South Loop Montessori School

My son attended SLMS for almost 3 years and as a parent, you strive to find compassionate learning environments like this institution! From the one-​on-​one attention between teacher and student to the professionalism of the administration, we couldn’t have asked for more! The SLMS administration and staff genuinely strive to create an authentic Montessori atmosphere for the child, as well as being incredibly accommodating to the family’s needs. As a military family, we truly appreciated this! Since moving out of state, my son’s continued academic development is remarkable as he is testing at 3^rd grade math and reading levels. My husband and I attribute our son’s academic growth to SLMS and its educators, especially the lead teacher in the primary classroom! Thank you for instilling such a genuine curiosity for learning in my son!

There are quite a few pre-​schools in the South Loop. The main reasons we chose South Loop Montessori School are as follows:
· The Montessori philosophy of the «whole child» is well thought-​out. It allows kids to flourish intellectually, emotionally and physically. It encourages kids to learn to acquire practical skills (e.g., participate in food preparation, eat with glass plates, and go potty independently), solve problems independently (e.g., do numbers games and puzzles), and develop social skills (e.g., self-​respect and respect for others).
· The teachers are very knowledgeable about Montessori methods and are sincerely committed to putting those methods into practice every day. The school doesn’t treat Montessori education as window dressing. The school even invites the educational expert to train teachers regularly and hosts educational sessions for parents on parenting skills. The teachers and staff are diligent and dedicated. If kids need help in certain areas, they are committed to working with kids and parents, including trying to find causes of the problem, and anything that could be done to help. They handle it very professionally and knowledgeably.
· The outdoor playground is enclosed within school grounds, which is very safe and convenient. They do outdoor play almost daily when weather permits. They also teach kids to plant the garden and catch worms in their own garden, which teaches kids to be close to nature.
Very often during pick-​up time, you can see that quite a few kids don’t even want to leave school, which is the best evidence of the school’s success in providing a good environment for the kids.

We love South Loop Montessori School for its finest teachers, excellent management and perfect location. Our younger daughter just started pre-​primary class 3 months ago, while her sister had already transitioned to primary class. Every morning we drop them off knowing that they will be in the good hands, and in the afternoon we know we will pick up two very happy girls, probably with more knowledge in their little heads.
We like the close relationship between teachers and students, that teachers know your kids and communicate with you even through emails. The academic program is excellent too. The class rooms are thoughtfully divided to a few areas with each one focused on a major skill set and equipped with tons of little projects that kids love to dive in and learn while playing. Kids have the full attention of teachers at any moment, who are ready to help out just briefly or hand by hand throughout the whole project. From our parent teacher conferences, we know teachers exactly know the strength and improvement areas of our kids and help them out with a focus. That probably explains why we noticed our kids grow out of our expectation from time to time.

Outstanding program. Our daughter has been there almost two years and she has flourished. I have taken advantage of parent volunteer opportunities to see first hand the excellent environment and care put into every child. Communication has been excellent. The teachers really know our girl and they have even asked me if she has had changes to her schedule because they could notice she was a little off. They have taken great care with our special instructions on her need for diligent sun protection during playground time because of her fair complexion. Her teachers have taught her how to make choices and how to understand the results of those choices as well as how to put words to feelings so she can start to self regulate. She knows and writes letters and uses glass plates at lunch at only four years old! This school is amazing and we will be looking to put her little sister into the program as well. This is a school where she learns important life skills that will help her to be a successful adult in the future.

