Testimonials

The Montessori School of Madison has been the best decision and investment my husband and I have made for our daughter's development and future. She started there in Pre-K and has continued through 2nd grade. Not only has she learned at an accelerated rate academically, but she has gained values and insight that have nurtured kindness, compassion, responsibility, patience, respect for the Earth and nature, a willingness to help others and co-exist with others who are different than her, and a love of doing the right thing in life. She has learned good table manners, good eating habits, and the healthiness of being outside in the fresh air and sunlight. She has explored nature outside and inside through creative and memorable science experiments. She has learned art and how to capture her imagination in a simple drawing to accompany her thoughts. And she has made wonderful friendships, all in the safety of a small and humble school, where parents and families know each other, celebrate together, and work together for the betterment of all of the students.

I could not have found a better school for my daughter and am eternally grateful to Ms. Ruhi and her wonderful staff for helping me shape my daughter into the precious person she is. If you are looking for a safe school, an international experience, and so much more for your child, MSOM is simply the best place for them to be.

- Beth Jett Gentry

The Montessori School of Madison is a special place, which will take a child at any level and bring them to a place of academic advancement. This is a school that will produce in a child a level of understanding of reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking that is beyond what can be found in most of the surrounding schools of Northern Alabama. We have had 3 children go through MSoM (1 still enrolled), all of which have emerged from the school being over a year more academically advanced than their peers in the public schools. As a result of her time there, our daughter Jocelyn ended up skipping a grade. In fact, every year there are a couple of children that end up skipping grades, largely because of the advanced teaching methods that Ms. Ruhi uses when teaching a bright child. I highly recommend sending your child to the Montessori School of Madison, especially if you have a bright child that needs to find the right place to excel.

When we first visited MSoM and Ruhi demonstrated to use the various Montessori teaching tools, it became clear that these methods produced a higher level of learning and thinking. The Montessori methods for teaching reading (phonics and letter board puzzles) also turned learning to read into a game the girls enjoyed playing. WE quickly enrolled our girls, and as time passed we found that they were learning at an accelerated rate. Both of our girls were reading chapter books prior to the start of 1st grade and were taught and mastered traditional mathematics to a 2nd grade level by kindergarten. Everything was enriching; our kids were shown chess, music, math, science, languages, social studies, and even had their lessons interwoven into the art projects. The kids learned by doing things and were given as much time as needed to master a topic. The curriculum is flexible. If a parent had a special request then the Montessori teachers would work with them. Best of all, the kids don't know that they are doing work, and constantly told us they were having fun!

Ruhi has a gift for getting kids to focus on their work. She helps children really enjoy doing their schoolwork, and afterwards they are very proud of what they accomplish. The curriculum is tailored to the child's needs, while still utilizing the Montessori methods. Ruhi lets children move at their own pace which inevitably allows them to run as fast as they want to. Ann also exhibits amazing creativity in teaching, creating student projects to enrich kids that would be difficult to accomplish in public schools. She has taught older children in elementary schools, and is great at taking a project for older children and making younger ones understand. After attending Montessori, we noticed how much easier it was to get our children to do homework as they understood the importance of what they were doing.

Grade skipping seems to happen every year with some of the older Montessori kids. In our case it was clear that Montessori helped guide Jocelyn to that level of excellence. The school brought Jocelyn to a 3rd grade reading level by the end of kindergarten and she was reading chapter books prior to 1st grade. She was taught math at an accelerated rate, and once she was in the public schools we quickly found that she was mathematically the most advanced kid in her class, if not her grade. Skipping a grade has not been a hardship on her, and in the long run she will gain an extra year of her adult life. Maybe one day when she is grown she will realize what a gift she has been given, and that Ruhi and Ann helped her to achieve that level of excellence.

We have found that the Montessori School of Madison can teach at an accelerated pace and will prepare a child for grade school better than the other pre-schools can. All the core subjects are covered using the Montessori methods which allow the students to learn at a much faster rate, and the kids have a lot of fun doing it. Our kids prefer the Montessori school, and have commented that they wish it went to higher grades. If you have a bright child and would like to see them meet their full potential, then this is a great place to bring them.

