We feel so lucky to have found an amazing school and community through Northview Montessori! When…read morewe were moving out to Boise, mid-pandemic, it was hard to navigate getting our son in school in a place that we had no real parent network in place. At the recommendation of a colleague, we looked into Northview and we could not be happier. After months of hard-to-navigate online pre-k programs back home, we enrolled our son in the in-person program at Northview mid-year. The teachers and staff were patient, attentive and showed extra care in getting our son situated and back in the "groove" of attending school. We kept our son there over the summer, where they did an amazing job balancing active play and lots of outdoor time, with the right amount of learning to stave off the summer learning loss. Now, our guy is in Miss. Debbie's kindergarten class and we are so impressed, seriously... she is a child-whisperer. Patient, understanding, calm, smart, creative and loving. Miss. Debbie does a wonderful job setting up her curriculum to incorporate many Montessori principles while also preparing students to enter into 1st grade in a more traditional setting. Added bonus, the before and after school care that is still developmentally stimulating and fun! The size, access, communication and flexibility of the staff make this school a working parent's dream! Finally, while I know people are in many different places when it comes to things like COVID policies and masking, I appreciate the thought and care that Northview takes in constantly reviewing the latest guidance and working on ways to keep students and their families safe. For me, this has provided incredible piece of mind. In a time of a lot of change and chaos, Northview has been one of the absolute best things we've found in moving to Boise and we will forever be grateful for the foundational love of learning they have helped to spark in our son.

TLDR: Punished our 3 year old for potty accidents by making him sit in his own poop until I could…read moreget there to pick him up (despite having clean clothes for him and telling us they would help our newly potty trained 3 year old with accidents). If I could leave zero stars, I would. We have a child who just turned 3 years old in June that we enrolled at Northwest Montessori in August 2025. He had been potty trained for about 2 months before we started but with the change, completely regressed. But we were working on it, asking the teachers for guidance on how to handle it, etc. Our child came home telling me one day that his teachers (Miss Rebecca and Miss Beverly) wouldn't let him play at the station he liked because he had an accident (pooped his pants). But I just thought maybe that's just how a 3 year old tells stories... But then yesterday, I got a call from the school. He had another accident. Now we have extra clothes at the school and in the past the teachers have helped him get cleaned up and change his clothes. This was actually something we SPECIFICALLY asked about during our tour (how accidents would be handled, if they would help with wiping since he's still learning, etc and we were told oh, yes absolutely). Then yesterday I got a very rude call from their "director" Debbie who was angry that my child had another potty accident. She was not kind or apologetic but actually snapped "it's not the teacher's job to do this" ... But this "montessori" has 1 year olds as well. So they are a daycare. They change diapers. They had actually mentioned moving him down a class if we needed to when we started but that was as close as they ever came to working with us to find a good solution. *** And when we enrolled, we specifically asked about this and they said they would make him put on his own clothes but they would help clean him up. She then told me that I needed to come pick him up. When I got there, he was pulled out of his room and sitting in a chair, sitting in his own poop. His clean clothes were literally on the floor next to him that they refused to help him with. Because they were mad that he had an accident, they decided to punish him by making him sit in his poop. Three grown women thought it was appropriate to punish a three year old for a bathroom accident by making him sit with a turd in his pants until I could get there (and btw she initially left me a voicemail so they had no idea how long it would take me to get there or to even get their message).

This school is the best. Simply amazing teachers. I wish every child could experience this school.read more

From the owner: Giving Children Education For Life…read more Rose Hill Montessori School provides an exceptional education from preschool through sixth grade to students in the Boise, ID area. Ever since we opened in 1996 we have remained dedicated to our mission of encouraging our students to become lifelong learners and positive contributors to society. Instruction is delivered to our students in small groups, with the focus on experimental learning rather than rote memorization. By allowing children to guide their own learning through exploring their interest and learning with hands-on materials, students gain a sense of self-motivation, self-esteem as well as a positive attitude toward learning. At Rose Hill Montessori School our areas of study include: * Language * Math * History * Foreign languages * Music and art * Practical life skills Our trained and certified teachers will work with your children to help them reach their highest potential. Our entire team will work tirelessly to provide your child with the greatest opportunities to learn and grow. Call us today at Rose Hill Montessori School to find out more about enrolling your child.

