Our experience at Devonshire Montessori School has been nothing short of exceptional…read more Both of my children have needed outside intervention services, and as a parent, that can feel overwhelming when navigating school partnerships. From the very beginning, the director and teachers have gone above and beyond to make sure our family feels supported--not just welcomed, but truly understood. The director has been incredibly proactive and compassionate, taking time to meet, communicate, and problem-solve with us. What has meant the most is how collaborative the school has been with our children's interventionists. The teachers have welcomed outside providers, implemented recommended strategies, and consistently followed through with accommodations to help my children succeed in the classroom environment. Instead of viewing extra supports as a challenge, they've treated them as an opportunity to better understand and support my children as individuals. The staff regularly communicates updates, shares observations, and works as a team to ensure consistency between school and outside services. That level of dedication is rare and deeply appreciated. Because of this partnership, we've seen tremendous growth--academically, socially, and emotionally. My children feel safe, supported, and capable. As a parent, I feel heard and valued. Their commitment to collaboration, inclusion, and individualized care truly sets them apart.

I am so thrilled that we found Devonshire Montessori, our son has been in their program since the…read morefall and he is absolutely thriving. He loves school - he walks in every morning happy and confident, proudly shows off his art at home and has learned so many practical life skills. He is always talking and singing about his teachers & friends when he's at home, and it's clear that his teachers really care about him. At Devonshire his innate desire to help and contribute is nurtured and that shines through so clearly at home. It's tough to leave your kid everyday as a parent, but I never worry if he's doing ok at school because it is SO clear how happy, secure, and connected he is at Devonshire.

Great staff, great experience for both of my boys. If you want piece of mind and want your child to…read moremake progress, this is the daycare for you. Highly recommended!

Fabulous school, great environment for preschool. My children are now 24 & 28 and this was a…read morewonderful start to life! We made wonderful friends and are still connected. Ronna and her family have created a fabulous environment for learning.

My perspective from touring the facility: small playground in the back, inside is dark, not a lot…read moreof natural light, furniture is old, everything smells like old, 2yo kids have a separate area in what looks like the "lobby" of the building until they transition to the main area. Meals are prepared in the kitchen of the building, it was the end of the day so dishes were piled up in the sink, cleanliness wasn't top notch. Owner didn't speak English very well so she didn't give me a lot of information. Price is better than other daycares. I can't speak of the way day to day goes but overall it didn't give me a very good impression.

We are truly thrilled to have our toddler at LPM. The founder and director, Ms. Gina, brings an…read moreunmatched level of care and dedication to the daycare. Several of the teachers have been with the school for over a decade, which speaks volumes about the strong and caring community they've built. I have also seen graduates of LPM who are now in high school and college visit the school or come back to volunteer. Ms. Gina even prepares home-cooked meals for the teachers every day - I've had the privilege of trying some, and she's an amazing cook! It's clear that she not only values her staff but goes above and beyond to care for them. The entire team, from classroom teachers to volunteers, are incredibly kind, nurturing, and truly invested in the children's well-being. While LPM doesn't rely on flashy marketing, my husband and I appreciate that this allows all the attention to be focused on providing quality care to the children. As I try to speak Korean to my child at home, I am especially grateful for the cultural sensitivity at LPM - Ms. Gina, Ms. Ellie, and at least one other staff member speak fluent Korean and honor Korean culture, which makes us feel right at home. If you're looking for a daycare that is a caring community and prioritizes heartfelt care for each child, LPM is the place to be.

Skokie Montessori School has been such a gift to our family. Our son started at SMS at age 2.5…read moreafter a rough start at a different program, and we have been so impressed at how smoothly he adapted to the environment here. The care the teachers put into creating and maintaining a peaceful and orderly atmosphere has made all the difference for him. It has been clear from the start that Ms. Jackie, Ms. Adela, and Ms. Kit are incredibly invested in their students and the quality of the program. Our son quickly developed trust in the environment and the adults in the building, and as a result has been able to come out of his shell and find much joy and engagement in the classroom - on the weekends he even asks to go to school! We have watched our son's ability to concentrate deeply, recognize boundaries, and engage in positive social interactions take a big leap since he started attending SMS. At home, he practices many of the independent skills that are reinforced in the classroom: hanging up his clothes and materials, clearing his place at the table, taking initiative to clean up after spills, etc. We consider ourselves so lucky to have found this school and can't recommend it enough.

