We love this preschool, all three of our kids have had a wonderful experience here. My oldest son went here in 2012 when it was at a different location and Caroline was his teacher, when my second was ready for school in 2015, I put him in this bilingual preschool as well. Now my youngest daughter is attending this preschool, she is enrolled in the Chinese and English and her Chinese has significantly improved. We don't speak Chinese at home and because the school has sparked a curiosity in her, she requests Chinese words throughout the day and asks, "how do you say this in Chinese?" We were at a preschool before whose values did not align with our early learning philosophy. That school had wanted to teach every child exactly the same and ignore the needs of the child's developmental stage. We wanted a preschool that deepened our child's love for learning while treating them each as individuals and Language Garden does both. We feel so blessed to have found them. It's been over a year for my daughter and the teachers in both Chinese and English classrooms have been the same which helps build that stability a child needs to thrive. I highly recommend them! read more

TL;DR: We found the owners extremely inflexible, unreceptive to parent feedback, and rigid about "school policy," even when those policies weren't clearly communicated. The school made a great impression during our tour, and our son's homeroom teacher, Ms. Chloe, was wonderful. Unfortunately, our experience with the owners/administration was terrible. I originally considered giving one star, but reconsidered solely because of Ms. Chloe. (More below) During our tour with the owner, Catherine, I was genuinely impressed. She knew the children by name and remembered details about their development, and I loved that she had 35+ years of childcare experience. We were also excited that the toddler teacher, Ms. Chloe had Montessori training and experience, and that the school is dual language Mandarin & English. During the tour, we saw teachers preparing what appeared to be homemade seaweed soup and other homemade food, and we were specifically told that if we sent food from home, it would be heated before serving to our child. Unfortunately, after enrolling, our son barely ate his school lunches, and the leftovers coming home provided by the school were frequently things like hot dogs and hamburgers, chicken nuggets. We started sending homemade meals instead that he would usually eat, such as stir fry and dumplings but unfortunately he continued to not eat much of his lunch. Six months later, we learned the school actually had a policy against reheating food from home. Our son started in December, and we didn't learn this until June by a new teacher. I wonder when we would have found out otherwise. This policy wasn't in the parent handbook we received and contradicted what we were told during our tour. For months, we were sending food expecting it to be warmed without realizing our son was being offered it cold. No wonder why he wasn't eating. For something as basic and important as whether our child was eating during the day, this was incredibly appalling. We also found the school extremely inflexible with scheduling. We paid for three days per week, but couldn't switch days or make up days missed due to illness or other situations. For example, if our schedule was M/W/F and we needed M/W/Th one week, Thursday required an additional payment even if our son didn't attend Friday. I understand that daycares need predictable staffing and policies, but there seemed to be very little flexibility. If we are paying for 3 days and they are saving the spot for my son, why does it matter which 3 days of the week? Another frustration was the administration's response to parent feedback. The school uses Brightwheel for communication, billing, and daily updates, but photos are uploaded separately to Flickr. Photos from the entire school are posted together, usually a day or two later, meaning I had to scroll through hundreds of photos just to find a few of my son. I repeatedly asked if photos could at least be organized by classroom so parents could easily see their own child's class. The request was repeatedly rejected because of "school policy." I also wasn't comfortable with every other parent or grandparent of the school having access to photos of my child. Eventually, I stopped checking Flickr because I simply didn't have time to scroll through 400+ photos. The best part of our experience was Ms. Chloe. She genuinely cared about our son, shared stories about his day, and made us feel like she really knew him. We also saw significant improvement in both his English and Chinese vocabulary during his time at Language Garden. Most importantly, he felt safe and comfortable with her. During the months when drop-off was difficult, we always felt relieved when Ms. Chloe was there to receive him. There are caring teachers here, and the school made an excellent first impression. Unfortunately, the gap between what we expected from our tour and what we experienced--particularly around food, scheduling, communication, and the administration's receptiveness to parent feedback--ultimately left us very disappointed. PS: my son's new daycare posts photos of him DAILY in brightwheel itself. Clearly it's possible. AND we still drop him 3 days a week, and they don't require a set schedule. We just drop him any 3 days and they are fine. That's what we should be paying for! I have done many daycare tours at this point, and am happy to share my experience with various daycares in the Eastside that may be a better fit, if anyone parents would like to reach out. Best of luck! read more

See all

Without question our children deserve a space where thriving in a safe environment is top priority to each parent. It is important for parents to feel at ease knowing they're sending their kids to a school that is trustworthy. It is unfortunate at this establishment safety is not one of their top priorities as mentioned in their mission statement. There have been one too many incidences that have occurred at this school with no proper communication with parents. There is no transparency from faculty members. Each faculty member are all mandated reporters which leaves me speechless as I'm sure there is a policy and procedure for all incidences that may occur with any of our kids. Yet incidences continue to arise without transparent communication and explanations to us parents. According to public records this institution has been cited for safety of our children to a lack of planned emergency planning this past year in 2025 which you all can find from public records on (find child care wa . Org) and input the schools name/address. I have also provided screenshots of my findings. Not only is safety a concern but also the turnover rate this establishment has with teachers is signaling a deeper issue in this institution. Surly as an educator/owner of a school one must know the significant impact that may have on our kids. Studies have shown a "connection of high turnover with loss of instructional quality, weaker teacher collaboration, and more classroom inconsistency" as Stephen Gibbons have done a study on. It is without question if you want your children to attend a safe and well managed school then this isn't the place you want them to be. The schools quality of care and lack in skill to care for our kids really shows. read more

