It pains me to leave this review as we have just completed our 4th year at Young Minds and it is…read moretime for our son to go to kinder. We will miss the teachers, Jordan, Tanya, and Indu tremendously but will be forever grateful for the care and instruction they have provided to our family. In our current culture, where educational systems are pressured to meet the ridiculous and non age appropriate academic standards, it was non negotiable that our child was able to be a child. He has plenty of time to be pressured. The Montessori Work provides the true school readiness at my child's pace. Increasing his focus, self regulation, intentionality, task completion, and an understanding of the world around him. Not the rote memorization of letters and numbers that are as meaningless as us memorizing Mandarin characters when done inappropriately. There is definitely the introduction of these objectives, but they aren't pushed on the students who aren't socially ready to absorb the content. The teachers follow the student lead and support their academic readiness when students show the signs that they are ready. Kindly and appropriately challenging students by meeting them where they are at. I could write a novel about how this school has supported my child's social/emotional and academic well being. I will leave it with the fact that I have been in early education and public K-12 education for nearly 20 years. We need more schools like Young Minds who truly tend to student social, emotional, and academic readiness to inspire the foundation of life long love of learning.

Our daughter went here for 4 years and it was the best experience! The staff is wonderful and there…read morewas very little turn over. Most of the teachers and directors were there from the day she started. She loved going to school and came out more than prepared for Kinder. She made friends, learned to be independent and you can tell that the teachers and directors really love what they do. I would give a million stars if I could!

Star Montessori has been fantastic for both my daughters. My older one attended for daycare when…read moreshe was 2 years old. She's now 6 and enjoys going back to their summer camp. It is special to see her maintain close relationships with her old teachers, who knew and cared for her when she was a baby. My younger daughter (2.5 years old) is currently attending their full time program, and loves going to school. She is learning so much! Teachers are nurturing, loving, and compassionate. They truly care about the kids and build close bonds with them, which is wonderful to see. Highly recommend this daycare + school.

Our daughter has gone to Star Montessori for the past 3.5 years and we highly recommend it to…read moreanyone looking for a place where their child will feel comfortable and learn a ton. Our daughter has learned so much and is beyond prepared for kindergarten. Each child gets individual attention at their learning level plus group instruction. She's a little shy but feels very comfortable and loves all of the teachers there and so do we as parents. Can't recommend enough.

My first experience with Montessori was 10 years ago, with my son, at a Montessori school in a…read moredifferent state. I was quite disappointed with what was touted as Montessori and the results I saw with my son. The freedom that comes with the Montessori method didn't suit him, as he would take advantage of it by reading books all day instead of participating in lessons. At the time, my priority was simply having someone take care of him since both parents worked. As long as he was safe, that was enough. I didn't think much more about it until it was time to put my daughter into daycare, as our parental leave was coming to an end. From the options available, enrolling her in a "private school" seemed like the best choice, hoping she would learn something and not just play all day. I first placed her at the Brushy Creek campus, because they have classrooms for babies. The price seemed steep for just feeding and changing diapers, but again, I figured you pay for quality. Well... I was surprised by how quickly she was developing. She started walking at 10 months old, communicated her needs through sounds and sign language, and got along well with other kids. The benefits of socializing her early were obvious. I started thinking there might be more to Montessori than I originally thought. It wasn't until we transferred her to the Cypress Creek campus, closer to home, that I truly realized how wrong I had been about Montessori. At Guidepost Montessori at Cypress Creek, I saw just how incredible the Montessori method can be when done right. The school has provided an exceptional learning environment for my daughter, with a strong focus on individualized education and fostering independence. The Montessori philosophy is clearly evident in every aspect of the school's approach, from the thoughtfully prepared classrooms to the well-structured activities that promote creativity, critical thinking, and self-discipline. Her teachers, Mrs. Ebelia and her assistant Alex, have been amazing. They are both professional, caring, and highly qualified, creating a warm and supportive atmosphere for the students. I have seen remarkable growth in my child's confidence and ability to tackle challenges on her own, and I attribute a lot of that progress to the nurturing environment they've created. One of the standout aspects of the school is the abundance of activities they offer to bring the community together. Whether it's events for families, parent workshops, or school celebrations, Guidepost Montessori does an incredible job of fostering a strong sense of connection and engagement between parents, teachers, and students. Additionally, the diversity of my daughter's classmates is remarkable. She is surrounded by children from various backgrounds, which enriches her learning experience and broadens her understanding of the world around her. The communication between the school and parents is outstanding--I'm always kept informed about my child's progress and any updates regarding the school. The leadership at Guidepost Montessori is also worth noting. They are approachable, proactive, and genuinely care about the development and well-being of the students. It's clear that they are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in education. Overall, I couldn't be happier with our choice to enroll at Guidepost Montessori at Cypress Creek. It has truly been a wonderful experience, and I would highly recommend it to any parents looking for a nurturing, innovative, and effective learning environment for their child.

