The Montessori Academy

Our son has been attending TMA for the last 3 years and he has become a great communicator, respectful of others, and eager to learn. The multi-level classroom in preschool allowed him to learn from his peers & teach others as well. The teachers have been warm, caring and great facilitators. Whenever I have had issues, It is quickly resolved or clarified by the teachers. I love the strong focus on student's character & the fact that it fosters independence and a love for learning. GREAT SCHOOL !
—Submitted by a parent

What I love about TMA is the independence they develop in the children. At TMA your child gets more than just academics, he or she learns how to take care of their environment and conflict resolution. If you are looking for a school to help develop your future leader, TMA is a great school to consider. I enrolled my daughter at age 2 1/2 and now at age 4 she has matured wonderfully to become a respectful contributor to our home already.
—Submitted by a parent

my daghterhas attended TMA for two years now and it has been wondeful to see her grow and mature. I love the focus the school puts on a child's independance and becoming a well-rounded caring person. The Motessori teaching model is wonderful and I only wish I could've gone here when I was in school. The children are learning to become leaders and care for themselves, others, and their environment. We have met so many wonderful families through TMA, it really does feel like an extended family to us.
—Submitted by a parent

Our experience at TMA has been great. Our kids are developing as self-driven, confident and compassionate individuals. They enjoy every day at school. Yes, the tuition is quite high. But you get what you pay for. If you can afford tuition and you are willing to be open minded for this non-traditional system, I fully recommend the investment.
—Submitted by a parent

After 1 year in the toddler program and 1 year in the preschool program our daughter was not asked to return. While she was in the toddler program, the principle advised us to send her to a play therapist because she did not listen to the teacher ALL the time and did not respond to "redirection". The school referred their own play therapist who was very expensive and was not covered on our insurance. My husband and I took off work on numerous occasions throughout both years to observe her behavior which did not appear any different from the other children in her class. My daughters pediatrician thought that all of this was ludicrous and said that my daughters behaviors were normal for a 2/3 year old. Also, after talking to numerous other parents at the school, we learned that our child was not the only one that the school referred to see a play therapists. There were many others. We did, however, take her to see a play therapist, one that we chose that was covered under our insurance and also had ECI come and observe her and they both agreed that her behaviors were normal. I second the other reviewer's Pollyanna comment. We do still think that Montessori curric is great.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had children enrolled at TMA since 1999. My oldest son, currently in 9th grade, began as a Toddler and graduated after completing 6th grade. He currently attends one of the most highly regarded private schools in Fort Worth (TVS) and is doing very well. He loved the environment and they style of learning that TMA offers. He still mentions that he wishes all schools could be more like TMA. He transitioned very easily because he was well prepared by his experiences at TMA. My youngest son is entering 4th grade at TMA this year. He has done remarkably well and I expect even more growth from him during the coming years. My experience at TMA has been wonderful. Parents at TMA are highly encouraged to volunteer and be involved in your child's education. There is always an opportunity for learning and exploring new ideas. Children are encouraged to think outside of the box and be creative. Children at TMA want to learn and teachers serve as guides in that learning process. TMA challenges students, asking them to look inward and become all that they can be. TMA is very unique; the education is top notch and the community is amazing.
—Submitted by Lynette Engelke, a parent

Our child attended the toddler class. It was the next best thing to home. I share the school's philosophy and the school environment is pleasant and tries to be earth-friendly. Both teachers were very kind-hearted and patient and understood my child's needs. My child matured a lot during the year. The drawback with sending a very young child to school is he picked up negative behavior from the other children, such as temper tantrums/meltdowns. The school does not have an indoor gym for physical activity so when the weather is not conducive for outdoor play, my son had a lot of unreleased energy when he came home. The school does have a gas well right next to it, so it was a concern of mine. It seems the classes are not full, so it may be very possible to register your child late. On the other hand, if you are not sure if you can commit to a year's tuition, it is better to wait. The school is not flexible to change your contract once you sign it. Overall, a good school.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter attended this school for 1 1/2 years (3 to 4 and 1/2). Her first whole year there she really grew in her academics and woke up loving to go to school every single day. We did have some issues with other student's behavior, and were told that it was a "rough" year for behavior in her class. Nonetheless, she still loved it and her teachers very much. But, when her second year started for the 2010-2011 school year, it was a much different story. She was getting hurt all of the time. She was being hurt bad enough that it left marks and bruises. We asked and asked something to be done about the child that was hurting her, but nothing was ever done to stop it. In fact when we insisted that it be stopped, they asked us to leave and not the child that was doing the hurting. Then they acted like we were overreacting, but I know we were not because our child did not want to go to school anymore. In fact she was so scared that she would scream and cry if she could not find us in our own home or if we closed the bathroom door, etc. She had never done this before and whatever was going on at school just freaked her out so bad, we just accepted their offer and sadly left.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has attended preschool at TMA for two years, and he's learned a lot. His language and independence have improved greatly. He has also learned about conflict resolution and how to motivate himself. I gave only three stars because I don't believe that it's necessarily worth the extremely high tuition. This year his class was crowded with 18 students per two teachers. Since they're all 3 - 4 years old, I think the class size was too big. There have been many instances where he was hurt by other children and the teachers weren't aware of it. I've also had a couple of other issues about how discipline was handled. In addition, neither of the teachers in his class this year had previous experience with this age group. They're both great with the children, but with the large class size and limited experience with the age group, I don't feel like the quality of Montessori education this year was as high as it could have been. We've found another Montessori school with more reasonable tuition, so that's where we're putting our son next year. TMA has been wonderful to us, and if tuition were more reasonable, we would give it another year.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school in many ways -- classic Montessori principles, and the teachers and admins really work hard. My son went to pre-school here from age 2-3 and he learned a lot. We worked with the teachers to focus on independence, on logic and consequences in discipline, and on helping others. He is a somewhat shy boy, and I think a bigger / busier school would have been wrong for him in that he would have become even more reserved and reticent in social situations. Now he warms up quickly, even in a crowd, and establishes his own space -- I think the school has helped in this. This is an expensive school, but it has been worth the price for us (we've done without whatever we could cut from budget, because we believe the value of the education is worth it). Bottom line -- if you want to give your child a better chance at being an independent & free thinking person, consider Montessori -- and talk with the good folks at TMA.
—Submitted by a parent

