A Child's Garden Christian Montessori School

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Aug 2012

I'm a visiting scholar and I came to Albany in Nov. 2011. Before my daughter came here I searched for a preschool for her. A Child's Garden is a small preschool based on family with mixed aged children. I think having mixed ages together is great for my daughter to learn more, such as helping younger ones and following elders. They have special classes during the week like Chinese and Dancing.

The environment is very clean and lovely. Now there is a slide and swing in Ms Dori's backyard. The teachers also enjoy leading the children to the nearby parks and going on nature walks. This past year they had some field trips to Berkeley Botanical Gardens, California Academy of Sciences, The Exploratorium and so on. They held parties for every child's birthday and loved celebrating the holidays together. The teacher and children's ratio is good so children can get more concentration from their teachers. My daughter has been in A Child's Garden for 8 months and now she can communicate with teachers freely in English and she always tells stories and sings songs to her dolls in English. Every weekend my daughter wants to go to the preschool. I think my daughter will learn much more in Dori's A Child's Garden for the coming days. YL

July 2012

A Child's Garden was an amazing find for our family. We had just moved to the Bay Area from San Diego and had a very shy and timid two year old that was going through so many huge changes in his little world. We were looking for a smaller school with a low teacher/student ratio for our son. Mrs. Dori the director was so warm and had her arms open wide to help us make our son more comfortable around little ones. She took the extra time after school hours to meet with us and also stop by our house to really get to know our son. She helped us slowly but surely acclimate our son to being around his own peers/classmates.

Our son has now been there nearly six months and has completely improved and actually LOVES his school. When I pick him up he says ''I want to stay at school ALL DAY''!! Not only is Mrs. Dori fabulous but the others teachers as well. They focus on each kid individually and also as a group and make sure their needs are met . They also have so many fun activities and field trips planned throughout the year for the kids. This is not a co-op school but Mrs. Dori makes it possible for parents to attend and be a part of field trips and other activities and that allows you to get to know your child's classmates and also other parents.

I would highly reccommend this school to any family in the Albany/Berkeley area that is looking for a smaller scale school for their child. Mrs. Dori and her team are so kind and warm to all of their children at the school. ec

July 2011

I strongly recommend 'A Child's Garden'. This preschool is Montessori-based. The owner, Dori (510-524-8285), is an kind and loving woman with an excellent staff. The school offers a highly active range of educational programs for ages 18 mo and up. The pricing is also very reasonable.

My son is a cautious boy who spent his prior preschool experience gravitating towards quiet corners. He has really opened up since he started attending 'A Child's Garden'. The school is small ~10-14 children and has a broad range of ages - which has given my son lots of opportunities to learn. Our son has also bonded well with the staff and the children, which wasn't true in our last school. I recommend it highly. Fred

May 2010

Re: Need great preschool three days a week 7:30-5:00 
I would encourage you to check out A Child's Garden, Christian Montessori school. They take children as young as 18 months, have a fun curriculum for toddlers through first grade. Both of my children attend, my youngest started when she was two. My eldest has completed kindergarten and is now almost done with first grade. Dorena has been very flexible with scheduling and works hard to meet the needs of working parents. Your scheduling needs seem to be be well within the realm of what she accommodates. A Child's Garden, in Albany (510) 524-8285 Tracy B.

Feb 2010

A Child's Garden - Christian Montessori School (Albany/Berkeley) 
My two daughters have attended this school since Fall 2008. They are a small school that takes pre-school (2 yrs) through first grade. I love it because both my three year-old and my first grader can attend together. They are both on special diets, and the school is very accommodating. They also are very flexible as my child care needs change every semester, and have taken the girls before 8 AM and let me pick them up after 5 PM. My children are learning lots of songs, good communication, reading, math, and science. They love learning at school! Contact: Dorena Osborn, (510) 524-8285

Feb 2010

Re: doing research in Berkeley, live in Foster City 
I would recommend A Child's Garden, a Christian Montessori School in Albany. My children have been going there for a year and a half, and they love it. It is a small school with lots of personal attention, and they are very flexible and accommodating as my schedule changes every semester and my children are on a special diet. They are only a short bus ride or 8-minute car ride away from the UCB campus. A Child's Garden (510) 524-8285 Grad School Mom