Our family’s journey with Discovery Montessori School has been truly rewarding. The teachers and staff have been the guiding stars for our sons, fostering not just academic skills but a genuine love for learning—especially in Chinese. The school’s spirit of collaboration with parents has made us feel part of every milestone. As we prepare to watch our second son graduate, we’re thankful for this community that’s given our boys such a solid start in life.

– Sunny, Costandine and Alexander mom

- Sunny, Costandine and Alexander mom

My daughter Isabel has been going to DMS DB since she turned 3 and I am impressed with the progress she has shown in math, writing and reading, geography. At 4.5 she is able to add thousands on paper, read level 1 books, spell and write down simple 5-6 letter words, name continents and countries. DMS teachers are exceptional educators gently but consistently taking my daughter further and further down the education lane covering geography, science, natural history among other subjects. Having no one speaking Chinese at home – I am also surprised to see Isabel picking up Mandarin at school so easily. In additional school management is putting tremendous efforts to organize schools activities and events for parents and children to name a few – frequent yoga and dance classes, seasonal celebrations and fairs, field trips, sports days, fundraisers, graduation ceremony. I am also a big fan of the mixed age classroom approach where youngsters are led by the example of older children and older children are given leadership roles and responsibilities over younger kids. I would highly recommend Discovery Montessori School in Discovery Bay as an excellent place for children to learn and have fun.

– Nataliya Lakhani, mother of Isabel

- Nataliya Lakhani, mother of Isabel

Both our boys attended DMS DB for the kindergarten years. We loved the interaction & feedback from the teachers. They worked with us, guiding us on when it was the right time to move from half days to full days. We were also pleased with the exposure the kids had to Putonghua. Being international students, it was great to see them being immersed in local language from the beginning. We felt that DMS gave the kids a solid foundation & placed them in good stead for their transition to the junior cycle. We are so happy we chose such an amazing school for our boys to start their education journey.

– Clare, Ethan and Alexander mom

- Clare, Ethan and Alexander mom

We are deeply grateful to DMS Central for nurturing our children.
We vividly recall our son’s confident graduation speech, a testament to the school’s cultivation on self-expression. In just 2 years at DMS, he developed a love of reading and a self-motivation to learn and explore. This transformative experience led us to enroll our daughter at just 18 months old.

We’ve witnessed DMS profoundly shape our kids’ development – igniting curiosity, building confidence, and fostering independence. Our daughter saying “Let me do it by myself!” whenever we tried to help is a cherished memory. It brings us great joy that both children return home each day brimming with excitement about their learning.

The teachers’ caring, supportive, and attentive guidance has been invaluable. We are sincerely thankful for the exceptional education and nurturing environment DMS provides.

– From Ethan and Grace’s mom and dad

- Ethan and Grace’s mom and dad

To anyone thinking of signing their toddlers up at Discovery Montessori DB : We are a Franco-American family of 5 in Discovery Bay. Our middle child enrolled at Discovery Montessori when she was 4 years old, having previously attended a kindergarten where she wasn’t really enjoying her experience.

The combination of the wonderful team and staff along with the authentic Montessori philosophy resulted in a wonderful learning journey. She was always happy to come in and be greeted by the whole team, the environment and level of support was simply incredible. Our conclusion as a family is that besides from teachers having a strong background in education, the best environments for young learners will be the ones where the staff are leading from the heart, with passion and drive to do their best for little ones.

Discovery Montessori DB is exactly that, not to mention the wonderful little plays, graduation, Mother’s Day, sports day or World Fair Day. The amount of effort they put in is beautiful. Highly recommended and we currently have our youngest one enrolled.

– Karim & Sherry Yasay-Arditi, parents of Thalia & Keaton

- Karim & Sherry Yasay-Arditi, parents of Thalia & Keaton

Our son Lin Lang has spent the past two years at DMS DB. We are impressed by and grateful for the love his DMS teachers have showered on him, the challenges they have presented him with, and the encouragement they have given him. We rejoice at the result: a confident and curious little boy who approaches the world with wonder and with much joy.

-Tor Mesoey & Lei Sun (Ling Lang parents)

- Tor Mesoey & Lei Sun (Ling Lang parents

My son and daughter have both been attending DMS DB since they were 18 months old. Through the accompanied toddler class to drop off, my kids love their school. My son, who has grown up with the teachers and staff of DMS going on to his 4th year there, feels genuinely loved by his teachers. The effort by the school to make magical and memorable experiences for the children is what ultimately convinced me to keep both of my children at DMS until they graduate. I also really appreciate that DMS offers a flexible choice for half day vs. full day classes, an option that other schools don’t offer after a certain age. Lastly, I feel that for small kids, the structure of the class allows for them to explore their interests, keeping them happy to go to school every day.