My children attended the school for 4+ years. We were fortunate enough to be able to skip the…read morewaitlist as we were moving from another Nobel Learning Community school in another state. My children had experience with 3 main teachers, two of whom were fantastic. The classrooms are set up with one main teacher who has to have Montessori certification and one assistant teacher who does not have to be certified in Montessori education. There is one classroom for toddlers (ages 2-3) and 6 other classrooms (ages 3-6/kindergarten). The upper classes have about 22 students/teacher+ assistant. I assume that each school is as good as the staff/teachers who work there. Children can start as young as 2 years old in room 1. The main teacher in room 1 Ms Rose was very patient, loving, and had everything under control. Other teacher in room 6, Ms Kat, was the best teacher I've ever met. She made sure that children were learning, came up with various aids/behavioral strategies when children were struggling and she is very dedicated to teaching. She was always busy teaching the children, working with them, and making sure they were learning. My other child who moved up from room one to another classroom had a less than desirable experience as he did not learn much in his upper class and we ended up transferring him (after addressing our concerns first with that teacher and then the principal) to room 6 and the amazing Ms Kat who brought him up to speed in less than 10 months! The principal, Ms Lila is a very lovely lady, knows everyone by name, and runs the school well. Her door is always open and she is always available to listen to concerns and answer questions as needed. The school organizes a few events during the year and it feels like the staff is putting a lot of effort into providing the children with nice learning environment. Overall, I'd recommend the school but make sure you are on top of what your child is learning.

We absolutely love this school for so many reasons. Our son and daughter both went here and I feel…read morelike they are a huge advantage because of it. The Principal, Miss Jamie is so warm, kind, smart, and trustworthy-- you literally could not find a better person for this role. She is always coming up with fun ideas for the kids, parents, and her staff and she's a true leader. I think all of the teachers here are really great but especially my son's teachers Miss Emily and Miss Cari. Miss Emily has been at this school for (i can't remember exactly) but 15-20 years. She is totally professional and the BEST teacher. We feel so lucky to have her. Miss Cari was her assistant and I think she is in school to become an official teacher and we also think the world of her. She had cute inside jokes with our son and was always bringing a smile to his face. The school is clean, safe, organized and I always felt comfortable having our kids here. We will miss this school!

Both my daughters and my nephew have gone here for years. All the kids in my house are highly…read moreintelligent and very polite. I owe their positive demeanor to this institution. Any issues I have had with the staff have been addressed immediately and with urgency. This Montessori school is doing a great job, and I hope they continue to educate our youth in the manner they have been.

Our daughter has been attending this school since 2020 and we love it. It has been the best school…read morefor her. The teachers are all wonderful and have been at the school for decades. You cannot get that anywhere else. My 5yo daughter says it is a "loving and kind" environment and that is why she loves it. She knows that they care about her, they are invested in her development and that they instill a respectful culture. It is truly special. The education she has gotten there is so well rounded, I cannot say enough. They implement the Montessori methodology and have gone above and beyond to implement as many learning opportunities as possible. My daughter has grown in math and reading as well as the day to day basics that children need to grow in this world. Just this week they have been growing their own spices, learning about them, grinding them and bringing them home for use. She loves it. Ms Rosemarie has been teaching her Spanish, which she loves, and Ms Carrie has been taking them on educational field trips to grow her education in the community. She looks forward to seeing Ms Jan every day, and wanted to tell her about her loose tooth. She loves Ms Amy and the activities she has put together for the outside play. I just can't say enough good things. We love all of the teachers there. If you want your child to thrive, bring them here!

I was looking for a Montessori school in the Boise area for my Kindergartener after the school she…read morewas attending closed. I had fond memories of Cloverdale Montessori when I went here as a child (30+ years ago), so I decided to enroll her here for the 2022-2023 school year. The school has changed ownership a few times since I attended but it is still as wonderful as I remember. My daughter's development is night and day since her fist day there. In one year, she has not only improved in knowledge and comprehension, but also in speech and social skills. They really have the school structure down to a science. It is set up perfectly to teach practical life skills, academics, independence, and social skills. All the teachers there are wonderful, respectful, knowledgeable and really care about making sure each child gets what they need to constantly be moving forward. Ms. Jan was always welcoming and made morning drop off stress free. Ms. Carrie and Ms. Rosemarie, who were her primary teachers, really went above and beyond to adapt their teaching styles to her learning style so she could succeed, for which we are so grateful. Sadly, Cloverdale does not offer elementary levels so we have had to change schools since graduation, and unfortunately, I now know first hand that not all Montessori schools in the area are as invested in your child as Cloverdale Montessori. So, if you are looking into a Montessori school for your child, you really cannot do better than Cloverdale Montessori.

My, and more importantly, my child's experience at Lakewood Montessori could not have been better…read more First off, I was introduced to Montessori as a skeptic of the method. As an outsider, I initially did not see the difference between Montessori and standard pre-kindergarten childcare. My first revelation came about 6 weeks after being there. Our daughter was 19 months old and suddenly came home and was ready to start wearing big girl panties. This was a revelation to my wife and I as it isn't something we had really even discussed. We found that our daughter continually hit checkbox's that we had set forth in our mind and her social development was excellent. All of the teachers that she had through her time at Lakewood were excellent in our opinion. Whenever my wife and I volunteered at the school, staff was friendly and I would always rave about how well children were behaved and classrooms were very orderly. The transition from pre-primary to primary Montessori was really quite seamless and most importantly the transition from Montessori to first grade was excellent. We couldn't be happier with our experience at Lakewood Montessori.

