Learn and Play Montessori School

Before Learn and Play my daughter was a very shy, quite and timid little girl. She started a couple of months back and it took her some time to adjust. She would slowly open up about her teachers. She started talking about Ms. Cassey a lot, then her other 2 teachers (Ms. Jasvir and Ms. Chandana). She enjoys going to school now and has a lot to say when I pick her up. Now that she has adjusted, I see a change in her attitude and her social skills. She comes home teaching me about things that she has learned. I appreciate how her teachers would take the time to talk to me about her day. I love hearing everything they have to say about her. It’s like she is a new person and I can’t complain. Her teachers are great and so far she has learn so many things.
The environment is welcoming. The school is big. The parking is only packed during drop off/​pick up time but it is a pretty big parking lot, plus there are many other parking spaces on the streets. The staff in front are very friendly with a smile on their faces. They are very informative about events that goes on at the school. I enjoy Learn and Play as much as my daughter does. Oh, and the fish tank is amazing. :)

Our son E started attending LAPMS in 2014 and the overall experience has been phenomenal.
For starters, the adaption phase during his first month at school was emotionally manageable. Yes, the initial morning drop-​offs were heartbreaking on both ends. Yet Ms. A’s passionate greeting and soothing voice usually prevented an utter breakdown. Even I tend to brighten up a bit from her beautiful smile :) They’re professionals indeed. Nowadays, E loves his teachers and seems genuinely happy to go to school, which is frankly all that we ask for. With reasonable expectations established, our transition was seamless.
LAPMS also excels at keeping parents informed and engaged. If there’s been an «accident» — staff code for «extra undies required» — or when there’s been a hiccup in logistics — i.e. pickup miscommunication between working parents and godsend grandparents — I’ll get a phone call update.
The administrative team, on top of unbelievably recognizing each student’s dad/​mom/​grandpa/​grandma, also coordinates various amazing activities: Ex. Teacher Appreciation Week, International Day, Read-​athon Week, etc. all with themes striving to ensure the students remain grateful, open-​minded, and educated. Parents also have the flexibility to indulge at any level of comfort such as potluck participation or book donations.
Where LAPMS exceeded our expectations was our son’s rapid development in communication and interpersonal skills. He was raised with English as a secondary language and started daycare with limited vocabulary, if any. Within months, he’s cultivated the confidence to express himself and structure conversations, not to mention regularly singing his favorite songs learned at school. We noticed significant improvement in his manners as well. I like how the teachers also provide constant feedback on E’s anecdotes/​progress, including areas for improvement (parent assignments?)
If forced to be picky, the teacher turnover was relatively high when our son was in their 2014 – 2015 toddler program (much better in his current room 6), and their facility may not come across as new/​flashy, albeit rather clean and organized. Nonetheless, following stressful due diligence (within radius) and 1 year+ in, we’re absolutely satisfied with our decision and soon enough our daughter shall be joining the LAPMS family too.
— Dedicated to anxious parents seeking a right fit for their beloved little ones.

I sent both my boys here from the age of 2 till they were ready to goto KG. I am extremely pleased with the care and attention they received from the teachers and from the school staff. I saw positive changes in both my kids as they made new friends and learnt new things from school. The school is always kept neat and tidy too. I would highly recommend this school to anyone considering the Montessori schools for their kids.

Last year around June, 2015 I had to pull my daughter out from preschool at the Irvington location. I was really sad about it but it was because I was going on maternity leave. So, now that I’m going back to work. I wanted her a little closer to my work. I’m glad that Niles had an opening. My daughter started in Room 7. She has 3 wonderful teachers, Ms. Jasvir, Ms. Chandana & Ms. Casey are all lovely, soft spoken ladies. They are very welcoming. Since Rocsi started there in mid April, she has been a lot more open. I see a different side of her. She comes home & tells me so many stories about her new friends & teachers. I appreciate the time that her teachers takes to talk to us about her day. Her favorite teacher is Ms. Cassey. She brags to me about how Ms. Cassey is the music teacher & she can sing better than me (please. Lol!). I love hearing about her day. Thanks to Ms. Amee & Ms. Naomi for making her enrollment process so easy. Choosing Learn and Play was the best thing we did for her. I know she’s doing great because she comes home to tell me all about her day.

