“The caregivers at Child Garden are incredibly engaged and communicative; their warmth, patience, and compassion have truly made a difference in our children’s lives. The kids are encouraged to grow and learn in a supportive yet challenging environment, and the range of experiences—music, Spanish, field trips—is wonderful.”
- Mia
"Child Garden is a place where kids flourish. The teachers identify and encourage the individual talents and nuances which combine to make each child unique. Our daughter entered kindergarten with a solid foundation for academic success and able to interact with new friends and teachers in a respectful and confident manner."
- Shelly
"Our daughter has enjoyed every minute she's spent in the infant program at Child Garden since she was 4 months old. Knowing that she is in the care of such excellent staff who are both loving caregivers and highly-skilled teachers with her best interests in mind has been a great comfort to us as new parents. We are thankful that Child Garden gives her the opportunity to explore her environment in so many different ways--her love of learning is already apparent. It has been a joyous experience for us to watch her blossom into a curious, bubbly and communicative toddler."
- Peter and Katie
“Our daughter has progressed through the Child Garden programs starting in the Infant and Toddler Rooms, and now in the Preschool Room. And to put it simply, she has thrived in the Montessori environment that Child Garden provides. We have come to respect the focus that the Child Garden’s Montessori programs have for the individual child, where the children are exposed to many experiences and subjects, but are encouraged to progress at their own pace. To see our daughter take great interest in the dance, music, language and math programs that she has been exposed to at Child Garden has truly been a delight.
And Child Garden is a very nurturing environment not just from the academic point of view. The teachers and staff at Child Garden make great efforts to care about the children's overall well-being. They are not only there to teach the kids ABCs and 123s, they are there to teach the children how to be confident, how to hold their heads high, how to grow up to be well balanced and caring people. And now that our daughter is entering her final year at Child Garden, we can see how those efforts and the experience of the incredible staff are transitioning her to be a leader in the multi-age environment. Well done!
At the end of the day, what's kept us at Child Garden is the ultimate trust. We trust that our daughter is in the care of a very safe and nurturing environment, we trust that all the teachers are doing everything solely for the well being of the children, and we trust that Lindsey and Claudia and the rest of the great staff will do whatever they can to keep the quality and the integrity of the school for years to come.”
- Brian and Susan
"Having been a Child Garden parent for seven years, it will be bittersweet when my youngest child graduates from Children’s House this fall and moves on to kindergarten. It is hard to find the words that adequately describe the amazing teachers and experiences that both of my children have had at Child Garden.
From the very first day, when my oldest child was swooped up by one of the loving teachers in the infant room, I knew that Child Garden was the right place for my family. At all stages, my kids have been nurtured, educated, and treated with respect and appreciation. In addition to meaningful day to day activities, my kids have experienced many wonderful places and embarked on many fascinating adventures with Child Garden -- Eloise Butler Flower Garden, Gale Woods Farm, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, and the Westwood Nature Center, to name a few. In addition to these great trips, I know that the regular trips to Loring Park will be prominent in their childhood memories.
I have been continuously amazed at what my kids have learned at Child Garden. The constant exposure to art, music, reading, and math has enriched not only their little lives, but mine and my husband’s as well. We are constantly fascinated by the works of art our kids have created and amazed by the things they can learn at such young age; our daughter’s fascination with Blue Grass music and Johann Sebastian Bach at age four, as well as the “math scrolls” produced by our son at age five, are a couple of our favorite examples of the learning that takes place at Child Garden.
I will be forever grateful to Naomi and the teachers at Child Garden for providing my kids with so much love and learning during the critical first six years of their lives. They are amazing kids who will be amazing adults, thanks in significant part to all they have seen and learned under the loving guidance of all who work at Child Garden."
- Melissa
My child will be moving on September 1st. I know she will be successful as a result of the strong foundation she has built at Child Garden. She is equipped with all of the skills that she will need to be successful throughout her life. We are so fortunate to have both our children at your school and cannot tell you in words how grateful we are that they have had this opportunity.
- Michael and Holly
My stars how the summer has flown. But I haven't forgotten about you and Child Garden. I think the number one reason I would recommend Child Garden is that the Montessori method teaches confidence. I'm constantly amazed at how secure Owen feels in his ability to solve problems, try new things and adapt to strange environments. I feel that in the hands of a great teacher like you Montessori helps make the world seem a lot more manageable to a little kid (kind of makes you wish there was a version for grownups, too).
-Shelly
My daughter, Jane, moved from Claudia's class to Lake Country Montessori (which goes through 9th grade). She is still in pre-K but Child Garden definitely prepared her well for a new school. Her teacher's report that she is friendly and involved. She probably had a relatively easy transition simply because she moved to another Montessori school. She'll often come home and report that something she had worked on that day was something she had been familiar with Child Garden. But beyond that, she clearly is able to stay on task and well ahead of even kindergarten expectations (at least from what I know with my older son being in a public school) in reading and math preparedness, both of which I greatly attribute to the work she did with Claudia.
- Amy
Would love for Kathy andClaudia know how much I appreciate them and that Spencer still thinks of them. He really loved them.
Spencer whizzed through kindergarten [sic]. He, Wren and Scarlett -- another Child Garden student were all in the advanced reading group for kids who were reading at least 2 grade levels above standard.
He and Wren are in the advanced reading group again this year. Scarlett went to another school because of boundary changes in the Minneapolis district -- but I am guessing she is doing great. In addition, his math skills are also probably about 2 years ahead of standard. I credit the teachers and Montessori techniques for the boost. Spencer is at his community public school and is not only doing great academically, but seems to be thriving socially too. Thanks to Child Garden, Kathy, Claudia, Tara and all the teachers involved in Spencer's care. It is true that quality pre-school gives the child a tremendous advantage!
- Sharon
