Our 4.5 year old is in her second year at MLA. We are so grateful that she has been able to safely…read morecontinue to grow at school with her friends and teachers during this strange year, adding proper mask wear & care, mindful hand washing, and other health-and-safety focused skills to her practical life toolkit! We don't speak Japanese at home, but we incorporate songs and phrases that she has picked up from school, and we sometimes watch Japanese movies and videos, learning together casually at home. Similarly we don't aggressively augment her learning of letters or math, but instead follow her lead regarding what she is working on and enjoying at school enough that she wants to do it at home, too. It's been wonderful to see her drawings develop naturally, to overhear her speaking with her toys in Japanese, and to know what she means when she wakes us up to say she's "peko peko" every morning. As she's gotten older, we hear more about what she's learning and it is always with such true confidence, contagious enjoyment, and deep understanding: cycles of a pumpkin and a flower, details of different planets and their temperature, and how to cut out a heart (& not waste the folded paper with the outline!). She has always loved to do things her own particular way, which we have encouraged within the boundaries of safety and kindness -- it's clear that her teachers similarly support (and enjoy!) that individuality, while thoughtfully guiding her towards opportunities for growth in herself and collaboration with others. Clearly I could go on forever--we love this hidden gem of a community so much! Thank you, MLA!

We originally chose MLA because it is a dual-language Japanese Montessori school. While already…read morefamiliar with the Montessori approach for learning, what we did not expect was dedication of the school's director, Yoko-sensei, to your child's emotional as well as educational development. We also appreciate how the director is willing to offer-up constructive and honest feedback about your child. Our daughter's other schools were quick to say "she's doing fine" - minimizing amount the personal attention they would have to give. That is certainly not the case with MLA - they go out of their way to address your child's individual needs. MLA is so important to us that when we moved to another city 30 miles away, we chose to commute a total of 90 minutes each day just to keep her there.

I cannot say enough great things about this daycare/school. My daughter is at the Forest Park…read morelocation and the teachers are ALL amazing especially Ms. Elbanet & Ms. Elizabeth. They love her like she's their own and take exceptional care of her. The owner, Luisa, is wonderful! She's always available if you have questions (provides personal email & cell phone) and sends frequent emails updating everyone on what's happening at the school. My husband and I went to several daycare's/schools and were horrified by what we saw at most places. The second we met Luisa at the Forest Park location we knew our daughter would be in great hands there. I would recommend everyone send their kids here!

The Montessori way of learning is not for every child. This should be recognized by the leads and…read morewhen it's not working it should be made clear to parents instead of stringing them along to trust the process. Our mistake for trusting the process. I only wish we would've withdrawn our child sooner.

Amazing, inclusive, stimulating and diverse community. Both my sons attend and have thrived…read moreWe have also formed lasting relationships with other parents with children here It is a special and wonderful place and I could not recommend it more!

We moved to the area at the start of the pandemic and by 2021 were ready to send our 4 year old to…read morea Montessori. So began our hunt for the best of many in the Oak Park area. We didn't know any folks who had sent their kids to one near by so had to do cold calls and tours. I reached out to a few in the area and Mrs Eggerding was the fastest to callback and schedule a tour, starting us off on a great foot about how well the school had their act together. We got to observe a classroom and we're extremely excited by the vibe of the guides (Montessori speak for "teachers") and the children. There was just so much independence and respect that we knew we found the right school. At first our 4 year old was resistant. He had been with his grandmother for the last 1.5 years of the pandemic so I get his resistance. But even after day 1 he was excited to share his experiences. We eventually sent our second child there too in a different classroom, which they were happy to accommodate. We couldn't have been happier with our choice even with a 10+ min drive every day. We're definitely planning to send out third there as well. At first it doesn't seem too different from other schools as far as what they're able to do but by even a few months in they're showing so much more independence and eagerness to do more. It's a challenge to me to expect and enable them more at home. The guides have been wonderful about getting to know our children and guiding them on their journey. We've had a few parent teacher conferences which are helpful to peek behind the current as they're often exhausted in a good way by the end of the day. Our child's guides and the front office staff were very receptive to questions and helped us both understand Montessori better but also our child. It was funny for us as parents to go from a city daycare that sent us his eating, peeing, pooping, and activity schedule with activity photos nearly as they were happening to come to Montessori which is really trying to put the child first and focus on them, not logging everything they're doing. I had been a Montessori student so expected that but it was still funny. We get photos and reports every couple of weeks and had parent teacher conferences that did align with what he was saying or what we figured was going on.

