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Parent Reviews
I used to think going for the well-known faith-based preschool in Irvine was the best choice for my child. However, I was wrong. The faith-based school has its own uniqueness & its own way of teaching, but what does my child really need and which teaching approach would work the best on my child?
My daughter started going to Chonghwa Montessori Children’s House when she was about 18 months old. From Chonghwa, in addition to developing proper motor skills and working on language & knowledge developments, she has learned some basic self-care skills, like taking off & putting on shoes / socks / jacket, etc by herself, how to blow her nose when she has nasal secretions (a very important skill she has learned that prevented her from having middle ear infections again). Due to lunch & snacks are provided by school, my daughter also had opportunities to be introduced to different kinds of foods that she may not be eating at home. Knowing that there’s no other food choices available & seeing other kids & teachers all eating the same foods, her pickiness in eating had started to gradually improve.
My husband & I took all of the above good improvements for granted, thinking that most schools are the same.
Then, around 2 yrs old, she was transferred to Irvine’s most well-known faith-based preschool.
Yet, soon after attending the new preschool, we noticed things have changed with my daughter’s independence on self-care, her eating habits & even her praying habit —- everything had gone backward! She’s not willing to put on clothing / pants / socks / shoes by herself anymore. Her pickiness in eating had gotten worse. Her desire to try new healthy foods had gone down a lot. She had also got to a point that she would refuse to eat all kinds of vegetables. She had also refused to say grace before meals at home. I got stressed out every morning just from preparing her breakfast, preparing & packing her school lunch, getting her ready to school while getting myself ready to get out of the house.
Yet, in exchange, I got confronted by upsetting teachers for my inability to send my child to school on time. Both my husband and I were very frustrated with the backward changes on my daughter & were also disappointed with the school. We did try to communicate to the teacher our situations at home & our expectations for school while listening to the teacher about her expectations to her students. We had a good talk, and my husband & I did try to work on meeting the school expectations as much as we could too. Yet, the whole situation was so stressful to a point that my husband & I had gone into arguments many times just because of all these negative changes.
After trying hard for about 1/2 year, both my husband & I agreed to transfer our child back to Chonghwa. This was one of the best decisions we ever made!
Ms Sherry, Head of Chonghwa Montessori, is amazing! Not only is she very loving, caring & patient towards her students, she’s very good at encouraging kids towards positive behaviors. She was able to reverse all of the backward changes in 2 months! In addition to further motor skill & language developments & increase in knowledge, my daughter’s independence on self-care is back. She’s also now more willing to try different healthy foods, even willing to eat some vegetables and say grace again before meals! My daughter likes going to Chonghwa & likes Ms Sherry a lot!
From the above experiences, both my husband & I have realized that what everyone thinks is good may not necessarily be a good fit for the child & for the family. A relatively small & not as well-known school, like Chonghwa, can also be an amazing school for the kids! We are truly thankful to find Chonghwa & feel blessed to have Ms Sherry as our daughter’s teacher. Chonghwa Montessori is also a bilingual school with Mandarin- & English-speaking teachers & with very well-structured weekly lesson plans. School also provides a detailed daily report to the parents at the end of each day. We definitely recommend Chonghwa Montessori Children’s House & Ms. Sherry. 👍
Ann Sunny
I am thrilled to share my positive experience with Chonghwa Montessori. My daughter started attending at the Cypress village campus when she was almost 3, and recently transitioned to the primary class located at the great park campus. The school boasts a team of highly qualified and professional early childhood educators, Ms Sherry, Ms Layla, and all the teaching assistants, who are true experts in the Montessori philosophy. Their passion for teaching and their genuine love for children are evident in their respectful and nurturing approach. They guide the kids with patience and care, helping them learn essential social skills and respect for others.
One of the standout aspects of Chonghwa Montessori is their commitment to promoting independence and critical life skills. My daughter has made remarkable progress, including being potty trained and learning to take care of herself by dressing, cleaning up, and contributing to class chores and simple meal prep.
The preschool also offers a diverse and balanced menu of homemade meals, encouraging children to explore different foods. My daughter has started eating more veggies and even trying salad, thanks to the exposure she's received at school.
Learning through play is a cornerstone of their approach, and my daughter has quickly picked up new skills in Chinese, English, and math, all while enjoying the process. The well-structured lesson plans, including monthly outlines and weekly detailed plans, ensure a coherent and engaging learning experience.
Additionally, I appreciate the daily updates with pictures and reports on activities, meals, and nap times. It provides a comprehensive view of my daughter's day and progress.
Most importantly, my daughter absolutely loves going to school and talks about her teachers with fondness, even on weekends. It’s clear that Chonghwa Montessori has created a supportive and joyful environment where children thrive.
I highly recommend Chonghwa Montessori to any parent looking for a nurturing and effective early childhood education experience.
China Montessori Kindergarten has a highly professional and well-qualified early education team, who are true Montessori education experts. Their passion for teaching and genuine care for children is evident in their considerate teaching methods. They patiently guide children and help them learn basic social skills and respect for others.
