Let me start off by saying that my son started in a different preschool nearby and we had a pretty…read morenegative experience (a review to come). He had never stayed with anyone but family before this, so I was pretty anxious about leaving him. When I found Matawan Montessori through an internet search for local Montessori preschools, I was excited because it was so close to our home. I immediately made an appointment to meet the director and bring my son in for a visit. Mr. Chris, the director, was delightful. He showed a true interest in my son and encouraged me to bring him in for a half-day session to see how he liked it. We did and the rest is history! He LOVED IT! I immediately felt very comfortable with the staff and environment there. Montessori was the perfect place for my little guy, who was just two and a half at the time, but started in the 3-6 year group because they saw that his interest and attention span were a bit above his age. He will be going into his sixth month at the school and I can't say enough about the staff. His head teacher, Mrs. Marina is fabulous and brings with her a lot of Montessori experience. Her assistants, Kelly and Sheeta show so much caring and compassion, and my son just loves them. He hugs them goodbye each day. Staff meets you at your car and escorts your child into the school. When you pick up, it's the same. They have a day each week where they spend some time focusing on music and one day for gym where the kids learn about fitness and eating well. They also teach Chinese and Spanish in the classroom one day a week. My son has really blossomed in this school. The Montessori method is a fabulous way to allow a child to develop their independence along with a sense of discipline and purpose. It allows them to learn at their own pace, regardless of age, and having the older children in the classroom with the younger gives the little ones role models. This lets the older children feel a sense of pride in helping their younger coeds. Matawan Montessori comes through with flying colors. I would recommend this school to anyone!

Outstanding preschool with great personal attention. Our daughter has thrived attending here. We…read morelove Ms. Jolisa, Ms. Mariah, Ms. Sadaf, and Ms. Angela!

HORRIBLE SCHOOL. ridiculous you even have to pay to put your child in preschool, but the teacher…read morewas extremely impatient. school tried to claim there was something wrong with my child because he/she could not sit still. my kid is a straight a student in elementary school and far from having adhd..... the teacher was just lazy and i would not recommend this school to anyone.

I wouldn't recommend this facility to anyone and feel guilty we had our two kids here as long as we…read moredid. What started as a positive experience slowly deteriorated before it became unbearable. There is IMMENSE turnover here from assistants and teachers all the way up through the administration level. We would have one teacher on a Monday, and by midweek, it would be someone new with little to no communication on the change. In one instance, 5 teachers quit overnight with vague answers and excuses when we questioned the why. In the beginning we thought this was par for the course at a daycare during COVID but it's reflective of serious inherent issues and we wish we had taken some of these red flags more seriously. The school had 3 different directors in less than 6 months, two leaving seemingly overnight without explanation. Our final straw was the negligent care our 1 year old received in the mobile infants class. Regularly picked up in dirty diapers with diaper rash, filthy and constantly sick. When we raised concerns, they were not addressed or taken seriously. Our older son was bounced between classes early and later in the day, often asked by whatever random employee was covering what his name was at drop off. I'd encourage current and prospective parents to review the State of NJ's DCF site (https://childcareexplorer.njccis.com/portal/provider-details/707252 )to view the frequent citations and failed reinspections of this facility. The best decision we've made was to leave LBA and join a new school community that far exceeds the experience we had at this place.

My daughter has been enrolled at Lightbridge Academy of Matawan since September 2024, starting in…read moreMobile Infants with Ms. Daysha, Ms. Tanayah & Ms. Diana and then moved up to the Purple Cats class with Ms. Tiffany, Ms. Allyson and Ms. Inbal. All of her teachers have been wonderful and you can tell that they all care deeply for the students which makes a huge difference in her and my comfort! The administrative team, Ms. Kayla, Ms. Jaime and Ms. Bailey are also fantastic. They always greet me by name and with a smile. The staff's care for the children and the school as well as the awesome activities that they provide not just within the curriculum but for the Lightbridge community, makes you feel like family which is so special. You will not get that at every early education center. I would recommend Lightbridge Academy of Matawan to anyone who is looking for a safe and caring environment for their little one to flourish in! Thank you all so much for everything that you do!!!

The Presbyterian Nursery School (PNS) was established in the 1970s and has a loyal local following…read moreand great reputation. It operates weekdays in the education wing of the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan on Route 34. I have been acquainted with a number of the teachers at this school over the years and can vouch for their experience, professionalism, caring and enthusiasm. I became acquainted with the founding director when I served as the PNS treasurer about 20 years ago. The classrooms and hallways are filled with colorful art projects that reflect the spirit of the students and their instructors. The school has a dedicated playground.

