Countryside Montessori School is the kindest, most caring school. My first daughter started summer…read moreof 2022. We were nervous about sending her somewhere as she had never been separated from us before. She had no problem going right in and getting acclimated. She quickly made lots of friends, she learned all of her English skills within the first 6-8 months as she had only spoken Chinese up until this point. She learned so many new skills that I was so impressed by her new skill sets all by age 2. Ms. Cynthia is the best! She has advanced my older daughter beyond what we could have imagined. As soon as my second daughter was eligible I enrolled her and I've been equally impressed at the rate at which she learns new skills and has begun to articulate her needs!! The time and dedication the teacher has put into each and every child truly reflects. My daughters have grown to have such a bond with Ms. Dana in the office. Ms Mary Ann, Ms. DeLancy, and Ms. Dana have been nothing short of amazing and welcoming to my children. I feel safe when I drop my kids, as I know they're going to get everything they need and they will be well cared for. I see some negative opinions here, and I was compelled to post this 5-star review, as you have to come to school with the mentality that you don't know everything, and that the teachers aren't here to just babysit, there here to help your kid learn and grow with proven track records that work. I've found them to all be extremely approachable and often provide me great insight on how I can improve personally, and at home so my kids have the strongest foundation possible. All I can say is this place is awesome and I've already recommended it to many friends and family who also attend here.

My child attended this school when he was 18 months old. At that age, he loved blowing raspberries…read more-- a common developmental stage in early language development. Rather than gently redirecting the behavior, one of the teachers put a mask on him, even though children under 2 are not recommended to wear masks for health and safety reasons. Unfortunately, I saw this happen to other children as well. I also witnessed and heard yelling from some teachers -- which is not only inappropriate in any early childhood setting but especially concerning for a school that claims to follow the Montessori method. You don't have to be a Montessori teacher to know that yelling at children, especially toddlers as young as 18 months to 3 years old, is not acceptable. I later confirmed with certified Montessori educators and visited other Montessori schools where this kind of behavior would never be tolerated. To be fair, there are some truly kind and capable teachers here -- like Delancey and Dina -- who genuinely treat children with care and respect. However, The director herself has also been seen yelling at children. There are two bathrooms shared by both children and staff. When the kids were potty trained, the children used to go to the bathroom alone without supervision. It wasn't until a school inspector visited that the practice changed -- only then did they start sending a teacher to accompany the children. This raises questions about the school's priorities and compliance with basic safety standards. One more thing to be aware of: at the end of the school year, parents are expected to give "tips" to each teacher -- with a minimum of $30 per teacher. If your child has one lead teacher and 3 or 4 assistants, that adds up quickly. However, the tip money is collected by the boss first, and it's unclear if or how it's distributed to the teachers who actually work with your child. That process made me uncomfortable, and I felt parents deserved more transparency. In the end, it's your decision. I just hope that by sharing my experience, I can help other parents make an informed one. Every child deserves a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment.

As often as I read reviews, I figured it's about time I contribute, and I whole heartedly want to…read morethank Park West for a wonderful education for my son. During our son's "graduation" at Magenta class today, there were many teary eyes (from the parents that is, the kids had no clue). Why I chose Park West two years ago: 1) It started while I was with my son at the local CPW playground, I remembered being impressed with how well behaved the kids from the school were. Seriously, how were they able to get these little 3 year olds to be so good? 2) the administration: exmissions (yes a word you'll come to know as a Manhattan parent), was very thorough. Since the school ends at 6 years old, they are not incentivized to shunt you to their elementary program. During the period when we were applying for elementary schools, I had almost daily updates on deadlines to be aware of. Very helpful when the whole process is ridiculously complicated. Office workers are very approachable 3) Montessori system: My son was shy and not the type that "opens up" if he were pushed/cajoled/bribed to do what the other kids were doing. I needed a place that allowed for him to progress at his own rate with less rigidity (I had to overcome with my tiger mom instincts). 4) Hours- they have a 12 month option, enrichment programs to 6 PM. Given that most parents there have to work, it's nice to know that this school realizes that and works with it. Two years later, it proved the right decision for us. At four years and a half years old, he is reading simple books, dressing himself, and counting to 100 along with his classmates. He's attending a gifted and talented public school program in September. I hope this is helpful. I wish you best of luck on this crazy process.

We have been at Park West for two years and are so happy with our experience. The teachers are…read moreprofessional, thoughtful and caring. They are in tune with parents' questions and concerns for their children and help us feel at ease. Admin is easy to reach and communicative. My child is flourishing and thriving and loves being there!