My son started going to this campus since the beginning of the year 2016. He was anxious when he started but since then the teachers have made his transition to new school easier. He now likes going to the school everyday and I can see that he is getting better in his social interactions. I also like the way how the school gives me timely update,

I’m not a Dad (yet), but when it came time to pick a school for my nephews and I was tasked with the research, I came across Learn and Play Montessori School and never looked back. It was super important to our family that the kids start their educational career off with strong academics, but definitely mixed with social interaction as this is an intangible skill that they will benefit from for the rest of their lives.
Firstly, it was a nightmare imagining how hard it would be to drop the first one off for his first day, as its usually a pretty traumatic experience for the child as well as the parent. LPMS was VERY helpful through this process, and provided a warm environment where he couldn’t wait to get to each and every morning. They added a personal touch, and acted as a parent versus just an educator. The biggest reward one can get is their kid being excited to go to school each day.
Naturally, we went with LPMS when the younger one was ready as well– and the results have been outstanding. Both of the kids absolutely love school, have blossomed into fast and curious learners who show compassion and social skills.
I would strongly recommend LPMS and their expert staff of the finest educators. When I have kids and they are ready to attend school, I will definitely be sending them here. I want to thank you for setting a solid foundation for my nephews whom I care about as my own sons.

LAPMS in Niles is like a second home to my son. He is in the infant/​toddler program and loves going in everyday. There are 4 teachers with a low teacher student ratio that helps give personalized attention. His day is a mix of circle time, activity based learnings, reading books, playing with toys and outdoor play time. They have different themes for art work every month. It’s just been over three months since my little one started and his development has been really fast. He knows a lot more than other kids of his age whom we know.
The school offers healthy hot lunches and 3 snacks. We love the positive vibe of the place. All the teachers and front desk are always cheerful, friendly and are available to chat anytime. I have called in several times a day to check on how he is doing and the front desk has always responded very well. Overall, we are very happy with the school and would recommend to others.

You know your child is very well cared for in her school when you see her get impatient about getting to school as quickly as possible, when you see that spring in her feet as she drags you by the hand during the morning drop offs & then, as she grins ear to ear when greeted by her teachers and her friends
I am so glad that my daughter, Aria is in such a happy and friendly environment where I watch her make new discoveries & learn social as well as academic skills all the while having a ton of fun.
Thank you to the staff & teachers at Learn and Play Montessori, Niles for contributing towards a happy & healthy childhood for all the little children that attend the school!

My daughter usually enjoyed her time here, but her teachers kept changing. This was difficult for my 2 year old because she would get comfortable with them and then they would change. Also made me wonder why they would change so frequently. There was always a lot of random instructors in and out of the room who rarely introduced themselves.
Another problem was their horrible communication skills, from front desk workers, to teachers and the director. I would call and leave messages for certain things like receipts or issues to discuss, and never receive a response. Also, why should I discuss billing with the receptionists and not the accountant? Whenever I asked to speak with her, I also never received a response. All messages were given to me through the receptionist (that also kept changing frequently).
I had to take my child out of classes because we went on vacation. I gave 2 weeks notice which had always been okay and the director said was fine. Then all of the sudden, it wasn’t ok. They made an exception for me because I argued the point that it was always okay before. (You’re supposed to give 30 days notice). So I filled out the form and said a specific day she would be back. When I called the week before she was supposed to go back to school to say she was coming back the day I specified on the form, they said I had to give notice once again. I’m sorry I thought that’s why I filled out the form. I guess not, I’m not quite sure how their backwards system works. So I said that’s fine, just call me and let me know when she can come back. I followed up 3 more times and they always said they would get back to me. Well surprise, they never did. This was after a year of her going to that school. Anyway, it’s a blessing in disguise because we’ve found a much better school for our daughter.

My husband and I agreed that it was time to start our two year old son in an educational program. He is an only child and we wanted to make sure he was having plenty of social interaction with other kids his age, plus we realized the importance of stimulating a child’s drive to explore and learn. After researching multiple programs and schools in our area, we decided on Learn and Play Montessori in Niles.
Our experience at LPMS has been nothing but positive. Our son started a few weeks ago and he is just loving it there. Bringing a child to school of the first time, can be a very emotional experience, but the staff at Montessori has been so kind and helpful. They are fair and honest in their approach and policies. Plus they took the time to answer all my questions.
The first few classes were not easy for my son, he was not used to being dropped off, and he was very upset that mommy left him. He cried A LOT! I was surprised how well the teachers handled him. They would pick him up and hold him and comfort him, sometimes for the whole class. During the first few days, I called a few times a day to check in on him. The school staff was so polite and understanding. They even suggested positive ways to help my son and I cope with the transition.
Now it has been a few weeks and my son actually looks forward to «school days». When I come to pick him up, I can tell that he is enjoying himself. He is laughing and playing with the other children. It is absolutely wonderful to see.
I would definitely recommend LPMS to any parent who is serious about their child’s future.

