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    Little Explorers Montessori

    4.7 (26 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

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    1 day

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    100%

    Services - Little Explorers Montessori

    Multiple children care

    Single child care

    Toddler childcare

    Little Explorers Montessori Preschools Photos

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    During circle time

    I'm not really a person who writes reviews but I felt that I need to share. My child is graduating Little Explorers Montessori and is going straight to the first grade this fall! It can sound a little scary and overwhelming, but I can easily tell that my child is ready! Based on the academics and the knowledge that we see at home, our child is by far ahead of the fists grade. I'm not talking about the alphabet and the basic skills, I'm talking about reading and having a complete comprehension of the text! I'm talking about Math, where the child is very comfortable working with big numbers and is not afraid of math problems! We see a great balance of education, that goes hand in hand with social skills, self care, manners and complete independence! A child who is reading signs, commercials, street names, etc. on the way to school, and that is not even the first grade! We have been with Little Explorers Montessori for almost three years now, and I know for sure that we will be stopping by to say "hello" to the school pretty often! We, as parents, have to be honest with ourselves that a child spends way more time in childcare and with their class than with us. That's where all the learning happens, especially during sensitive periods of 0-6 years old! I'm truly fascinated and forever grateful that we had that connection with the school and that we were able to find our fit! Thank you again Little Explorers Montessori!

    Kathy G.

    I absolutely love Little Explorers and am SO grateful to have found them after interviewing 3 other places in Orange County. We enrolled our son at 10 months old and he is now almost 4! That's how much we love and trust Julia and Vlad and how happy we are with the level of care and attention they provide our son. They offer a warm home environment that feels very natural and cozy. All the food is home-cooked which is a huge help for a mama like me that feels strongly about healthy eating. The toys are simple and encourage imagination and creativity and their Montessori style teaching has taught our son highly valuable life skills that have helped him thrive in language, social play, and independent work. I feel such peace of mind knowing that while I'm at work, he is being well taken care of, learning, and having a great time. I also appreciate how openly they communicate and send pictures of what our son is working on to keep us connected to his day. I highly recommend this school!

    Citations - Not Good

    ORIGINAL REVIEW: Dear Parents, please be sure to do your homework before you entrust Julia (Yulia) and Vlad with your children. Please review their citations and substantiated claims: See: https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch/FacDetail/304313419 UPDATED REVIEW (I did not want to wait for Yelp to allow me to update my review, which takes days/weeks/months at times): Julia, your response is extremely misleading for parents. I did not want to go into the details, but since you have opened Pandora's Box, I have no choice but to reply with details. 1). You state that the citations and substantiated claims "were cleared and they were all about paperwork." According to the Department of Social Services (DSS), this is not true and substantiated claims cannot be "dismissed" as you allege. Having two men sleeping upstairs in a home that is supposed to be dedicated to child care is not acceptable under any circumstance, let alone men that have not cleared criminal checks. See Facility Evaluation Report dated 02/08/22. 2) According to DSS, you are not permitted to operate two home daycares, yet you have two locations at 70 Decker, Irvine 92620 and another at 68 Darby, Irvine 92620. 3) According to DSS, you are not permitted to operate a home daycare where you are not residing in the home at least 80% of the time. You freely told me that you and Vlad do not live at either 70 Decker or 68 Darby. 4) Multiple complaints that you are "operating out of ratio", "parent not allowed entrance to the facility" when by law you must allow a parent to enter during all operating hours, "Facility did not provide a clean and safe environment for day care children", "Licensee operates more than one family day care home", and "Licensee resides in another home." See Complaint Investigation Reports dated 05/02/19, 03/05/21 and 05/04/22. 5) "You came to another school for a tour, that school has no citations and/or substantiated claims. You did your homework for another school." Julia, again this is misleading. You freely told us you and Vlad operate 70 Decker. 70 Decker has MULTIPLE citations and substantiated claims. 68 Darby is approximately 100 yards from 70 Decker. You told us you were "expanding" and opened up 68 Darby in July 2022, which I stated in No. 2 above is not permitted. What confidence do us parents have that you and Vlad will run and operate 68 Darby, the newer location, any differently than you have 70 Decker? And once again, I point to the fact that, per DSS, it is not permissible for you to operate two home daycares. Period. Again, I urge each parent to review the online reports and to speak directly with DSS. Their information (which Julia did not provide to us in the paperwork, which she is obligated to do, so that made us suspicious and we started looking on our own online). I provide it here for your convenience: Orange County Child Care 750 The City Drive, Suite 250 Orange, CA 92868 (714) 703-2800 Julia, I have no beef with you other than I do not think you have been entirely honest. I hope that you and Vlad will learn from your mistakes and be better. But, based on our assessment of the reports written by different investigators from DSS, we would never entrust our most precious little toddler in your care. We are thankful that we did our homework, since our sweet daughter was set to start at your school in 2 weeks. We had the check all written out. I grappled with whether to post this online review, and the reason I am doing so is to help other parents, as I desperately wished for someone to have provided this information, since multiple other parents have complained to DSS and they investigated accordingly. PARENTS PLEASE BEWARE.