Ruhi has always said she teaches only to make a difference in the lives of children, and she certainly has in the lives of our children. Our kids will never forget their time at Montessori, and we hope that one day they realize what a blessing Ruhi and Ann have been to them, and the positive impact they have had on their lives. We highly recommend the Montessori School of Madison for your child.

Mark & Sarah Fairchild

Early on in his life, we could see our son Karan would have a learning disability due to his inability to recognize letters, write, and read. We sent him to a special school for a while where he showed a little improvement because of a good rapport he developed with one of the teachers.

However, prior to Summer 2015 we learned she was leaving the school and so had to find other options to continue his assisted learning. We were concerned that Karan would have a serious problem in the public school environment unless he got the right kind of assistance. A good friend of ours told us about Ms. Ruhi's Montessori School of Madison, so we thought we would give it a try. We had a conversation with Ms. Ruhi about Karan's difficulties, and she felt very confident that the Montessori Method would help him.

We started Karan in August of 2015, and instantly began to see marked improvement in his communication abilities. He is doing remarkably well. All of this was made possible because of the hard work and dedication shown by Ms. Ruhi and her staff. It has made us hopeful that it is completely realistic our son will join the normal school environment soon.

Thank you Ms. Ruhi for your persistence, patience, and one-on-one assistance in helping Karan!

Mona M.

We feel very fortunate to have found Ms. Ruhi and the Montessori School of Madison. We've been simply amazed at how much our son has blossomed both socially and academically since starting here.

Here are some of the things we love about his school:

1. The academic excellence

Our son started at MSoM when he was 3 years old. In less than 12 months he had learned to count to 100, had some understanding of numbers up to one million and could do basic addition and subtraction. He was also writing and reading dozens of words and had learned the scientific method, which he still is perpetually applying at home. He's learned many songs, which he delights in singing at home for us. Students are a year ahead of their peers, mastering the kindergarten curriculum in preschool, the first grade curriculum in kindergarten, etc.

2. The promotion of lifelong learning

Most importantly our son loves going to school every day and is a passionate and joyful learner. Perhaps the first thing we noticed when he started was how proud he was to be learning new concepts and how much his self esteem and confidence were boosted when he mastered something new, leaving him hungry to work hard and learn more. Far from being the disengaging drudgery that it was at his other schools, learning at MSoM is fun.

3. The ample opportunities to move around and play

In addition to the academic excellence at Montessori of Madison, we love that the children get to move around, have lots of time to play at recess, and are able to learn at their own pace with ample time to explore what interests them.

4. The friendships our son has formed

Our son has gone from being very nervous around other children to someone who has several friends with whom he regularly plays.

5. The loving teachers and wonderful behavior of the children

Montessori of Madison is the fifth school/daycare our son has attended, and we have to say that the children here are without a doubt the best behaved and kindest of any school our son has attended. The teachers here are both very loving and also firm yet fair in ensuring the children make good choices.

6. The racial and cultural diversity

The children who attend this school are from and/or have (a) parent(s) from countries all over the world.

Thomas and Dana (Andrew's parents)

My daughter attended Montessori School of Madison for her last year of preschool, and also for kindergarten. I cannot say enough to convey my appreciation for the instruction and learning environment provided by all the teachers at this school.

When my daughter first attended this school, she was lagging behind her peers developmentally due to health issues she had as an infant and toddler. However, during the first year at the school, she managed to not only catch up to other children her age academically, but she began to excel. She progressed from the point of not recognizing many letters in the alphabet to being able to read during her first year. During her second year, while still only kindergarten age, she has progressed even more. She writes book reports without the assistance of my wife or me. She has learned many interesting science facts as well. She is even able to perform multiplication problems correctly in her head.

