"Dropping off our daughter on her first day felt terrifying--like handing over the most precious…read morething in my world to strangers. But Miss Tina, Miss Hazel, Miss Sarah, Miss Shar, Miss Sammy and Miss Carolyn. They greeted us with these big, genuine smiles and knelt down right away to say hi to her, not me. It melted that knot in my stomach. They're so warm, so patient, and honestly--they've built this little family vibe where kids feel safe and parents feel seen. She comes home giggling about songs and crafts, and I leave every morning knowing she's in the best hands. If you're nervous about preschool, this place makes it easy to breathe."

We love Big Future Preschool Poway. The facility is clean and welcoming. Ms. Tina the school…read moreDirector is wonderful. She helped guide us through the enrollment of our daughter with ease and stress free. The staff/teachers are friendly and caring. My 4 year old enjoys going to school, learning new things; the creative curriculum and fun activities that the school has to offer are excellent. Highly recommended!!!

Both of my children attended this school from the time they were 2 until they transitioned into…read moreTK/K at the next school, and all I have are good things to say about this school. My kids enjoy going to school and they enjoy the teachers there. The teachers are amazing and care for the children as if they were their own. We went through a handful of home-based preschools that were not up to par; and we are grateful for Children's Preschool, Miss Rene, and everyone there! My children and I love everyone there, and I even heard my daughter say how sad she was to leave when it was time for her to begin her new school. She still misses it to this day, so we stop by to say hello and she runs with joy inside to hug her friends. There tends to be a wait-list for a reason:) It's worth it!

My daughter spent 4 years here. My son is here now. It's a committed relationship. During the…read morepandemic they got my daughter ready for 1st grade. Can't say enough about this place. So grateful. If you want a place that's safe and will teach your child, not just watch them, but get them ready for the next step. Well I've just told you we're to go.

I'm forever grateful to have found Mrs. Eleanor and this school…read more I have a boisterous, precocious kid, who can sometimes be high-energy at times. Despite searching high and low, I struggled to find a preschool that was able to harness and channel his energy in the right way--one that was willing to invest in him fully and see his potential. Then I found REEA. Mrs. Eleanor knew exactly how to work with my son. Over the next three years I watched him grow and flourish in her care, and am forever grateful for everything he learned under her tutelage. He is now a smart, well-adjusted, confident 3rd grader, and well on his way to becoming an exceptional young man. I attribute no small part of his progress to the time he spent at REEA. Mrs. Eleanor brought a perfect blend of nurturing and structure to my son's life, and it was clear they shared a loving and supportive bond. I love this school so much I may have to have another kid just to send them here. I can't recommend this place highly enough, especially if you have a dynamic kid who needs more than your ordinary preschool.

I wanted to write this review a long time ago but got to my to do list to this one now…read more I can not thanks craigslist enough where i found out about this school.When i first met Miss Eleanor i knew this was it, and frankly i never searched for a school after that.Few points why i choose REEA over lots of small and big Montessori school... 1I burnt my hand with another Montessori school before i started with REEA. 2 Miss Eleanor has 15+ years experience being a teacher. i could see love pouring out when she spoke to my son. 3 Small set up for kids aged 2-5 years where they get individual attention. 4 No rush for any activity. 5 Kids work at there own sweet pace and learn a lot. 6 Very neat clean and organized place. 7 I love all the material games and tool she used (mixture of Montessori and non Montessori).Which gives kids a variety and they dont get bored. My son was so excited every single day to go to Miss Eleanor's school unlike his previous school. This was just mainly becoz he was getting so much love and attention from his teacher. She know how to discipline the kids with so much patience and love.Her constant sweet reminders helped kids to know the rules and to follow them every day. My son never use to put any toy or book or things at his right place after he was done playing or reading but we saw this change after we started him at REEA. The other most important thing worth mentioning is the love for reading that Miss Eleanor has. The collection of books and the way she reads, kids get so engrossed and develop a natural love to read.She sure is a reading specialist. She works hard with kids and communicate with parents on a regular basis.We love her and will always recommend her school to all friends .

My daughter has been attending for over 2 years and I absolutely love the school. Stassia and all…read morethe teachers are incredible, my daughter loves going to school. It's a safe, nurturing and fun environment for kids.

