When we were considering Lesley Ellis for preschool, we asked around on the playground, and just…read moreabout every parent we talked to told us, "It's excellent! The only negative is the cost." That matched our experience perfectly. The tuition is steep - though financial aid is available! - but everything else was fantastic, and we were consistently impressed with the teachers, curriculum, field trips, awareness of kids as individuals, interaction with administration, and more. My mom worked for decades in early childhood education, and (as an interested and involved grandparent) was also very impressed. They welcomed/encouraged heavy parent involvement, from "come into the classroom to talk about something you're knowledgeable/passionate about" to occasional parent-meetups-over-coffee in the morning and more. But I was never, ever made to feel guilty about not being able to participate heavily, which was the norm once we had our second kid. (Who also went to LES for preschool, once old enough.) We can't speak to their K-8 experience, but for preschool/pre-K/TK they were fantastic.

Lesley Ellis is an independent school from pre-school to grade 6, but expanding soon to 8th. Our…read moredaughter is in her third year there and we have been delighted with the program. The teachers are an outstanding group and attuned to the needs of each individual student. The administration is truly exceptional as they create an environment where parents, children and the school come together to form a nurturing and vibrant community.

Our son has been attending LKA for preschool since 2023. He absolutely loves going to school and…read morelearning, engaging, interacting with his sensei and school friends. Reiko Sensei does a phenomenal job in really getting to know each child and takes a keen interest in their development and growth which is evident during our regular parent teacher conferences. LKA dedicates a tremendous amount of energy and thought into their curricula and incorporates various cultures and languages in their regular teaching. They have music and art class and have various events throughout the school year. Each sensei is welcoming, loving, gentle, and understanding. We get daily photos and videos and daily updates w their activities and curricula and it's one of the highlights of my day! Our son's social skills and speech improved tremendously after joining LKA and he enjoys his school days so much that he recently asked to extend his days until 5:30pm! His younger sister will also be joining the LKA family in a couple of months and his soon to be born baby sister will follow in their footsteps. From the moment I do school drop off, I know that my child will be cared for and loved and that is priceless. I cannot say enough good things about Reiko Sensei, all of the senseis, and LKA and I highly recommend LKA !

Our family loves LKA! Our older daughter has been there for three years and we did not have any…read moredoubts about enrolling our younger daughter after she was born. The director is knowledgeable, accessible, and creative. You can tell she really loves the kids. We like that it's a small center (one preschool room, one toddler room, one infant room) and that they incorporate Japanese exposure as well as lots of crafts, music, dance, yoga, and plenty of free play and outdoor time. I love seeing my daughters' faces light up when they find their favorite teachers in the morning. I'm so grateful we have LKA in our lives!

Arlington heights nursery school is an extremely clean and well thought out facility. Every…read moreclassroom has large windows that let in tons of light, the classrooms are clean and organized and the teachers and administration are super nice. My son loved his first year here. The program is play-based which is great for the littlest preschoolers. The only reason I wouldn't give it 5 stars is I don't think they were as proactive as I hoped in teaching compared to programs like bright horizons or creative corner. But my little one loved school, made lots of friends and played in a healthy and safe environment.

We love AHNS! My oldest did one year of preschool and one year of Pre-K and my middle child is…read morejust finishing up his first full year in preschool. These are two VERY different kids, but AHNS has been truly fantastic for both of them. The teachers are just absolutely amazing in terms of how they're willing to see the kids as true individuals and work with them exactly where they are -- it's so nice for us to know that our kids are truly cared for. I was really nervous because the school is so big, but the teachers and staff manage to make it seem like a tiny school in all the best ways. I'm looking forward to the next two years my middle son attends, and looking forward to my third child attending when the time comes!

We've had such a positive experience with Rogers-Pierce Childcare Center! Our family started in the…read morepreschool room with our oldest child, and now our second is thriving in the toddler room. The teachers are warm, attentive, and truly invested in each child's growth and happiness. The transition from home daycare to the center was seamless - the teachers answered questions at our play visit and were so welcoming. Communication is excellent through an app and each classroom has a cell phone for communications, too. The curriculum balances learning with play in a way that feels natural and engaging, and the kids are active in the Arlington community through different field trips and everyday adventures to the local parks and libraries. The center's values are rooted in equity, social justice, and community-building, and that shines through in all of their lessons and activities, as well as through the staff and the experience they bring to the classroom. RPCC has created a welcoming community for both kids and parents, and we feel confident every day that our children are safe, loved, and learning. We couldn't recommend Rogers-Pierce more highly!

My children have attended Rogers-Pierce since 2004. It is a warm, caring school with fantastic…read moreteachers. Recently (summer 2011) there have been some issues with teacher turnover, but a new Board of Directors is in place and is getting RPCC back on track. My daughter will start Pre-K in a few weeks and we could not be happier with the center.

My toddler daughter has been attending school here for over a year. The teachers could not be more…read morekind, energetic and loving. My child has made great friends here and talks positively about her experience everyday. They are the best!