I write this review in response to Megan, because I find her review to be unfair and with little…read moreauthority. Lakewood is a wonderful school. I worked there for over a year and had such a fantastic experience. I went to college to be a teacher, but this was my first experience with the Montessori curriculum. After years of studying and working in academia, Lakewood made me fall in love with this program. The children are taught more than academics, and more often than not, they were at levels higher than those academically required at their age. As for Meg, I am unsure where her credibility to write such review comes from. I worked with her for 2.5 months of the maybe 3 months she was there. On several occasions she confided in me, and I can say with fair certainty that this was a job taken in disparity rather than for the desire to do it.  Unfortunately, yes she came in during a time when we were shorter on staff due to several pregnancies, the summer season, and staff transitions. However, the directors always made sure no one missed their break, worked too much, or was left alone. And you, Meg, I write this here because I have no other means to communicate with you. I find it absurd that you talk about too much chaos/stress and lack if warmth, when you are about as tough as a twig and as warm as an ice pack. You became stressed just by having to take ONE upset child on a walk. And it was basically protocol to offer a hug to any child that was troubled, and yet you looked scared just to hold their hand. Also, this "I am experienced in early childhood education" nonsense? You are 21 years old and haven't gotten a degree, or even gone to college. In all our conversations about students, class, and technique did you ever mention this expansive knowledge. Often you came to me for help and advise.  Do not put yourself in the same place as those of us who actually poured our time, energy, and heart into this subject. I am truly disappointed by how ungrateful you were about the opportunity you were given. You were put in a class with one lead teacher who has 10+ years of Montessori experience and another lead teacher with a heart of gold, both of which took on several "assistant tasks" to ease your stress. Not to mention accommodations done for the sake of your "health and well being" by the administration. And don't say "I was told I was not a fit" when the director found out you were looking for another job (after just 1.5 months) and was still told you were welcome to stay until you found a new position. Which was more than generous considering how negative you were throughout the whole experience.

Initially, my wife wanted to enroll our three year old son in a Montessori preschool. In some ways,…read moreThe Goddard School is the opposite of Montessori: where Montessori stresses free, unstructured, child-led activities, Goddard stresses organized, structured, teacher-led activities. For our son, who is naturally independent and creative, the structure Goddard provides, rather than stifling his independence and creativity, helps him channel it in new, more social and collaborative ways. Sometimes this is difficult for him. But we think it's challenging him to develop skills that a Montessori-type approach might not provide. Plus, the teachers are incredibly well-qualified, the facility is new, clean, beautiful, and very well-managed, and the security and health precautions are advanced and well-applied. The Goddard School and its proprietary curriculum may not be well-suited to fit every child's needs and all familys' budgets, but we feel it's well-suited to our child's needs and well-worth the added expense over some of its competitors. Also, it's good to know that TGS is a franchise, so each individual facility will only be as good as its owner-operator. And the owner-operator at this facility, himself a father, is kind, respectful, organized, efficient, dedicated, detail-oriented, professional, and an excellent manager of both property and personnel. We highly recommend this school to anyone who feels that their child would benefit from this kind of learning environment.

My family loves The Goddard School. The facility is clean safe. The staff has always been very…read moreprofessional. My son loves all the teachers and you can tell they genuinely care about him. They have a focus on early learning and my son really enjoyed the STEM based lessons. I have no complaints and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

love this school! My children have gone from nature babies through now forest kindergarten! They…read morelove it and the community is amazing.

From the owner: Our school specializes in outdoor education as well as play-based and child led lessons. We are a…read morenature immersion school that focuses on early childhood development and the whole child approach. We use teachings from Waldorf and Montessori as well in an outdoor setting.

We've had a great experience with Vista Montessori so far! The teachers are fantastic and truly…read morelove all of their kiddos. We're so grateful to have the opportunity to partner with VMS for our child's early years.

My two kids attended between 2016 and 2023. My boys loved Vista and still insist we go visit on…read moreoccasion to see there former teachers. While childcare can be stressful, I always trusted the Vista family. They did everything they could to safely stay open during Covid. I hate seeing the rating so low from some folks that had a very limited or one-time experience. My kiddos were well prepared for Kinder and thrived, especially socially, at Vista. If you're in it for the long haul, Vista is so great. I'm glad my babies made core memories and lifelong friends there.