I cannot recommend this school to others. My child sustained multiple injuries while enrolled. We…read morehad about 1 incident report per month that my child was there, culminating in an incident in which his hand was caught in a toy door. When my child hadn't started walking yet, they put him outside to crawl on hot concrete. I cannot tell you how much it hurt my heart to see my baby crawling on the hard pavement like that. One of the teachers, Jasmin, would fasten my son's diaper so tightly that the straps crossed. It left red marks on him, and I honestly think she should not be allowed to care for any children. I don't know how she sleeps at night knowing she did this to a baby at work. The only reason I'm not putting 1 star is because Stassia and the Rabbi are nice. However, because of Jasmin, I could not continue sending my child here.

My Room to Grow - A Truly Wonderful School…read more We absolutely love My Room to Grow! Our son, Tristan, started in the Peach Room and is now in TK, and the experience has been nothing short of amazing. From the very beginning, the warmth, dedication, and experience of the teachers have been evident. Not only in how they care for the children, but in how long many of them have been with the school. That kind of consistency speaks volumes about the culture My Room to Grow has built. The teachers here are incredible. Every single one we have met has gone above and beyond to help Tristan learn, grow, and thrive. Carina and Kathy, in particular, have shown such patience, care, and creativity in supporting his development. And Principal Meghan is so thoughtful and engaged, she genuinely knows and cares about every child and family. We have seen tremendous progress in Tristan in just a year and a half, and we are so grateful for the loving environment that has helped him flourish. In fact, we chose to keep him here another year, even though he qualified for Universal TK through Poway Unified, because we simply couldn't imagine a better place for him to continue learning and growing. Our only regret is not finding My Room to Grow sooner! It's such a comfort to know that while I am at work, Tristan is in the hands of people who truly care for him and want the best for him. We feel so lucky to be part of this wonderful community. -- Update: I also wanted to share that my son is diagnosed with ADHD and is on the autism spectrum (verbal and high-functioning). While My Room to Grow isn't a special needs school, they truly go above and beyond to see if they can make accommodations to support each child's individual needs. What was especially helpful when we were considering enrolling Tristan was that they allowed him to visit the school ahead of time to make sure the environment and teachers were the right fit. The staff genuinely care and are willing to collaborate with our Behavioral and Developmental OT therapists to ensure strategies are reinforced consistently at school. I can't express enough gratitude for the compassion, patience, and dedication of every teacher at My Room to Grow. They have made such a difference in Tristan's growth and confidence.

My daughter went to My Room to Grow for almost two years, and it was the best choice we could have…read moremade. The staff is warm, caring, and truly invested in every child. She grew so much in confidence, independence, and learning here. We'll always be grateful for the loving environment they provided!

Mrs. Riffi's holds an incredibly special place in my heart. I attended Mrs. Riffi's myself as a…read moreyoung child, and now, my own two children attend. I truly cannot put into words the impact Mrs. Riffi has had on my life and now on my children's lives. Mrs. Riffi laid the foundation for my learning and taught me so much more than academics. She taught me kindness, manners, respect, discipline, and a love of learning--and she taught me to read! Some of the friends I made at Mrs. Riffi's when I was just two years old are still close family friends today, which says so much about the community she has created. With my own children, we have especially loved the structure and consistency of the day. At this age, we feel that knowing what comes next helps children feel confident, comfortable, and ready to learn. Even with a consistent routine, there is always something new being introduced through circle time and activities. Since starting at Mrs. Riffi's, my son has become so much more confident speaking in front of others through show-and-tell, tells me about photosynthesis and hibernation, and started reading words and identifying letters everywhere we go. What I appreciate most is that he isn't just participating in activities--he is actually learning the skills behind them. When he learns something at school, he comes home and can genuinely demonstrate it and apply it himself. His previous daycare did lots of wonderful arts and crafts, cooking, and science activities, which looked great in pictures. But when we tried similar things at home, he often didn't know how to actually do them. At Mrs. Riffi's, the learning feels much more intentional and foundational, and we have seen a huge difference in his confidence and abilities. Mrs. Riffi, Ms. Shermeen, and Ms. Rathi have so much love and patience as they teach reading, manners, kindness, respect, discipline, confidence, and foundational skills. I feel incredibly lucky that my children get to experience the same place that shaped me as a child. Mrs. Riffi's is so much more than a preschool--it is a place that builds a foundation for learning, character, and confidence, and does so with genuine love. I could not recommend it more highly!

