MUMPS (as it is abbreviated) is something of a secret treasure in Raleigh. I found out about it…read morethrough word-of-mouth and have never known them to do much in the way of advertising, but it is a GREAT program. MUMPS is a half-day program that runs concurrently with the Wake County public school system calendar, though they have their own severe weather policy and do not observe WCPSS teacher workdays. It IS a religious preschool. They do learn about God and Jesus; several times per month they go to Chapel. It's nothing overly pushy or confusing to the children. They also emphasize kindness to others, and visit with the senior citizens in the church program a few times each year to sing them songs or help out. Tuition is very reasonable. It sounded expensive to me at first for a half-day program, but if you break it down hourly, it really isn't (I pay just over $4 per hour). They do offer discounts/reduced tuition to families enrolling multiple children or experiencing financial difficulty. Classes are small; they seem to be typically under-enrolled and accepting new students. My son started this year in a class of only 6 children (with 2 teachers per class), but has grown to about 10 now. They spend each day doing the usual preschool activities- singing, dancing, coloring, cutting, practicing their alphabet and writing skills, reading, playing on the outdoor playground, and going to "discovery" (an amazingly well-stocked science classroom). The teachers are all amazing and many have been working there for over a decade, if not since their own children were preschoolers there! Vivian Brendle is the director of the Preschool and has been involved with it for many years. She does an amazing job of keeping parents in the loop and involved, through field trips, volunteer work (planting bulbs to beautify the church grounds is one of my favorite activities to help the kids with), and best of all- they often e-mail home photos of the childrens' daily activities. I love being able to forward these e-mails to my mom, since she lives out of town and doesn't get to see the kids as often as she'd like! Overall I could not recommend MUMPS any more highly. If you are looking for an easy entry into the world of preschool for your 2-5 year old kids, and are considering a half-day, Christian-centered program, MUMPS is definitely worth checking out.

Our son currently attends MUMPS; we would highly recommend it to anyone looking for half day…read morepreschool. The teachers and directors are excellent! They clearly have a passion for what they are doing and make it a priority to make each child who walks in the door feel special each and every day! They offer fun, creative programs for the children and fun family events to participate in as well. My son wakes up asking to go to "Millbrook School" and runs to give his teachers big hugs every morning! Overall, we feel really blessed to have found MUMPS.

I have only good things to say about Little Sprouts at Six Forks Preschool. The preschool community…read moreis warm and welcoming, and the teachers are excellent. They offer a variety of learning experiences and have exceeded my expectations. If you are looking for a preschool, please consider visiting Little Sprouts at Six Forks. My son loves it!

We LOVE St Raphaels Preschool!!…read more My daughter spent two years at the preschool and loved it and my son is currently enrolled for his first year and loves going to school. Since the first time we stepped into the school for a tour 4 years ago til now we have entered into a consistently kind, calm and welcoming atmosphere each day. The communication between teachers and parents has been excellent, allowing us to understand, practice and help our children with everything they are learning!! My goal was to find a preschool that would foster a lifelong love of learning for my kids and that's definitely what we have found at St. Raphaels.

Before moving to the area I began to research a preschool for my 3 year old to attend. He had…read moresuccessfully completed a year as a 2 year old in a small Catholic church school and I wanted the same type of atmosphere. I promised myself that my husband and I would look at several schools before making a final decision...we didn't. St. Raphael's ECC is part of the St. Raphael Catholic church community but you don't have to be Catholic, attend the churh or send your child to their private school to be part of the ECC family. I was very impressed with the tour and administrative personnel. The take security of your children while in their care very serious. And in this day and age it's a good thing. When you bring your child(ren) there is always an admin there to answer any questions and keep an eye on the coming and goings. My son is doing well and the school and I really like that fact that his time there is run like an actual school day, rather than just play all day. While I can't get him to tell me what he does each week, I can ask the teachers and also can see what they are focusing on each week via bulletin boards. I also personally love that he is getting religious teaching without being hit over the head with it.

This was the first time our daughter was left in Pre-school. At 15months of age and dealing with…read moreall the anxiety a toddler can have, Ms. Sondra and Ms.Hope had the most patience. The school is clean, the staff professional, nurturing! My first and best experience ever!

