, shoes, lunch boxes and a school bag (as well as many other things) all by herself, with teachers guiding verbally on the side but rarely assisting physically. At first, it might seem unbelievably demanding for a child. But soon we realized truly unbelievable was a child's adaptability. From not wanting to hold her own spoon, after BIM our daughter went straight into fastening her own safety belt. She became confident in putting on and taking off her own clothes, and she grew visibly stronger from carrying a school bag of her size every day. And before we knew it, she began to insist on doing things on her own without our interference (save when she did not want to lol). We are a Mandarin-speaking family with NO Japanese ancestry at all. Admittedly, we worried about being isolated or simply out of place at BIM. But the reality cannot be further from that. From Day 1 we found our daughter welcomed and treated with love by everyone in the BIM community. For our daughter, who is so far the youngest child at BIM, the mixed-age Montessori pedagogy worked magic. The older kids took on leadership role; we often saw that they guided her, explained things to her, mentored her and kept her accompanied when we peeked through the yard fence. We knew things were right when our daughter was thrilled to see her BIM friends on weekend playdates, and believed companionship helped her settle in more than anything else. We are confident she will model herself on the older kids when her turn comes in due time! As a new immigrant family, we also found ourselves welcomed into the BIM community. We made many friends through BIM family gatherings, who despite coming from a vast array of different backgrounds shared something remarkably similar: kindness, openness, down-to-earthiness, genuineness, and an aptitude for a good laugh. We were impressed by how effortlessly BIM delivered seeming opposites: work and play, academic and fun, rule-boundedness and creativity, concentration and liveliness, discipline and warmth, etc. Our daughter's target language improved dramatically over the course of 7 months. From understanding absolutely nothing she can now say quite a few full sentences in Japanese (it amused us whenever she gave us orders in Japanese, evidently reacting snippets of her daytime experience). Every day, she brought home a new artwork or drawing she created. Wherever we go she was praised by others for being self-sufficient and well-behaved. But just as importantly, we've seen her grown more bubbly: she is more playful, creative, musical, and wild than ever. We could not be happier about the fact that our daughter is learning self-control without sacrificing her nature. In our opinion, BIM brings together the best of multiple cultures, which is what multiculturalism is all about. To sum up: we highly recommend BIM to any parent who strongly believes in instilling a sense of independence in your child. If you happen to have no Japanese heritage like us, don't let that be an argument against. You can't go wrong with BIM if all you want to see is a well-behaved, self-motivated child who is as happy and free as everyone else and has had a nice dose of exposure to and influence from the Japanese culture. read more

Berkeley International Montessori (BIM) is founded by Saki-Sensei, a very caring, dedicated, and experienced teacher and principal. She and her team of teachers do an impressive job of taking care of and holistically educating the children. I feel the Montessori aspect of the school is authentic and it permeates all aspects: the equipment, the rules, the activities, and the day-to-day life. Of note is the fact that children are of mixed ages in the same classroom and the older help the younger. Another noteworthy aspect is that the school is bilingual Japanese-English, and the children certainly learn Japanese (spoken and written). The school hosts a total of 20+ children, making it small, and with many positives: all the children know each other, and the families also get to know each other. Our child has been attending the school for over two years, and we can only say that it is an excellent school thanks to the staff and the families. read more

Our family has been extremely happy with BIM and we highly recommend them! First of all, the teachers here are amazing. They really care about each child and are well aware of their current circumstances, needs, and challenges (everything!) and provide the support that they require. This goes beyond the kids. Our daughter started at the age of 2 and us as first-time parents we've encountered various questions and challenges along the way. They have always been welcoming and have taken the time to develop plans to help our family at school as well as at home. Montessori's cross-age environment has been an important aspect for our daughter's emotional development. At a younger age, she followed bigger kids and always tried to challenge herself. Now that she is older, she has a sense of responsibility as well as respect and consideration for others. Academically, now at the age of 5, she enjoys reading books, writing letters in both Japanese and English, and practicing math including multiplication. She does those voluntarily at home. We feel that her intrinsic love of learning was deeply nourished at BIM. There's also plenty of free play and activities in the afternoon. Our daughter brings back different crafts every day and talks about them with much excitement. She always begs us not to pick her up early! Overall, we are more than happy with BIM! read more

BIM has been a great experience for our son, who is entering his third year there. It feels like such a gift that he's been able to develop under the guidance of such talented, attentive teachers and gets to have fun with his wonderful friends every day, all while growing up bilingual. It's clear that the teachers at BIM truly care about each child. They are very observant and thoughtful about adapting to differences in personalities and needs. We also appreciate how open and available they are, and they've given us a lot of helpful advice and insights. It's been great to have that sort of warm security blanket where we've always felt well supported. read more

