The River School is an incredible place that has been life-changing for our family. After our…read moreyoungest son was diagnosed with hearing loss at 2.5 years, we found The River School. That diagnosis lead to an incredible path of support, communication, therapy, learning, and tutoring through The River School for the past 6 years. The River School is an inclusive, diverse, welcoming, empathetic and loving environment for our sons. Our older son joined the school the next year and stayed through 5th grade. We were impressed with how he embraced a love for learning, developed confidence across all subjects, and benefited from the incredible social-emotional support that is embedded throughout the school's culture. Every teaching team has provided unique insights into our sons' learning styles and supported their very different personalities and learning styles. Outplacement after 5th was great. We highly recommend The River School and are so grateful for all the teachers, staff, doctors and administrators that make The River School possible and work each day to make sure all the students are thriving.

Can't say enough positive things about this school. We've seen our son Jackson blossom into a…read moreconfident, intelligent, articulate, and eager to learn young boy. He started as a "turtle" at 18 months and just finished the "alligator" class at age 4. He loves going to school every day and we continue to be impressed by how much he learns. What this school offers for not only kids with hearing loss but typically hearing peers is very unique and we've had a difficult time finding a school like this anywhere else in the country. We located from Colorado for this school when our son was born profoundly deaf and received cochlear implants at age 1. Our son has constant access to sound with the support from The River School. He gets listening checks daily and with audiology on site if we ever have a problem it gets addressed right away. There is a master's level speech language pathologist in each class. You would never know my son was born with a profound hearing loss because his speech and hearing are better than most kids his age. Thanks to the support of the River School, I never have to worry about my son's hearing loss limiting him in life.

I have been coming here to read (as a DC librarian) since 2019. The teachers and director are truly…read morededicated to the children. They create a warm and welcoming environment for all. Highly recommend!

Our daughter is in her second year at Palisades Preschool and we couldn't be happier. The teachers…read moreare excellent, responsive and totally invested. The parents are engaged and show up. The community has been wonderful for us as parents as much as for the children. The cost is comparable to other preschools in the area and worth every dime. Our son will enroll in 2020 and we look forward to a couple more years with the Preschool!

It's hard to put into words how much this school has meant to our family over the past 10+ years…read more Our older son attended for over 4 years (including through the uncertainty of COVID), and our younger son is now finishing his third and final year. This school has been such a special part of our children's early childhood, and we feel incredibly lucky to have found it. The teachers and staff are truly amazing. They love each child as an individual and our boys were always encouraged to be curious, independent, and confident, while still feeling supported every step of the way. We've watched them grow not just academically, but socially and emotionally too. The Montessori mixed-age environment was especially wonderful for helping build confidence, responsibility, patience, and empathy. One thing we've always appreciated is how dedicated the teachers and staff are. There has been very little turnover during all of our years here, which says so much about the school and the community they've built. Many of the teachers have been such an important part of our children's lives, and we will genuinely miss them. The management is also incredibly organized and thoughtful, which makes a huge difference as a parent -- communication is clear, things run smoothly, and you can tell there is so much care behind everything they do. Most importantly, our children were truly happy here. They felt safe, loved, and excited to go to school every day. As our youngest gets ready to move on, we're feeling emotional knowing this chapter is ending. We'll always be grateful for the foundation this school gave our boys and for the kindness, patience, and care shown to our family over the years.

We've had two children attend Children's House. One began in the preschool program at age four (now…read morein first grade), and the other started in the toddler program for a summer before transitioning into preschool just before turning three. Despite their very different personalities, both of my daughters have had wonderful, nurturing, and growth-filled experiences at CHMS. From an administrative standpoint, I've appreciated the clear communication and guidance provided to families around scheduling, including drop-off and pick-up procedures, school events, birthdays, and conferences. As someone who tends to worry about logistics, this structure has been incredibly reassuring. We also appreciate their early (but wide) drop-off window and their EP (after school) program. Our schedule as a family is different every day, so we've enjoyed a lot of flexibility with pick-up and drop-off times. Also would love to shout out that they worked hard to open up the school during the aftermath of the ice storm this year DAYS before APS was even open. I've also felt supported and encouraged through conversations with administrators about my children, including times when they've struggled at school or at home. Mr. Jad, Ms. Denise, and all of the guides are approachable and responsive, and it truly feels as though their door is always open. CHMS has felt like our village. This sense of community was especially meaningful during the post-COVID period, when my older daughter had limited opportunities for social interaction outside of school. From an environment perspective, the guides at CHMS have shown genuine care for my children and created a safe, joyful setting in which they can thrive. I've been continually impressed by the skills they've developed, many of which I previously associated with kindergarten or first grade. My younger daughter walks into school each day excited to see her friends and teachers, and she comes home eager to share what she learned, what she hopes to work on next, and stories about celebrating her classmates' accomplishments. My older daughter, now in first grade, is frequently praised for her love of learning and ability to focus, both of which are skills she developed during her time at CHMS. I attribute so much of my older daughter's independence, empathy, and confidence to her time at CHMS, and it has been special to see those same qualities taking root in her younger sister. We've also met friends through CHMS who feel like family, and I'm forever grateful for the school's focus on community and the events that bring families together.