My now 3yo daughter loves going to class here. The teachers and other staff are all wonderful and…read morethe facilities are great with a recent update to the outdoor play area and easy access to the church's great hall and more for special events.

Our daughter started at WFM at 18 months of age. As an Early Interventionist, I was looking for an…read moreacademically rigorous environment, knowing that the first five years of her life are the most fundamental years. Well this August, we will be saying a heartfelt thank you to this outstanding preschool. What an amazing opportunity she (we) has had; and my husband and I have felt supported along the way with parent-teacher conferences, thorough daily electronic communication, and parent panel meetings. The faculty is clean, has true Montessori learning tools, and highly educated and certified teachers. The preschool's administration is attentive to the teachers and family's needs, creating harmonious relationships. Our daughter is exceeding in all areas of her development, reading and journaling at 5 years old. WFM's curriculum and faculty have are absolutely amazing. If you are looking for kindergarten readiness, increasing your child's self regulation, and exploration of diversity of the world, WFM is the best environment.

From the owner: Wake Forest Montessori Pre-School was founded in 2006, by a group of passionate educators and…read morebusiness people. The school is dedicated to upholding the right of every child to progress at his or her own pace, in their own individual way, and to be provided with the tools needed for their physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development.

My son has been attending HMCS for just under a year now. It has been a great experience so far…read more They aren't the least expensive, but they aren't the most expensvie. I toured all of the 4 and 5 star preschools when it was time for my son to begin. HMCS was a 4 star at that time and I was still more impressed them than the other schools, including the ones with 5 star ratings. HMCS is now rated as a 5 star. The directors/teachers actually care about each student and it shows. The location is convenient, but right next to a gas station. At first I thought it was kind of an ugly view from the playground, but there are bushes and the kids don't seem to think twice about the surroundings outisde of the playground anyway.

My grandson has been attending Harps Mill Creative School since 2017. I have seen so many teachers…read morecome and go during this period of time and that is the most negative thing about Harps Mill. I have also had some problems with a couple of the students, but as soon as I addressed the situation with the Director, she took care of things immediately. The Director is Aisha Eugene and I cannot say enough good things about her. She is professional, polite, concerned with any issues, and works diligently to make sure that the children are safe and well looked after. She is also accessible and that is very important to parents and grandparents. My grandson adores her as well as my husband and I. As grandparents raising our grandson, we are obviously older and more attuned to his needs. We are raising him to be respectful, courteous, and mannerly, and we want him to be treated the same by others. We have brought a few situations to the attention of Ms. Eugene and she has thoughtfully reviewed what improvements can be made. Harps Mill Creative School is extremely lucky to have her!

Top notch school! Both my boys have been since little blessings! They love it and learning new…read morethings every day. Great for getting them ready for kindergarten .

We came from out of state and this preschool came highly recommended by several people. Our…read moredaughter has loved every minute of it. The teachers are so thoughtful in their lesson planning and care for the kids by her teachers. She is in the 2/3s class two days a week. We have been very pleased with the staff and the learning. Coming from a background in education I am very picky!

Our daughter has been at the Jordan center since she was 8 months old when we unexpectedly lost our…read morenanny. As I think many people are, I was kind of heart broken at the idea of sticking her in a class room full of other kids at such a young age. Ten months later I couldn't be more happy with our choice. The first thing that I noticed was that the staff was constantly down at the kids' level, on the floor, getting crawled on, hugging kids. It turns out that the staff at the Jordan center are pretty highly trained, the head teacher in our daughters infant class room had just completed her masters degree in early childhood education. They also have a very low turnover rate for staff and so I think staff develops real bonds with the kids. I am constantly amazed by the things my daughter is learning from being in this environment. The other day I asked her where her ears were and she got a big smile on her face and pointed. Her language and physical skill acquisition have been excellent and her social skills are outstanding. I loved our nanny but I honestly don't think we would go back to an at home nanny, I feel like she would really be missing out. In the mornings, my daughter will bring me her coat (which she in convinced is a prerequisite for leaving the house, no matter what the weather) and points to the door. She runs in to her class room happy and is smiling when we pick her up.