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    Ask the Community - Little Explorers Montessori

    Review Highlights - Little Explorers Montessori

    Julia and Vlad are great with the kids and I feel completely comfortable with our daughter in their care.

    Mentioned in 21 reviews

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    Spectrum Montessori at Woodbury

    Spectrum Montessori at Woodbury

    (16 reviews)

    We love Spectrum Montessori at Woodbury. My son is being attending for 2 years now and we are…read morepretty satisfied with the education and the manners he's getting there. Teachers are very kind and understanding at the same time they can be firm and inspire respect. They have a lot of fun activities and a week balanced time for play and work. They offer the chance to nap also for older kids that is something my son still do. The director and the front desk admin are extremely nice and kind and always on top of everything.

    It has been an awesome journey for my daughter and for us as parents. Our daughter was at the…read moreschool for almost 5 years. The staff Ms Lura and Ms Kayley have been there for years and are phenomenal. They have always gone the extra mile, friendly and professional. The teachers are simply the best and love their students. They all have a long tenure with this school. We see all the students at the school learn so much from the teachers. Our daughter was lucky to have Ms Beatriz as a teacher. She is spectacular! Her previous career was as a programmer in Java and found her true passion in teaching. Because of her when our daughter was 4 she could identify all the continents, say the pledge of allegiance, name the human organs/body parts, name the planets, life cycle of caterpillar to butterfly, read books, add numbers up to twenty, subtract numbers up to twenty and when she turned 5 she was able to begin multiplication of zero, one, and two. Our daughter has learned so much social skills and leadership skills. The children take turns being the leader for the day and are so excited when it's their turn. The fun activities are off the charts with water days, foam party, animal/reptile visitors, police and firefighter day visits, weekly music classes, trunk or treat, Christmas and Christmas in July and art activities. The students perform in front of parents for Christmas, Mothers' and Fathers Day celebration. There were also extra curricular activities such as weekly soccer, hero sports (11 different sports were taught) yoga, dance, gymnastics. Over time our daughter got to try all these out. The only advice we would offer is to read everything the staff and teachers provide and send to you. Also listen to the teachers' advice and recommendations and to follow their leads. Working as a team with them made it flow easier. Thank you to all the teachers and staffs at Spectrum Montessori Woodbury!