My son is attending the Nile Campus since almost a year and a half & this is my second review of this school, still keeping the same rating! Currently my son goes in Room 4 with Miss Maleha as a head teacher. I adore the teachers in the class Miss. Maleha, Miss. Dhillon, Miss Pareena & the substitute teacher Miss Kaur. I absolutely appreciate how they tackle my ever talkative child. They have managed to get the best out of my boy in every aspect of his schooling. My boy likes to questions a lot & they are patient enough to answer all his questions. He is a very bad eater & sometimes teachers do feed him making sure he finishes his meal.
I love the positive vibe of the school. Every teacher is smiling & cheerful. The front desk staff Miss Naomi, Miss Amee, Miss Natalie are sweethearts. They will try to give a detailed whereabouts of the child if you ask them about there well being in the class at a particular time.
I love the curriculum of the school designed by the Curriculum director Miss Aurelia.
Overall i would recommend attending this school to everyone whoever is living close by to do so.

My son attended the «Learn n play Montessori’ school in Newark for one and a half years. Since we planned to move out of California, I had to take my son out of this school, but if we did not relocate, I would «undoubtedly» still have him attend the «Learn n play Montessori» in Newark.
Like all moms, I was very scared, hesitant, worried and overwhelmed to make a school choice for my son. Up until 2.5 years of age, he was well cared for in a home setting, with family around all the time. But now I have to leave him in the outside world, with strangers and alone for 8 – 9 hours at a stretch. This realization freaked me out. I wanted to make the best decision him. It was very important for me to «feel satisfied» while I am at work (thinking that my son is safe n sound and happy).
I looked at mainly 2 criteria’s in a school:
1. spacious campus so he can run around and feel at home
2. loving teachers, who would treat him as their own
Frankly speaking, the level of education at the prospective school was not on my priority list. I only wanted my son to be happy and well cared for.
I looked at many schools in Fremont, and visited at least 4 schools until I settled on this one.
When I visited this school, I was impressed with the «big playground» for kids to freely run around. There are enough slides, play equipment and land for kids to have fun. The playground is well equipped with fence and very secure. Teachers are always watching out and standing at the corners, so there is no room for error and kids getting hurt or accidentally getting out of the school.
At the main entrance, you have to sign in «with a password» in order to drop off or pick up your child. Every family member gets their own password. I was super impressed that the school staff sitting at the front desk knew every child by their name. Every time, I went to pick up my son, the staff made an eye contact with me. I loved the fact, that they were not busy working away on their computers, but were most interested in greeting the parents and kids. This shows how friendly and family-​oriented the faculty of this school is.
I love this school not only for the reasons that I have listed above: safety and care but also for the high level of education that the teachers provide. At the age of 4.5, my son reads his own books. He can eve read big words, like «Micropachycephalosaurus». I am not kidding :-)
He loves reading about bugs, insects, dinosaurs. He loves science and art. I have seen him grow from a small baby in diapers to an independent toddler. I am the most proud mom and extend my MANY THANKS TO this school, their staff, the teachers, the cooks.
In the end, I want to give a hearty tribute to my son’s favorite teachers: Miss Rukshana and Miss Jasbir.
They are like angels who took such great care of my little baby, that I don’t even have words to jot it down. Miss Rukshana is a blessed soul. She has the most calming voice and demeanor. She always took an active part in my son’s development and was always willing to speak to me in detail about his progress in class.
I can say with 100% confidence that my son has developed into a fine young toddler due to the care, confidence, discipline and education that he received in this school.
Thank you Ms. Kiran, Ms. Rukshana and Ms. Jasbir. I wish you all tremendous success and riches in the future.
Thank you!
a very satisfied and happy mom :-)

The staff and owners are passionate people focused on providing a safe and happy environment for the kids. It is clear from speaking with the owners that they truly enjoy helping kids learn and grow into smart happy individuals.

This school is phenomenal. The staff is well trained, and the administrator is passionate about education and children. The grounds are immaculate and the price is reasonable given the staff, grounds, cleanliness and food quality. Children are well taken care of here and I would recommend this school to anyone.

Please look at the picture left. My kid got injured three time in one month in 2015. The wounds are very very close to her eyes. After we talked to the directors and the teachers first and second time when my child got injured, the third time happened again.
I am busy in taking care of my injured kid now and hired a nanny. Wish my child will have no scar left and recover soon.
If you want to put your child here for the reason such as location etc, just check the picture of my child and reconsider!!!

