ANH Montessori School

We have been at ANH Montessori for 2.5 years. Our son started when he was almost 5 in the primary room. We were constantly blown away by the work our son was doing in class. While it may look simple, it is taught in a very specific way to lay foundations for future learning and skills. For instance - table washing is taught in a way that strengthens the hand for writing and reinforces left to right, top to bottom for reading. The Primary Room teachers are phenomenal and its fascinating to watch them work with the kids. The teachers are all very knowledgeable about the Montessori Method and love to share their knowledge so if a parent ever has a question about why something is being taught, they are happy to explain it. They also value parent education and regularly have educational opportunities for the parents. We love this school so much we have elected not to send our child to public school and he is continuing in elementary.nnThis is a small, close knit, diverse school. All the teachers know the kids and genuinely care about them and treat them with respect. There are a variety of enrollment options - including all year round - so it is really great for working parents as well. The cost is incredibly reasonable compared to other private schools in the area. They also offer many extra-curricular activities at the school so parents don't need to cart their children around to art lessons, music lessons, dance, soccer, karate - its all right there, We will be at this school for as long as we can.

My two children tried three other daycare/ preschools and this was without doubt the best. The guides are the best people in Northwest Arkansas to care for my children. Montessori to the T. Love love this school!

ANH was perhaps the worst decision I made for my child. The director and most of her staff were very moody and unfriendly. Depending on the day, they either acknowledged you by a tepid nod or most days they preferred to look the other way. Unfortunately, this was exactly what my daughter was emulating at home- engrossed in 'independent' tasks and not being courteous. The director of ANH is very rude and hard headed. she gets away with her bad attitude because owns the place. The office staff and the teacher do not return calls or reply to emails in a timely fashion if at all. If you plan on sending your child to traditional public school at some point, the transition won't be easy. My child was way behind in reading and had inadequate math skills compared to her peers. They only teach cursive(yeah, running before you learn to walk) making it hard for the child to read even the simplest of books. ANH was a poor fit socially and academically during my daughter's formative years and I don't recommend this school.

Love this place! All three of my children have attended ANH for over years. Awesome school!

This school is OK. They have a strict cursive handwriting only rule and refuse to teach kids regular print. Unfortunately when my son transitioned to an awesome charter school for kindergarten he was way behind on his handwriting. Fortunately I did a lot of reading work at home so he was ahead on reading. They did a good job with numbers, I did not have to supplement and he was ahead too. My daughter is still enrolled there and she enjoys her friends and teachers but everyday is a struggle as I have to teach her how to print at home so she's ready to transition to either public or Catholic school. It is frustrating. Don't try talking to the director either, she's always right and if parents don't agree with her they can take a hike (she has a waiting list). Oh and coincidentally they have an elementary classroom that only teaches cursive so I guess that's one way to push your curriculum. With that said my daughter is treated well and has a lot of fun. Their reading curriculum is weak so I had to supplement at home but all their other materials are really neat and well rounded and if you don't plan to transition to public until middle school or don't mind teaching writing and reading at home, it'll be a great fit.