Our family is beyond thrilled with Unity! We toured three different schools before making our…read moredecision, and we are so happy we chose Unity. Our daughter, who is two and a half, has had an incredible year of growth, particularly in her language development. It truly exploded thanks to the supportive and educational environment at Unity. She has learned ways to express her emotions, like saying "I'm frustrated" when her little sister takes her toys, which has been such a milestone for us. Sometimes we are pleasantly surprised by new phrases/ideas she weaves into conversation and we ask - where did you learn that? "At School!" Unity has also helped her develop independent play skills, which, as a parent, is a dream come true! Eva and the entire staff are fantastic communicators, and I always feel comfortable bringing up any topic with them. (What other school has parent-teacher conferences for two-year-olds?!) We can't wait for our second child to join Unity when she turns two!

Unity Preschool has been an incredibly nurturing place for my children to explore and learn, and…read moremost importantly feel comfortable and valued. My older child was well prepared socially/emotionally and academically for grade school. I love how excited my pre-K child is to share the day's adventures with me. The teachers support curiosity and exploration in the most responsive and creative ways. As a parent with an early childhood education background, I have been thrilled with the quality and care of the experienced teaching staff. The space is so bright and filled with evidence of all the fun the kids are having each day. I also now have the privilege of being part of the collaborative team of teachers. Wonderful director, very special community, would not hesitate to recommend this magical little school!

The school every parent wishes their kid could go to!…read more I cannot emphasize enough what a lovely educational environment Total Child is for my 2 girls. They are thrilled to go to school everyday and happy and cared for when I pick them up. The teachers are all so attentive and warm, the administrators are communicative and on top of everything. I've never felt this level of involvement from a day care / preschool before. We feel so fortunate that our kids are getting this experience

Total Child is a special place. I LOVE that they get the kids out in the world by taking them for…read moreneighborhood walks, going for frequent visits to a nearby senior living facility to do crafts with the residents, and making regular visits to the Evanston library. My daughter has thrived at this preschool over the last year. It is also one of the few options in Evanston that offers a full time PreK program. I could not recommend this school more for your little ones.

Amazing school - great quality of education, space, teachers, and administration…read more They're located in a great location in Evanston - a couple blocks from the beach and with a mini park attached to the school. They're very responsive in regards to any requests, questions, or the best way to check it out yourself is to schedule a tour of the school. The youngest that your child can be is 6 months old for two hours a week.

I was raised in traditional schools and had no prior experience with the Montessori approach, so I…read morewasn't sure what to expect when we first joined Chiaravalle Montessori. But after four years at the school, I can confidently say that I am amazed by how effective this method is and how well it supports my child's individual growth. Our child is now in kindergarten, and one of the things that continues to impress me is the sophistication of the curriculum. Every day, he brings home work that I would have been doing in second or third grade--adding and subtracting fractions, solving word problems, and even working with four-digit multiplication. The school's approach really allows children to progress (and f accelerate) at their own pace. It's incredible to see how engaged and excited he is about learning. Even more importantly, he is thrilled to go to school each morning. Knowing that he wakes up eager to learn and be part of his classroom community speaks volumes about the environment Chiaravalle has created. Another standout aspect of Chiaravalle is the extraordinary educators. Over the past four years, our child has had three different classroom teachers, and every single one has been a true education professional, deeply dedicated to their students. They don't just teach; they observe, adapt, and create a learning experience that meets each child where they are. Their ability to recognize strengths and nurture individual potential is remarkable. Beyond academics, Chiaravalle is an incredibly close-knit and welcoming community. The relationships our child has built--with peers, teachers, and other families--are meaningful. It's a place where children are treated with dignity, encouraged to explore, and supported in becoming confident, engaged learners. We truly believe that Chiaravalle is giving our child the best foundation--not just academically but socially and emotionally as well. We feel incredibly grateful to be part of this school.

Midwest Montessori school has great teachers and so loving atmosphere. Learning experience is based…read morein every activity. A very family oriented place. Children love the school, so do parents. A great school community! Everyone is is always welcome! I do love the school, its teachers, parents and kids, amazing!