I would AVOID Kindercare of Aberdeen at all costs. I too was a very happy parent until the weekend…read morebefore the New Year of 2024. Our child was completely unsupervised for a total of 28 minutes and left outside in the cold, dark, back playground with all gates open for any predator to come in and have potentially kidnap her. Two teachers were unable to account for a measly eight students. This was absolutely terrifying and at no time did the center nor district director attempt to rectify the situation and just said sorry and that they would write up the two teachers that failed their protocol of doing a face to name check going out and coming back in the building. This just goes to show that just having bodies and not qualified intelligent individuals are sought out after for the care of our children. No one knew where she was when we couldn't find her when we went to pick her up until my husband walked past a window and my daughter saw him and immediately started hysterically crying. Total neglect. To make matters worse there is no transparency made to the parents of this incident and what actions will be conducted moving forward to avoid this from happening to another child and instead is all hush, hush. Unless you decide to disenroll your child, don't expect a call expressing a sincere apology or rectifications to any of your concerns or serious ill events such as if your kid gets forgotten outside completely alone. The assistant director was the only one with the decency to call and actually ask how our daughter, myself and husband were doing. Although she was also ultimately responsible for this horrific event, she is the only one that owned up to this mistake. Not the teachers, not the director, nonetheless the district director. If you're a parent of Kindercare I suggest questioning all of your gut feelings and having them addressed immediately. I have seen videos of same exact instances with Kindercare in another state and other daycare establishments with news stations involved for children being left outside for a total of 3 to 8 minutes during the day! Can you imagine how serious this is for 28 minutes in the cold and dark?! What could have happen that didn't, thank god?! Let this sink in as you read all the other positive reviews as did I. It takes seconds to make a life altering mistake for a family that entrusts their heart, body and soul with utter and complete strangers. Shame on you all. Our daughter is 2.5 and couldn't tell us what happened during that 30 minute time frame she was outside in the dark nor are there cameras over looking the playground with gates open at all times incase of an "emergency". All other centers have alarms on the gates at the very least. Simple, cheap, effective way to avoid kidnappings when your kid is forgotten outside by their caretakers. An investment that will hopefully be made very soon after this inexcusable mistake.

Our almost 3 year old daughter is receiving an Incredible education. Ms. Julie and ms. Leah are so…read morewarm and welcoming every single day- our daughter loves them and it makes dropping her off everyday so much easier. I am so grateful for them.

Wonderful preschool with warm, loving teachers. My daughter is learning so much and loves going to…read moreschool everyday.

My son is currently in the Terrific 2's program with Ms Judy and I couldn't be happier. He has…read morelearned about his colors, things that move, sharing, and cleaning up. Just to name a few. He also has learned about the Jewish holidays and Shabbat. My son also has a severe peanut allergy which the school is mindful of. He currently does not stay for lunch but there is a separate lunch table for those with allergies. In addition he is not potty trained so they change diapers too. My daughter (currently 7 mths old) and I also take part in weekly Mommy n Me classes with Ms Judy. She absolutely lights up every time we see Ms Judy. I did mommy n me classes with my son which made the transition to school extremely easy. The school is also affordable offering 2, 3 or 4 day options. If you are a member of the synagogue discounts are also available. I would highly recommend to any parent looking for a loving and enriching environment.

We took a tour of the day care center and found it to be in excellent condition, very clean, good…read moreatmosphere with lots of things for the kids to do. Staff were very kind and friendly. Owner Rachel has 2 college degrees including a Master Degree in education. She was professional and engaging and took us on a tour of the new facility. She has worked as an administrator and teacher in this field for many years. Has Indoor and outdoor play areas. Outdoor area is secured by metal barriers. Staff has extensive training including CPR. Was impressed.

From the owner: Accepting New Students. Register now!read more

This school is amazing! The teachers are all so friendly and my daughter literally runs into the…read moreclassroom every time. My daughter has progressed so much since being in this school! I cannot recommend them enough.

Didn't have a good experience here b/c the chemistry w/ the teachers and school culture weren't…read morethat good. They have small classes w/ as many as 22 kids in one room. It was alot for my toddler to handle. Some of the teachers were not warm or played favorites, there were high teacher turnover rates, and they oversold us, so created high expectations. Once we wanted to leave, they told us we'd lose our $250 deposit. We told them that this was never disclosed to us and the should just return it and allow parents to change schools. The owner got angry and said they never return the deposit when parents leave. Up until then, he acted like a nice gentleman. Others may have a good experience but we just didn't.

My family was part of this school for 3 years, and we stayed because of the incredible…read moreteachers--Both Ms. Lisas, Ms. Maria, Ms. Vera, and Ms. Nancy. Their dedication and care, along with the wonderful families in my children's classes, made our experience worthwhile. Ultimately, we decided to leave because of our interactions with the director. In my experience, the school was consistently understaffed, tuition was high, and communication about my child's progress, lessons, and classroom activities was very limited unless I reached out myself. I also found the director's comments about parenting to be unprofessional and, at times, inappropriate. Rather than offering constructive guidance, the feedback often felt judgmental. For the cost of tuition, I expected a higher level of professionalism and communication. While I truly appreciate the teachers and everything they did for my family, I believe there are better options available.

Marlboro Montessori has provided a strong academic foundation for both my children to excel,…read morefostered a love of learning and intellectual curiosity to keep their minds active and growing. They have welcomed our input and partnered with us in our children's learning, keeping us abreast of areas of strength and areas of growth. I've seen my children grow as independent, confident, compassionate, intellectual leaders and I owe a lot to Montessori for all they have done.

Ms. Roe and all the teachers are fantastic! My husband and I have our 3-year-old son enrolled…read morefull-time, and he loves his teachers. The school is always clean, and our son is learning a lot while being excited to go every day. We highly recommend this school!

Went to tour school . Overheard director (?I think it was her ) being very rude to employees …read more Seemed as if classes had many children and not much staff. Staff didn't seem to care much about the children but impressed