Parent Testimonials

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Having my son attend LakeCreek Montessori International School is one of the best decisions I made over the past many years! My son is now a little over 3 years old, and he has been attending LakeCreek since he was 2. Before he went to LakeCreek he didn’t speak much. When he talked, it’s mostly English. However, a couple of months after attending LakeCreek, my son’s language skills improved drastically! He came home with new vocabs or phrases in both English and Chinese every day, and we were astonished by how quickly he learnt. Because I talk to him in Chinese and my husband talks to him in English, he knows to talk to me in Chinese ONLY and to his dad in English ONLY. Sometimes he even translates for us! Not only my son’s language skills have enhanced, but also he has become more independent, more focused when he works, reads or plays, and more caring for people around him. The teachers of Toddler class and Casa classes are exceptional. They are patient, nurturing, and you can tell that they truly love children. My son loves all his teachers from his Toddler and Casa 2 classes, and he enjoys sharing with me what happened in school and what he learned from the teachers everyday. The communications between teachers and parents are great. They make sure I am updated on my kid’s improvements and challenges. When I had concerns or questions about how to better raise my child, the teachers provided good advice and worked with me to help my son improve his situation. I am truly thankful for the teachers’ dedication, patience and professionalism. I believe LakeCreek is by far the best combination of a bilingual school and Montessori school in Austin. The Montessori school system helps young kids to acquire numerous independent living skills and develop good habits, which can be helpful for kids in their lifetime. The Chinese/English bilingual environment helps kids to learn two very useful languages naturally, and this enhances kids’ communication skills and positively affects their cognitive abilities. Most importantly, my son and many other kids are happy at LakeCreek! Every time my sons shares stories about his friends and teachers at school, he always has a big smile on his face. We couldn’t be happier with our overall experience with LakeCreek. Highly recommended!

— Stacey Lin

After becoming hooked on Montessori education, I enrolled my son at LakeCreek and it has been a great experience! It’s been incredible to witness my child’s love to learn and grow while at LakeCreek Montessori. I feel my son is more prepared for life in both a practical manner and ability to connect with other people.

— Claudia Gallo

My daughter started LakeCreek Montessori in January 2018 when she was around three and a half years old. Within a couple months, I could see many positive changes in her. She has learned to play/work independently, use clam words to express her frustration, and stay focused in her task. At LakeCreek, I see a team of dedicated caretakers/teachers who believe in kids’ great potential and work patiently with them with love and respect. LakeCreek really is a school, not a daycare; their staff teachers, not caretakers. It is a place where kids learn love, compassion, discipline and gain self confidence.

— Elsa Chang

Should have shared this much sooner. My little one has been coming here for almost 3 years now. Initially we were referred here by a friend, and since, I have become the one that is also doing all the referrals. The school has grown from perhaps 30 kids to now maybe about 90….. Sure there has been some growing pain witnessed, but definitely all the parents can never say there is any lack of efforts. There are so many good things happening at this school and if you simply ask me to point one out, then I will tell you that all the teachers (start from the owners) REALLY DO CARE about your kids. My wife and I are also excited seeing a new elementary program (1st to 3rd grade) started this year where my little boy can continue to attend in a couple of years.

— Daniel Wang

Our daughter started at LakeCreek Montessori International School in January 2018. I have so many great things to say about the school. The owner and all of the staff are highly qualified individuals with a passion of teaching children. The education provided is by far the best in Austin. Janette is one of the toddler teachers and does a wonderful job at implementing the Montessori teaching method with the children. The school provides opportunities for parents to learn and implement the Montessori method at home. I always feel good about leaving my daughter at LakeCreek Montessori as I know the teachers care about her success as a child and provide opportunities for continued growth. This school has been a great blessing and I’m so proud to say my daughter is one of the students. 

— Tamara Carpenter

My 2.5 year old daughter now knows Chinese and reads about 75% of the sight words you can throw at her. She’s happy, balanced, and learning every day. There’s lots I could say about LakeCreek, but “the proof is in the pudding. Thanks LakeCreek!

— Jeremy S.