I need to begin this review by clarifying a misunderstanding I had when enrolling my kid at this…read moreschool. It is NOT named after a dinosaur. In fact, there are no dinosaurs named Montessori, Montessorous, Montessori Rex, Montessoridon, or even Montessoridactyl. I think Montessori is Italian, actually. Next obvious question: Were all dinosaurs Italian? This is hotly debated amongst anthropologists even today. My theory is that yes, and that what actually killed the dinosaurs was not a meteor from space, but rather a meteor-sized meatball. All evidence is forthcoming once I can find a scientific journal that will publish my thesis. Anyway, back to the review of the school. Hold on to your butts... My kid has been attending Guidepost at Cypress Creek for about a year and a half. He started in the toddler classroom and is now in Children's House. (They call it a house, but it's actually a classroom. I don't know why. When you reach out to admissions, you can use that as an icebreaker. You're welcome). My partner, my kid, and I have all been very pleased with both classrooms. Montessori schools treat their students as fully capable people with their own agency. This sounds like a recipe for disaster, but somehow they make it work. When you watch a classroom in full swing, it's like a well-oiled machine. The students are working either independently or cooperatively. They are cleaning up after themselves, being respectful towards others, and are highly attentive towards their classwork. They are very clever girls and boys. This is a testament to the excellent guides (their term for teachers, there's your second icebreaker). It sounds impossible but, uh, the guides find a way. The administration is also wonderful. They are pro-active with their communications, and we always feel in the loop. Almost every day there are optional extra-curricular activity options on the school grounds, which is super convenient. Things like art, gym, and soccer. The school is a great size. It's small enough that it feels like a real community. I think all of the guides know our kids' name, even if they aren't in his class, and they know both my partner and me. There are frequent classroom-wide and school-wide events, both in person and remote. There's an outdoor playground, of course, and a garden area that gets frequent use. All of the children participate in maintaining it, which is cool. Tuition is reasonable, even though it seems like they've spared no expense, so that's nice. Well, readers, after careful consideration, I've decided to endorse Guidepost Montessori at Cypress Creek. We like it enough that we will be enrolling our second kid when he's old enough. The question wasn't so much whether we could but whether we should, and even that was silly because the answer was obviously yes. The lack of actual dinosaurs is disappointing, of course, but I'm not going to deduct stars for that. I haven't found any school that has them, so it wouldn't be fair.

Livia Hu and the entire Joy Park Montessori teaching staff exceeded all of my expectations. My…read moredaughter was at JPME for the last 2 years. The new campus has two turfed and shaded outdoor play areas and large and spacious classrooms. The curriculum fosters curiosity and confidence and I'm amazed at how much the kids learn! My daughter was exposed to Mandarin since birth but learned to read and speak with confidence at JPME. We were very sad to graduate and we already miss JPME greatly. THANK YOU for the love and care you showed our daughter and our family!