See all

From the beginning, there were things that made us uncomfortable. During our tour, Caroline directed most of the conversation toward my wife, who speaks Mandarin, and appeared to avoid engaging with me directly. Even when I asked questions, the answers were often given in Mandarin rather than addressed to me. As a parent trying to understand the school and make an informed decision for my child, I found this unprofessional and concerning. Over time, our concerns grew. The biggest issues for us were safety, communication, and accountability. In our experience, we did not feel confident that incidents were being properly documented or reported to parents in a clear and timely manner. With young children, accidents can happen, but parents should be informed honestly and promptly, and there should be proper records of what occurred. Our experience did not give us confidence that this was being handled appropriately. When we raised concerns, the response felt defensive and business-focused rather than child-centered. We did not feel heard, reassured, or treated like partners in our child's care. We also felt that the school often appeared to do the minimum rather than proactively creating the safest and most supportive environment possible. In addition, the number of school closures and days off, including some that were not federal holidays, added to our frustration. We also came away seriously questioning the leadership of the school. Based on our interactions, the leadership did not appear to demonstrate the judgment, communication skills, accountability, or child-centered approach we would expect from people responsible for young children. Rather than giving us confidence, the way issues were handled made us feel more concerned. For us, this was not about one isolated incident. It was the overall pattern: poor communication, lack of transparency, safety concerns, and leadership that did not seem willing or able to take parent concerns seriously. Stability, our child did not enjoy consistency in their education, given the high level of turnover of staff. Choosing a school for your child is a major decision. Parents deserve to feel that their child is safe, cared for, and that concerns will be handled with honesty, empathy, and accountability. Based on our experience, we cannot say that was the case here. read more

I am posting an honest opinion on LG now that my child is no longer enrolled there for our personal reason. LG is one of the best Mandarin Bilingual preschools on the east side, they just moved to a brand new classroom facility, large bright windows that allows plenty of light into the rooms. The new child sized toilets and low sinks are perfect for preschoolers to reach on their own and feel like they can do personal hygiene like mommy and daddy. =) love the facility there, the only less than ideal is the slightly limited outdoor yard size due to space constraint, but it's filled with a very thick layer of mulch so kids won't get hurt. They do everything by the book and this is where I like this place. On the teaching end, I like all of the teachers and the TAs, they are warm and smiley toward the kids. Children receive a Montessori style education here, shelves of learning sections are stocked with various fun puzzles and toys. Kids have a regular schedule here every day so they know what to expect during transition time. I appreciate how the lead teacher/owner was very thoughtful in her planning, to be honest I was a bit caught off guard when I learned how elaborate the bday celebrations can be here (I initially just bought in 2 dozens of cupcakes like at previous COOP environment), but the celebration that ensued really impressed me, each birthday child receive this "royal" treatment on their special day, and they have to learn to express themselves well in classroom to tell stories too. All in all, I really like this place, and I think it's a good place for parents who are seeking a proper bilingual education. We will likely return next school year after my child is better potty trained and more prepared. (forgot to mention, they teach traditional characters here, their teaching staff can accommodate for ZhuYin or PY) Personally I think learning the traditional "radicals" that compose a proper character is very important in helping kids understand the etymology of Chinese characters. read more

We sent out little little one to this school because we were hoping she would learn some Chinese. You know those 80s date movies where the lesson is "not the stuff you want but the stuff you need"? Well this wasn't quite like that, but I'm bad at analogies. Basically I found a school where the self directed style was amazing. They had a bit of trouble at the beginning with teachers popping in and out because of pregnancies and so on. But what are you gonna do? People gotta have those babies right? :) OK, so to be specific They offer English and Chinese (half and half) or whole one or the other Half days or full days They video record all the space. I think I mentioned it being self directed, but the reason that matters is they have many shelves with lots of options and I kiddo was always gravitating to different ones. The owners are super caring people. And I just like them. And I like the door code I can never remember. For security. ... It's 4 digits, I just suck. ;) read more

Our children loved the school and teachers. Because of Caroline and her great teaching and support staff, our children developed strong academic and social skills. Their Chinese language is so good (reading and writing during kindergarten, for example) that they are able to start school in Taiwan no problem (even a grade level ahead). The staff is so kind and caring - always taking time to listen to a story or calm frayed nerves, and leading the children in creative play and learning activities. We would wholeheartedly recommend this school and staff to any family looking for a great Montessori experience and bilingual education. read more