We have been very pleased with our experience at Montessori School of Madison, even beyond the academic realm. My daughter enjoys attending school, and has managed to make close friends with the other children there. I especially appreciate how Ms. Ruhi, Ms. Ann, and the other instructors understand that children need to get up and move, play, and just be kids sometimes! Often when the weather is pleasant, I see the children on the playground when I pick my daughter up in the afternoon. I believe this emphasis on allowing kids to move and play, and learn at their own pace has contributed greatly to the success we have seen firsthand.

I highly recommend Montessori School of Madison to anyone considering allowing their child to attend. The school environment allows for and promotes academic excellence and a positive, healthy behavioral environment.

Sincerely,

James Madden

As a teacher in Madison City, we could send our son to kindergarten at any Madison City School. However, we believe he will benefit more from staying another year at Montessori.

The Montessori school and teachers far exceed our expectations. Our son wakes up every morning excited about going to school.

He feels safe, loved, and valued at Montessori. There are many advantages to having mixed ages and such a diverse group of students. The teachers are devoted to the children and their jobs, as evidenced by their preparation and patience when working with them.

Every day, he is engaged in fun learning activities that challenge him. He loves story time, music, art, science projects, LEGOs, free play, and the many hands-on learning tools. Our son has really benefited from the one-on-one time daily. We are impressed with his progress in reading and math. More importantly to us, we believe Montessori has helped him develop independence, responsibility, confidence, a strong work ethic, focus/concentration, a vivid imagination, and an insatiable love for learning!

We could not ask for more and highly recommend the school.

Emily W.

It is with great enthusiasm and pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation concerning Ms. Ruhi Hiebert and the Montessori School of Madison. My daughter has attended the school for three years, and during this time I have had the opportunity to observe not only Ms. Ruhi and my daughter, but also to evaluate the teaching staff and the other children.

Much has already been written concerning the Montessori method and why it is a superior teaching model. I want to, however, comment on the unique abilities of Ms. Ruhi and her teaching staff, and the outstanding achievements of the school which go beyond the usual academic accolades.

First and foremost in my mind, is that Ms. Ruhi truly loves her students and the students in turn truly love her. The affection and respect that is shared between them cannot be faked nor contrived. My daughter's young heart is precious to me, and it was important to me that she attend a pre-school where she feels accepted, cherished and loved. The environment at Montessori of Madison accepts nothing less than full respect for the individual and "meaness" will be firmly, yet lovingly, handled.

Second, the diversity of the student population and the subject matters taught are unparalleled from any other pre-school programs in Madison. The depth and breadth of topics taught, explored, created in art and song are exceptional. Learning is more than fun and informative, it is joyful.

Finally, the "family" atmosphere created at the school has allowed me to make what I hope are lifelong friends with the other parents. I sincerely hope I will be attending the high school graduations and weddings of the children of with my daughter has become friends. I don't think these relationships would have occurred without the spirit of family and community the school inspires.

So with heartfelt gratitude -thank you Ms. Ruhi, Ms. Ann, Ms. Andrea and Ms. Lisa.

Sincerely,

Heidi Peterson

To Prospective Parents:

It is with great pleasure that I write to you about my family's experience at the Montessori of Madison Preschool. My oldest child has been with Mrs. Ruhi for 2 years while my younger child has been with her for almost 2 years. In their time at the school, they have received exceptional instruction and sincere love and affection. These days, it is rare to find such a loving environment where the teachers are completely committed to fostering the best qualities of each child. Every child is seen as an individual capable of contributing his or her special talents to the class. This has enabled my children to feel confident and secure about their place in the class and their community.

In addition, The Montessori of Madison school uses the Montessori method to help each child reach his or her full academic potential. The class is stocked with authentic Montessori equipment and divided into centers which focus on one of the categories of learning. My children have been intellectually stimulated each day and are always excited to tell me about the challenging work they have completed. It is incredible to see what my 3 year old son is capable of doing when given the right instruction and materials. He has started reading simple 3 and 4 letter words, counts to 100 and understands basic addition concepts. My daughter is currently in Mrs. Ruhi's kindergarten program. While public kindergarten programs are studying the letters of the alphabet, my daughter has weekly spelling tests, writes in a journal, reads chapter books and can count to 10,000. This is a testament to the Montessori method and Mrs. Ruhi's dedication to educational excellence.