If i could rate this place half a star i would. i took my daughter here for preschool and she loved…read more1 teacher only 1. as soon as she got into her 1st year at that school she was getting bullied by everyone and the teachers because she had a physical disability. the classrooms are VERY packed, my kid was in a class of 35 from preschool to 6th grade. she was the happiest little girl and she loved dressing up and having parties, but as soon as she got into 1st grade she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. she was CONSTANTLY having fights with her teachers because of her depression, later she was diagnosed with explosive anger issues. because of her teachers . she was coming home crying because of the kids bullying her. she eventually had to leave in the middle of her 6th grade year because her mental health was super bad. she is now happily at gwendolyn brooks middle school and doing much better.

My son is in his second year at La Casa, and we plan to enroll our daughter when she is old enough…read more The building is clean and beautiful, and the teachers are communicative and caring. They respond promptly to text and email, and post pictures weekly on the closed FB group. I know that as soon as my son steps into the classroom, he will be treated with dignity and kindness. He loves all his teachers and gets so excited to see them - he even wanted to invite them to his birthday party! La Casa does a great job of following the Montessori methods, and I have been impressed by what my son has been learning (and is excited to learn!) - at 3, he is teaching Spanish to US! He has become quite and eager helper at home, too. La Casa is excellent at working with parents on potty training, and is much more flexible than most schools at working with the parents of kids with special needs to make sure they are learning to their full potential. Probably what I love the most is how active the kids are every day. They go for walks and to the park nearly every day, usually twice a day. When the weather isn't cooperating, they play "pelotas" and games inside, and they have Zumba at least once (if not two or three times!) per week, which my son LOVES. They also have options for yoga and additional directed art on top of the regular classroom art (and this all starts at age 2!). The only reason I would not give La Casa 5 stars yet is there is still room to improve in terms of administration. They would benefit from FT rather than PT administrative staff, as the organization can be a bit lacking at times. As a parent, you need to be a bit persistent to get all the information you need at the beginning - but at least the staff is very responsive. My son and our family have made some wonderful friends through this school, and we would recommend it to other families looking for a flexible, full-day, reasonably-priced, Spanish immersion school starting at age 15 months.

Best most loving teachers and great classes! We've been at this school for 3+ years. The lessons…read moreand classes are diverse and so rich. Art, yoga, field trips, science for the older kids! I can't say enough about the loving teachers and staff. They're true family.

Post Covid I was so hesitant to place my now 27 month old in daycare. I feared not only the virus…read morebut the thought of leaving my son in the hands of a stranger tore my heart into a gazillion pieces. Fast forward---- I finally decided it was time to help my son with his social skills; which were impacted due to Covid. I started researching for daycares in my area. I read reviews after reviews. Then, I came across Little Bright Minds. The reviews were great. I looked at the pictures. Read and re-read their goals and mission. So I made the call. I spoke with Oscar who was so professional. He scheduled me for a visit. When we arrived the first thing I noticed was their Covid protocols posted on the outside door. Hand Sanitizer. This was already a big PLUS. I was greeted by Oscar along with Alicia. This place is MAGICAL. You can smell how clean and sanitize everything is. So organized. Spacious. Alicia- she is truly AMAZING. The most Professional Childcare Provider I have ever came across. Her patience and kind soul is palpable. I was already sold and I had yet to see their curriculum. As I sat and listening to then explain their day to day activities; Alicia allowed my Son to play with the blocks, and cars. They where very thorough in explaining their policies. Their goals. Their expectations. They listened to my concerns and they were willing to accommodate my son. I was so ecstatic to learn that they finally had a space for us. LBM a has been a huge blessing in our lives. My son loves going to daycare. He is thriving and I see such a huge improvement In his social skills, speech, and overall behavior. If you are looking for PROFESSIONAL, COMPASSIONATE, GOAL ORIENTED, TEACHING childcare- Little Bright Minds is the answer! Alicia and her team are so so amazing and I'm so lucky to have my son under their care! Daily Updates Healthy Meals Pictures Family Oriented These are just some of the many things that have made my heart so at ease

