Palo Alto Montessori School - Palo Alto, California

Nadine Schubert

We enrolled our daughter at Palo Alto Montessori when she was 2.5 years old, and we couldn’t be happier with our experience.

The daycare is extremely well-run, with a highly structured daily routine that provides a sense of predictability for both children and parents. This made the transition for our daughter incredibly smooth.

Palo Alto Montessori has a rich history—founded by the mother of the current owner, Dinesh, it was the first Montessori school in the Bay Area. This legacy is reflected in the school’s deep commitment to the Montessori philosophy. Our daughter had the opportunity to express her creativity and enjoy free play while also engaging in age-appropriate, hands-on learning activities.

By the time she graduated, our daughter was not only academically prepared for kindergarten but also equipped with essential behavioral and social skills. What stood out the most to us was the school’s focus on fostering a love for learning. Dinesh and his team made learning exciting and joyful for our daughter, and he even provided us with excellent tips to nurture that enthusiasm at home. Overall, we feel so fortunate to have found Palo Alto Montessori.

Ted W

Our son has had a wonderful experience at Palo Alto Montessori School. He's made so many friends and has developed into a very social person. The nurturing environment and the dedicated staff have played a huge role in his growth. The school always keeps us well-informed through in-person updates, emails, and regularly scheduled conferences. We couldn't be happier with the education and care he receives here

Macksoud Khan

As a parent, finding the right preschool for your child is paramount, and Palo Alto Montessori has been an exceptional choice for our daughter, Piper. Having spent the past year here, she has not only loved every moment but has also shown tremendous growth in all aspects. The environment is nurturing and fun, perfect for young curious minds eager to explore the world.

One of the standout features of Palo Alto Montessori is the leadership under Dinesh. He is not only personable and awesome but also incredibly dedicated to maintaining clear and open lines of communication. His responsiveness and accessibility are beyond what we've experienced at other schools, making us as parents feel very involved and informed.

Piper's happiness and excitement to attend school every day have been the best indicators of the positive experience she has had. She always comes home with new things she has learned and stories of fun activities. This school has not only provided her with a solid educational foundation but has also enriched her with life skills and happiness.

We are genuinely thankful to Dinesh and the entire staff for making Piper's preschool experience so memorable and joyful. We highly recommend Palo Alto Montessori Pre-school to any parent looking for a place where their child can grow, learn, and, most importantly, be happy!

Shruti Marwaha

This is the right preschool if your focus is child's happiness, social emotional development and strong foundation in academics, which is tailed according to the child's speed to learn.

My daughter went to PAMS from 2 years to 5.4 years and had lot of fun, learnt on many fronts and made great friends and loved all her teachers.
They also (optional) offer gymnastics and dance classes, which my daughter loved.
They handle conflict and bullying in a sensible manner, encourage students to speak up for themselves but step in and take action when needed.
The director of the school (Dinesh) understands every child, their strengths and areas of growth. They use Montessori method of teaching in everything, even English and math. The teachers spend extra time in areas where the child is struggling academically. By 5.4 years, my daughter was able to write three letters words and was learning multiplication. They also have summer classes which includes cooking, art, gardening, music etc.
The school took extraordinary precautions about cleaning, testing, masking during and even after pandemic. I do not think there was any outbreak in the school. Before any school event where parents are allowed inside the school, everyone has to still show a negative COVID test.
Although it is relatively a smaller school, the attrition rate for teachers is negligible (none in past 3.5 years), which speaks for itself.
My daughter looked forward to going to school everyday.

Rachel Derkits-Gelman

My son graduated from PAMS 3 years ago - should have written this review sooner but better late than never! Dinesh and his team are WONDERFUL educators and the community of families around this school is also amazing. We are so grateful Sebastian got his start here.

Leeah Chu

Our daughter went to Palo Alto Montessori School from ages 3 to 5. As parents who highly value our child's early education journey, we couldn't have asked for a better place to lay the foundation. She thrived there.

The school leads a purposeful path to early education. Their program and activities are crafted with intention and purpose that ignited our daughter's curiosity and nurtured her creativity. Her skills and interests were recognized and supported, and she grew in confidence.

What set the school apart is its deep-rooted connection to the lineage of Maria Montessori herself. The school's rich history and commitment to the Montessori philosophy provided a rare opportunity for our child to experience education. The family tradition added another layer of authenticity to the preschool experience, also making it a warm and nurturing environment.

And the staff's reliability, knowledge, and wealth of experience were evident. Their ability to connect with both parents and children created a sense of community that was invaluable during our child's formative years. And especially during COVID, they did a phenomenal job creating an environment that was both safe and sane.

It is bittersweet to leave as our daughter has moved onto Kindergarten, but we are so very grateful to have started our journey with the school.

Giselle Nathan

We have truly enjoyed our time as a Palo Alto Montessori family over the past two years. It has been wonderful watching our child learn and grow in the program - both academically (letters, numbers, basic math) and social-emotionally (strong sense of confidence). They have a huge play area and give the kids a lot of outdoor time. The parent community is also very strong. We are grateful to PAMS and the teachers at the school for all of their care and support. Highly recommend this preschool.

Stephen McRitchie

During the years my daughter attended the school I lived in the apartment complex next door and my unit was almost directly above the school. All day I could hear only the sound of happy children. It is the most beautiful sound ever. You will come to understand the harmony of this place once you observe how wonderfully calm and encouraging Dinesh is with children. I would often collect my daughter and find the teachers had re-braided her hair much better than I could have done. I could only imagine the care and attention they must have devoted to her. She would always bring home some rock she found in the garden and loved to do gymnastics in the play yard.
My eldest just graduated from Bowman down the street and they have both attended Montessori all through their schooling. I am very happy for the years my daughter spent here and the foundation it provided for her.