I adore The Little School! My son has been going here for about 1.5 years, first in the older…read moretoddler room and now in the preschool. My 7 month old also just started in the infant room. The teachers here - and owner Erin! - are absolutely the warmest, kindest, and most genuine people. I'm constantly amazed at the creativity they put into each day for the kids: from building forts, to the dramatic play station, to themed crafts and working on letters and counting, they do such a wonderful job at providing an environment that is fun and safe. And the ratios! You truly can't beat them. The fact that there are only 3 (!) babies in their infant room and 4 toddlers in each group (younger and older) is something you just don't see anywhere else. I also love the parents here, several of whom have become "real life" friends! It's such a joy hearing all the stories of his day from my preschooler, it's obvious how much he loves his teachers and this school. Highly, highly, highly recommend!

The Little School came highly recommended from a close family member who had her two children…read moreattend. It seemed to be fate that there happened to be an opening that came up when my daughter turned two and a half, just in time to start the preschool program. The philosophy and teaching methods that this school bases itself upon are far superior from absolutely every other preschool that we looked in to. The staff consistently maintains an overall higher level of expectation for these kids. Which was so impressive to me because at such an impressionable age these young kids are being held accountable for themselves. They take such pride in the work that they accomplish either by themselves or in a group. They are respectful of not only the boundaries of their peers, but more importantly of themselves. As a result they are rewarded by having more freedom in their choices. From science lessons, to music class, yoga, art classes, dramatic play (my daughters fave!), weekly sharing day, to hearing what creative game they made up that day while playing outside. The amazing staff, conferences & daily progress reports, the ever so anticipated Halloween party, and sincerely wonderful families and parents, I could go on forever. Overall the three years at The Little School was a tremendously positive experience for our whole family. We now have a first grader who is reading at a fourth grade level with impressive comprehension skills. As well as going above and beyond her schools curriculum in math and science. I'm so proud of her, and I attribute so much of her early successes to her time at The Little School.

I have now sent two daughters to Bernie's downtown and I cannot say enough about how awesome that…read moreschool is. My oldest went in to Kindergarten well prepared both emotionally and academically. My youngest is still going there and loves all the teachers. They go on a lot of great field trips throughout the year, have weekly music classes and offer dance and computer as extras. And last but not least, the tuition cost cannot be beat in the Minneapolis area. I would recommend Bernie's in Minneapolis to anyone.

Judy, the head teacher, makes this school great. She cares about every student and knows how to…read morefoster development and enforce reasonable discipline. My daughter has learned good math and reading skills and has also gained an interest in the solar system, geography, bugs and a bunch of other topics. They also go on real field trips to places like museums, the fire department and an orchestra hall. Their neighboring day care, New Horizons, doesn't dare to take the kids off school grounds because they don't have the teacher ratio or the disciplined children to keep things safe.

I have a child one of the 2 infant rooms, and I am so incredibly impressed with the…read moreprofessionalism, friendliness, and generosity of the staff at St. Peter's. His two lead teachers are former elementary teachers and the environment is inviting AND ridiculously clean. Everyone I have come into contact with at St. Peters has been both competent and kind. I also really appreciate their high-tech security/check-in system. I would not hesitate to recommend St. Peters for anyone looking for child care.

My child recently started in one of the infant rooms. We signed up when I was in the first…read moretrimester and the wait was 11 months but it was well worth the wait!! If you are pregnant, get on the waiting list asap. When we toured St.Peter's we knew right away this was where we wanted our son. The facilities are beyond anything you will find for child care. It is clean. They have a HUGE gymnasium where the kids can have recess in the winter or when it's rainy. There are balls, toys, trykes for them to ride, etc. This is something we didn't find ANYWHERE else. And in Minnesota, a space for kids to run around indoors is so essential. They also have a muscle room for the kids who are just learning to move around. There are safe objects for them to climb on. Often times at pickup I will see kids riding around in the buggies down the halls just for a change of scenery while they wait for their parents. I think in the summer they walk back and forth outside on the sidewalk out front. The infant room has volunteer grandmothers that come and rock babies, our son gets a ton more attention than he did at the daycare we used while waiting for his spot at St.Peters. The grandmas enjoy holding him when he naps at times, even though it's not necessary, they just like to. I drop in sometimes and visit my son. Most of the times I've come he's being held or he's playing and happy. (they do not ususally know I'm coming) The atmosphere is inviting and the staff and volunteers display so much love for the kids it makes my heart happy to witness. In the short time he's been there they have done multiple art projects. The kids go to chapel on a regular basis as well. Tonight is a christmas concert that the children are putting on for the parents. They have parent aware nights where you can meet other parents and everyone does some type of volunteer activity together. The last one was making meals for people less fortunate. When we started we received a welcome bag with lots of fun stuff including a hand made knitted blanket. I mean I could go on and on all day. This place has exceeded our wildest expectations and knowing what childcare can be like elsewhere I sometimes have to pinch myself that this is real life. Since starting, my baby boy has not giggled and smiled so much in his entire life. I can tell he is truely happy here.

This is our 4th year at LCS and it is such an incredible school, staff, and community! While the…read moreacademics are at the core, they are in a place where learning is seen as fun and exciting and keeping a growth mindset is important. Plus, minimal tech, computers, and screens is worth a lot!