We had such a wonderful experience at Ms. Riffis's, and I truly cannot say enough good things about…read morethe teachers and the care they put into creating a positive learning environment. A special thank you to Ms. Riffi, the owner, who is incredibly caring, patient, and dedicated to the children. You can genuinely see how much she loves what she does and how invested she is in each child's growth, learning, and well-being. She creates an environment where children feel comfortable, supported, and excited to learn. Ms. Shermeen and Ms. Rathi were wonderful and treated the children with so much kindness, patience, and respect. They went above and beyond to make learning engaging while also helping the kids build independence and confidence. We are so grateful for the time our daughter spent here and for all the teachers who made such a positive impact on her. It truly felt like more than just a school--it felt like a caring community and an extension of home. I would highly recommend this Montessori homeschool to any family looking for a nurturing, hands-on, and supportive environment for their child.

It makes me really proud that my kids were in the first ever batch Mrs. Sharmila started in her…read moreWatts Montessori. Mrs. Sharmila is the best teacher I have seen in my entire life. She embodies exemplary skills to impart not just academic knowledge but also general manners to the kids for their all around development. I was very excited when Mrs. Sharmila announced she was about to start her own school! Both my kids have grown significantly under her tutelage; they both picked reading, writing, and math so quickly that in a short time they were reading books meant for 1st grade even before they were to start kindergarten. I am so thankful to Mrs. Sharmila for grooming my kids into confident ones. The entire credit goes to her and her only! If you want your kids to have the best of all worlds, look no further than Watts Montessori!!

Never in a million years did we think we would find everything we hoped for in one school. Our…read morechild has really blossomed at Watts Montessori. She went from having basic reading & math skills to being able to read chapter books and attempt multiplication under the able guidance of Ms.Sharmila. It always warmed my heart to see my child look forward to going to school. We thank the school for imbuing our child with the confidence she'll need when she enters Elementary School. If all round development is what you desire for your child, Watt's Montessori is the right school for you.

We just started our 4th school year at Scripps Montessori School (SMS), and I can't recommend it…read moreenough! When I was in my early 20s, one of my closest friends was a Montessori teacher. She later moved back to her home country to start her own Montessori school. One of the most important pieces of advice she gave me was that when I had children of my own, I should send them to a Montessori school accredited by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). Fast-forward to 2023, when I had a toddler and was searching for a Montessori school for him! One thing I learned during my search was that there are many schools in San Diego that call themselves "Montessori," but only a few have AMI accreditation. We toured the two accredited schools that were closest to us and, needless to say, we fell in love with Ms. Ciara and ultimately chose SMS. I'm happy to say that we have had an excellent experience with SMS over the past three years. Our oldest started in 2023 as a 2.5-year-old in Skyroom with Ms. Ana and Ms. Noelle. When he was almost 3, he transitioned to the Apple Orchard primary classroom with Ms. Erika and Ms. Fernanda. Our oldest is quite shy and anxious, but Ms. Erika and Ms. Fernanda were able to bring out the very best in him. Before we knew it, he was writing and reading! He is now in kindergarten at our local public school and is thriving. I truly believe the strong Montessori foundation he received at SMS prepared him very well for kindergarten. Our second child started in 2024 and followed a similar path--Skyroom and then Apple Orchard. He is our stubborn one, a typical second-born and now a middle child! We had the hardest time trying to potty train him over one long weekend in 2025, with accidents here and there. But when he went back to Skyroom on Monday, he made it through the entire day accident-free! Ms. Ana and Ms. Noelle really know what they're doing when it comes to reinforcing toilet awareness! He is now in Apple Orchard, where he is starting to show an interest in writing, sounds, and reading. He loves his teachers and has made many friends in his classroom. He also loves his after-school classes, especially Cooking Class with Ms. Ilis and Musical Beginnings with Ms. Mary. Another thing we really love about SMS is the sense of community. The school has so many fun cultural and family events throughout the year, including the Halloween Parade, Diwali, Christmas Pajama Party, Lunar New Year, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and more. There are also one or two field trips each year, and there are so many opportunities for parents to participate, meet each other, and build friendships with other SMS families. It really feels like the school makes an effort to bring the whole community together, not just the children. And now that our third child is almost 18 months old, we know exactly where we'll be sending her. Ms. Ciara and almost all of the staff at SMS have known her by name and have been eagerly waiting to welcome her ever since I was pregnant! SMS has truly become a family to us. We've also developed strong friendships with other families who have attended the school. I have strong faith that Ms. Ciara always prays for the children, and that gives me great peace of mind knowing that my kids are in good hands at SMS. We are so grateful to have found this school and this wonderful community. We couldn't be happier to be part of the SMS family!

My youngest girl was at this school over summer camp and she loved it…read more All the school staff were polite and helpful. This place is full of love.