Children's Learning Center Montessori in Thousand Oaks is an authentic, small-scale Montessori program founded in 1980, serving toddlers from 18 months through first grade with a 5:1 student-teacher ratio. Structured around Montessori's seven core areas—Practical Life, Sensory Material, Language Arts, Mathematics, Sciences, Music and Art, and Extra Curriculum—the school combines hands-on learning with strong emphasis on individual progress; children consistently score at or above kindergarten level after attendance, and parents report high engagement and emotional growth. The program extends learning through field trips, weekly swimming in summer, gymnastics, and peer mentoring, while operating extended hours (7:30 AM–6:00 PM weekdays, License #566213859) to support working families. With approximately 20 students and one-on-one teacher time deeply woven into the approach, the school's small size and limited age range (pre-K through grade 1 only) mean long waitlists are common and full infant care is unavailable.
Safety7.0
Curriculum9.0
Art / Music7.0
Infant care4.0
Kindergarten readiness8.0
Teacher quality9.0
Compassion9.0
Management8.0
Culture8.0
Extracurriculars7.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Uses the Montessori method with a structured, hands-on curriculum across seven core areas: Practical Life, Sensory Material, Language Arts, Mathematics, Sciences, Music and Art, and Extra Curriculum. Serves toddlers (from 18 months) through first grade including transitional kindergarten and kindergarten.
Programs & activities: Gymnastics (via Kids in Motion), swimming twice weekly in summer, field trips (botanical gardens, parks, roller skating, horseback riding), computer education with educational software, circle time, and peer mentoring.
What sets it apart: Open Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-6:00 PM. License #566213859. Markets strong student performance on California standardized tests and selection for gifted programs, plus health/safety measures like frequent sanitization and occupancy management.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
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#1 in Thousand Oaks
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">#1 in Thousand Oaks</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Thousand Oaks. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.</span>
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Top 100 in California
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 100 in California</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Among the top 100 childcare centers statewide — a distinction earned by fewer than 1% of licensed centers across California.</span>
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Best for Safety
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best for Safety</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest safety score in Thousand Oaks. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.</span>
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Best Teachers
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Teachers</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest teacher quality score in Thousand Oaks. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.</span>
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Best Curriculum
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Curriculum</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest curriculum score in Thousand Oaks. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.</span>
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Most Compassionate
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Most Compassionate</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest compassion score in Thousand Oaks. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.</span>
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Updated · July 2026
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