We have had our daughter enrolled at SLMS for a little over 2 years, and we could not be more pleased with this facility. The primary and assistant teachers in both classrooms are dedicated, caring and experienced professionals, and I truly believe they care about the kids they hold in their care. When I pick up my child from school or drop her off in the morning, I get to hear a nice story about something she is learning or something funny she said or did. It’s great. Further, there is always someone (in a physical and non-​physical way) from the administration available to discuss any issues or concerns — in addition to the primary teacher for the classroom.
I feel the materials presented for my child are really helping her learn, and I am witness to her educational development on a daily basis. If you are not familiar with the Montessori method of learning/​teaching, children are grouped together in age ranges (e.g., ages 3 – 6 in the primary classroom). So, younger kids are able to learn from the older kids (sort of like an older sibling) and gradually develop their level of material based on their individual performance. I think having 3 adults governing the classroom also helps. I appreciate their teacher to student ratio. Further, they also have music and yoga programs, which I like because it exposes my child to extracurricular activities that I may not have time to enroll her in because I work full-​time.
As far as the facility in concerned, I love love love that they have their own playground. The kids get outdoors at least twice a day (weather-​permitting) and I am grateful that they are not being carted off to a public park in mass groups like some other places who do not have the luxury of having an onsite outdoor space. They also use the outdoor space for holding events like their grand opening for their garden and other parent-​included activities. I’m also a big fan of the organic menu.
After our 2^nd child was born (and before knowing what we were going to do for childcare), I went on some tours of other facilities in the area. In doing so, my feelings towards the facility we have selected for our older child were reaffirmed. It really made me realize how lucky we were to have gotten a spot in the school when we did. We plan on enrolling our 2^nd child as soon as he is old enough to attend.

My husband and I are truly thankful to the teachers and directors for their value and dedication. I especially love the fact that they have smaller scale (two classrooms) which creates more closer family-​like environment!
Our biggest concern was our son’s separation anxiety which is perfectly normal for kids at his age. Amazingly he was happy to go to his classroom in three days. I think it was the combination of right transition methodology and the exciting environment they create.
Our son’s behavior changed slowly over time. He learns table manner, cleaning up after he is done and socializing skills through structured settings.
Thank you for creating a safe environment.

After researching schools and day cares for our son to attend, we came across South Loop Montessori by chance. After researching the values that Montessori education establishes in a child’s character — grace, courtesy, and respect — as well as the ability for children to discover work on their own sold me on SLMS and their full time program. They also provide their students with a wonderful outdoor environment, organic lunches, and quality practical life skills. His social interaction, linguistic abilities, and observation skills have increased tenfold since being enrolled in SLMS
My husband and I are extremely pleased and thankful for the education and love our son receives daily from the staff, and we would highly recommend SLMS to any family throughout Chicago.

My daughter attends the Montessori school and truly enjoys her days there. She is in the full-​time program and seems to be blossoming in the system. The school had all the prerequisites when we looked into pre-​schools in the area — safe, good location, and wonderful staff.

Our daughter started SLMS just over a month ago and we would highly recommend this school. We moved from Colorado where she had been attending another Montessori school, and while that was a great experience, too – SLMS is an exceptional example of a Montessori environment. The thought and care that goes into all aspects of the classroom and administration is above and beyond. Her teachers are fantastic and loving and calm. It is always clear to us that our daughter is being well cared for and her curiosity for learning is nurtured every day.
They even offer an organic catered lunch, which has been a fun way to introduce our daughter to some new foods she hadn’t yet tried. PLUS, I have to say that the cozy, residential neighborhood that surrounds the school (don’t let the front of the building give you the wrong impression) is excellent. All dead-​end streets, no through traffic, always a very safe feeling location. Very easy drop-​off and pick-​up.
Oh, and the new classrooms (built from the ground up) and private outdoor play area, complete with resident bunny and vegetable gardens, are all beautiful.

Love everything about this school. Teachers for both classes are awesome and love the kids. The owners, Mahdi and Sameer couln’t be nicer, more responsible and more dedicated.
We have had our oldest son in two other pre-​schools in the South Loop and nothing compares to this experience. It is by far the best selection we have made and both of our kids love going to school every day. They learn to respect others, to take care of their world and the environment plus they learn thru experiences and great montessori tools. One of the best parts is that it has its own playground, which is almost impossible to find in the city.