We have had our three daughters go through Midwest Montessori. Two of them have graduated through…read morekindergarten, and the third one will be in Kindergarten next year. We are the type of parents who will evaluate and compare all options before making a decision. We visited many other preschools, Montessori or not, public or not, in the Evanston/Wilmette area, and Midwest Montessori stood out. First, the teachers are exceptional. They are patient, encouraging and extremely knowledgeable. MMDS is a demonstration school, so the teachers are actually "master teachers" who are also role models for new teachers. The whole school is completely immersed in the Montessori philosophy, in the original sense: what Maria Montessori taught and wrote, not the edulcorated version that has been simplified or perverted to fit new pedagogical fads, that you may find at other Montessori schools. It is thus individualized to each child, at the same time making sure that the child is eager to learn new things. The kids learn courtesy, dispute resolution, and many useful practical skills. However, they also learn academic topics very efficiently, thanks to wonderful Montessori materials for Math as well as reading, writing, geography and science. When you enter the classroom, it is quiet and orderly. The students are busy, each on their own project, and they always put back their work in place after they finish it. Second, the school is small, with just two classrooms, both of which feel spacious and light with large windows. They only do pre-K to Kindergarten, so the little children do not feel overwhelmed by older ones, and they are the center of attention. Children are in mixed age groups, so the oldest ones mentor the younger ones, thereby creating role models for the youngest at the same time as it builds self-confidence for the Kindergartners. It is a diverse community, with children speaking Russian, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Hindi, and of all ethnicity. Because of its proximity to Northwestern University, it also tends to attract academically gifted children, who thrive in this self-paced environment.

We love Barbereux! Amazing teachers and staff. Would highly recommend this school to anyone looking…read morefor a fantastic preschool and kindergarten.

great school and amazing staff. The teachers are very attentive to the kids and do a great job of…read moremixing in music focused curriculum with games and playtime. really happy we chose this school for our kiddo.

Cherry is a wonderful safe place for kids to grow and learn at their own speeds. It is inclusive…read moreand loving!

From the owner: As a developmental early childhood education program, Cherry Preschool offers a safe, consistent,…read morenurturing environment that encourages the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth of children at their own rate. We include children of all abilities and backgrounds and teach understanding, and acceptance. We welcome children who are at-risk due to special needs, financial and other family challenges, partnering with families to provide quality education and a sense of community.

I enrolled my son in the Toddler 2 community when he was 19 months old. Prior to enrollment, my son…read morehas been in Early Intervention since he was 7 months old, working with both an Occupation and Speech Therapist. He was speech delayed and developing areas of concern within his development, along with his emotions surfacing = very tough time! Transitioning from his sitter 5 days to Montessori setting 5 days was certainly an adjustment for him. It took my son a few weeks to stop crying at drop off, and months to get acclimated to the routine, work periods and the environment, and even then, still working through normal toddler behavior ie. biting, hitting pushing. As a single mom, with an only child, it was important to me that my child become independent, resilient and was within a supportive environment where his development can continue to progress regardless of the phases he is experiencing. By far, this was the BEST DECISION I have ever made. The Lead Guides and Leadership team work super hard to invest in training to ensure the classrooms are lead professionally with love. It genuinely warms my heart to know that my son has developed close relationships with his teachers and has learned to really care and love his classmates. My son was diagnosed to be on the Autistic Spectrum right around 2yo, which increased my concerns for him to develop emotional connections. I deeply know that if my son was not supported in the way he was at Guidepost, he would not have developed his emotional muscles as strongly, and build true personal connections like he has. I believe in Montessori philosophies and approach, and with the school's help and practicing this approach at home, has made me believe that my son will have equal opportunity in the world and positively make a contribution, (ok ok I know he's only two :). ) All this to say, if you're looking for an extension of your own home, where structure, community, kindness, genuine care and development opportunity is present, this is THEE PLACE. The experience is truly invaluable, no amount of money can actually repay the hard work these teachers put in every single day. Genuinely, you cannot put a price on, peace of mind, circle of community, support and programming. You will not be disappointed. Shout out to Carolyn, Sam, Taylor, Ms. Jenny, Ms. Carmen, Ms. Mariela, and Ms, Dono (many others who's names I can't spell I am so sorry). Chauncey and I will always have a special place in our hearts for you all.

We have been so happy here! The whole team from Sam down feels deeply invested in giving our child…read morethe best possible experience she can have, and the moment you walk in you can feel what a happy, thriving community they've built. They go above and beyond to keep the children engaged, happy, comfortable, and active - proactively identifying any concerns and raising them to parents to ensure their little ones live their best lives and get all their needs met. The facility is attractive, clean, well run, and always filled with laughter. And our child is absolutely thriving. We could not recommend it more!