I am so grateful to the teachers and the community of parents here! My daughter has been at BIM for three years and is currently in her Kindergarten year. Her time at BIM has given me so much perspective and appreciation for the Montessori method, and especially these teachers. She has a special relationship with each one of them and I can tell they really care about each child. Just as an indicator of their heart and commitment, during the pandemic, the teachers were so dedicated to keeping the kids learning and emotionally supported that they made all new materials so each child could have their own set, and dropped them off at each child's home weekly so they could have manipulatives for the Zoom lessons, which were targeted for their level. I also appreciate that the teachers are very available to meet, zoom, or just chat informally at drop offs about something that might be going on at home or school. If you ask, they have lots of best practices regarding materials/clothes/set ups/words to use to help make the children more self-sufficient and motivated. I have found it really helpful to have them on my team to mutually reinforce whatever we're trying to smooth out at home, like getting out the door more quickly, or getting dressed independently. Academically, at this point, she is reading and writing in both English and Japanese and I love hearing about all her math work. She started school understanding some Japanese but only occasionally spoke it. Now, she can speak much more fluently and is teaching me a lot of new words I didn't know before. And as the kids grow, the teachers continue to provide and create more challenging works for them. I've noticed that they check out fresh books from the library that are tailored to their current interests (Komodo dragons, dinosaurs, etc.) and levels. I have loved having her be in a mixed-age class. When she was younger, I would observe older children helping her out with thinking things through or she would get motivated seeing older kids do something. And now that she is one of the oldest in the class, she is proud to be an example for the younger ones. Even though the children are so young, they have deep, caring relationships and know each other so well. I think it is because they're all together in the same cozy class for three years and have really been growing up together. She is always telling me about gardening at school, playing pretend and running around at recess. And there's lots of singing and dancing. I really feel like she loves her friends and teachers and has a healthy environment where she is both supported and challenged to grow in so many different ways. We will be so sad to move on, but I really feel like she is more than ready to handle elementary school and that she has made so many great memories and friends. Thank you, BIM teachers and BIM families! read more

BIM was the perfect environment for our son. The teachers are fantastic and gave him a lot of thoughtful attention and support. We were also very happy with the academics -- BIM kids get a strong, bilingual head start and foundation for the future. read more

My 5 year old son has been attending BIM for a short 4 months and my husband and I are blown away by how much he has grown/matured/learned! In addition to teaching the Japanese language/culture, which was our #1 priority, the school has helped instill a sense of independence, responsibility, and confidence in our son which is definitely a result of the Montessori style teaching/learning. My son comes home excited and proud to share with me the 'work' he did that day which includes subjects such as Math, Language, and Geography. The teachers are so committed to the students' growth and success, the parent/student community is small and intimate, and overall we couldn't have asked for a better environment for our son and are thrilled he will get to spend his Kindergarten year there as well! read more

Our daughter is going into her second year at BIM and we could not be happier about her experience. The teachers are incredibly caring and intentional about fostering a safe and fun environment to learn, grow and play. Our daughter's Japanese language skills and comprehension really took off within the first two months, and has developed at a remarkable rate from there. Her independence and curiosity have also flourished at BIM under the patient guidance of her teachers under the Montessori model. But what has been most satisfying has been watching our daughter's growing understanding of what a community is and her place in it. All of the teachers play an essential role in fostering that community, but our daughter has really gained a strong connection to the other students under the Montessori model. The students don't simply play with each other; they genuinely care for each other. For example, the older students (5-6 years of age) were remarkably empathetic and caring when our daughter joined BIM mid-year last year, showing her the ropes and comforting her during first couple of weeks in a new environment. It was heartwarming and astonishing to see 5- & 6-year-olds (and sometimes 4-year-olds!) mentor other children throughout the year. Overall, this is reflective of the strong community built at BIM through deep cooperation among the teachers, students, and parents. Accordingly, BIM's standard for parental involvement is high. Expect to pack a nutritious lunch and snacks EVERY day for your child, make time for required volunteer hours and family activities throughout the year, and numerous adjustments and learning experiences on your part to support your child through their Montessori experience. So if you decide to send your child to BIM, expect a lot of involvement and flexibility on your part. I'll admit that my biggest hesitation about sending our child to BIM was my assumption that the student group would lack diversity. But I quickly found out that my assumption was way off base. The students at BIM are INCREDIBLY diverse, representing an impressive spectrum of races and ethnicities, especially among bi-racial, multi-racial, and multi-national children. There are even children who have no Japanese ancestry at all who are doing just as well as the other children at BIM. So if you care deeply about diversity, belonging and inclusion, don't worry. The teachers, students and fellow parents will warmly welcome you into our very diverse community. Lastly, I can't emphasize enough that being a BIM parent takes a lot of work, flexibility, and planning. But BIM is truly one of the most uniquely wonderful educational experiences a child could have. So if you have any inkling at all of enrolling your child at BIM, plan a year (or more) ahead! That means get on their waitlist and participate in their open house (may be still virtual b/c of covid) at least 12 months before you would want your child to start. I know this must seem implausible. But believe me, it will all be worth it when your child and family become part of the BIM community. read more