My twins are almost 5 years old, they been in LakeCreek Montessori International School for one and half year now, we all love this school. My twins has nothing in common, from daily meal to the way of study, the teachers are so kind and patient to keep trying and find out the best system that fit to each of them. The kids now know what is their own work, what job they must do, they will help me to do house work, they will communicate to each other when they have different opinions and give their reason. As new parents, my husband and I has no idea how to teach twins, the teachers always give me good suggestions on how to teach or communicate with kids, and now they become much easy to work with. LakeCreek has change to new location, they now have a much bigger play yard, and school has invited different classes into school everyday, that saves parents lots of time. Before I send my kids to Montessori school I notice some parents said Montessori’s learning skill are slow and kid will have communication lack later. Well, the learning system are kind different here, they don’t simply teach 1+1=2, they let kid figure out what is plus first, so the kids start very slow, but after they know why, they can learn very fast later. Parents need to have good passions, I been there too, and now I’m happy to see my kids love to study and enjoy their work. Also they’re very comfortable to communicate with other people, even chat with adults. The school teach English and Chinese, my kids now can use both languages very well, they never ask why they need to learn 2 languages, it seems a natural thing to them. I think it’s always a good thing to let the kid know the world is bigger than they thought, and there are different cultures.

— Ying Yu

Highly recommended!! My son has been in LakeCreek Montessori International School for one year. The classroom is clean and comfortable. Most important is the way about how the teachers communicate with the kids, that makes them feel warm and relaxed. Learning about Chinese culture is a great feature here. After the school moved to the new location, the kids like the new playground and my son use up his energy there everyday, haha.

— Ling Lan

My daughter started at LakeCreek Montessori when she was 4 years old (a few months after they opened their doors in Austin). She graduated from LakeCreek this year to attend 1st grade at a public school. However, if LakeCreek offered 1st grade, we would have kept her at LakeCreek. Some people may be concerned about how their child might transition from a dual language Montessori school into public school… We have had no problems. As a matter of fact, she excels. She is currently a 1st grader reading at a 3rd grade level and does well on all of her assignments and tests. We love LakeCreek so much that we started our second child here at age 2 and 1/4. The teachers are incredibly patient and nurturing. It took him about a month to transition to the school and now he loves coming to school everyday. Often when I come to pick him up from school, he will want to stay a little longer and read books from the school library, which is in the front office / foyer of the school. My daughter did the same thing. I love how there are no screens (ie. computers and TV’s) in the classrooms. These kids are really learning! Better yet, they are learning how to learn, they are learning to read, write, and speak 2 languages (English and Mandarin Chinese), and they are learning about the world around them. We are very thankful to LakeCreek’s teachers for their positive enthusiasm towards nurturing young learners. Our little ones learn so much by example, which is why there are no better teachers than LakeCreek’s teachers for my kids! Thank you, LakeCreek!

– Lily E.

LakeCreek Montessori International School has been amazing so far. Our 3-year-old son has been going there for about 6 months now and we plan to send his little sister there too in March. Our son loves his teachers and his classmates. We are not a Mandarin-speaking family so he wasn’t comfortable at the beginning to speak Mandarin but now, he is no longer shy to speak it. When we ask him how to say something in Chinese, he just answers. The teachers tell us how the child is doing whenever they can. They are normally busy but always accessible if we have any questions or concerns.

– H.M.

My 3 year old daughter loves her teachers at LakeCreek Montessori International School! This is the third school she tried and she finally loves it. The teachers are so patient, kindhearted and very professional. I am constantly surprised by my daughter’s progress and I regret not sending her there sooner. The environment is very clean and the classroom is very organized. I love the way they guide kids with hands-on experience and help them develop reading habits, responsibility, cooperation, independence and more. I highly recommend this school!

— Ginger YC Chen

If a two and a half year old is happy and socially well-balanced, and comes home wielding both Chinese and English as well as dozens of other skills… what more could you ask? Thanks LakeCreek!

— Jeremy Blaine Smith

My almost two year old daughter has attended LakeCreek Montessori since the beginning of the year. Immediately after starting school, she became much more polite and started saying Thank You and Please consistently both in English and Mandarin. She’s also gotten more tidy, and without prompting would help clean up after her own toys and shoes at home. Her language skills, both in English and Mandarin, have just exploded tremendously since attending school. I would recommend this school without reservations. I drive almost 2 hours daily round trip for my daughter to attend this school, but would not consider sending her to any other school.

— Kang Lee

My daughter is just turning 3 and has been going to LakeCreek for the last semester. I am impressed by the commitment the teachers have to the students. The teachers are very patient and kind, and they take time to teach the Montessori way. I’m impressed with how the kids learn independently and with other kids. There are no televisions like I have seen at other preschools – the kids are engaged, whether doing independent work or during group circle time. Whenever children have discipline issues, the teachers are very calm and patient, and will invite the child to sit outside the circle while they calm down. I have never heard the teachers raise their voices or speak harshly to the children.

