I adore The Little School! My son has been going here for about 1.5 years, first in the older…read moretoddler room and now in the preschool. My 7 month old also just started in the infant room. The teachers here - and owner Erin! - are absolutely the warmest, kindest, and most genuine people. I'm constantly amazed at the creativity they put into each day for the kids: from building forts, to the dramatic play station, to themed crafts and working on letters and counting, they do such a wonderful job at providing an environment that is fun and safe. And the ratios! You truly can't beat them. The fact that there are only 3 (!) babies in their infant room and 4 toddlers in each group (younger and older) is something you just don't see anywhere else. I also love the parents here, several of whom have become "real life" friends! It's such a joy hearing all the stories of his day from my preschooler, it's obvious how much he loves his teachers and this school. Highly, highly, highly recommend!

The Little School came highly recommended from a close family member who had her two children…read moreattend. It seemed to be fate that there happened to be an opening that came up when my daughter turned two and a half, just in time to start the preschool program. The philosophy and teaching methods that this school bases itself upon are far superior from absolutely every other preschool that we looked in to. The staff consistently maintains an overall higher level of expectation for these kids. Which was so impressive to me because at such an impressionable age these young kids are being held accountable for themselves. They take such pride in the work that they accomplish either by themselves or in a group. They are respectful of not only the boundaries of their peers, but more importantly of themselves. As a result they are rewarded by having more freedom in their choices. From science lessons, to music class, yoga, art classes, dramatic play (my daughters fave!), weekly sharing day, to hearing what creative game they made up that day while playing outside. The amazing staff, conferences & daily progress reports, the ever so anticipated Halloween party, and sincerely wonderful families and parents, I could go on forever. Overall the three years at The Little School was a tremendously positive experience for our whole family. We now have a first grader who is reading at a fourth grade level with impressive comprehension skills. As well as going above and beyond her schools curriculum in math and science. I'm so proud of her, and I attribute so much of her early successes to her time at The Little School.

We have had our son at this school since he was a toddler and he is graduating Kindergarten this…read moreyear. Before we signed him up we would walk on the trails nearby and be amazed at the outdoor space this school offers. We would see kiddos in rain or shine deeply into play. We scheduled a tour and rest is history, we were hooked! We have watched our son happily go to school every day, seen him grow and thrive both social emotionally but also academically. The guides are amazing at what they do and the building, classrooms and grounds are deeply rooted in the Montessori method and gives our child plenty of room to grow both mentally and physically. Its a must see!

Our son has attended since he was 16 months old. Beautiful facilities and great staff. We've always…read morefelt that our son was well cared for. He loves driving by and pointing out his school. The Montessori approach supports independence and curiosity. Summer programs maintain the same high quality.

Great teachers , caring adults who create a nurturing environment for our toddler . This school…read moreencompasses great learning methods and upholds Montessori teaching standards.

I am a former assistant teacher and if I could say one thing, please don't send your children…read morethere. Teachers are not trained or certified, the environment is always unsanitary, and unprofessional, and they have no budget (they literally fill soap up with water to make it last longer to the point where you're just washing your hands with water), kids get yelled at and even manhandled (being lifted in the air or being grabbed harshly) sometimes when they are not behaving well.

We have been going here for three years now, we love all the staff and teachers, I highly recommend…read moreKB's.

Continuing our second year with KB even though we now have 2 "school age" kids. We love the…read moreattentive and caring staff along with the great friendly and loving culture at KB. Our kids are going to different schools and love the before and after care. We drop them off in the morning, where they are served breakfast and in the afternoon they get an afternoon snack before I pick them up. Our kids actually tell us "don't pick me up early". Which I think is proof that they love being at KB. Last year our 4yr old was in PreK with Ms. Lori and Ms. Irina. We couldn't have been happier. We loved the wonderful and consistent teachers in the class. They keep an orderly class while having lots of fun! I would recommend you stop in for a visit if you're in the market for an outstanding child care center.

This daycare truly has the best teachers and staff. They work very hard and are organized and fun…read more The children that I know that go there love their experience and their teachers. The music teacher is incredible and the programs they put on for the parents and families are so amazing. I would love to see the teachers get more of the salary than the bigwig who runs the show. I would also love to see a woman running the school instead of an overpaid man.

My son has been going to Minnesota Montessori for over an year now and since then his progress has…read morebeen awesome. He is less than 5 years old and already reading at grade level 1. He is very happy in school and always makes faces when I pick him up because he is having fun learning new things every day. From class teachers to lunch lady, director to principal, everyone welcomes you with a warm heart and takes very good care of your child. I highly recommend this place to anyone who is looking for the best child care in the city.