BIM is a wonderful place for children to learn all kinds of wonderful things and create long lasting friendships. Our daughter is excited to attend every single day and I am continually impressed in her ability to exceed my expectations with her Japanese language skills. We love BIM! read more

Wonderful school full of happy and fulfilled kids. A Japanese immersion school with a diverse parent community and I do mean community! The parents are as immersed as the children are, creating a space where we all enjoy being at BIM. The Montessori method works as long as everyone involved communicate and strive for a unified end goal. Independent minded children are able to do incredible and inspiring things. The school values work ethic, passion for the arts, and invite joy and marvel into mealtimes. I am forever grateful for our family's experience at BIM. read more

Our twins were under the stewardship of almost all of these teachers at their sister school AIM (American International Montessori). The results were palpable. We saw immediate and sustained growth in our kids. Words cannot express our appreciation. I have infinite respect for these teachers and their methods. read more

My 4.5 years old son learned hiragana and katakana already! Teachers have many years of experience to teach all subjects and life skills, and my son loves showing what he learned at school when he comes back home. We love Montessori already but they are + Japanese language teach, which gives more valuable! read more

Our Son has been at BIM for about a month now. He was previously at a different Japanese immersion school but was having some challenges with it. We signed him up for BIM and I have to say it's been fantastic. The teachers are really wonderful, I can see their genuine care for the children and fantastic ability to work with them... I wish I could spend more time with the teachers! We are excited to have our third child attend the school later this Fall. read more

Owing to multiple moves, our family has interacted with 5 (!!) early child care / preschool institutions thus far (though our son is only four). While they have all been excellent, BIM stands out in several ways. First, the class size is just right. The small number of students means that the relationships developing amongst both peers as well as teachers are tight-knit. Our son gets so much hands-on attention and I am always confident that he is being carefully watched over. Second, the application of the Montessori Method is very authentic to that of Maria Montessori's work and writing (though not in an overly stringent way). I love the Montessori Approach as described by Maria Montessori but in the three other "Montessori" schools that our son has attended (2 in Kenya and one in Southern California), there were aspects that were not very "Montessori" (e.g. toys with flashing lights and batteries in the infant room or forced time when ALL kids had to be practicing their handwriting, etc.). As a ongoing learner of the Montessori Method trying to implement the approach at home, I can say first-hand that it is a time and patience intensive practice. Thus I am especially appreciative of the dedication and conscientious attention that BIM and especially Saki-sensei takes to ensure that the environment is prepared and that the teachers are acting as guides that allow each child to follow their own interests. Our son attended BIM from July 2018 - Dec 2018 before we moved to Kenya for one year. We have returned to the school beginning this Jan 2020 and in just the one week that he has been back, I can see such a change in his behavior at home. This was a kid who used to dread going to school each morning but now goes excitedly and comes home each evening beaming and telling me that "Saki-sensei's school is the best! She doesn't force me to do anything and I can work with all of the materials that I want to!" My husband and I love observing the development of our son's intrinsic love of learning and his self-motivation. I could go on forever, but the last point I will make is the huge plus of the full Japanese language immersion! I don't know how we lucked out with finding (and being accepted to join) BIM but we are so grateful everyday that our son is able to attend BIM for his early childhood education. Hontou ni arigatougozaimasu! read more

This is a wonderful school. We had our daughter who already graduated and our son currently attending their Children House program. The teachers are very professional and they have a lot of knowledge on Montessori methodology. Teacher Tomoko and Kiyoko are one of the best teachers you can find in terms of teaching children in a bilingual montessori environment. The school itself is very clean and organized. I am so happy that they are expanding continuously throughout the years and wish they could open another campus down in South Bay in the coming years so others can benefit. read more

We have two kids at the sister school, American International Montessori, and we had wonderful experiences with Saki Sensei and Tomoko Sensei before they left AIM to start BIM. read more

Our daughter started at BIM this past fall, and since then we've been delighted every day to see what she's learning and how she's growing. She started out shy and cautious, but now skips to class and loves playing with and learning from her friends and teachers. As one of the younger children in the class, she is being nurtured by the older students and learning from them socially, physically and intellectually--and in a few years, she will be in their shoes, coaching the younger students. When our daughter is away from school, the children will ask where she is, and when we recently returned from a week-long vacation, they were waiting for her and chanting her name when she walked into the playground. Many parents think Montessori is very rigid and too much "work," but the BIM teachers have created a fun, engaging environment where the children love to learn, and love to be with each other--when we ask our daughter who her friends are at school, "Saki-sensei" is always one of the top names. We can't wait to see our daughter continue to grow in her years left at BIM! read more