We feel so lucky to have found Joy Park for our daughter who is in the Primary program (ages 3-6)…read more They have a beautiful facility with a shaded playground, and a great community of parents. But the teachers are what really make the school special. We couldn't ask for a better and more caring teacher than Ms. Iris. She has an advanced degree from UT in education and a degree in teaching Chinese language. She has been so sweet to our daughter and our daughter has learned so much there. In just a couple of months, our daughter has learned her numbers and comes home each week knowing new Chinese words and phrases that she wants to teach us. My wife and I don't speak Chinese at all, so our 3 year old is teaching us! lol Livia the director has done an amazing job bringing together -- professional -- teachers who are passionate about teaching kids this age. It really shows how much thought and effort they put into the curriculum and how deeply they care about the children. I've never seen kids so patient, calm, and well behaved as I have when we've visited our daughter's classroom. Ms. Iris creates a really fun environment for them where they can be themselves and learn and it really shows. Our daughter's growth there has been amazing to see and she loves getting dropped off at school every day. We're beyond happy that we found Joy Park and I couldn't recommend it more. It's also affordable and they offer great enrichment activities like piano, Chinese language classes, soccer and more that we've enjoyed having our daughter participate in.

Our family was absolutely delighted with our experience in the Russian-speaking group at the Kids…read more'R' Kids North Austin center. In just one year, our child has made incredible progress. He now speaks both English and Russian with complete fluency and confidence, something we are immensely proud of. A huge thank you goes to Ms. Emi and Ms. Elena for their kindness, creativity, and unwavering dedication.

We've been a part of the KRK family for 6 months and have come to love it. The staff are so kind to…read moreboth of my kids and all the teachers know both of them by name, even though they're in different classrooms. The administrators are welcoming and supportive. When I met with a teacher for some concerns with my 3 year old, the staff listened closely to how they can incorporate what we're doing at home, as well as offered helpful suggestions for changes we can take back from the classroom. Everyone treats us like members of their family. It's a long commute from our neighborhood but we make it happily, knowing our babies are loved and well cared for.

My son started his preschool classes in 2022 and I was so hesitant to put him into school. After…read moretouring the establishment, meeting Steffani, seeing how wonderful the school is I fell in love. I knew my son was in good hands. My son wasn't speaking too much before starting school but after his first year he was speaking full and complete sentences and writing. The teachers there are amazing! They all either had their own kids go through FFP or have taught there for 10+ years. Everyone just seems to be one big family there. My son is now onto kindergarten and my daughter will start her first year there come August. I have nothing but nice things to say about FFP and the wonderful people there.

First Foundations served as our family's first experience with preschool, and for that we are so…read moreextremely thankful. Our shy little daughter just blossomed at this school, to the extent that our friends and extended family remarked on the change in her confidence and demeanor. I'm admittedly a pretty anxious mama bear and I am still, a year later, so shocked at how seamless the adjustment to going to preschool felt for both my daughter and for myself. There were no tears from my little one when I dropped her off, but on more than one occasion she was adamant that she didn't want to leave the school when I picked her up. I could write paragraph upon paragraph, but I'll try to keep it short and sweet because I know firsthand how much energy it takes to search for that perfect fit. Here are some of the aspects that stood out to me! - The whole entire staff here is so wonderful. The director, Mrs. Wilkins, truly pours her heart into her school. She knows and loves each child and greets them by name. She also personally ran my daughter's lunch box/jacket/show and tell item down to her classroom on the more than one occasion that I completely forgot those items in a sleep deprived haze. Our daughter's teachers, Mrs. Gamoneda and Mrs. Pallota, were so kind and loving. Our kiddo can be stubborn, and she started the school year insisting that she didn't want finger paint on her hands. Mrs. G and Mrs. P worked with her, encouraging but never pushing (they even asked my husband and myself if there was any sort of alternative glue or paint she might find more tolerable), and our daughter was beaming with pride when she presented us with a finger painted keepsake a few weeks later. I said I'd keep this short, so bullet points for the rest. - All of the teachers are very qualified. - The school is clean and the teachers had the children wash their hands several times every day even in a pre-coronavirus world. - There are all sorts of fun theme days, class parties and a Christmas program. - This was my daughter's takeaway from our initial tour - two playgrounds! Here is my takeaway - two safe, age appropriate playgrounds that are fenced in. - In addition to the classroom, the children attend Chapel, Spanish and music class (we had the opportunity to observe a bit of the music class on our tour, and the kids were having so much fun). - A perfect combination of play based learning and learning skills that will be needed in kindergarten (our 4 y/o is now able to write her name but she had a lot of fun at school too) - The teachers incorporate super cool activities (a volcano, a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly, a classroom full of tents, reading Biblical stories via blacklight) into their daily lesson plans. - The school is safety minded. This was huge for me. - If you have a baby on your hip, everyone will help you. :) There is a wonderful drop off program, actually, in which teachers are in charge of getting kids from your car. It's very safe and coordinated well. - The school has a bridge program and a kindergarten program. This is actually how I learned about First Foundations. It's seriously the best school, and the only thing I would ever change about it is that I wish our kids could attend for a couple more years.