My daughter loves this preschool! She looks forward to going to school every morning. Teachers in…read morebear cub preschool take good care of my daughter and make she enjoy every minute there. The curriculum and kids' daily activities are really solid. My daughter often brings back her work when I pick her up. There are paintings, origami, plants, and other kinds of handcrafts. During the day, we would receive photos or videos of our daughter at school. This gives us great visibility on what's going on with our daughter during the day time. Bear cub school has good precaution against covid. When having lunch, two kids share one table with plastic shield dividing the table. In other time, everyone wears mask. Our daughter left bear cub one month ago only because it's too far from our home. We got a surprising farewell gift from the school, which is a booklet of photos and teacher's comments for every week since day 1. This records the growth of our daughter at school, and we strongly believe that teachers in bear cub care about kid's growth and will do everything they can to help kids.

We could not be happier with this daycare! For our family, the two best days of 2022 were 1) having…read moreour baby daughter and 2) getting our son into Bear Cub Mandarin. (but actually :)) Our son is 2.5 years old and as a COVID baby born March 2020. He was shy and scared in new settings. Now, he's the "big talker" in the toddler class, according the monthly newsletter that the staff sends out. He can name his feelings, friends, and interests. He cleans up after himself (most of the time...). He's more creative and shows off his art projects. Vickie the director is professional, attentive, and understanding. Each teacher in the toddler class is beyond caring. And the owner MaeLynn pours her heart and soul into the daycare, making it the experience she'd want for her own kids because they go there too! I'm Chinese American and my husband is Caucasian American. It was important to us for our children to speak Mandarin. Not only does Bear Cub Mandarin make this dream a reality, but also, and more importantly, they provide such a loving, communicative, and safe environment everyday for our newly "big talker". Thank you, BCM Team!

High quality care that combines free play and structure. The staff is experienced, trained, and…read moretruly love the children. We searched many daycares of all sizes, and do glad we went with LTG. With so many kids, there are sometimes mix ups with clothes, meals, and names, but nothing major. Most importantly, we always know our child is safe and happy at LTG. Their new location is 93 Broadway Street.

Our oldest son just finished his first year of preschool in the 3-day program at Belmont Coop. We…read moreabsolutely love the school. The director and the teachers are so engaged with the kids and its an incredibly warm and welcoming community. We originally visited the school when it was located in Cushing Square. The space was fun and interactive but the new space has really allowed the school to grow in both capacity and programming. It's bright and sunny with plenty of room for more creative play and planned activities. It has an adjacent playground as well as a nearby park for more lengthy outdoor activities. The school provides several special activities which our son loves. Habitat, the Mass Audubon education center, regularly visits his class and provides hands-on exposure to the local fauna. They are also regularly visited by Hugh Hanley, a local musician who leads an hour of song and story telling. These are particularly fun days to be a parent helper in the classroom. Since this was our first foray into school for our son, we are very glad we chose a coop program. It allows us to see our son in his school environment and better understand his development and how we can help shape his growth both at school and home. We also get to know and work with other parents and families in the area. The teachers provide regular feedback which is encouraging and helpful. We particularly love the director who is constantly in the rooms with each group of kids and consistently checks in with us. I would highly recommend this school to anyone but would strongly urge families to look into the program sooner rather than later as the school regularly has a wait list.

I agree with the previous reviewer - the leadership and teaching staff at this school are amazing…read more My twin boys had a wonderful year in the 3-day class as their first out-of-home experience, and we all loved it. Everyone on the teaching staff is extremely committed, detail-oriented, and caring. They are working really hard to create a fun, engaging environment, and to make sure that every child is included and enjoying the experience. The classroom is organized thoughtfully, with an impressive range of activities always available to the children plus daily curriculum plans that include developmentally appropriate and seasonal enrichment activities, and also the year's enrichment activities from outside visitors included theater, music, yoga, and art. There is always so much going on at this school, and yet it manages to feel comfortable and homelike for the kids. We have also really appreciated the co-op aspect of it, since we recently moved to the area from out-of-state. The school has a wonderful mix of families and they have all been very welcoming. This school feels like a close-knit family with teaching geniuses at the helm. I love it, the kids love it, and I can't believe we were lucky enough to find it.

We love First Circle! Our daughter has been here almost a year and the teachers take extraordinary…read morecare of the little ones, with so much love, learning, and silly fun throughout the day. They're also so helpful in helping our daughter progress and become independent. Big shoutout to Amber and Naomi in infant 3! And to Clay and Kaitie for jumping in to help whenever needed!

We love this place! My job forces us to travel often, and I wanted some stability for my son. First…read moreCircle provided that and lots of love, care, and patience. I can not speak more highly of the staff!

My 4 year old daughter attends the Spanish language enrichment class here and I can't say enough…read moregreat things about it! Her teacher, Emily (who is also the program director) is incredibly sweet, patient and knowledgable. The class is conducted in full Spanish immersion and I can tell that Luna is already learning and understanding so much (even more than her older siblings who are taking Spanish in school). Parents are invited into the classroom after each "unit" for the kids to present what they've learned. My daughter loves going to Spanish class!