While the above mentioned attributes are enough to entice any prospective parent, the real joy of Mrs. Ruhi's school is in the way we are all part of a school family. Mrs. Ruhi's genuine love for each child and their family encourages a connection between all of the families that is not often found. It is an honor and pleasure to be part of the Montessori of Madison family. My children and my family have greatly benefited from every moment we have been at the school.

We hope you will consider joining our family at the Montessori of Madison.

Stephanie Monahon

Dear Mrs. Ruhi:

We are writing to express our gratitude for the education, attention and love that you have given our daughter, Alexis. Before finding Madison Montessori, we had tried two different schools in town but Alexis would cry and scream not wanting to stay. I kept her there for a minimum of two weeks (one much longer) thinking that it would simply be an adjustment for her but she never did seem happy or want to stay. After attending your school for one day, she was like a changed child. She never cried... she actually seemed happy to come. I'm convinced that she truly felt the love, warmth and personal attention from you and Mrs. Tiffany.

Alexis has truly excelled at Madison Montessori. Not only have I noticed her caring spirit blossom, but she seems to really enjoy learning and doing school work.

We are very impressed with your teaching ability, as well as with the amount of care and attention you've given our daughter. Alexis is very lucky to have had you as her teacher for the past two years. It is our plan to keep her with you at Madison Montessori through her kindergarten year.

Scott A. Coy & Lori Coy

We have been sending our daughter to Montessori school of Madison for over a year and we could not be happier. For us the love that our daughter receives from her teachers is priceless; the way she talks about Ms. Ruhi and how she runs to her arms every morning gives us a secure and wonderful feeling that we are trusting our child's well being into the hand of amazing people at Montessori school of Madison.

We would highly recommend Montessori school of Madison to everyone who is looking for a loving environment that focuses on teaching the kids and helping them to blossom academically, socially and emotionally.

Last year when we were looking for a school for our daughter we visited several schools and when we entered Ms. Ruhi's classroom we felt like we have found what we were looking; all the material in her classrooms have a educational purpose and they cover a wide range of developmental skills: language, art, science, motor skill, and etc. Therefore, kids learn while having fun and playing. For us this was an obvious choice compare to other schools and we are very satisfied with our decision.

Fariba and Seyed Ferdosian

To Whom It May Concern:

It is without reservation that we recommend The Montessori School of Madison and head mistress Ms. Ruhi for your child's pre school education.

In the case of our son, we have been overwhelmed by the knowledge that our son possesses at the age of 4. He is reading, writing and learning not only proper English, but other languages as well.

Ms. Ruhi's success is not solely due to her innate intellect, and talents, but also her diligent work, focus, and compassionate attitude concerning the children. We honestly cannot think of another educational source that would have benefited our child more than learning from The Montessori School of Madison and Ms. Ruhi.

Sincerely,

Kasey and Laura Brown

We have been sending our daughter Spruha, to Ms Ruhi's 'Montessori School of Madison' since Aug 2009. We decided to send her to this school because we liked the idea of Montessori Method. We have been extremely satisfied with the method and this school. The environment at the school is just right and every child gets utmost attention. We feel extremely happy and proud when Spruha comes home and surprises us with new things that she learnt which are sometimes fabulous artwork, spelling of a difficult word, or some calculations with numbers we would never have expected from her at her age. Another important aspect has been her social and language development. Spruha enjoys the school and her friends so much that she gets really upset if she has to miss a day. We would like to thank Ms Ruhi and the other teachers for Spruha's development and would highly recommend this school to everybody.

- Satyakam & Sanika Khadilkar

Paul is very well prepared after attending pre-school, starting when he was 3 yrs. old and later Kindergarten at Montessori of Madison. Paul is now looking forward to first grade. We feel Paul is both academically and emotionally well prepared to excel in school! We attribute much of his exceptional level of readiness to your focus on creating a fun learning environment coupled with gentle discipline, the meaningful friendships encouraged among the classmates and the strong life values the children learn there are all important attributes he has gained at Montessori of Madison.