-Elizabeth Pecora, Allistair and Cora’s mom

- Elizabeth Pecora, Allistair and Cora’s mom

My daughter and son attended DMS DB when they were very young. They started with the toddler playgroup and graduated from the Casa level.
It was a truly joyous journey to witness my children enter the classrooms and gravitate toward their favorite activities, even when they were just learning to walk. They blossomed at their own pace, guided by the Montessori toys that were thoughtfully designed to stimulate their various senses. As they progressed, their skills and independence grew in leaps and bounds. The day of graduation was a testament to their remarkable journey, from wobbly toddlers to confident performers, dancing, singing, and even creating their own show at the ceremony. It was a heartwarming sight to see my children thrive in the Montessori way at this wonderful school.
Regrettably, the COVID-19 pandemic struck during a crucial phase of their development. However, the staff, teachers, and principal demonstrated unwavering care and flexibility, working tirelessly to ensure that their education remained uninterrupted. Their dedication and resilience during this challenging time reassured us of the school’s unwavering commitment to our children’s education.
What sets DMS apart is its commitment to individualized learning. Each student is encouraged to explore their interests, with teachers guiding without resorting to rote memorization or repetitive exercises. Despite this, all the graduates demonstrate remarkable proficiency in phonics and math, surpassing their peers. Furthermore, the teachers’ kindness, care, and familiarity with the students and families foster a nurturing and inclusive environment. They are always ready to address any challenges our children may face. We hold the teachers and staff in high regard, and we often drop by to say hello.

– Carol, Caitlin and Ethan mom

- Carol, Caitlin and Ethan mom

Levi’s excitement to share what happens at school always surprises us, especially after a special activity / event / speaker visit that is out of his regular work cycles. The school has been very supportive to our family. All teachers are very friendly, not only to Levi, but to our other children too. Whenever we meet at school drop-off / pick-up, they express such care and kindness to us. When we had a newborn, it was a nice gesture of DMA to give us a gift inspired by Montessori learning. Whenever we have questions, we are encouraged to connect with the teachers, which is helpful to keep track of Levi’s growth. We realized not all children enjoy learning, but Levi really loves it and is always curious to find out information in his own way when he is interested in something. Montessori/IB learning encourages him to ask questions and explore something that might be out of the traditional school curriculum for his age. He has gained a lot of friendships with not only peers but with adults (teachers and helpers at DMA). DMA has created a lovely environment for Levi to learn how to interact with other people and build confidence in himself. We also think it is apparent that he enjoys learning because of the way he learns at DMA. We would recommend (and have recommended) DMA. Teachers are committed to helping Levi grow to his fullest potential, which is one of the main reasons why we love DMA.

– Shiren and Caleb Ng

- Shiren and Caleb Ng

My children have been attending Discovery Montessori Academy (DMA) for about a year now. What I love the most is how my child can work on a variety of skills independently, gaining autonomy and self-control. They have found their curiosities over different topics throughout the year and the teachers have been very supportive, creating a safe environment to enable their exploration.

DMA is a small school and its beauty shines through. The teachers are always happy to discuss individual performance, both academically and socially. Whenever a challenge arises, they work with the parents the find the best solution for the child. Management is very accessible. The principal is at the gate welcoming the children into the school.

I would highly recommend DMA. It has not only helped my children on their learning journey, but also helped me to grow as a parent.

– XingNi

- XingNi, Discovery Montessori Academy

Diego enjoyed very much his time in DMS. I don´t recall one day when he didn´t want to attend school or stayed there being sad, he felt at home and free at DMS. He developed strong relationships with other children and made his best friends there!!! He had the opportunity to be taught by 2 amazing teachers (Ms Natalie and Ms Asha) who were caring, paying close attention to his development and making sure I was aware of his progress. Diego is very rational. He is logical in his conclusions and his thoughts are very well structured. He is also very organized with his toys and supportive with activities at home. He is an independent boy …and I think all this is product of the Montessori education. I am very thankful for this. I am very happy with the progress I have seen in the development of Diego and he was very happy being part of the school and its activities. Thanks for all!!

– Sabrina

- Sabrina