Little Bright Minds Daycare is a hidden gem! After my wife spent three years at home raising our…read moretwo boys, we were anxious about her returning to work and finding quality care, but the Little Bright Minds family made the transition incredibly smooth. We were immediately impressed by how seriously they take their interview process. They focus on ensuring the children and parents are a perfect fit, which gave us a great deal of confidence and reassurance. Everyone at Little Bright Minds is exceptionally patient and easy to get along with. Thanks to their attentive care, our sons adapted to their new routine much faster than we anticipated. It's amazing to see our boys eager to attend every morning and come home with big smiles. We love the Montessori-based curriculum and the creative activities they provide daily. The arts and crafts they bring home are always great to see! We are truly grateful to have found a place where our kids are safe, growing socially, and genuinely learning. We highly recommend them to any family!

We have been absolutely thrilled with the caliber and quality of Intercultural in Oak Park. The…read morecommunity we've created with other parents, the support we feel from the school administration and teachers, and the leaps we've seen both our kids make academically, emotionally, and socially are all reasons we've stayed all the way through kindergarten for both kids. The Spanish immersion was a no-brainer, but the Montessori method was new for us - I truly credit this method in helping shape our kids into little world citizens who are independent, inclusive, curious, and kind.

Um, I was sad after reading the first review. Not knowing what sort of experiences others have…read morehad, my daughter seems to love it at Intercultural. It's a wonderful departure for her from regular day care, and I love the fact that she is getting a healthy dose of the Japanese language every morning. The teachers communicate well and are good at sending home what the children have been working on. My daughter just started at the beginning of November and is happy every morning that she attends school as opposed to not wanting to go to her previous day care. Obviously I don't have as much experience with the school as others do- I am interested to hear what others think. I give it 4 stars simply because it is super expensive. (As are all private schools of quality) We're shelling out a lot of cash monies to read a bad review of this place..... eeek. Thought I'd update my review - Feb. 08 - my daughter does not attend this school any more. We took her out at the end of last school year. She seemed to be the one kid who couldn't handle not understanding the language. She wouldn't talk to, or hardly look at the (Japanese) teachers. It made me sad to take her out because I really wanted her to have the early understanding of another language. She also seemed to dig the Montessori learning techniques. She's super happy at her new school and seems much more comfortable. comfortable

As an employee of Alcuin, I can speak highly of this school's teaching faculty, who are among the…read moremost intelligent, talented, and committed Montessori teachers I have met in the field. The families who send their children to this school seem highly committed to helping their children reach their highest potential, and see their children as whole beings with social and emotional needs, as well as academic ones. As a teacher here, I have greatly enjoyed my relationships with parents, as they have been so collaborative and positive. We have newly begun a terrific adolescent program, and I encourage anyone interested in finding an alternate middle school, or a high-quality educational program for any age child to inquire. I have been so happy to work at this fantastic and excellent school, which is truly a haven for Montessori teachers who love to nurture and challenge children!

We absolutely love Alcuin. Our son has thrived in the Primary classroom, and our daughter is new…read moreto the Toddler class. Both children are happy and actually look forward to going to school! Since starting at Alcuin, my daughter has shown significant progress with her verbal skills and interest in potty training/toilet learning. It's only been a short time, but the difference in her is truly remarkable. For those considering a high-quality, Montessori education in a loving environment, look no further!