International Montessori Academy

I will never be able to explain on here how absolutely amazing my experience has been at Montesorri. I interviewed 10 preschools in the Pasadena area before I found International Montesorri Academy. I knew within the first 5 minutes of speaking to Ms. Monika (the coordinator) that they held their students to a higher standard and not only cared about the children but respected them as the little smart amazing capable children they are.
My daughter is so independent and Montesorri has played an enormous role in that. I’m so thankful I found a place that I trust completely.
They are also meticulous from everything to nap time (they have a chart you can check to see if your child napped or not) to keeping you in the loop of where your child is at in terms of learning and how you can help. They also has a lot of extra curricular activities you can sign up for like yoga or dance class which my daughter loves.
My daughter has been at Montesorri for a year now and I have nothing but nice things to say about every teacher I’ve come in contact with.
I’ve never heard or seen a teacher raise their voice or lose patience with a child. Ever.
I go to meditation on Los Robles on Pasadena and they have a different Montessori next door (not affiliated with this one) and its constant yelling at children. I’ve had to go several times to complain. I interviewed with them prior and it didn’t feel right and 5 minutes later I saw a teacher yank a child’s arm to sit down. My heart dropped. I let one of the other teachers know what I saw and she’s no longer there.
Trust your gut when it comes to choosing a preschool.
I’m thankful that my daughter goes to such a great school, I also live quite far but the drive is completely worth the education and experience my daughter receives every day. International Montesorri Academy is a real blessing SO SO impressed.

Love, LOVE IMA! We moved to LA about a year ago and chose to live in Pasadena specifically for it’s authentic AMI-​certified Montessori school options. IMA felt like the right place for my son as soon as I walked in. He is incredibly happy to be there and is thriving.
After the academics, I love the community feeling the most– all of the teachers know every single child by name and how many schools can say that? I’ve referred IMA to several parents and continue to do so because I love the Montessori method and because of the teachers here. It’s a happy, secure, comfortable place to send your kids, and it challenges and teaches them to be independent and confident little people.
Highly recommended!

Where do I begin? IMA is a GEM. Our son started when he was only 2 years old and has really flourished largely due to the great community of students, teachers and administrators. The teachers are all very dedicated and caring, and instill a love of learning and respect in their students! The director, Ms. Monika is an exceptional individual in terms of her attention to detail and has a compassionate and caring personality. We truly see the benefits of our son’s Montessori education everyday, with his self confidence and love of learning and exploring. So grateful for this school!

IMA is a stellar school. our daughter started there when she was not yet 2.5 years old and we saw her confidence improve within days. she loves her peers and her teachers miss melissa and miss kenia. miss monika, the director, is very attentive and an expert communicator. we have always felt that our daughter’s needs were being met, and that her feelings and wishes were being acknowledged. she marches into school every morning and is happy to spend the entire day there. we feel very lucky to have found a place here.

Our son recently graduated from IMA — and we can share without hesitation that this an exceptional preschool! As you’ll note from a few other reviews, it’s one of the few preschools in Los Angeles area that can authentically claim to be a certified Montessori education by the Association Montessori International (AMI).
Yes, the school excels academically, but equally as important is that it truly offers a structured and nurturing environment for your child to blossom socially and to learn grace and compassion and respect for others. Mrs. Martinez was our son’s teacher and she’s simply wonderful with all her students, truly fostering their strengths and encouraging them to thrive in their endeavors.
IMA also offers many activities that extend beyond the classroom — from music, to Spanish lessons, to Yoga — as well as a gardening. He so loved going to school at IMA everyday!
In addition, IMA has many wonderful caregivers. The staff is lovely — your child will be in the hands of some very loving young ladies, who delight in your child’s discoveries — as much as you would, if you had the pleasure to witness them in their learning environment every single day.
And as a parents of a recent graduate, we can share with you the result of this fabulous education: our son was well prepared for kindergarten in his new school — just 6 weeks in –and he’s so far ahead of the Kindergarten curriculum for math and reading, which by most school standards is set high in his new environment to begin with. But perhaps what brings us most delight, is the wonderful critical thinker that has emerged as a result of this IMA education. A light went on when he started his journey a few years a go – and today it truly burns bright as a result of his great IMA foundation. A big thank you and BIG LOVE to Ms. Sollitto, Ms. Monika, Ms. Martinez — all the staff at IMA. We are Incredibly grateful for the positive influence that they have had on our son. Looking forward to continuing the journey with IMA once our second child is old enough to start the preschool experience.