Both of our kids went to this school. We couldn't have been HAPPIER with our experience. The…read moreteachers of the school truly care about the students - this is reflected in every detail of the day and curriculum. TCI built an amazing community that we still keep in touch with years later. We are so grateful to have found this school when we did!!

Two months since my last child graduated from TCI and they still talk so positively about their…read moreexperience there! They still get emotional when we reflect on how much they miss TCI as TCI has been such an integral part of our lives for so long! They fingerknit (something they learned at the school) as they reflect and reminisce. I've had both of my daughters attend TCI - my oldest started at age 4 and went until she went to Kindergarten and came back for all the breaks and the summer. My youngest started at 20 months and just graduated this past summer at 5.5 years old. I frequently travel for work and my kids have been to over 10 child care/day care facilities (Creme, other montessoris, Goddard, Kindercare, ISM private academy, immersion academies etc.) and my oldest will be in 2nd grade at XinXing Academy in Hopkins....so I can confidently say that TCI is, by far, the best school for children for SO many reasons. They are 1000% child focused. - They always do what is best for the children from how the environment is carefully prepared and the word choices the guides use in each language they speak. - The environment is set up for a child's lifetime success and it is absolutely beautiful with high quality materials and crazy attention to detail. - The children learn independence and responsibility - they get their own water and snack, they sweep up their own messes, materials are put away when completed. Plus they learn how to plant and pick their own food in the garden. - The guides are HIGHLY qualified in both the toddler and children house communities (think graduate level credentials) in addition to the AMI certification. This is a huge difference compared the frequently underpaid 'teachers' in 'day cares' that just watch the kids. - The lead teacher and staff are amazing partners in parenting - they help think through challenges a child might be having and provide a lot of insight into their development - it's like having a developmental coach for the child! Some things to be aware of is that you need to make lunch each day - I know other places will provide lunch, TCI does not. There are a lot fewer pictures that you receive in comparison to other pictures - as Lishi said, the focus is on child development, not taking pictures. I would be happy to talk to any parent who is interested in TCI - I know that sometimes it is daunting if you aren't familiar with the Montessori approach. I've added in a few pictures to this review - these are my children only (which is why I blocked out the other child's face). Masks are not required, the one picture that had a mask on was because my daughter was coughing and I didn't want her to get others sick :)

I could not recommend this school more. The teachers, leadership and support team truly care for…read moreand love our child. The curriculum is the perfect mix of fundamentals, life skills and free play and it truly brings a warm feeling in my heart to see how much our child enjoys their time here. Leadership is open to parental feedback and questions and they actually act on feedback to ensure that the whole experience is seamless. Not to mention, they use an app that sends pictures, video and update throughout the day which makes me feel connected to our child even though I am not there.

TLDR: The Gardner School is an amazing daycare and I could not recommend it more highly! The…read moreteachers and administrators are wonderful and there is no one I would trust more with caring for my child. Long review: My wife and I enrolled our child in the toddler program at the Gardner School ("TGS") after relocating to Minneapolis from Manhattan and having a lackluster experience with a lower cost corporate/chain daycare provider in Minneapolis. (In NYC, our child attended a large, national chain that provided OK care for an insanely high price.) The difference between TGS and the MSP chain daycare is night and day. At the old daycare, classrooms had a 7:1 student/teacher ratio, though they often would combine three different classrooms for morning activities. (While they technically were "in ratio," having 21 toddlers supervised by three adults was chaotic.) Children received almost no individualized attention and the facilities were messy and disorganized by the end of the day. Communication between the teachers/administrators and families was practically non-existent and we often had no idea who would be watching our child at any given time. Some of the teachers seemed to be overwhelmed or otherwise incapable of caring for the children. No efforts were made to formally introduce our child to classmates or my wife and I to the other parents. At the Gardner School, the ratios are much lower (5:1) and children receive an incredible amount of individual attention. The facilities are impressive and immaculate. Most important, the teachers are extremely professional and personally invested in the students. We get detailed updates on how our child is doing every day, including developmental milestones. The food is actually healthy (and not just carbs and sugar like the old daycare). The curriculum is important and not simply an afterthought. The teachers and administrators know all of the parents by name and are helpful, professional, organized, and friendly. We are greeted by name and with a smile when we come and go every day. Any changes or upcoming events are communicated clearly and in advance. Though the tuition is meaningfully higher than the other daycare, we have found that it is well worth the money. TGS has exceeded all of our expectations and we couldn't be happier with the care and service they provide.

The teachers, therapists and all staff members dedication to helping students thrive, not only…read moreacademically but also socially and emotionally, is truly remarkable!

The transformations of students there is remarkable whether in terms of improving communication,…read morephysical coordination or simply confidence! The small student to staff ratio means every kid will get plenty of individual attention and continued adjustments towards goals that kids/parents have.