This school has been instrumental in the development of our kids. For those unfamiliar with the…read moreMontessori way like we were, we are now firm believers that this philosophy has set our children up for success in more ways than just in the classroom. Montessori emphasizes independence and order in a nurturing environment, which is especially essential during ages 2-5 years old. This particular school has a toddler classroom (2-3 year olds), 2 preschool classrooms (3-6 year olds), and an elementary classroom (6-12 year olds). Montessori mixes age groups so the child has the opportunity to be both a student and "teacher" to their peers. This is a unique opportunity unavailable at other daycares, preschools, or public schools. We felt it has challenged our children above their "grade level" by being able to see what older children are doing, and one of the main reasons why they are thriving. It also taught them how to help others in need. One of the misconceptions about Montessori is that children won't be well rounded if they only do what interests them; however, SMS ensures they're exposed to various materials in the classroom. Basically, the teacher caters each student's curriculum differently, while also teaching lessons in small groups. For 3-6 year olds and elementary, there's a progress report at the end of the school year on focus areas like personal development, motor development, work skills, math, language, art, practical life, sensorial, etc. For the toddlers, they are "playing" while learning at the same time. Each Montessori work/material serves a purpose! There are also two parent/teacher conferences each year available for all students. SMS is a small school with a clean, calm, family-feel environment. A hot daily lunch is included in tuition, but they also allow lunch brought from home if your child has a restrictive diet. Their current hours are 7:30 - 5:30, and the pricing differs. The staff is accessible via email and phone, and you can personally speak to the teachers at the end of the day. They do not have an app for pictures or that tracks everything your child does in a day, but the positive side is that the teacher is paying more attention to your child instead of being on a device. Also, they follow a school calendar year (2-week winter break, 1-week spring break, etc), which also allows time for the teachers to get well-deserved breaks as well. In the several years we've been with the school, there have been zero teacher turnover in the main teachers! We toured 5 different daycares, and SMS was the least chaotic, cleanest, and the teachers were the happiest, most patient, and nurturing. Overall, we have nothing but praise for SMS and the teachers!

Our son (4 years old) attended here for about a year. It was a mixed bag…read more It was affordable for the area. One of the teachers (Mrs. Nowack) was wonderful. She was on top of things. She was friendly to parents and kids. She genuinely cared about her work. The other teacher (Mrs. Carrie) seemed to be going through the motions and she tended to characterize kids who were physically active as "problem children." And surprise surprise, most boys in class were problem children. I am glad that we left for another preschool in the area. Class sizes at Oakton are a bit too big to effectively manage that age group. Staff seemed stretched too thin and low on morale. I don't think they were compensated enough for this tough job.

Hi! I am a mom of 2 kids, one of my kids graduated from…read moreOakton ECE Center and one is currently attending. Like most parents, when it came time to choose a preschool, I was really nervous. I had gone to a couple of open houses and I didn't find what I felt was a good fit until I walked into the classroom at Oakton. I loved it right away! My son seemed to love it right away, too. Mrs. Monique, the director, gave us a tour and everyone was warm and welcoming. I got a sense of integrity, excitement, a strong sense of community as well as diversity in the classroom which were all qualities I was looking for! I also really like it being attached to the college and campus. Since then, my kids have really thrived at Oakton and we have made so many great friends and memories. I can't say enough good things about it! I hope I have more kids so I won't have to say goodbye after my youngest graduates in a year! So glad I discovered such a wonderful Early Childhood Education Center that gave my kids such a fantastic start!

My toddler daughter was a student for a few months. During that time, she learned so much! Ex. How…read moreto walk, use utensils and so many new words. The teachers are great and so caring (my only complaint is that my daughter's favorite teacher resigned). They kept me updated through the app throughout the day. So far I think this is the only daycare I know that serves fresh food (made on site) and my daughter loved it all. The director answered all my emails promptly and was always very clear. The only reason we left is because we moved but if we could stay at tiny forever, we would. I also wished that tuition was a little cheaper, but it was so worth it. Thank you Tiny for taking care of my daughter!

I am so thankful and blessed to have this daycare my 18 month old daughter this is her 1st time…read moreat daycare and around other people due to the pandemic and they have been so amazing with keeping me updated on her through there app very punctual and on l point makes me feel safe and comfortable and the director was very nice and very helpful during the process thank you to everyone and my daughter's teachers Ms. SOL Ms. GIZEL and Ms. Sonia

What a fantastic school for children! We have been at the school for 2.5 years and had a wonderful…read moreexperience in every way. The owners and management of the school truly care about the children and families. The teachers are passionate and engaged. I highly recommend the Skokie Goddard School for anyone looking for a program for their child.