We are so indebted to Small World Montessori. Our child has flourished under Ms. Robins who has…read morenurtured and educated our son from the time he was 3 years old. Now under quarantine, he misses his school and Ms. Robins so much. The school has embraced technology in order to continue offering a home Montessori education to our children in this time of quarantine. In addition to virtual group classes, individual one-on-one time for kindergartners and daily group story times for all the children, Ms. Robins' virtual presence is a constant reminder that she is more than an amazing educator -- she is a constant light providing normalcy for our children during this unprecedented time.

My two daughters attended this school from 2005 to 2010. I agree that the school is better suited…read morefor children with a sense of structure, or this organized becaus they will not spoil the children, and it does require a certain amount of structure in the day and a child who is willing to work on it . However, the amount of care and personal attention that's my daughters got here was amazing, all of that in a very clean, perfectly organized environment that prepared both of my daughters to continue and excel in excellent private schools. We As parents were very happy and I am planning to put my third daughter in when she comes of age. I think the best testimony to the greatness of the school is my oldest daughter memory. Even today, she claims that the real difference in her education was her kindergarten years and she still remembers all teachers dearly.

I couldn't be more grateful to be part of this community. The teachers and staff are truly A++…read more And, not surprisingly, they have handled the entire Covid situation perfectly. Even after 6 months of Covid quarantine, my 2 year old son still asks to see his teachers every day. We couldn't be more lucky to be part of this school-its a gem!

Morningside Montessori is a gem. My family feels so lucky to have found it, and we wish it went…read morethrough high school! It's incredibly warm and nurturing, and we know that our children are safe and happy. There's a friendly vibe and tons of natural light, with wonderful caring teachers. Great parental involvement as well. It has been a beautiful experience. Thank you MMS for giving our children the best introduction to school that we could imagine!

I enrolled my child at Children's Home Montessori School after being presented with a vision that…read moreappeared consistent with traditional Montessori principles. However, our experience did not align with those expectations. One concern was the school's limited parent access. Parents are not permitted in classrooms or the building during the school day, making it difficult to observe the learning environment or interact directly with teachers and staff. During our child's enrollment, communication with the school was primarily through email, and it was often difficult to speak directly with staff regarding concerns. Over several months, our child consistently expressed reluctance to attend school. She reported that teachers and students were hitting her, that teachers frequently raised their voices, and that she felt uncomfortable during nap time. When we brought these concerns to the school's attention, we did not feel the responses adequately addressed them. On another occasion, our child came home with visible marks on her neck and shoulders. We reported the incident and sought clarification, but the explanation provided did not fully resolve our concerns. As time went on, we noticed increased anxiety related to school, including crying when discussing attendance and visible distress in school photos. Ultimately, we decided to withdraw our child. Every family's experience may be different, but based on our experience, the school did not provide the level of transparency, communication, or environment we were expecting. Prospective parents may want to ask detailed questions about parent access, communication policies, and incident-reporting procedures before enrolling.

With utmost gratitude I write this!…read more I am a beyond proud alumnus of this kind and loving school! I graduated from MIT last spring 2025 and I couldn't have aspired so high if it wasn't for my extraordinary teachers who pushed me to excel when I thought I couldn't. I remember most their words of encouragement and how special I felt day after day. I hold you all forever preciously in my heart.

Both of my children attend Carrig Montessori. I am a public school teacher myself, and the…read moreteachers at Carrig are the best I have ever seen. Everything there is done so thoughtfully and purposefully. Just an example: new kids are phrased in one at a time so each child feels maximally special on their first day. My son started class in the fall knowing his letters, and in two months he's now proudly reading books to me. My daughter never willingly left me for any reason, but she loves to go to school and waves happily to me each morning. They come home each Friday with the work they have done and are so proud to show it to me. They talk to me about things I had no idea they knew. A big part of Montessori education is the kids making their own choices of what work to do, and I'm really enjoying how much more independent and self sufficient my children have become. The parent teacher conferences are amazing. After my scheduled classroom observation, two teachers met with me for *an hour and a half* conference in which they describe my children's relationship to themselves, their peers, their teachers, physical space, all the different subjects (practical life, language, math, etc). I learned so much. A few very specific examples: they noticed that my 3 yo daughter's Vs sound like Ws and are working with her in the movable alphabet to see if its a problem hearing or expressing the sound. They notice my son gets distracted 75% of the way through a work and they check in with him to give him the final push to complete his work. They talked to me for five minutes about my son's understanding of different vowel sounds. I don't think that level of detailed perception and follow through happens at any other preschool (any school anywhere?) Before Carrig, my kids had been in 4 other preschools and 1 elementary, so I have some basis for comparison. Carrig is truly a one in a billion school. Christine Carrig is committed to running a school that is excellent in every detail. Even if it is geographically less convenient for you, you should think about sending your child there because it's your kid and it's really worth it. PS I also really like that they are on Cooper Park and can use it for recess. A lot of preschools have to use a playground near a highway, which I feel is a real health issue.

