The Day Nursery offers a great program and strong overall childcare, however, do not plan on their…read morefacility being open consistently. Do to a combination of Covid-related restrictions that are in place per the Oak Park Health Department and additional restrictions that the Day Nursery puts in place, we have been unable to consistently rely on the Day Nursery as a childcare provider. In the last 6 months our daughter's classroom has repeatedly closed for 5 days at a time, with the latest closure happening despite zero cases of Covid in her classroom. Communication with parents has been minimal, inconsistent, and reactionary. Our experience has been not been a unique one, with similar closures occurring in all the classrooms. There is a significant movement among school families to remove their children due to the ongoing lack of consistent childcare as well as a lack of future strategy. **Full disclosure, we are a vaccinated, science following, and mask-wearing household.

The Day Nursery is incredible! They go above and beyond to help the children. My daughter has…read moreflourished while attending both academically and emotionally. The support and loves she's received in a very tough year is unmatched. We were incredibly blessed she was placed in the sunshine room with the infamous Ms Kira and Ms Latrice! My daughter feels so loved, loves going to preschool, and has made lasting relationships. I would recommend them to any family looking. Your child with be loved and individualized in their approach. It's hard to trust other people to care for your children, this is one place you'll never have to worry!

I cannot say enough good things about this place. My kids have been going here for 4 years now and…read morehave never once resisted or complained about going to school. The teachers are all incredible and passionate about my kids. My oldest is in Kindergarten now and is fully prepared academically and more importantly socially for her school career. The school has definitely helped us to make this community feel like home and has become the center of our life in Oak Park life with so many other great family social activities to meet other parents.

Lovely, secular, diverse, NAEYC-accredited, developmentally appropriate, play-based nursery school…read morethat welcomes and honors all families! And was able to safely care for my little peanut-allergic son, and quite a few other children with food allergies. And provided lots of music, movement, arts & crafts, and vigorous outdoor play time in all seasons. There is a volunteer Board of Directors as well as other opportunities for parents to get involved. My two children are both older now and have moved on but look back very fondly on their Pilgrim days and have maintained friendships with their Pilgrim classmates and the staff, too!!

Its now been several months since our twins started public school at Longfellow Elementary in Oak…read morePark and with every passing week my thoughts go back to WSMS and their experiences there. What surprises me is how well they handle the structure and homework (!!) of 1st grade considering how 'unstructured' Montessori was? But the fact is that the freedom within structure setup of Montessori kept alive their natural curiosity motivation and when that showed up in the more structured environment of the public school, they just adapted to that behavior, but then RELISH the learning they get to do - it's all NEW works and they're excited about that. EXCITED TO DO NEW WORKS. They come home and plop at the table and plow through their little assignments, they killed their diorama project, taking charge of their 'research' and drafting tasks. WSMS allowed my kids to acquire learning in their own way and consistent with their own brains and inclinations and that's how they're going to learn moving forward and I hope learning will stay fun for them. As we drive by WSMS on the way to our umpteenth soccer practice/game, they look out and ask when we can go by for a visit.

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.

Love this place!! It was the best start for my 3 boys. Caring teachers, small classes, great…read morefamilies! Just a wonderful preschool & we're so lucky to have found it. It's not all play, my boys did very well here academically& it's a place we still miss as they're older now. Fond, fond memories!

Can't say enough great things about First United. Our 5th year here, we love it! Wonderful,…read morecaring teachers and staff and a really great environment. While it's a play based preschool so much learning has happened during our time here.

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!

This a great school. My son attended for 8th. Searching for the perfect for my son and our family…read morelanded at TCS. Each student is embraced as they are. My son completed and presented an excellent capstone project at the end of his 8th grade year. The teachers and administration are professional, attentive and innovative.

My daughter loves going to school everyday, has a great community, and has risen to the standards…read moreof the school. Thank you for changing her life's course.

This is a newer school in Oak Park so I was a little nervous at first. The class sizes are small so…read morethe teachers are very attentive. Pricing is better compared to some in the Chicagoland areas. My daughter is taking Japanese classes here and so far so good. She really likes her teacher which I feel is important. The space also promotes learning, rugs and pillows everywhere but also small classrooms for teaching. On the weekends the environment is very quiet. Had a chance to write this review while sipping complementary coffee while waiting for my daughter. The staff here are always so welcoming!

I am Cynthia R.'s husband. We signed up for the whole summer back in January and have the email to…read moreprove it. When we showed up with our daughter for day 1 of the 2nd 6 weeks, we were shocked when they said we had not enrolled. Then they lied to us and said the session was full; we had a friend call the next day and found they had room. It wasn't until after repeated calls and emails that the director (does not deserve this title) informed us it was due to our child's behavior. We were only notified once of any issues and we immediately addressed them. In addition, we asked every day how things were and were always told "good" and "fine" and were never again contacted about any behavior issues. If we had been, we would have dealt with them but the lies and deceit are so very unprofessional and unethical. We have filed a formal complaint with the BBB of Chicago and have done the same with the Village of Oak Park. Our child did love Academia and is heart broken, is this how an institution of child learning acts and behaves? Buyer beware with this place!!

We love it here! Our son has just completed his first year at Montessori Dual Language Academy and…read moreit's been wonderful. He's only 4 and has learned so much and has become so independent. 10/10

We could not recommend MDLA enough! Our son started there about a year ago and attends both…read morepreschool and the summer camps. He learns in Spanish for half of the day and also gets to do fun activities like yoga. He's become so much more independent and well-mannered since going there. We're also thrilled that hot lunch is now included with tuition. The hours are great for working parents, and the staff is so wonderful and caring with the kids. We're grateful that they were here for us when we moved to the area!

Our child transferred to St. Giles School for middle school. The transition was seamless thanks to…read morethe caring teachers and staff. As a new family, we all felt fully supported as we learned the ropes. The tight-knit school environment was a night and day difference from our former public school experience; it was exactly what our child needed, academically, socially, and mentally. A bonus was knowing that our family's faith-based values were shared by other SGS families, contributing to a sense of community and belonging for us.

We have had an amazing experience at St. Giles with our 2 kids. The sense of community is…read moreunparalleled. Classes are small, teachers are committed and responsive. For a small school, the number of extracurricular opportunities that are offered is amazing.

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