    De Colores Academy

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    After researching many other programs, DeColores stood out far above the rest as the best place for…read moremy daughters to learn Spanish, preschool academics, and other life skills, in a caring environment. DeColores is the perfect blend of learning and fun for my girls and best of all: They are immersed in Spanish the entire time! They have picked up an immense amount of Spanish in a short period of time! I love how small the class size is which supports customized learning at different paces, as appropriate for each child. My girls each get individual time to work on different skills (for example gross motor skills and fine motor skills - such as writing their names) with Maestra Yadi & Maestra Veronica and I love how the class is a perfect blend of large group, small group and individual learning! The children get to do so many creative art projects and there's a ton of special events throughout the year that Maestra Yadi puts much thought and effort into. Parents even get to participate too! My favorite was the Mother's Day luncheon where I was so proud seeing my girls perform and I was treated like a queen. Maestra Yadi also does a lot of neat things to make the children excited to attend school such as Estrella del Dia where every child takes turns being the Star of the Day where they get to be the teacher's special helper, pass out snack and bring something from home to share at show/tell. DeColores has had such a positive impact on my girls' development! I am incredibly grateful to Maestra Yadi for creating such an ideal learning experience!

    De Colores is a wonderful, nurturing, warm, friendly, positive preschool. My children (5 & 4) have…read morebeen attending De Colores for the past two years and we couldn't be happier with this school. Maestra Yadi and Vero are loving, kind, and exceedingly talented in their ability to gently guide the children in learning Spanish and developing and expressing their creativity. I only wish that our children could stay indefinitely! I am confident that with the strong base of Spanish and positive learning that they have experienced here that they will be ready to continue progressing in elementary school. Gracias Yadi & Vero for taking such great care of our precious kiddos!

    Little Angels Family Childcare

    Little Angels Family Childcare

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    My husband and I could not be happier that we found somewhere as trustworthy and engaging as Little…read moreAngels for our 2.5 year old son. Elle and Azie made the transition to daycare so seamless and provided an abundance of updates about our son's progression to make us completely comfortable. We love the daily updates of the activities that they work on - the crafts are the cutest and really show intention in what the class is learning everyday. The activities are all rooted in some type of development and we love seeing all of the creativity that goes into making each day different and fun. Our son loves outdoor play and the playground set up is really great. Plenty of space and age appropriate toys outside to release his wiggles during their outdoor time. We are truly so fortunate to have found someplace as special as Little Angels! The entire staff takes health and safety seriously and we appreciate all of the coordination and attention to detail. We are so thankful and look forward to bringing our daughter to Little Angels to join our son in the future!

    My husband and I toured several daycare facilities, and none compared to Little Angels. From the…read moremoment we completed our site visit, we knew this was the right place for our daughter. Elle, Marlen, Azie, and Bianca care for the children with so much love, patience, and kindness. Our daughter is the youngest in the group, and they are always intentional about including her in activities while ensuring she feels safe, supported, and well cared for. We also love the structure of the daily programs they have in place. It's clear how thoughtful and engaging each day is, and it brings us so much joy to watch the privately shared videos for parents through their Instagram -- seeing our daughter learning, playing, and thriving truly makes our day. After a few months of attending twice a week at 10 months old, we're now increasing her schedule to four days a week as she approaches 14 months -- a decision we feel completely confident about. She's always excited to be dropped off, and it gives us such peace of mind knowing she's spending her days happy, learning, and building friendships. We genuinely love Little Angels, and highly recommend it!

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    I'm deeply grateful to have someone like creative minds teachers contributing to my child's growth…read moreand emotional well-being. Thank you again for making me feel comfortable being away from my child while at work and for caring for her beyond my expectations. Thanks so much for being so passionate about teaching young children. I cannot thank you enough for your influence on my child's growth and success. You always make my daughter feel comfortable and happy at school. You're awesome teachers Ms. Inoka, Ms. Martha, Ms. Debra (also Ms. Rosie, Ms. Meghna and Ms. Diana). You are a blessing to not only kids but to working parents. I was impressed with the amount of patience and love they showed for my daughter to settle down. I would highly recommend this preschool.

    Our daughter has been attending Creative Minds for the past 9 months and we are so glad we found…read morethis center for our family. She is showered with care everyday and you can tell the owner (Ms. Inoka) genuinely loves all of the children and what she does. All of the other teachers are also incredibly loving. Each time at pickup, our daughter is beaming and has clearly had a great day. She is exposed to different kinds of foods (all of which is provided and included in the tuition cost) and is very healthy. The teachers host really endearing events for Mothers Day and Fathers Day and other celebrations too. All in all, I would highly recommend enrolling your child if there's space available, which is pretty rare.