Outstanding teachers, outstanding staff, outstanding parents, and above all outstanding kids. Great learning environment for any child.
—Submitted by a parent

My children have attended this school for 3yrs. They have been in the toddler, preschool, and kindergarten program. The environment the teachers provide is outstanding. They guide the children to their potential. Children are placed with a peers that are within a 2-3 yr range. Therefore, the older children teach the younger ones. The younger students learn how to mentor from the older students. The most important thing is the philosophy that education is triangular...it involves the student, teacher, and parent. Without those the triangle loses its integrity.
—Submitted by a parent

We enrolled our 2 yr old daughter this year in the toddler program and we have been very satisfied with her development so far. We love how she has started to show independence and she's always eager to go to school, even over the weekends!!! Being an only child, we can see how the school has taught her to share, respect and collaborate with her classmates and teachers. The educational methodology at TMA is allowing her to develop her leadership and social skills at such a young age and we simply love this. We appreciate the effort that her teachers and staff at TMA put into creating a nurturing environment which we can tell is consistent through all the grades at the school. Equally important is the participation of us as parents to bring the Montessori principles home, which is encouraged by TMA at all times by providing frequent guidance and thorough feedback about our daughter.
—Submitted by a parent

My son was enrolled from 2yrs-1st grade. We only left because we moved. The teachers and staff help my son develop a foundation that has shaped him into the wonderful teenager he is today. This school not only taught my son, but that also taught me how to be a better parent. At TMA they focus on the entire family, this is a really family orientated community. I have never been able to find a school as awesome as this one, and I have looked! I would highly recommend sending your child here for as long as possible. We had planned on staying until 6th grade and our friends who did cherished the experience it provided for their children and themselves.
—Submitted by a parent

We started our son in the Pre-Primary class in TMA. He used to go to a different Montessori before and we wanted to continue the Montessori tradition for him and so we chose this school after hearing great things about it. The Principal and the Teachers have been very cordial and showed us and my son around the classroom and the different sections in the classroom during our first visit. It was a big change for my son but he loves it now and he has begun to make new friends in the new school. We have not had a chance to see him interact with other students and teachers extensively but whatever little we do everyday during drop off's or other interactions with teachers, it has been great to see him communicate confidently with his teachers. We also send him the extended day care and he really likes it.
—Submitted by a parent

This was my daughter's first year at TMA in the toddler program. I chose TMA because montessori offers a whole lot more than just your average daycare. Independence is taught from day 1. Children are not strapped in their chairs. They have the freedom to walk around the classroom and choose from a variety of works and manipulates that are educational and aid in their cognitive growth. My 2 year old daughter has learned to cut with scissors, use a lock and key, dress and change herself and a number of other things. TMA is also very diverse ethnically and socioeconomically which was also important to me. TMA is very family oriented and desires parent involment. I feel a sense of community everytime I go inside. Everyone is also pleasant. Parents are encouraged to complete 10 hours of community service a year which I believe sets a great example for children.
—Submitted by a parent

I think TMA is a great school for toddlers to begin exercising life skills.They teach children to be independent and also responsible.Since my child has been attending TMA I've noticed great improvements in social skills as well as fine motor skills.In the beginning I didn't know much about the Montessori program but was enlightened by the teachers and also parents who have children that have been enrolled from anywhere from 2-5 years.The teachers are very friendly and willing to set aside one on one time upon request to discuss any questions or concerns you may have as a parent.This is my first year enrolling my child at TMA and definitely plan to return for next school year.So far great experience!!!
—Submitted by a parent

When my wife and I were looking to supplement our daughter's preschool education we looked at many options in the DFW area, but none of the schools seemed to really match the level of independent learning we were trying to foster except TMA. Our daughter is excited to attend school every week and her level of knowledge and creative thinking skills certainly illustrate the exemplary instruction she is receiving in the preschool program. Because of this TMA is our first and only choice to send our son in a few years.
—Submitted by a parent

We have been incredibly impressed with TMA. Everyone has been very friendly-from the head master to the teachers to the people staffing the front desk. The toddler teachers are nurturing but encourage the children to be independent. We feel very fortunate to have found a school that shares our educational ideals and makes our child eager to learn.
—Submitted by a parent

We have several children at TMA and would recommend the lower school without question. The upper school however is missing an important angle of the 'parent, teacher, student triangle'. Communication from our teacher is difficult to obtain. We always feel like we are walking on pins and needles when we make an inquiry. Often the answers we're given are evasive and non-specific. I like the Montessori concept but believe the priority should be teaching the child and then the concept. Not all Montessori concepts work for all children. I think there should be more flexibility to ensure that every child is learning and feels nurtured when they are struggling.
—Submitted by a parent