Our 7 yr old son has been going to Ms. Samantha since he was 3 yrs old. What started as a…read morekindergarten preparation, quickly became a kindergarten advancement class. Before our son was in kindergarten, he was bringing home 1st grade level books to read. By the time our son reached kindergarten, he was already at a 2nd grade reading level. We decided then to continue bringing him to Ms. Samantha's, during the summer, to continue his educational development. Because of Ms. Samantha's dedication to child development and education, I am proud to say that our now second grade son has been accepted into gifted and talented classes and he's currently at a 4th grade reading level! Thank you Ms. Samantha for your dedication and support towards our children. We are very grateful for your help. P.S. Picture day at Ms. Samantha's has been better than the public school pictures, every year!

This In Home Montessori School is such a good place for kids. The teacher is very compassionate and…read moreunderstanding with the children. It's like a regular school at home and there are less kids so the teachers are really great at teaching the kids one on one focusing more on their needs. 10/10 would recommend for your kid(s).

We have been at Little Hands for only a couple of months, but I have really been impressed. I…read morereceive more pictures and videos of my child than any of the other schools that we have attended. There are scheduled parent teacher conferences throughout the year, and a newsletter is sent out reviewing what the class is covering every week. I love the 4 and 5 year old teacher, Ms Liu. She is attentive and caring. My son's Chinese has improved with his daily lessons. He even recognizes several Chinese characters now. Ms. Xu and Ms. Zhao are always smiling in the morning when we drop off our child. The director, Terri, is very patient and responsible. The school is open many of the holidays that other schools are closed, which helps working parents. Overall, I would highly recommend this school.

We couldn't be happier with our decision to enroll our daughter at Little Hands. Before joining,…read moreshe was reluctant to attend her previous daycare, but everything changed after we found Little Hands. She was so excited to go to school every day, and it is truly one of the best decisions we have ever made for her. Little Hands is a wonderful place for children. It is always very clean, the teachers are incredibly caring, and the curriculum is very well-designed. They cover so many subjects, including science, arts, math, Chinese, Spanish, English, sports, and the kids are constantly encouraged to be creative. We also love how they celebrate various cultural festivals and teach the children to respect and appreciate cultural differences. Our daughter graduated from Little Hands in the summer of 2023. Although we moved out of state after her graduation, we had the chance to visit Austin in the summer of 2024 due to my work. Ms. Terri welcomed us back and took wonderful care of our daughter for two weeks, just like before. Ms. Terri and her team of teachers are truly the best. They are deeply committed to the development and growth of the children and work hard to prepare them for the future. Little Hands is by far our best daycare and preschool center, and we will always come back to visit when we get the chance.