    OC Toddler School - Irvine

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    My daughter began at Ms. Alla's daycare when she was not even 2, starting at a different location,…read moreand later continued here. The love and care she has received throughout these years has been incredible. The school offers so many enriching experiences -- field trips and cultural days, exploring traditions around the world, seasonal activities, baking, yoga, dancing, and even Summer and Winter shows. Every day is filled with fun and learning. She has had so many wonderful teachers who have helped shape her along the way -- Ms. Elizabeth, Ms. Amanda, Ms. Julissa, Ms. Jessica, and Ms. Maria -- each one leaving a lasting impact on her growth and confidence. Meals are freshly home-cooked, and Ms. Alla herself is one of the kindest, most generous, and genuinely caring people you could ever hope to trust with your child. We feel so grateful that our daughter began her schooling journey here. Most importantly, I have always felt safe and secure knowing my child spends her days loved, nurtured, and well cared for.

    Most of the positive reviews are from 7 years ago and I wasn't at the location with Ms Alla, the…read moremore recent reviews. My review is for the Grassland location in Irvine. I wouldn't recommend this Montessori. I just pulled my son and our new Montessori is night and day better! The reason I pulled my son is because: the teachers seem burned out and don't seem to enjoy their jobs or excited to work with kids, he was still crying at drop off 6 months later, the communication was awful frankly. The problems started when they had turnover of teachers (2 new teachers in a 2 month period). I would drop my son off and there'd be a new teacher answering and I had no idea who they were. You can imagine as a parent how unsettling that was. I requested more than once to the Program Coordinator to please provide some information and communication to the parents about new teachers, and never have I received any. I even called the administrator to figure out what the issue was. I was told they'd send a newsletter out (this was 2 months after the teacher had already started btw). Never did we receive any information. I understand there's turnover at daycares, but to just completely ignore a parents request, one that I feel is pretty basic, is just unacceptable to me. Anytime I had a question or concern in general, I was met with a lot of defensiveness and I'm a pretty friendly and easy going person. I lost trust in the people running the Montessori, it made me feel like they were hiding something or just completely disorganized. As a parent you need to be able to feel like you can have easy and open 2 way communication with the people entrusted in watching your child. I did give them two stars because my son did seem to learn a lot during the time he was there, and the teachers were nice, they just again didn't seem to really love their jobs.

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    Our son has been at this Montessori school for almost two years, and we truly couldn't be happier…read more He started in the toddler room and is now in the primary class, and the transition was so smooth thanks to the caring and attentive teachers and staff. Ms. Han and Ms. Bianca have made such a difference in our son's life. They genuinely care about his growth, both academically and emotionally, and we feel completely at ease dropping him off each day. The best feeling as a parent is watching your child run into the classroom excited, not even looking back. He talks about his teachers at home all the time, which says everything. Assistant Director Ms. Laure is also such a bright light at the school. She's always there at drop-off and pick-up with the warmest smile, greeting families and somehow knowing every child by name. She's incredibly kind, helpful, and truly sets the tone for such a welcoming environment. We feel so grateful to be part of this school community. The love, care, and dedication from the staff are obvious every single day, and it means the world to our family.

    When we first visited this Montessori school, we were immediately impressed with the facility and…read moreenjoyed the tour. Ms. Laure welcomed us and showed us around--she was so warm and friendly, which made us feel at ease right away. Luckily, there was a spot available for our baby, and we enrolled her. What I really appreciated was how thoughtfully they helped our baby transition into daycare. She started by going just a couple of hours at first, and now, she happily waves goodbye at drop-off and goes into her classroom excited to see her teachers and play with her friends. Fast forward 10 months later, and our daughter has learned so much and truly enjoys being here. The teachers are all wonderful and caring, even with some staff changes along the way. Both Ms. Laure and Ms. Kari stand out for being especially kind, professional, and supportive. Overall, this daycare has made the transition much smoother and more positive than I expected. I'm so grateful our daughter is here--it feels like the right place for her to grow and thrive.