It's a safe environment for your kids. Foxhall is a lovely family friendly neighborhood. I love the…read moreconstant pictures and videos we get throughout the day from the school. Also, I love that the children have a great outdoor field/nature space to explore. Indoors- the science, math, and reading are top notch. I love how my daughter's confidence has soared here.

I love MSOW! The owner and staff take great care of the little ones and the academia is top-tier! I…read morehighly recommend this school in a heart beat!

My daughter has been attending Vinci School for about 2 years, and it has really been a positive…read moreexperience. I definitely appreciate the care the team has shown to our little girl. Staff has been relatively stable, and generally positive with good attitudes. My daughter is progressing academically, and often surprises me with her knowledge. The school also has a lot of natural light from the windows, in contrast to many other schools which are in basements, etc. I won't say it's perfect, of course. There are occasional minor disagreements, and we were not really impressed with the quality of the food provided. We had no issues that couldn't be resolved, though - with a little communication with the administration, we were always able to work out solutions. No school can take care of your child as well as a parent, but I would be happy to recommend this school to anyone parent in need of quality care for their child.

Our experience at VINCI Merrifield came down to three major concerns families should carefully look…read moreinto before enrolling. First, we were not able to clearly verify the school's accreditation or how it is formally recognized in Virginia. This is something parents should ask about directly and confirm for themselves. Second, the "immersion" program did not match what was expected. Language instruction felt limited in practice, and in our experience it did not function as a true immersion environment. It was more occasional language exposure than consistent daily immersion. Third, while the academic program is very challenging, there is limited in-school support when students struggle. Families should be prepared to supplement with outside tutoring or additional resources to help students keep up. Overall, the school may fit some families looking for a small micro-school model, but it did not align with our expectations for structure, language immersion, and academic support.

My daughters went to Tender Roots when it opened in 2006. We found the atmosphere to be…read moreoutstanding for young minds to develop in a way that made the children want to learn, experience new things and explore. While the original founder, Dusty Rummer, seems to have moved on, looking at the available pictures seems to indicate that her vision and method are still in place, and have been expanded upon. If that's the case, then I would recommend Tender Roots for an early childhood educational venue without any hesitation. My now teenaged girls loved it, and have fond memories of it.

Tender Roots is wonderful, a gentle beginning for your child into exploration and a school…read moreenvironment. There's free play, circle time, exploration, snack, studio time, yoga, music & movement and playground fun! Being able to see your child engage and explore with peers ranging in ages from 9 months to 3 is priceless. One of the biggest comforts is the connections made with parents, increasing each year into a supportive and collaborative community, that stays with you beyond your time at Tender Roots.

An absolute gem in the heart of Georgetown. The teachers are incredible and balance being nuturing…read morewhile encouraging independence. My daughter attended for three years and was not only incredibly competent but very self-assured starting Kindergarten. My son currently attends and has grown by leaps and bounds year over year, he loves going to school every morning--the most important indicator of an amazing establishment! The teachers are tenured and the parent group is inclusive and fun! We consider ourselves very fortunate to be a part of the GMS community!

Amazing school with dedicated, experienced teachers who create an ideal place for preschoolers to…read morelearn and develop life skills

My oldest son has now attended Overlee for a little over 1 year, and we could not be more happy…read morewith the school. We truly feel like we've all joined a big family. The two teachers are wonderful, and the set up of the school is well-done. The preschool rents space in a church on Military Dr in N. Arlington, though it's not associated with the church. It's split into 3 classes by age (Bluebirds 2-3 yr olds, Bluebirds 3-4 yr olds, and Redbirds 4-5 yr olds). It's a cooperative school, which means that parents take turns being the "helper" in the class along with the teacher. You end up volunteering once every one or two weeks. This is a great chance to see your little one interacting with their friends, which is really sweet at this age. Each parent also has a "job", like being on the membership committee, or fundraising, etc. Even though it may seem that this would require one of the parents to work from home, about half of the families seem to have nannies/au pairs who pick up and drop off (though the parent is required to do the co-op part). We've been really happy with the experience we've had so far. The teachers really know what they're doing and have been teaching for a really long time. I really like the philosophy there, which is that learning happens through play predominately at their ages. They do enrichment activities every so often, such as yoga and taekwondo. The play ground there is amazing, and I know my little one is getting tons of exercise each day. If you're looking for a school, I would definitely check out Overlee. We feel very lucky to have joined such a great group!

My twins have been going to Overlee since they were two, and are going to join the 4 year old…read moreclass, the Redbirds class. They love their teachers and friends. Overlee is a community, a family. In the summers, my girls are constantly asking me when they can go back to school.