Best of the best! So grateful for this school. I've had a child at Carrig since 2018 and they…read morecontinue to have wonderful teachers and a great community.

Bronxville Montessori (BMS) is a hidden gem. Our family moved nearby last year, and we were a bit…read moreconcerned about being able to find a high quality preschool. My husband works in education, and we're both very focused on the impact of an educational environment on the development of young children. After seeing several daycares and preschools in the area, we visited BMS and knew it was the program for us. Our daughter, almost 3, just made the cutoff to get into the mixed age classroom. BMS has almost a magical quality about it - The head of the school, Deborah, runs an excellent operation. From having kind, passionate, well trained teachers, to fostering a secure, collaborative, learning environment for the children, we could not be happier with our experience at BMS. While I could go on about the different best practices I've seen there, I think the most important proof is in the pudding... Since starting at BMS, our daughter has grown wonderfully. She's become more thoughtful, conscientious, and engaged. She's excited to go to school in the morning, and models the behaviors they foster there, outside of school (curiosity about the world, empathy, cleaning up after herself, and more). To us, Bronxville Montessori maintains the perfect balance of lots of play (creative and physical), some traditional classroom instruction, and character focused activities/norms. Of course there's work on the parents' part to help foster a similar environment at home, but we feel BMS has helped lay an excellent foundation for our daughter. We recommend the school to all our local friends (one just enrolled their toddler in the 2s program). We have also been very happy with their ability to reopen for the 2020/2021 school year, and with all the precautions they're taking to ensure a safe environment amidst COVID-19. The 3-5 age class students wear masks inside and outside, are screened every morning, practice frequent hand-washing, follow social distancing measures inside the classroom, and more. The pandemic has been extra challenging for all our children, and since returning to BMS after the pandemic school lockdown, our now almost-4-year-old has has been progressing back to her more normal state - happier, less anxious, fewer meltdowns, etc.

Me and my wife enrolled our son in this montessori school about 2 years ago.The first year was…read morekinda ok,i would say it was great but the teachers they employe are not really worth the amount of many you pay for tuition.At 15,000 a year plus all the donations they constantly ask for they should really have better teachers.With a ratio of 6 to 1 they should be aware and on top of what each kid needs.That didn't happen the first year as our teacher had to be pulled from the class room for speaking to parents as thou they were friends of hers and not adults with children there.Very Bad communication skills with parents.The second year got even worse.Again you expect certain level of professionalism for what you pay for a 3-6 year old to go to this school but not the case.This time the teacher we got was very snarky and also answered disrespectfully to my wife on several occasions.Again not professional at all.During the second year they had a child in the class that liked to go after kids.Push punch bite whatever the case.Now i know kids play but this is continuous and for what you pay and the 6 to 1 ratio What are you paying for?This child ended up picking up scissors to cut my child's hair and paperwork and no one did nothing.They said "It was a misunderstanding"What's to misunderstand the kid and parents should have been dealt with but a school that is private,if you have a few kids maybe that will attend in future they will close an eye which they did.Unfortunately because of one uncontrollable child i had to pull my child from the school.Its not the first time it's happened at this school.I will be contacting the licensing board in the next couple of weeks or when they are available to discuss this kind of teaching and behavior.I would not recommend you send your child here as you might have to pay a lot to worry and be ignored if something comes up.For the money there are better options out there than this especially for s child

Apple Montessori Edgewater was pivotal in my son's development. Not only did he come home equipped…read morewith the knowledge and confidence to be independent, he came home HAPPY. My son LOVED Apple. His teacher, Ms. Reyes, and her team took the best care of my child, as they do with all the children. There was always art work or themed days or new recipes or science experiments happening every week. The director, Ms. Barias, is a joy to communicate with, Ms. Jeong somehow keeps things organized amongst chaos, and I just really loved our time here. If you have the opportunity to attend this school, it is an absolute joy.

Apple Montessori Edgewater has been amazing for our family. Our child has grown so much in…read moreconfidence, independence, and curiosity since starting there. The teachers are incredibly caring and attentive -- they really get to know each child and bring out their best. Communication is excellent, and the environment feels both nurturing and inspiring. We feel so grateful to be part of such a wonderful school community!