My husband and I recently moved to Evanston from the city and enrolled our daughter at the Little…read moreGreen Tree House. We have absolutely loved having her at this wonderful school! Her teacher is so creative and is constantly coming up with new and interesting lesson plans for our one-year-old. It is such a joy to see her mind expanded every day when she walks in the door, and she comes home with amazing new skills and interests (she learned how to sign "more" and "all done" in one day). The teachers and staff are all extremely friendly and engaged with all of the children: they bring in musical instruments that they play for the kids, have all sorts of amazing toys and sensory experiences available to them (water, finger paint, feathers, cold spaghetti, you name it!), and even manage to take them on adventures around the neighborhood, including a recent trip to the Central Street library. Ultimately the staff seem to genuinely care for each and every child and their own unique needs, and our daughter's teacher in particular does a fantastic job of creating an atmosphere of fun and playfulness while also maintaining a sense of calm order to the room, which is a truly key and critical combination for infants. The facility itself is beautiful - very clean and organized while still fostering a sense of exploration, space, and wonder. We especially love the giant indoor playspace for the kids to get their wiggles out rain or shine (there is also an outdoor playground for the children to play in on nice days too). When my husband and I first heard about the cloth diaper policy we were a little skeptical about it, but it hasn't been an issue at all and has been extremely easy! We have enjoyed our experience so much at the Little Green Treehouse and cannot wait to see our daughter continue to grow and learn here for years to come!

We had two children here for two years and pulled them out after feeling unimpressed and…read moredisenchanted with the administration throughout that time. The owners and administrators run this center like it is any old business, they do not appear to have any real interest in creating a nurturing environment that allows kids to thrive. Their sole focus is keeping the classrooms full. This disconnect is hard to escape. As just one example, a number of families pulled their kids out at the same time in the fall of 2022 (at least 6, including ours), and I don't believe they asked a single family why they chose to leave. They definitely did not ask us. As long as they have a wait list to pull from, it does not seem to matter whether or how they could serve their kids or staff better. It's truly disheartening. That said, we are forever grateful for some wonderful teachers who are trying their best to do right by the kids. This, despite a lack of internal support that was so bad that many of them vocalized their frustration to parents. It only seemed to be getting worse the longer we were there. If you can find care elsewhere, do it.

School for little children is such a special place. The teachers and admin our dedicated,…read morenurturing, and welcoming. Both our kids have had wonderful experiences at SLC. The flexible extended day options have been so helpful to meeting our childcare needs. I have been so impressed with the staffs willingness to meet the needs of their students and create classroom environments that are engaging while promoting learning through play.

Our kid unfortunately had a bad experience. In their year, there was one good room and one bad room…read more-- and they got the bad room (disengaged teachers, very little communication). We also found it to be a very cliquey place -- there is an inner group of parents who themselves went there as kids, and many have worked there at some point, and have large extended families all going through, and if you are not in that group, the administration doesn't seem to listen to or value you at all.

Ok, i just graduated from ETHS this year and despite my many mixed feelings i considered it to be a…read moremostly positive experience. First let me start off by saying i have a lot of anxiety, both social and academic, and i took a while to adjust, but i did eventually. The pros- -all sorts of after school activities are available. Yes we have football, debate, honor society, basketball, and all the typical stuff. But we also have quiddich club, ceramics club, Latin club, Israeli culture club, photography club, classic film club, etc. -the school is ethnically diverse -yes, it's not in the nicest area and there are some troublemakers, but ETHS has TONS of security guards that will do things like split up fights immediately. Unless you are someone who goes around looking to pick fights you are probably safe. -the school is big enough that people are not too into your business or gossipy because you are just 1 of over 3000 kids. -tons of support systems available AM support (before school), Wildkit academy (on Saturday, but also feeds you and clears detentions), and a study center/ lab for every academic subject. The cons- -The "achievement gap" is VERY noticeable, and although the school has tried to integrate classes, it has made many of the parents of the higher achieving (yes, mostly white) students upset. -the security can sometimes be a bit overkill, do we really need them in every corner yelling at us to get to class? Shouldn't we be able to figure that out on our own? -the school looks intimidating and is big, and can be difficult for freshmen (and certain people in general) to navigate. -I have friends that have learning differences and forums of anxiety different from my own who have had bad experiences with the special ed department.

The lady in the front office is literally no help :\ I've called two times, and she has just…read moredirected me in the wrong direction. She always has an attitude as well.