We feel the love of learning, values learned and emotional development benefits gained by our son at Montessori of Madison will serve as a strong, solid foundation as he grows up and moves forward in academics and with his life.

Thank you,

Casey & Antonieta Caplin

To prospective parents:

I would highly recommend The Montessori School of Madison to anyone who is looking for a loving environment that offers child-centered, hands-on learning. If you are familiar with the Montessori Method, you'll see when you enter Ms. Ruhi's classrooms that she has all the appropriate work stations for the ages of the children in the school. In keeping with the Montessori Method, Ms. Ruhi and her teachers guide the children to do their "work" for the day, thus giving them a sense of purpose while they learn by doing. But having all the right tools is just part of what makes this school extraordinary: Ms. Ruhi and the other teachers are so very kind and patient (yet firm at the same time ...something I myself strive for and struggle with!). It's truly a special place.

The learning environment at The Montessori School of Madison has been an invaluable experience for my children. Our older daughter has been with with Ms. Ruhi for over a year at this school (and for a year at another with Ms. Ruhi) while our younger daughter has been with Ms. Ruhi for half a year. I can see Ms. Ruhi's positive influence in both of them. Ms. Ruhi's love of children is evident in everything she does. We are truly thankful to send our children to her school.

Regards,

Karen Gann

Our son attended The Montessori School of Madison for two years and it was a wonderful experience for him and for our whole family. The teachers are very caring with a focus on the individuality of each student and developing a sense of self-esteem and fostering a love for learning. The mixed aged classroom encourages the children to learn from each other and to share their own points of view. Because the curriculum is based on the individual child there really is no limit to how much he will learn rather than the one size fits all approach. Our son is now in public school and is excelling academically and is a leader in his class. We feel that the investment we made in his education at The Montessori School of Madison was well worth it and will be the foundation for a lifetime of learning.

- Jondavid and April Black, parents of a Montessori School of Madison graduate.

To prospective parents:

My son was a student of Montessori School of Madison for 2 years before starting kindergarten and I would recommend the school to any parent of preschoolers. All of his teachers treated him with the same love and respect that I try to. Additionally, my son was given lessons that matched his level of learning so that he wasn't bored nor frustrated with too difficult work. Ms. Ruhi is a compassionate and understanding human being. She is a mother as well as a teacher and knows the challenges that parents face in raising children. She demonstrated this many times to me as she accommodated mine and my child's special needs and circumstances throughout the 2 years. This school goes above the call of duty and I am so grateful to have found it. Any parent considering this school may call me to ask more about mine and my childs experience. If you would like to contact me, ask Mrs. Ruhi for my contact information.

Sincerely,

Laura Boak

Ruhi,

When Yoshiyuki first started at Montessori, his pediatrician was worried about his fine motor skills. I took him to the public school for early intervention testing. When they did the pre-screening for the tests, they thought he clearly qualified for assistance. By the time they got around to testing him two month later, he had improved so much that he no longer needed early intervention. I credit the Montessori School for helping him develop so quickly in a rich but non-stressful environment.

Thank you,

Erin Livingston

P.S. He is now in Kindergarten and reading on a 4th grade level!

Our son, who is three years old, has been a student at the Montessori School of Madison for the last seven months and we are very happy with his academic and social progress here.

Ms. Ruhi runs the school with her unique blend of kindness and discipline and is helpful, kind and considerate towards the parents. She has always addressed all our concerns and has gone out of her way to reassure us and to help in every way.

All the teachers and Ms. Ruhi are talented, dedicated, kind and loving. We can tell our son loves his teachers just from the way he keeps talking about them even during the days he is not in school.

We considered some other preschools before deciding on this one and feel it is the right fit for our family. We are happy with our choice and highly recommend this school as a loving, safe and appropriately challenging academic environment for children.

Sincerely,

Shashi and Supriya Sirsi