Village Montessori Carmichael

My child attended Village from the time he was 18 months until he turned 5. We had such a great experience with the staff and the school itself. They taught him absolutely everything he needed to know at all the right times of his development. The staff is caring and understanding and you can tell they are all there for the children! He was treated as if he was one of their own and I never felt uncomfortable leaving him in their care - more importantly he never felt uncomfortable going to school. He made great friends and we are so grateful for the experiences he had at Village. Thank you Village Montessori for all that you did for our little guy (well big guy now!) more

This school is not a Montessori although they proclaim to be. I went over to the school to see my child interact with other kids. He was sitting in front of a TV at 18 months! I thought I was paying for Montessori not below par day care. I was given a daily sched for class that the teachers did not follow so it was very confusing when dropping off my child to participate in activities. When I questioned some of their practices and about not following the "Montessori way", I was told that there are three different types of Montessori. When I asked what type they were there was always an excuse. I guess that is why they ARE NOT accredited! The cleanliness of the school is questionable and the learning tools and play areas are abysmal. I was told that my child could no longer attend the school because I guess if you ask questions about TV, scheduling or why your child did not go outside to play on a pretty day... you are a trouble maker. Pros: not sure Cons: Not a Montessori!! more

I have two children enrolled at Village Montessori. My daughter has been there for almost three years now. My son has been there for about six months. I have been very favorably impressed by the quality of instruction at Village, and by the caring and compassionate manner in which the kids are cared for. True to the Montessori philosophy, the teachers at Village seem to approach the kids in a holistic manner. They are attuned to the kids emotional growth, as well as their academic progress. Kids are allowed to learn through exploration. I have found that my daughter, after being at Village for quite some time, is able to work independently for extended periods and is very confident in her ability to navigate her world. My son, who was well cared for at his previous school, is absolutely flourishing at Village. I have never seen any discipline techniques that have caused me any concern. My only criticism (and it is a mild one at that) is that the afternoon "daycare" teachers/aides lack the professionalism of the morning teachers. I think the administration at Village would do well to spend a bit more time inservicing the afternoon staff on child development and assiting with positive discipline techniques and classroom management. Overall, I would highly recommend Village. Pros: compassionate staff, good academics, strong emphasis on good behavior, great on-site extracurricular activities Cons: afternoon "daycare" staff could use more training in child development and classroom management more

My daughter is currently in her second year of preschool at Village Montessori and we love it there. The staff turn over is low so the kids have a real opportunity to bond with their teachers. And the teachers are great - each child is treated as an individual and provided with lots of tender loving care (I haven't seen any unorthodox discipline methods). What I really like about this school is the type of behavior by daughter exhibits when she's home with me - it is obvious that they are teaching the kids life skills such as being polite and helpful in addition to teaching academic and reasoning skills in a fun way. They offer (for a reasonable additional charge) music & motion, dance and on-site swim lessons. more

I was supposedly put on the waiting list at this preschool over 6 months ago. I was told that there should be a position open for my daughter to enroll in the fall. I have called 8 times this month, giving plenty of time in between for a call back to NO AVAIL. The administrator ERIN is NEVER in the office and she obviously does not call anyone back. After calling several times I asked the person who answered the phone if she could just let me know if I am wasting my time with this preschool. She stated that there are not any positions available for 2 years and she was very rude about it. I had not even told her the age of my daughter etc. Very bad for business I have since been told by some parents that had tried to enroll their children there that there is no "waiting list". It is all about who you know, if you want to enroll your child there. They are also reputed to have very unorthodox methods of discipline from what I have heard. more