    Blakeley Basics Preschool - Kitchen area

    Blakeley Basics Preschool

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    Blakeley Basic is simply the best preschool I could possibly find for my son. Our 4 year old son…read moreloves it so much that he even asked us on weekend if he can go. During this critical pandemic situation, virtual class just didn't work out for my son. Beside learning academically, he needs to socialize and play with friends. A fun home play-based school is what I was looking for and I can't believe I found this perfect place. Kristen, the owner, is patient and she treats all her children like her own. The children are around the same age as my son and they play so well together. There are various indoor and outdoor learning activities for children to explore. It's a loving, fun, creative and educational environment. There are 3 furry friendly friends in school so my son get the experience of learning how to be around animals. We feel super comfortable and lucky leaving our son with Kristen. Every morning when my son wake up, the first thing he says to me is "Let's go to school"! Totally opposite than his previous preschool experience. We love Kristen and her school and more importantly, our son loves it!

    The appearance of Blakeley Basics is like the grace of God…read more Because of the virus, my daughter has been staying at home since March. Until I found Blaseey Basics. My daughter was very excited when she came here for the first time. Comfortable and happy, as if at home. Every day after that, she anxiously wanted to go to Kristen's house. She saw the real caterpillar transform into a cocoon and become a butterfly. Made a lot of beautiful crafts. Began to like mathematics. English has also improved significantly, and she has passed the IUSD language test for PK admission with full marks.

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    Marco Polo Children's School

    (76 reviews)

    Our daughter started at MPCS in 2023, and finished her pre-k class with Ms Amy, Ms Venus and Mr…read moreErick last May. This was so bittersweet, as we all wished that she could stay longer (as long as possible) in Marco Polo! We didn't want to leave! We were a part of such a tight-knit, warm, supportive, and welcoming community - the teachers, fellow parents, all the students - that I truly believe that the bond forged and positive effects gleaned (both academic and non-academic) will last well into the future. We felt that the Reggio Emilia approach worked so well in helping kids of different character traits and temperaments grow according to their own pace and strengths. We loved all the teachers that have taught our daughter, as well as others we saw every single day in their various supporting roles (admin, front desk, meal times, science, subs, etc). It took a village, and boy was that village awesome. We could feel that the teachers (and everyone else) working there truly were there because they loved kids, and they loved helping kids thrive. The Preschool and Pre-K programs were particularly notable and instrumental in their roles in helping our daughter get more than ready for her kindergarten year (and beyond). Under the relatively new leadership of Ms. Kimberly, I saw notable improvements in terms of the variety of interesting new subjects, activities, and a stronger sense of direction, leadership, and community. We can't possibly thank Marco Polo enough for helping shape our daughter, for encouraging and loving her, and for supporting us throughout. Ms Amy, Ms Venus, Mr Erick, Ms Paris, Ms Fatemeh, Ms Destinee, Ms Kimberly, Ms Jing, Ms Caitlin, Mr Ruben, Ms Lisa, Ms Janet, and everyone else - you truly made Marco Polo such a wonderful journey for us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

    We will forever be grateful to Marco Polo. Our daughter started attending when she was just two…read moreyears old, and now at four, we're blown away by how much she's grown. Her vocabulary has taken off, she's genuinely curious about the world, and most importantly, she's confident in who she is. She absolutely loves going to school. The teachers are warm, passionate, and deeply care about the children. They create an environment where learning feels like joyful discovery. The curriculum is thoughtfully play-based and beautifully rooted in nature and the world around them. Marco Polo has played such a meaningful role in shaping who our daughter is becoming. We couldn't ask for more.

    Little Explorers Montessori - preschools - Updated May 2026

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