We love this school, both my kids have attended. The staff, the curriculum, and the culture are inviting, peaceful, and perfect for educating young minds.

This is a wonderful school. The curriculum is well aligned with the Montessori style. The teachers are warm and welcoming. By the end of the year youll feel that you have gained new family members. That is how great those teachers are. The classrooms are bright and open. Kids are happy. The whole school staff pays serious attention to kids safety. One of my kids has food allergies and I have asked teachers to feed him just what he brings in his lunch bag. I even get calls from the teacher, with enough time for me to prepare, to let me know when there are going to be birthdays celebrations in the class, in case I want to send a special treat for my son so that he does not feel left-out when they hand out any special snack. Im very happy with the school.

It is surely sad to this place decay.  It is not the same anymore sadly enough. After the school director left around 2012 it has gone down hill.  Lack of students, lack of teachers and its all because the faculty frankly just is not good.  School is not making enough money for the teachers so they try to have fundraisers, and no one is giving in. The new director, Karen gets paid $60K a year and has given a raise to their close collages such as Silvia the school accountant.  So from my understanding the money that the parents provide during the fundraisers goes to the teachers and not the students nor the school. It’s a scam now.I would not waste money here, I have and surfaced the harsh reality this school has had. My son is not the same anymore and they do not teach kids anything, its more of a like recess.  I was smart enough to put my daughter through Fairfax Count Public Schools and get an education that truly cares for their future. Montessori teachers just stare at their phone and tell the kids to go play.  I have asked Karen and the staff the qualifications and nearly none of them seem qualified to be honest.  Karen herself was a dog-walker before obtaining this job, only God knows how. Every time I came and picked up my son and Karen was never there, the bathrooms were not clean. What did I pay for to have my son go to a school that is worse than a slum.

I cant say enough great things about this school. My 4-year-old son started there in the junior kindergarten program in 2015. It was his first school he attended away from home. He transitioned incredibly well, and his teachers were an integral part of that. They allowed him to set the pace and show interest as he was ready. He loves the friends hes made, and he takes his work there very seriously. He is proud of the crafts he brings home and the milestones he meets. He has started helping with chores around the home -- something I didnt even realize he would be ready for at his age. The administration and teachers do a fantastic job communicating with the parents, and he and our family have felt welcome from day one. Im looking forward to watching him continue to grow the rest of this school year and next year as well.

Love it! My older daughter started going last year and now her younger sister has joined her in the young preschool program. Both are also in aftercare since my wife and I work full time. They love going to school and they are learning so much and becoming very independent.It is a parent-owned non-profit school so tuition is reasonable and the school is very responsive to parent needs/wants. They recently updated the schedule to match very closely with Fairfax County Public Schools. There is a music class and a French class, each twice a week, and frequent extra activities the kids can sign up for like soccer and cooking classes where they bring in outside instructors after the school day is over (when my kids would otherwise be in aftercare). There are a lot of activities during the year outside of the school for the kids and parents to get together.They run a true Montessori program with amazing long-time Montessori teachers who get official training every year. I read another review that said there was no training, but the school is closed on those training days so I know it is happening! By the way when the school is closed for things like that or parent-teacher conferences the aftercare is still running.

My daughter has been in the pre-primary and young primary classes at MCS and absolutely loves it. We are extremely happy to have found this parent-run, non-profit school. Its a warm, nurturing environment and the kids are loved. The Montessori teachers are excellent. The music and French classes are awesome. The after-care program is great. The director is experienced and very communicative and runs a great school. Highly recommend it!

I am very glad that we found Montessori Country School (MCS). Our daughter loves to go to school, has quickly made friends, and seems to be learning something new every day.MCS follows the Montessori method, to me that means that my daughter selects the activities that interest her and she receives guidance as needed to progress. The kids are introduced to new activities by the teachers and co-mingled with other children in a three-year range to learn from each other.Finally, MCS feels like an extended family. It is very noticeable that the teachers and staff enjoy their role and cherish the kids. As a parent, I could not ask for a better start to my daughters education. I have been so impressed by the school that I have volunteered to be a member of their non-paid board of directors.

