Montessori Child Development Center Of California

Attending MCDC Poway Montessori Preschool in Poway, San Diego, was one of the best experiences of my early education. The instructors always created a warm, caring, and supportive environment where I felt welcome every single day. My teachers were not only happy to see me, but they made learning exciting and enjoyable. What stood out the most for me were the hands-on, Montessori-style activities. They introduced concepts in a fun, interactive way that kept me engaged and made it easier for me to understand new ideas. These methods, especially the use of visual techniques, really helped me as I transitioned into primary school. They allowed me to picture problems in my mind, which made solving math and word problems much easier. Beyond academics, MCDC Poway placed a strong emphasis on character. The teachers modeled kindness, patience, and the golden rule, treating others the way you’d want to be treated. Mistakes were never met with harshness, but instead with guidance and encouragement, which shaped how I view challenges and how I interact with others to this day. Those lessons have stayed with me through high school, college, and beyond. I’d also like to give special mention to some of the people who made a lasting impact on me. Ms. Betty began my introduction to Spanish and made it such a positive experience. Mrs. Marijane was always a wonderful face to see every morning and a caring presence at the school. And Mrs. Angela, who I saw most frequently, played a huge role in making my experience as positive and supportive as it was. Each of them left a mark on me that I carry to this day. If you’re a parent in Poway or San Diego considering a preschool, I can say confidently that MCDC Montessori Preschool is an experience you won’t regret. Your child will be introduced to a wide variety of subjects in a way that sparks curiosity and keeps them excited to learn. The staff is compassionate, dedicated, and truly invested in every student’s growth—not just academically, but personally. I would absolutely recommend MCDC Poway Montessori Preschool to any parent looking for a joyful, supportive, and impactful early education environment for their child.

Our 5 YO pre-K daughter is coming up on 1 year at MCDC and we have pretty much nothing bad to say. All of the teachers and staff are so caring and really passionate about taking good care of the kiddos. We love that the vibe is kind of like home. Always a calm, structured environment, which has been a big benefit for our daughter who did not thrive well in the raucous chaos that is public school. We love that our daughter is already learning to read and write, do math, geography, etc., in addition to the traditional Montessori curriculum. We also love the bi-annual music concerts and really appreciate that the staff incorporate music, singing, and acting into the mix. Overall, it's a great place.

Truly a hidden gem in the mix of preschools and Montessori schools in the area. We toured almost all the options available. We are extremely happy with our choice. The warmth and community feeling this school has is incredible. The education, emphasis on Montessori, sense of family/ community amongst students and teachers has just exceeded all that we’d hoped for in a school to send our daughter too. I’ve also been so impressed with the caliber of teachers here and the tenure held by them which is so rare in the early education sector. Every piece of work for the children is so thought out and intentional, I wish I had the opportunity to learn there! I also love that they have a wonderful play space/ backyard such free natural open space for the kids to interact with nature and just a serene perfect setting.

This is one of the few truly Montessori schools left. In this day and age, where there is so much unproven new technology embedded in schools right from preschool, we've seen and feel the tried and tested Montessori approach that has been carefully designed from every toy used to how advanced learning material is introduced to kids, is what kids should be going through. Our older kid went there after trying a couple other places, and this is top on the list of schools we are considering for our next one. If you are a parent looking to put your child in school today, it is likely that this school existed before you were born. The school is being run by people truly passionate about helping young kids, and have compassionate teachers who have been working there for decades. I've never seen kinder, more well behaved kids come out of any other school, or another place of learning where kids are so happy to go to. Every time my older one couldn't go here when he was not well, I remember how bummed out he was.

I don't even know where to begin on how great MCDC is... We moved to Poway when our daughter was four years old from Arizona where she had previously been in a private preschool. Being new to the area I was uncertain where to continue her education until my mom (a public school kindergarten teacher) told me to look into Montessori schools. I had three tours of different schools lined up, MCDC being my first and last stop. The moment we stepped into the school it felt like the perfect fit. The school offers a great learning environment for kids, from the knowledgeable staff, organized classrooms with every learning activity possible, and a beautiful outdoors area for the kids to be kids and get in touch with nature. After enrolling our daughter I could tell that she was not as far in her educational journey as some of her peers appeared to be. These other kids had been attending this school since they were two years old and it was crazy to see how much they knew already. Kids were reading, writing in cursive, and tons of other things i didn't even know four year olds could do. Now our daughter is 5 years old and with the help of the teachers and their guidance in letting my daughter learn at her own pace she is right on track with the other kids her age. It has been a beautiful journey watching our daughter blossom here at MCDC. We will all be sad when it is time to leave, but remain forever grateful for such a positive jump start in her education.