 I was concerned about language acquisition since we don’t speak Mandarin at home. It has been fun to see my daughter start to name fruits and vegetables in Chinese at home. I really cannot say enough wonderful things about this Janette and Miss Maureen in the toddler class. They take time to send daily updates as well as a biweekly email with pictures. I appreciate how they host parent workshops every month or so that go into more depth about different areas of Montessori teaching, like practical life, which I wasn’t familiar with before. I also appreciate how they invite parents to come in and observe the kids. I like that the school is not that big, and that it feels like a family.

LakeCreek also invites outside groups like soccer tots and Love of China Dance to come in for supplemental classes for the kids. Talking to other parents, it seems like there’s a good mix of people who work full-time, have one parent staying home, or have one parent working part time. There is also a mix of people who speak Mandarin at home and those who do not. I really appreciate that there are a solid number of parents who do speak exclusively Mandarin at home. I like that my child gets to learn the language from native speaker peers as well so that they don’t have that learners accent.

– Sharon T.

My daughter has been going to LakeCreek for probably a year now. My wife speaks Mandarin but I do not. We were looking for a school where my daughter would be able to practice and improve her Mandarin. She has been doing great there and we plan on sending our 2nd baby once he’s old enough. The school is clean and the teachers do a great job keeping the kids engaged and under control. Highly recommend.

– Chatchai L.

“My son has been attending LakeCreek Montessori International School for more than a year now. We see him thriving under the guidance of toddler teachers. Not only the classrooms are well organized and clean, the school also provides a calm environment for the kids to stay focused during learning . All the teachers are very nurturing and caring, when I drop him off in school I know he’s in great hands. There is constantly great communication between the parents and teachers. Daily reports, biweekly reports, monthly school newsletter and semester parent-teacher conference keep me updated on my son’s progress, challenges and successes. I can see the teachers really do put efforts into their teachings”.

They are constantly adding activities to engage the kids to explore, to learn and to develop skills through hands-on projects. My son loves the daily singing time, various art crafts and cooking classes. Thanks to LakeCreek Montessori International School, he has grown to be more independent and confident. We could not be happier with our experience.”

– Sherry. L

“Our daughter has had a wonderful learning experience at the LakeCreek Montessori International School. She’s been at the school for 1 year, and her English and Mandarin skills have really improved (reading, writing and speaking!). At 5 years old, she easily fluent in both languages. The teachers are so kind, and they are very good at adapting to the various learning experiences of each child. When you visit the school, it is impressive to see how calm and in control all the teachers and children are. I highly recommend this school.”

– Ryan. E

My 3 year-old has been at LakeCreek Montessori over a year, and we have been amazed at how much she has developed from their guidance.

What sets this school apart, from the others I visited, is that LakeCreek Montessori provides a well-rounded education. Our daughter is given a balance of academic instruction, language development, art, and social play in an environment that is both structured and nurturing. I’m always amazed how independent and determined all the students seem to be. Perhaps best of all, I love all the little projects the students get work on – from baking apple pies to making paper lanterns they get to take home. The school also meticulously documents their students progression through notes and photos, which is amazing to review.

My daughter’s two teachers, Candace and Emily, are beloved by her and all the students. When school was on Thanksgiving break for the week, our daughter told us how much she missed her teachers and friends at school. Her statement is the strongest testament I can give to how wonderful this school is and proof that perhaps it’s not hyperbole to say it’s the Michael LakeCreek of preschools in Austin.”

– Rock S.

“My 3-year old daughter has been going to LakeCreek since the beginning of this year and she has improved in so many ways including her Mandarin, independence and social abilities. She connected with her teachers immediately from day one and looks forward to going to school every day to learn new things. The teachers will provide updates on the child’s daily progress whenever possible and I always look forward to hearing about her specific accomplishments or just pure funny moments. I’m most impressed with their detailed logs (dated pics and videos) of each student’s work in which they discuss with parents during parent-teacher conference. It was interesting to see my daughter’s progression from when she started at LakeCreek until now. This school is very clean and well organized and the children are also respectful of each other, this is a true reflection of the quality of teaching. Overall, I am very happy with this school and know that she’s learning and having fun every day.”

- Jenny W.