This school can't keep good teachers longer due to the poor management, they changed the English teacher last August and now the English teacher is going to leave again! they keep increasing the tuition fee but the quality of teaching remains same ! read more

Caring staff, few classrooms to foster a familiar environment, very flexible with their children and parents. On top of that they are very accommodating to kids with allergies. What is often lip-service for other institutions is being lived here every day. I feel my kid is safe here with his allergies and special needs. Their curriculum is versatile and offers a nice combination of Chinese and English lessons across the two classrooms. All the teachers in this facility are extremely nice, approachable and caring, to the point were they feel part of the family. Last but not least, come by and experience the kids and their well-behaved attitude and you know they are in good hands here. read more

My son start attending Language Garden in March and within months his mandarin improve tremendously. He was very reluctant to learn the language when I introduce mandarin to him. The nurturing and encouraging environment at Language Garden helps him to grow and learn so much the past few months. His writing skills improved and is capable of communicating with me in Mandarin. Ms Caroline not only teach but care for the well being of my child. I am so glad to find a school where he enjoys and look forward to go to everyday. read more

I feel so lucky to have found such a wonderful preschool with such a nurturing environment. This school is taught in both English and Mandarin Chinese, which is exactly what my family was looking for. We do not speak Chinese at home, and we are so pleasantly surprised when our kids try to communicate with us in Chinese. My older daughter started at this school when it first opened in December 2013, and always looked forward to going to school. She's moved on to kindergarten in public school now, and at least once every couple of weeks she tells me she wishes she can go back to Language Garden! I feel that her time at this preschool has prepared her well for the transition to kindergarten. The academic material (reading, writing, math, science, etc) she had learned is not too far off from what she is learning now. Everyday, she came home with artwork and worksheets. I feel there's a good balance of all areas of learning. But most importantly, she learned how to act appropriately and respectfully to the teachers and her classmates. This is something I had been trying to teach her for a long time, and the teachers at Language Garden helped bring home that message in ways that I was unable to. Thank you so much for that!!! Ms. Caroline is so kind and patient, and makes all the kids feel so loved and welcome. My younger daughter now goes to Language Garden. When she first started a few months ago, she was having some separation anxiety at drop off in the morning. Ms. Caroline or Ms. Chih-Ying would come over comfort her, so that I can leave without my child clinging to my legs. I felt confident that she is in good hands, and I know she got special attention during this period of transition (as do all new kids who join the school). They are just so nurturing and so good at calming kids down, and showing them how much fun school can be. It is the same way in the English classroom. Ms. Henderson is very calm and patient when my child acts up. My daughter just loves her and talks about her all the time. I like how she tells me candid stories about the funny things my daughter does, and sometimes will show me the different work that she is learning that week. I have so much respect for all the teachers here. The day to day school operations are very organized. There is a schedule that they follow, and developing that routine is important for young children. Transitioning from one activity to next is so much smoother when they know what to expect. That's not to say there isn't any flexibility in the schedule. Sometimes I see special fun projects, like cookie decorating, or they may have a guest speaker (eg. reptile man and his reptiles). Or they may celebrate a child's birthday. And they can ease right back into the schedule after all the fun, without any hiccups. I love how they invite parents to celebrate special holidays. The children put on a little performance that puts a smile on all our faces. What a great way to show the parents what they are learning in school! It's so nice to have to have the opportunity to meet the other kids in the class, as well as their parents at these school parties. My kids have developed great friendships in this school (as have I with some of the other moms!). I believe it's due to the positive influence from the teachers. It gives the whole atmosphere a happy vibe. I am so impressed with all they have established in the year that we have been here! They are truly amazing!!! read more

This school was established by an exceptional teacher. Ms. Caroline not only helps kids excel, but also makes kids love school. She truly loves kids and cares for them. Having a good first impression about school is so important for kids at this young age. I cannot trust my daughter any more than in Ms. Carolin's capable hands. read more

High turnover on teachers. There were at least 4 English teachers during our time there for about 2 years. Bad and disorganized management - communications to parents were done poorly and inconsistent. read more

My older son is 4 years old and has had the same teacher, Teacher Caroline since he was 2 1/2. When we first decided on a preschool, we did a lot of research, preschool tours, talked to many parents and observe the classrooms and teachers. When I sat in and observed Teacher Caroline's class years ago, I liked her right away and so did my son, she made learning fun for the kids and within the first few weeks my son's Chinese had increased. Along the way she would give us tips to help encourage his language development and fine motor skills at home. When Teacher Caroline left the previous school she was teaching at, we followed her because we trust her. People are encourage to choose the school but not the teacher but the reality is, the teacher is the MOST IMPORTANT part of your child's education, if the classroom is filled with warmth and creativity, that is when learning happens. Since we trust her guidance with our son, we trust the staff she has hired to grow the school and I have had no problem, I get day of incident reports if my son gets hurt even as little as a scratch, Teacher Christine is great with the kids and I have had only positive experiences with Chih Yin, she responds to all of my questions promptly. I would recommend touring the school to see if it's a good fit for you, you won't regret it! read more