Montessori Manor

We relocated to California 6 months ago and being new to the area it meant a lot to pick the perfect school for my 2 boys to attend. After meeting Leslie Dillon the choice was clear that Montessori Manor was the environment I felt my children would strive in best. This school is very dedicated to each and every child. It has a strong social and academic foundation. I can't say enough about how caring and devoted Leslie Dillon and all the teachers are to developing children to their fullest potential. As far as my younger son this is his first experience attending school and he has adjusted beautifully. My older sons reading and math skills have soared since he began there. He is increasingly challenged as he masters his skills. We couldn't be happier with Montessori Manor. I know that my older son will begin First Grade with the confidence and skills to continue succeeding because of his positive experience at Montessori Manor. This is what you want as a parent, a caring & dedicated school staff that goes the extra mile!

This school is a perfect fit for my family. Initially, I began my child's kindergarten experience with homeschooling, hoping to incorporate a private school experience 2-3 times per week for necessary socialization. I could not stand the thought of public school and my child becoming just another number in the system. I also was not sure, due to his June birthday whether I should hold him back. After visiting close to 15 schools in my area, I "lucked out" and called Miss Leslie at Montessori Manor. Despite the round-trip of 40 minutes two times per day, I am in love with this school. My husband and friends give me a hard time for commuting to kindergarten, but everyone realizes the perfect fit when they visit. I am no longer homeschooling, and my child attends fives half days per week. And, truth be told, I wish there was more room in the school because I would have him going there five full days like most of his friends. He's a smart little guy to start with, and I feel this school is constantly finding new ways to challenge him. Since this is his first true school experience, he's had to learn quite a bit in terms of proper group etiquette, socialization, and how to focus; however, his teachers have been very patient and encouraging, keeping me updated all the way. I fully support and recommend this school to parents of young children.

My son has been at Montessori Manor for two years and has flourished in his time there. Prior to his enrollment we explored other options in the area before meeting Ms. Leslie and visiting Montessori Manor, but after our initial meeting we knew this was the right place for my son and our family. Not only has my son learned academically, but also socially. Leslie and her staff continually to go above and beyond for the students and ensure that they will be successful as they move to other schools in the future. I have and will continue to recommend Montessori Manor to anyone looking for a well rounded and effective school for their children.

Prior to moving across the country to El Dorado Hills six months ago, I started my search for a Preschool for my two young children. It was nerve-wracking to try to find a Preschool from 2400 miles away. I spoke to the directors and some teachers of several different schools in the area, on several occasions in some cases, but ultimately only one school gave me the “feeling” I was looking for to help me choose the right environment for my 4 year-old son and 3 year-old daughter. That was Montessori Manor. And now, six months later, I feel great about that choice. My 4 year-old is reading chapter books to us at night, doing addition and subtraction and he actually helped my 10-year old daughter study for her test on US state capitals – he knew some that she didn’t! My 3 year-old, who tends to be a little more reserved than her brother, has really blossomed socially. I also see great progress in her development when she tells me about her favorite math or sensorial “job” from the day and explains in step-by-step detail how she performed the job. Finally, I have noticed that both of them seem to really grasp concepts, relationships and critical thinking as opposed to just facts. They will ask me questions (as young children do) but then consider my answer and ask a logical follow-up question or take my response and deduce an accurate follow-up statement. Their developmental progress has really been amazing and I attribute much of this to the individualized attention that my kids get at Montessori Manor and the teaching style, which seems to emphasize learning through hands on “jobs” at the individual’s own pace. Montessori Manor has been the perfect Preschool environment for my two kids!

We have been taking our two children to Montessori Manor the past year and have been so happy with our choice! We could not have asked for more dedicated and caring teachers. For the first month of school, my two-year old daughter would run up to me and say, "Mommy, I love preschool!" My kids are absolutely in love with their teachers and on weekends always talk about the things they want to share with them on Monday. As a high school teacher, I absolutely love the philosophies that guide their program. The priority at Montessori Manor is to develop a love for learning. They do this by letting students pick their "jobs" (hand writing, math, science, etc.) and pursue their own interests. Kids are also able to go at their own pace. That love for learning is what will give them success in school their later years, and make them better citizens as adults. Respect for others is key at Montessori Manor as well. Students come in and give hand shakes to their teachers when they arrive and when they leave. Bringing snacks to share with their classmates on their scheduled day helps them learn collective responsibility. On their snack day, students bring in something to share that they present in front of the class. My kids LOVE this! They pretend they are sharing at home all the time! What great confidence they are beginning to develop! We have been so pleased watching our kids develop at Montessori Manor! The teachers really understand the big picture there!

I cannot say enough about how wonderful this school has been for my son. He started when he was about 3.5 years old and is now 5 years. Miss Leslie is an excellent educator and the teachers at her school have all been excellent educators as well. Every member there is patient, effective and has good integrity within their hearts. My son is not only learning how to read at a first grade level, but he also has learned in the sciences, geography, history, and much much more. This school has exceeded my expectations and more. I am looking forward to when my daughter will be old enough to attend!

My child has attended Montessori Manor for 3 years. He has had a wonderful experience. Ms. Leslie has provided a fun, caring and safe learning environment. I believe my child has excelled academically at this school. I recommend Montessori Manor as an excellent preschool and kindergarten.

I would recommend Montessori Manor in El Dorado Hills whole heartily to any one in our neighborhood. My son is close to 5 years old now and has been with Montessori Manor over two and half years. Every parent wants the best education for their kids. Well, as a couple having only one son, after 17 years of marriage, I would say that we are more particular in our school selection. We want the best environment where our son can gain knowledge and skills, develop good behavior and manners, and be ready for schooling and for life, all while having fun! We are also firm believers that early education has the fundamental impact on a person's life. I would say that Montessori Manor provides the best environment for that. This statement is based on our personal experience in comparison with the day care my son attended before and the backup care that we used as well. While other places let kids play and spend time while parents work, Montessori Manor is really an educational organization. This comes out from the well-planned and organized daily routines starting with early morning greeting and hand-shake, circle time, individual and group projects and play time. It strides a perfect balance of learning and play. It is a lovely pleasure to see our son eager to go to school every morning and show off his projects after school. In particular, the excellence of Montessori Manor comes from the personal touch of the school director, Miss Leslie. She is an early education expert with so many years of experience. More importantly, she puts her heart out for the school and kids. She set up the school with good discipline and rules, but is also very flexible to accommodate special needs. She is involved in the daily teaching, paying attention to each individual needs, and providing feedback to parents. As non-native English speaking parents, we are so glad to see our son excel with his English. He often picks up tones and expressions that remind us of Miss Leslie which always brings smiles to our faces.

This is such a wonderful preschool. Ms Leslie has such enthusiasm and patience with the kids. Joshua loved this school when we took an example class. My husband and I are so happy that Joshua is enjoying preschool. Joshua had been raised by his grandparents before he came to USA. He didn't speak any English. I have trouble with letting him to clear up, brushing his teeth and sleeping early at night. You have no idea how hard it was for me to send Joshua to school. I appreciate everything Ms Leslie has done to help Joshua improve those processing. She helped me to make a record to improve Joshua's pronunciation. She also helped me to understand more what Joshua's feeling is. Joshua is now more polite and well-behaved since he has been there. His English is much more improved than what I expect. I highly recommend this preschool to all parents who are interested in giving their child quality care. Joy Zou