My two boys started here around summer of 2012, they were 3−½ and 2 yo. at the time.
My oldest is now in kinder at public school and my other son is still here. I know that there is no «perfect» school and every school has its pros and cons. You just have to find the right fit for your child and make sure they are happy. My husband and I have both had some minor issues with the school, but have since been resolved. Communication is the key.
I am basing this 5 star review from my kids happiness and well being. They both started at a home daycare from recommendation of friends. But after 4 – 5 months, both boys were constantly crying, not wanting to go, just basically unhappy. So, I took them out and started here, so happy that it is only 5 minutes from our house. I was getting stressed from driving them across town to the other daycare which took 30 minutes.
My boys enjoy coming here and have met a lot of friends. They have learned a lot and my oldest was very ready for kinder.
There are many good and caring teachers here. We’ve been in rooms 7, 5, 4, 3, 2. Yes, there were some teacher turnover, but for the most part it has been pretty consistent.
My younger son was potty trained by Ms. Sylvia. He recently had his kinder interview and did very well.
They also have a kinder program here that I believe is excellent as my older son had both Ms. Rhea and Ms. Leah for pre-​k. I wish I could have kept him here for kinder but it would have been too difficult to get into his school for 1^st grade.
This used to be the old public elementary school, so the facility is a bit older. But overall very happy with L & P, Niles. I will miss this school when my youngest starts kinder in August. But so happy I will only have one drop off then:)
I also wish that the graduation ceremony was not only reserved for room 2 students. My older son had a graduation ceremony (going to kinder) but my younger son will not:(
P. S. For all the parents looking, it will save you time, stress, and your sanity to pick a school close to your house!

I toured the different locations and the Niles location felt like the best fit for our daughter. I am very thankful for the effort and care that the director and teachers made in helping our daughter process some difficult emotions and social situations. I am so thankful for the emotional investment that my daughter’s teacher took upon herself.
The staff at the front desk are always warm and welcoming and happy to help. The school hosts several fun events for the kids and offer soccer and tumbling classes. She did not participate in them but it was great to see available.
There have been a few things with communication that keep me from giving them the fifth star. I felt like we weren’t given much notice for certain activities that would require time to be taken off work for parental participation. And my daughter had cut up her clothes with a pair of scissors and I think that could have been handled better by the teachers and the staff.
Overall, this is a great school and I am happy to recommend them. Our daughter has learned and grown so much since she started school here. If it wasn’t for a new location opening up nearer to home, our daughter would still be enrolled there.

So my child attended this school for about 1 year. I have seen flocks of teachers in and out of the classrooms. As a parent I want what is best for my child, I pulled out my child because he never became comfortable with any of the teachers or peers.
When I dropped off my child he cried, potty training wasn’t successful and and the teachers always looked stressed out… probably because of the amount of children confined in one space.
The classrooms are very big but not enough Montessori materials provided.
They don’t staff accordingly and none of the teachers credentials are posted. IF I AM PAYING FOR MONTESSORI, I BETTER SEE WHAT I’M PAYING FOR.
One teacher told me how much they made and I was baffled, no wonder the teachers don’t stay!
Our children need consistency in their education, this school models the exact opposite.

Our experience with the Niles campus began in April of 2013 till October of 2013. We had our daughter, Maddy, in the program for awhile, but due to some circumstances out of our control, she left in October of 2013. We were really upset, but at the time, it was just not working out.
Fast forward to September 2014, after a small stint at another preschool program, we came to our senses, and came back to Learn and Play. They greeted us back with open arms, and were so excited to have Maddy come back to the program. Maddy is currently enrolled in Rm. 9, and she LOVES it! The staff is very nice, accommodating, and helpful. It is truly an «open door» policy at the school, which Jeoff and I really, really appreciate. It’s nice to be able to talk to staff and teachers, at really anytime. Of course, if you need more in depth conversations, you should probably make an appointment. :)
They have been phenomenal with Maddy’s potty training as well! Her vocabulary/​sentence structure is exploding and expanding by the minute. Honestly, we have no complaints about this campus. Thank you L&P!!!

Disclaimer: First I would like to say that I had visited other Montesorri’s in the area and decided that this school was best for MY daughter. This is the first time I have ever put my daughter through the day care system and being a first time parent «AKA The Worry Bug» I understand that the things I observed at the this and other schools were just a MOMENT IN TIME and do not in any way represent how the school conducts business every day. I do not work for the school district. My review is real.
Ms. Kim and Ms. April at the front desk are very accommodating. The Director, Ms. Aurelia spent a good he answering my questions and did most of the talking. She gave me a tour more than once. You can tell she is well loved and respected and that she cares for the students. She is hands on and wears MANY hats from working the front desk, lending a hand in the classrooms, checking in on each room. (I have seen this during the morning drop offs).
My daughter and I checked out many schools in the area (read my reviews) and we ended up putting my 20 mo old in their toddler class (18−30mo).
How I knew it was the school for my baby?
She actually let go of me and walked around the campus and classroom. She seemed interested. I stopped by 3 different times of the day and loved seeing the teachers and students interactions.
Ms. Tam is my daughters favorite teacher aid. Ms. Shree, Ms. Monica, Ms. Lien — all are very friendly and treat my daughter with such tender care. During her adjustment weeks, my baby would let go of me and run off to the teachers. I watched each one hold her while she’d cry, and when I picked her up, sometimes they would still be holding her. Other times, she would be walking around with an extra snack.
My daughter has learned so much in her short time there. Talking a lot too! We are so impressed and happy she is attending this school.