We have a child in Children's House (pre-K) and a child in Elementary (1st grade) at Lake Country…read more We love the individualized attention and support each of our children receive from their guides, the assistants and the rest of the staff. Both children are excited to go to school and are proud of the work that they do and what they are able to accomplish. We also love the sense of community the school fosters, including that younger students are paired with an older student mentor. One of the biggest differentiators is access to the land school in Wisconsin -- what a treat for city children to get to explore, work with animals and gardens, and have overnight opportunities with their peers. Every time my children bring up equity or social justice issues or demonstrate a deep understanding of a topic that seems beyond their years, I am reminded of why we choose Lake Country and am thankful for the opportunity.

Both of our kids went to this school. We couldn't have been HAPPIER with our experience. The…read moreteachers of the school truly care about the students - this is reflected in every detail of the day and curriculum. TCI built an amazing community that we still keep in touch with years later. We are so grateful to have found this school when we did!!

Two months since my last child graduated from TCI and they still talk so positively about their…read moreexperience there! They still get emotional when we reflect on how much they miss TCI as TCI has been such an integral part of our lives for so long! They fingerknit (something they learned at the school) as they reflect and reminisce. I've had both of my daughters attend TCI - my oldest started at age 4 and went until she went to Kindergarten and came back for all the breaks and the summer. My youngest started at 20 months and just graduated this past summer at 5.5 years old. I frequently travel for work and my kids have been to over 10 child care/day care facilities (Creme, other montessoris, Goddard, Kindercare, ISM private academy, immersion academies etc.) and my oldest will be in 2nd grade at XinXing Academy in Hopkins....so I can confidently say that TCI is, by far, the best school for children for SO many reasons. They are 1000% child focused. - They always do what is best for the children from how the environment is carefully prepared and the word choices the guides use in each language they speak. - The environment is set up for a child's lifetime success and it is absolutely beautiful with high quality materials and crazy attention to detail. - The children learn independence and responsibility - they get their own water and snack, they sweep up their own messes, materials are put away when completed. Plus they learn how to plant and pick their own food in the garden. - The guides are HIGHLY qualified in both the toddler and children house communities (think graduate level credentials) in addition to the AMI certification. This is a huge difference compared the frequently underpaid 'teachers' in 'day cares' that just watch the kids. - The lead teacher and staff are amazing partners in parenting - they help think through challenges a child might be having and provide a lot of insight into their development - it's like having a developmental coach for the child! Some things to be aware of is that you need to make lunch each day - I know other places will provide lunch, TCI does not. There are a lot fewer pictures that you receive in comparison to other pictures - as Lishi said, the focus is on child development, not taking pictures. I would be happy to talk to any parent who is interested in TCI - I know that sometimes it is daunting if you aren't familiar with the Montessori approach. I've added in a few pictures to this review - these are my children only (which is why I blocked out the other child's face). Masks are not required, the one picture that had a mask on was because my daughter was coughing and I didn't want her to get others sick :)

Our son loves going to Appleseed everyday! He just moved from the infant room to the toddler room…read moreand is learning so much everyday! Communication has been great - any questions I have are addressed right away and the teachers seem to genuinely care about the children there. Looking forward to another year with Appleseed!

We had our daughter enrolled here for 2 years. While she was in the toddler room she received…read moreexcellent care. The preschool room was awful. Staff turn over was tremendous and the quality of the staff they hired was poor. Some days I would pick my child up and not recognize one staff person in the room. The children were out of control due to 28 kids in one large open room. So glad we left here. If you are looking for cheap center based daycare this is your place. If you are looking for quality daycare I wouldn't consider Appleseed.

There is no better place for children to start out their educational and social/ emotional journey…read morethan Jean Lyle. My family spends nearly an hour in the car every day to get to Jean Lyle and we would gladly spend twice as long to go to this incredible place. Our daughter has blossomed under the expert and loving care of teachers many of whom who have been teaching here for decades. The student teacher ratio is amazing and the community of parents and kids is the kind of inclusive and welcoming space we all need and deserve. I don't write google reviews but Jean Lyle is pure magic and every parent should be lucky enough to be able to send their child here and watch them take flight.

Jean Lyle is a stunning gem of a school targeting children ages 3-6yr old. There are three areas…read morethat set this school apart from the rest for me: (1) Play-based philosophy: fundamentally, this is a SCHOOL not a daycare, with extremely low (like 1:4) teacher:student ratios often with student teachers and parent helpers on top of that. Children get to PLAY while they learn. With 45 years in business, this school was originally Macalester's "lab" school pioneering a caring and play-based learning philosophy that has continued, at its core. Curriculum if often driven by children's interests (oh you want to learn about sharks?) (2) The people: you know that one friend you have that makes you feel warm and heard? ALL the teachers here are like that friend. They really, individually, understand and love your children. (3) The facilities: many of the competitors i had toured sit in a small room most of the day. Jean Lyle has a huge gym and one Sunshine room dedicated to Art. Take a tour!

The teachers, therapists and all staff members dedication to helping students thrive, not only…read moreacademically but also socially and emotionally, is truly remarkable!

The transformations of students there is remarkable whether in terms of improving communication,…read morephysical coordination or simply confidence! The small student to staff ratio means every kid will get plenty of individual attention and continued adjustments towards goals that kids/parents have.