Montessori School-Greater Lafayette

I sent my fifth child to Montessori. My other children have experienced other types of preschools, from Purdue Child Development Lab School to a faith-based institution. I am an educator myself, and was interested in experimenting in Montessori. I will not be sending her back for next year. Although my child is confident and outgoing, the "unstructured" environment does not work for every child. Be sure you know if your child can manage low-level chaos and a lack of structure. I saw a lot of kids have "stress responses" in class because they were not yet capable of the self-management needed. In addition, my daughter's classroom had 24 children in it! 3 teachers, but they are very stand-off by method. That's a lot of kids. Spending over $3,000 a year for preschool makes you stop and wonder if you are getting your money's worth. The high demands on parents' time and money (in addition to tuition) is sort of surprising given the high tuition. I would recommend one of the many fine preschools in town that incorporate a "balance" between the Montessori method of free - learning and exploration and more structured learning and one-on-one time.
--Submitted by a parent

Outstanding school at both preschool and elementary levels. Students that benefit from the ability to go at their own pace will absolutely blossom here. Gives students a much more individually tailored (and more individually directed) experience than others. Nice community of people as well.
--Submitted by a parent

Their elementary school program is very nice, a diverse studeny body. Unfortunately it goes until third grade. Their pre-k is the 'best' in town, but you should understand that this is the only montessori school in town, it is a non-profit organization. So lack of competition and no 'real owner' to turn to improve teacher performance is a problem. If your kid is an easy going one, s/he will be just fine here. If your kid is not native speaker, or very active, s/he is left to her own vices, teachers do not have the caliber to deal with kids who require tad bit more creative approach. You take it or you leave it. In summary, it is a half way decent place, the reason people jump out of their pants for this school is because it is the only option in this small town.
--Submitted by a parent

Awful experience here--a teacher treated my child unfairly because we live in Lafayette, not West Lafayette.
--Submitted by a parent

I've made sure my grandchildren have been able to experience MSGl from 3rd birthday on. I can't imagine a better environment for them. They are cared for as if they were family members, have developed deep friendships with students, teachers, and staff. Having taughth in the public school system for several years and now a assistant professor of education at Purdue, I believe MSGL comes as close as possible to providing the ideal educational experience for young children.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is amazing - our daughter is in her second year now and LOVES, LOVES, LOVES, school! We will be sending our second child to MSGL next year and can't wait to see his growth, too. This is a wonderful school with a caring staff - we have been blown away with the skills - social and academic - our child has acquired.
--Submitted by a parent

I moved to Lafayette in 2000, and I was pleased to find MSGL. The school is outstanding, the staff is great, and my 2 girls have been very happy there.
--Submitted by a parent

Both of our daughters have been attending MSGL since age 2. Their experiences have been amazing and they love going to school every day. My husband and I are amazed at their development, independence and confidence they have gained. I strongly recommend MSGL to all families with small children!
--Submitted by a parent

What a wonderful environment for children to thrive in. My 2 daughters LOVE going to school everyday. The staff enjoys doing what they are doing and it shows in everything- the learning environment, activities... Also, parents are very involved and active in creating the environment they want for their children. WE are so happy our children attend MSGL.
--Submitted by a parent

Our son is in his third year at MSGL and is currently in the pre-primary program. We couldn't be happier with the teachers, the staff, and the classroom environment. He has thrived in this child-centered context where he is encouraged to take an active role in learning. Not only is he happy (he adores his teachers and his peers), he is learning so much more than in a typical pre-school. I've also been very pleased with the attention to social development; the teachers are fabulous when it comes to helping children learn to develop and maintain friendships, including how to resolve conflict independently. In sum, this school takes a 'whole child' approach where each child is offered an environment to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. We couldn't recommend the school more highly!
--Submitted by a parent