I couldn't have asked for better or more attentive leadership from the family that ran itread more

We have had a wonderful experience with SCC! Like many parents, we were very nervous about picking…read morethe right daycare. Due to the pandemic, our child had not spent much time with anyone outside of family when we enrolled her in the infant room at 11 months old, and we did a lot of research and toured many different facilities. SCC stood out because of the lovely private playground and the school-like nature. We also loved that they have extra curricular activities like someone who comes in once a week for music class. They were in the mid-high range of prices, but the facilities exceeded the quality of others slightly lower in price and it felt more personal than some of the chain daycares. They also had part-time options which was ideal for us as we had grandparents helping out with some childcare. All of the SCC staff have been incredibly kind and communicative. Our child had some trouble adjusting the first few days, and they reached out to help brainstorm potential solutions with us. Within a week or two, she was leaping out of my arms at drop-off and not looking back. With current covid restrictions we aren't allowed in the classroom, but the teachers are very responsive through the app and send photo and video updates during the day. Some other facilities had a constant video feed you could log into, but I prefer this situation as I feel like it's a much nicer work environment for the staff (and I don't have to be tempted to continually check in on her). The administrators are also very involved in the classroom and frequently have nice anecdotes about her to share. Our daughter is always in a happy mood when we pick her up, and the older kids we see coming out seem to love school as well. Her teachers celebrate her cute moments and her skill accomplishments, and we trust she is well taken of. We would highly recommend this place!

I love this place. The staff are wonderful. I miss taking my kids here. We only stopped going here…read morebecause of COVID. =(

We left our excellent daycare because we moved homes to a new neighborhood. We decided to go with…read moreBright Horizons because it sounded great on paper. However, the reality of our experience there did not match our expectations whatsoever. Pros: - Teachers are nice (though retention seems to be an issue) - Center is clean and bright Cons: - High teacher turnover: Both the teachers in my child's classroom had only been with BH for a few months, and one of the new teachers had never worked in childcare before. - Consistency issues: Teachers are constantly switching between classrooms. There's not a lot of teacher consistency throughout the day with the children and no transparency with the parents about why or when it's happening. When we picked our child up one day, we found out only then that he had spent the whole day in a different classroom with all new kids and new teachers. We received no pictures in the app that day either. - Communication: They claim to use an app to communicate with parents but rarely actually update it and almost never include videos. We had no idea what our child did each day and his teachers were usually gone by the time we picked up our child at 4:30 pm. Parents also can't message teachers; instead, they have to call in for any communication. (We had messaging at our old daycare, which was so helpful.) - We felt that the Center Director seemed very focused on the corporate side of BH and it trickled down to the culture of the facility.

From the owner: At Bright Horizons, our Discovery Driven Learning® approach makes early learning an adventure…read more Visit us to find out how we nurture your child's natural curiosity, focus on what interests them most, encourage learning through play, and help them get ready for school success. Bright Horizons child care centers, preschools and schools include a premier early education curriculum and knowledgeable educators and teachers who meet the needs of children at every age and stage. At Bright Horizons, you'll find infant or toddler care, preschool and pre K programs, kindergarten, elementary schools, and Montessori schools. We also understand the many needs of working parents.

We have been sending our 4 1/2 and 2 yr old since they were 2 and 1 year old respectively. Teachers…read morehave been very patience with my son who require therapy, and accommodated with our need of having therapist coming to the center. They have kind and loving teachers who both of my kids loves. The teachers update the app which keep you inform about our two kids, and able to communicate with the teachers that way also help us to understand what's going on. We see both of our kids learn and grow with their classmates and teacher. We are glad and thankful we found SCC.

I enrolled my son at Swift in November 2012, one month before he turned 3. The staff was extremely…read morewelcoming and helped to make his transition (and mine) as easy as it could be for his first day care experience. I really value that this is a family-run facility. Everyone who works there that I've encountered makes the school a warm environment for my son during the day, from the director to the teachers to the kitchen and cleaning staff. He's now in the preschool program for 3-4 year olds & he loves it. The teachers are very well-qualified and have the patience of saints. The daily reports are a great reference for me when I pick him up, so I can better understand how he spent his day and what lessons they covered from one day or week to the next. Since he started there in November, I can see his self-confidence growing and his social development and conceptual skills have increased tremendously. It's fun to see him carry over these lessons and concepts from preschool to home. I'd recommend Swift for any parent, whether this is you're first child or you're fourth child.