Nedd Help Finding a Good Preschool Program or Montessori School

Hi Luz,
I have a 4 1/2 year old son (Sept 4) and we will be starting him in PreK in the fall at Strickland Christian School. They start phonics in PreK. We have a friend whose son attends Strickland. She says that they are reading small words by the end of the school year.
My husband and I attended Strickland's tour in March and we were really impressed. They also have optional half day or full day for PreK and Kindergarten. They are located in South Austin on Manchaca Rd.
Their website is very detailed: www.stricklandschool.com
Good luck in your search.
J.

Check out Lakehills Montesorri. I am an elementary school teacher and really loved their program.

Hi Luz,
Have you checked into Mt. Olive Lutheran Preschool on 290W. a few miles West from 290 & 1826 intersection. The Pre-K program there is excellent and includes field trips, interactive learning, and focuses on teaching students writing/language skills as well as math in preparation for Kindergarten. I would especially recommend the Pre-K class of Mrs. Michelle.
Just a thought because it is so close to Circle C and is a wonderful school where you can choose to have Alejandra in half day (focus on Academics in morning, or till after nap time, or all day).

Luz,

I also live in Circle C, and know of a few good places. I have been here for 4 years. I would suggest joining the Circle C Forum and posting there. There are tons of resources there.

http://www.circlecowners.com/forum/login.php?sid=028eebad...

The one above is for the Owners of Circle C and the one below is the one monitored by the HOA.

http://www.circlecranch.info/forum/login.php?sid=023bdc88...

I have my two children (4 and almost 3) in the Child Development Center here at Circle C. They both are happy there. I do know some people who have their 4 year olds in a Montessori, but I can't remember the name. Email me @ ____@____.com and we can touch base that way.

Thanks! A.

Hi Luz Helen,
My children go to Mariposa Montessori School on Brodie Lane. It's a new Montessori School in the area with all certified teachers. My daughter is in the primary class (3-6 year olds) and has flourished in the now 4 years she's been in Montessori. My son is 2 and this is his first year in Montessori. He too is learning by leaps and bounds.

Mariposa is having open enrollment for next year. contact the director at ____@____.com or ###-###-####.
good luck.
D.

My daughter Sarah will be 4 in July. Since last October, she has been attending Mothers' Day Out at Hays Hills Baptist Church in Buda. She loves it! You would have to decide for yourself if their style is academic enough for Alejandra, but I am very satisfied that Sarah is learning a lot there. Also, they have the "Stretch and Grow" exercise and nutrition program once which is great. They do have a wait list though (this is why Sarah started in October not September). The number there is ###-###-#### x29 or feel free to contact me if you would like to know more from a parent perspective.

C.
###-###-####
____@____.com
www.SaferHomeNaturally.com

I think you would like the following two Montessori Schools that I am familiar with. One is Cedars Montessori School. It is at 9704 Circle DRive, Austin,Tx. 78736 ###-###-####. i HAVE GONE TO WORKSHOPS THERE AWHILE BACK AND LEARNED A GREAT DEAL. i AM A PRE-K INCLUSION TEACHER IN dvisd. aLSO, MY FRIEND HAS TWO KIDS WHO HAVE DONE VERY WELL THERE. tHEY HAVE A GOOD MIX OF CREATIVE ACTIVITIES WITH THE ACADEMICS PRESENTED IN A VERY NATURAL, DEVELOPMENTAL MANNER. The Whitebird Montessori School is also great. It is at 6305 Manchaca DRive. ###-###-####. Hope this helps. J. K.

I have high praise for Austin Montessori School. They have a campus near Westgate/CM South. They start from 18 months to middle school.

One thing I love about the school is parent education & the classroom community (as in the classroom parents and kids.) The school's founder leads almost monthly talks about issues relating to your child's behavior and development. It's a great place to learn about just what is going on at each stage of development.

My twin boys (26 months) attend Town & Country Children's Montessori. It is located on Keats, near 290 and S. Lamar. The school has an infant community and Montessori programs for kids 18 months to 6 years. We love their program and plan to keep our kids there until they are ready for Kindergarten. In addition to traditional Montessori curriculum, they offer many extra activities for the children (most at no extra cost) such as yoga, music and soccer. In the summer they have splash days and bike days. In the fall they have the local fire/EMS department come out with their trucks and equipment. I think there is a very good balance of learning and good old-fashioned kid's fun. The school really promotes multi-culturalism and the children focus on learning about different parts of the world each month, in addition to more standard curriculum such as the sciences and language. Music is also a central component of their program. An advanced class is offered for children over three, which focuses on more complex math and language skills. Prices are very reasonable. It isn't a brand new facility, and you will have to pack your kiddo's lunch, but I am willing to deal with those inconveniences to provide my kdis with a great pre-K education! Best of luck.

Hi Helena,

My son is at Bluebonnet Montessori in Lakeway. Not sure how far it would be for you but I highly recommend it. My son is 4 and is reading quite well. They emphasize academics which I love.

Good luck!
K.
www.luckymom.com

Austin Montessori has one of the best reputations in town!
Great people, great program
However they usually have a waiting list

http://www.austinmontessori.org/

Sunset Trail/Jones Road Campus
2904 & 2906 Jones Road
5006-5016 & 4910 Sunset Trail
Austin TX 78745

I have 4 years experience in Montessori and 11 years experience teaching toddlers. The most important thing for you to know is that Maria Montessori did not copyright her name, so any school that wants to can call themselves Montessori.

One phenomenal woman I worked with started a school at 71 and Lamar. I know this is not the best info here but her name is Kim-that's all I remember. I replaced her in a sense in her classroom so we werent together very long.

Be sure to ask any school how and if they discipline and what is most important to them about 2's and 4's. Observe how they speak to the children and how the children speak to one another. You should see a deep respect and hear only soft voices.

There are sights where you can look up Montessori materials like www.montessori.nienhuis.com and see what they are "supposed" to have on their shelves. There's so much more I could say but I don't want to overwhelm you. The last thing is Austin Montessori (www.austinmontessori.org) is the best but there's always a huge waiting list.

Congratulations on really caring about your children's education! You will be surprised what they learn!

Best of luck!
~K.
ps Full day programs tend to work better for children rather than 1/2 day. Youngsters need a set schedule so they know what to expect to feel secure. They also learn to seperate, to trust others, and to develop strong social skills in a full day program. All of these things build a strong sense of self worth. I have only seen one child in 11 years that didn't react negatively to a part time school setting.

Cedars Montessori is located off of 290 on Circle Dr. Both my children attend and it's a wonderful school. The waiting list may be long so call Pat or Jill and put your name on the list. It's a good idea to go and observe before you decide. I have two children at Kiker who attended (lst grade and 4th grader). I had a total of 5 years experience at the school. Good luck.

My son, 14, and my daughter, 6, went to The Montessori Center on Ave. H in Hyde Park when they were 2-5 years old. I highly recommend it. It is an old Hyde Park home in a wonderful family friendly neighborhood.