We moved our almost 3 year old to MCS last month. She was having difficulty in her “main stream” daycare facility with teacher turnover and large class size. As a result, she began to have behavioral issues at school; issues we had never encountered with her leading up to that time. The environment was just not working for our daughter so we thought that changing the school variable was the responsible thing to do as parents. It was a leap of faith to say the least but HANDS DOWN one of the best decisions we ever made! Montessori Country School provides a serene and creative environment so that each child is able to grow and express themselves individually and at their own pace. The teachers are WONDERFUL. We immediately understood that every teacher at MCS truly cares for each of the students. They are warm, welcoming, and so very engaged with their classes and the parents. Karen, the director is phenomenal! She has helped tremendously in our transition into the school; answering multiple questions and ensuring our daughter feels comfortable in her new environment. Leading up to this point, we were never “Montessori People” but can now say, without a doubt, this style of learning and MCS in particular has been exactly the answer we were searching for. Our daughter is a happier more fulfilled child that often times is not ready for pickup come 4:30. I would highly recommend this school to anyone in search of a daycare/preschool in the Herndon/Reston area. We cannot say enough good things about this school or its staff and look forward to what the future brings.-Erin and Chris George

My 4 year old has been enrolled for nearly a year now and she has learned more than I could have imagined! Shes grown even more into a respectful, well-mannered, and mostly, curious! I was always amazed at how well all the children learn independence, getting to select their work, putting it away when complete, even solving disputes with minimal (if any) teacher input. Every friday, when the parent folder comes home to display all the new work my child has completed. The aftercare program has been tremendous fun, Ms. Kristen does a fantastic job keeping the kids entertained while still learning so many new skills and facts. I just cant say enough wonderful things about the teachers, staff, and school. I highly recommend stopping by for a visit to see for yourself!

Placing our son at MCS Herndon was the best thing we could have ever done. The environment, the kids, and especially the teachers have had an amazing influence on his development. He comes home and wants to continue the activities he began at school. His attention span has improved dramatically, and he has acquired an enthusiasm for learning.The year that weve been with the school has been a true eye-opener. A lot more goes into a Montessori program than what we found in the more traditional daycare centers in the area. In fact, my wife now refers to these as a coat-check for kids - you drop them off, pick them up, and dont dare ask what happened in between. With MSC we know what happens - the kids not just learn - they learn to love learning. Its an incredible experience to come in during the day and observe as our son moves flawlessly from activity to activity, choosing his tasks on his own, and exploring new ways of doing them. The teachers, all with literally decades of experience (we found the incredibly low turnover of teaching staff to be a great draw when searching for a school), provide just the right mix of instruction and observation, while giving the children space to develop their own interests and ways of approaching a task.A number of tweaks to the school calendar has also brought days off in line with the county school calendar, and added summer camp that essentially extends the school year all the way through so theres no summer gap. And because the school is a non-profit and parent-owned, the tuition differs little from other child care options in the area, which is a feat in itself considering how much more we are getting.Our only regret is that we had not signed our son up earlier. The school accepts children as young as 2 ½, and we waited until he was 3 ½ before enrolling him at Montessori. We definitely won’t make that mistake with our second – she’ll start the day she’s old enough to enroll!

We have been at MCS for 4 years now, my oldest son will be graduating this year from Kindergarten and my youngest son is finishing up his first year at the school. I am so grateful to have found this school 4 years ago and so thankful to all the wonderful teachers for helping my boys truly love learning. I just cant say enough great things about all the teachers at the school and how they really understand the needs, personality, and style of each student.Biggest thing that attracted us as parents to this school 4 years ago was the low turnover of teachers, most of the teachers have been at the school for 10+ years. Also it has a parent run board, so a lot of the parents are involved as well, which also helps keep the tuition cost down. The other thing that I really like about MCS is they offer constant enrichment activities; music, French, field trips outside of the school, cooking classes, etc..I am blessed to have found the school when I did. I am grateful that it has provided the roots for my childrens love of learning and has helped cultivate that love and let it flourish. I highly recommend MCS to any family looking for a nurturing, learning house for their children to grow in.

Montessori Country School is AMAZING. We loved it when we first took the tour, and we love it even more 3-1/2 years later.The Young Preschool class (for 2-1/2 to 3 year olds) is a great way to introduce children to school. The young preschool teachers have created a warm, nurturing environment where the kids are excited to learn. They practice real-life skills (pouring, washing, zipping up coats independently, etc.) as well as skills that provide a strong foundation for later academics (tracing, counting, sounding out words phonetically, etc.). Its such a positive way for children to begin their education...MCS is also lucky to have an incredible 2nd generation Montessori teacher (in other words, she was taught by teachers who were taught by Maria Montessori herself.) She & her teacher assistant inspire and challenge the children to ask questions and find out more about the world around them. Our kindergartner is reading above a 2nd grade level, is learning subtraction, and has decided to learn cursive writing - before it has even been officially introduced in the curriculum! Their classroom is a truly magical place. Students work at their own pace, celebrate their successes, and take pride in their learning. The kindergartners learn how to knit hats, then deliver them at the end of the year to the cancer ward of a local hospital. The teachers compassion and concern for others has a tremendous trickle down effect on the children, who learn to be kind, responsible citizens.If youre looking for a supportive, structured preschool or kindergarten environment at a very competitive price, you owe it to yourself - and your child - to check out Montessori Country.