A distinctive feature of Chinese Montessori kindergartens is their commitment to developing children’s independence and important life skills. My daughter has made outstanding progress here, including successfully toilet training, learning self-care such as dressing, tidying up, and participating in class cleaning and simple meal prep.
The school also provides varied and balanced lunches and snacks to encourage children to try different foods. Thanks to the guidance from the school, my daughter is now eating more vegetables and even trying salads.
Learning through play is at the core of their educational philosophy, and my daughter quickly mastered Chinese, English and math skills while having fun. Teachers will upload monthly overviews and detailed weekly lesson plans to ensure a consistent and interesting learning experience.
In addition, the school provides daily pictures and activity reports, including the child's diet and naps. This gives me a more complete picture of my daughter’s activities and progress throughout the day.
Most importantly, my daughter absolutely loves school and looks forward to going to school every day. Even on the weekends, she often talks about her teachers. Clearly, Chinese Montessori Kindergarten creates a loving and fun environment where children can thrive.
I highly recommend Chinese Montessori Kindergarten to any parent looking for caring and effective early education.
Richard
Our 2.5 year old has been attending Chonghwa for six months, and she is really flourishing here and loving the school! We sent her here from a bigger English-only facility because we want her to speak more Mandarin (I am a native Mandarin speaker but my husband is not). Shortly after attending Chonghwa, she went from primarily speaking English at home to primarily speaking Mandarin! Not only that, she is often singing songs and loves reciting poems in Chinese. The school’s curriculum is well designed and each week is centered around a theme, with crafts, stories, songs and poems around that theme in both English and Mandarin. Our child has also developed leaps and bounds socially, physically, and is more independent and proud of being able to do things herself and being able to help us around the house. She has also become a better eater, and loves the daily nutritious lunch provided by the school. Ms. Sherry is so enthusiastic, passionate and caring, and she stays at the forefront of children development and Montessori teaching through books, events and conferences. The photo is from the Mother’s Day event that the teachers carefully organized. We look forward to sending our child to the older age group class in the Great Park in the fall. We highly recommended Chonghwa!
Liya Ma
This is my daughter's first daycare, amazingly the transition is very easy and quick with all the loving care from Sherry, I have to say this is the best family daycare in this area. My daughter loves to go to school with happy face everyday. I can tell Sherry truly cares for each kid as if they were her own. Sherry also updates us the kids daily activity: meal, potty, nap, activity, etc. Besides, Sherry is an amazing teacher with a lot of experience, she helps the kids to develop and grow with all kinds of skills (singing/writing/painting/gardening/cooking/etc lol) to build their own confidence in a happy environment. The school is clean and safe as well. I highly recommend Chonghwa Montessori to parents.
Julie Chen
My son spent a wonderful year at this school. He started as a 17 month toddler and was very well taken care of during the time. The curriculum is well designed so that children enjoy the activities and also learn new skills every single day. We are very grateful that we selected this place for him to start early education.
Yufei Zhu
Enrolling my children in Chonghwa has been an incredibly positive experience. The caring and dedicated staff create a warm and nurturing environment that fosters both learning and play. Every aspect is thoughtfully designed. My kids looked forward to going to daycare, and I am grateful for the wonderful care and education provided by the exceptional team. Highly recommend to fellow parents!
Victoria Li
Teacher Tao is very caring for children. She will feel sorry for the children when they take a nap and cover them with quilts. She will watch the children eating lunch to prevent them from not eating well. She will ask teachers to change diapers frequently to prevent red buttocks. She will also ask teachers to urge children to learn writing and culture. Sometimes I have to make up for what I didn’t have time to learn in the morning in the afternoon. I am conscientious and diligent. I am a good teacher with a very sense of responsibility!
Lily Ding
My son really enjoys his experience in this bilingual family childcare. With different themes and topics every week, their creative art and craft activities are truly amazing, which make kids happy every day. Ms. Sherry, who is always warm and welcoming, creates a loving environment for all the kids. A lot of thanks to Ms. Sherry and the other dedicated caregivers. Highly recommended!
M. W
I sincerely recommend Teacher Sherry’s Chinese Academy
The perfect combination of Montessori education and Chinese tradition. The new campus is closer to home and within walking distance. The best part is that you can freely combine your time as needed.
It’s really suitable for a free-spirited family like ours.
Melody Ma
We couldn't be happier with this daycare! The place is always clean and so inviting - definitely a big plus for us parents. What we absolutely love is their bilingual setup. Our child gets to interact with both Chinese and English teachers, which is a fantastic way for them to enjoy diverse learning experiences.
There is always something exciting happening, whether it's a creative hands-on project or a fun physical game. Our kid comes home every day with a big smile and new stories about their adventures and friends.
I highly recommend it to any parents looking for a caring, vibrant, and bilingual daycare!
Vivian Liu
I was very happy to send my kids to Chonghua Montessori. Teachers here are dedicated to provide a healthy and happy growth environment for kids, my kids had a very good time here. Hope you will like it as well.