My son started going to LakeCreek Montessori International School shortly after turning 2 in November. We were concerned how he would handle being away from home for the first time. The teachers were very nurturing and patient during my son’s tough transition period. The teachers at LakeCreek gave us thorough daily updates regarding my son’s behavior, attitude, eating, and napping patterns upon pick up. We are pleased with the way LakeCreek uses positive reinforcements in their daily teaching practices. My son has since become more independent and confident in his day to day life. He is also more vocal with his mandarin speaking, and his comprehension skills have also improved. Lastly, the facility is well kept, tidy, and clean…always a bonus!“ 

- Paul S.

Our daughter has been at LakeCreek Montessori for 5 months and she loves it. The teachers are kind and caring, and she looks forward to accomplishing her “work” everyday. She has become a lot more helpful, independent, and tidier around the house. She has made many friends, and looks forward to the routine of each day (circle time, outdoor play, etc). We don’t speak Mandarin at home, so we are unable to help her with her learning in that respect, but we are amazed at how much she absorbs and understands through the patient and detail oriented instruction by Ms. Lin. Overall we are extremely happy with the school and the way it is run. It is a clean, friendly, organized place to be and I feel confident my child will be well taken care of each day that she goes there.

- Pam R

We applaud LakeCreek Montessori International School and her magnificent teachers. You have catapulted our daughter’s aptitude in such a short time. Her comprehension and awareness of her surroundings has been astoundingly noticeable and her everyday conversations with us are unanticipated and impressive. Even though she has been fortunate to have had her share of great teachers in the past we are both grateful and blessed for her learning refinement at LakeCreek Montessori. Thank you and keep up the great work.

- Eva Lin

Clean and neat set up in classroom. Very professional and impressive teachers with caring and love. Very organized teaching with impressive curriculum. My girl has learned so much during the past 2 years with advanced math and a lot of English words and a lot of Chinese characters and some Spanish. We are thankful for having this great school.

— Haiyan Liu

My daughter graduated from LakeCreek Montessori in 2016 and my younger son still attends. I have always been impressed by the staff’s willingness to listen to my questions and concerns. Their curriculum is thoughtful and fully prepared the kids to excel upon entering public school. The bilingual environment is really helpful for the kids to acquire two languages at the same time. In addition, I am always impressed by the way they teach the little ones about the math concepts. It helps them a lot to build the math foundation in a fun way. My son is only 5 years old and loves to solve the math problem in real life. The school also provides various enrichment classes e.g. lego, soccer, art, etc. My son loves the school and asks to go to the school every day. It has been a wonderful extended family for my son. I strongly recommend this school to all my friends.

— Dong Liao

LakeCreek Montessori and its teachers are a real gem. The facilities are well-kept and up-to-date. The teachers are passionate about teaching and nurturing young learners to be independent. We loved LakeCreek so much that we had our first child continue here for Kindergarten. Our first child graduated from LakeCreek and currently excels in 1st grade at a public school. Even though she was learning both Chinese and English at LakeCreek, she is currently reading (English) at a 3rd grade level. Our second child started at LakeCreek at age 2 and 1/4. The toddler teachers helped him with potty training and also prepared him for advancing into the Casa class (3-6 year old) when he turned 3. We are very thankful for the teachers at LakeCreek and for their dedication to the quality of education.

— Lily Ryan

Our three years old son has been in LakeCreek for about three months and he loves it. Ms. Lin and Ms. Emily are amazing teachers and our son loves them. His Mandarin has improved greatly since first starting. He used on only speak in English, now he’s comfortable speaking in both languages.

The school also puts a great focus on personal responsibility and having the children do as much for themselves as they can. They are encouraged to go to the bathroom by themselves, wash their own hands, and clean up after themselves. We’ve noticed our son is becoming much more independent.

The education offered at LakeCreek is top notch. One of the reason we searched for a new school for our son was because his previous school kept repeating lessons our son already knew (ABCs, numbers 1 through 10). So we wanted a school the would teach him something new. LakeCreek definitely achieves that. Everyday, our son comes home talking about what he learned. He sings songs about the continents in both English and Mandarin all the time now.

In the short time our son has been at LakeCreek, he has learned so much. His Mandarin has improved, he’s become more independent, and he’s receiving a much better education than he was at his previous, regular daycare. Our son has been to a lot of schools in his short three years, and none come close to LakeCreek. You won’t be disappointed.“

– Thomas C.