I love everything about this school!!! If you’re looking for a wonderful, caring, certified montessori than this is the school for you!!! My son thrived at this school academically and socially and every day he was excited to go to school and bummed to leave. Plus the after school activities were fantastic! Music, Spanish, and Yoga oh my!!! Seriously, what more can i ask for?!! We are so incredibly lucky to have been part of this amazing little school! I wish it went on till high school! We will miss it very much! Thank you IMA!

Best preschool! My kids are reading way above their grade levels. They are well adjusted and well rounded because of the caring, happy environment that the school has given them. This internationally accredited Montessori school is truly worthy of the name. I’m happy we stayed with this school even after moving 30 miles away. So worth it!

Our son has been at IMA for 3 years and it is with heavy heart that we move on. If we could we would keep our son here till he graduated from high school, we love it that much! Our boy has grown so much academically, socially, and emotionally and I think a great deal of that credit goes to IMA and its amazing teachers!!! When I think about what I want most for my child when it comes to school, and life in general, is for him to be happy and that’s exactly what he was at IMA. He ENJOYED learning and was always EXCITED to come home and show us his work. He would constantly ask to stay late after school and would be very disappointed if he couldn’t. I absolutely love this school and the principle behind the Maria Montessori’s approach to learning. I couldn’t have asked for a better place for my son to start his education!!! We are going to miss this school and the incredible teachers very very much! If you are considering a Montessori education you must must must try this school. You will be so happy you did!!!

Truly the best Montessori. We loved it so much, we had both our boys in this school. Our first son is now 13 and has excelled with straight A’s throughout grade school and magnet middle school. Our youngest just graduated and has started reading, writing, adding/​substracting, and has truly blossomed here. We will miss this school, but we always recommend our friends to IMA whenever we can! It’s such a great school to help children have a solid foundation in their academics and social skills. Very caring teachers and staff!

IMA is an amazing school. My twin girls have blossomed over the past 2 years to become outgoing, academically solid scholars. The combination of strong academics, nurturing environment, additional activities such as Spanish, Music and Yoga combined with caring teachers has allowed them to grow at their own pace, feel safe and foster their strengths.
I am so pleased we came to this school 2 years ago. I’m only sad they will leave and I fear be bored in Kindergarden as they are so far ahead thanks to IMA. Fantastic school, one of the few AMI accredited schools, super clean and organized with a lovely staff and owner and Ms. Monica the director is always so warm and caring with a smile to greet you every morning!

After visiting a number of Montesorri schools in the area, this was our top pick. We were very fortunate to get our daughter in here — they do have a wait list. It is surprising the demand outstrips supply in the area for a program that runs $ 900+ a month. This school has a proven track record of preparing kids for pre-​school /​1^st grade. I know for a fact that our daughter will be at the top of her class in Kindergarten and that is a direct result of the foundation she built at IMA — she is 5 and can read, do basic math, and has strong interpersonal skills — all learned at IMA.
Some of the staff can be a bit cold to parents, but I respect the responsibility they have for the kids — their first concern is for the welfare and safety of the kids and they definitely do that here. There are some after school activities which are included that the kids love (yoga, music, Spanish); one however, dance, is contracted out and costs money. I’m not happy about that particular dance studio, because the owner I’d only interested in $$$.
If you can get your kids in here, it is a worthwhile investment in their future (seriously).