My children have been at Magnolia Coop for the past four years and I can't recommend this school…read moreenough. I was drawn to the coop model because I loved the idea of building a community for not just our children, but our whole family, as well as having the rare opportunity to learn alongside our children. I know a lot of parents today wish for a "village" of support for their families, and I really feel our family has this thanks to the coop. It's the norm for families to schedule impromptu playdates at local parks and check in on each other when someone is sick or welcomes a new baby. And nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids excited to run into coop families and teachers while out in the neighborhood. The staff is also top tier - from the teachers to the parent educators. I've been so impressed by all the thought and care the teachers put into their curriculum and classrooms, as well as how well they know my children. One of my children starts kindergarten next year, and I know he's so ready thanks to all the skills and confidence he's built while at the coop. It's also been so lovely to have the teachers and parent educators as resources and sounding boards during tougher/unfamiliar parenting phases. They've always made me feel seen, supported, and accepted.

I cannot recommend Magnolia Cooperative Preschool highly enough. When we first enrolled, I thought…read moreI was just signing my child up for a fun place to play a few times a week. I didn't realize I was signing myself up for a masterclass in parenting. The "Co-op" Difference If you are on the fence about the work commitment involved in a co-op, let me tell you: it is worth every second. Being in the classroom allows you to see how your child interacts with the world when you aren't hovering directly over them (even though you are nearby). You learn to trust them, and they learn independence in a safe, supported environment. Plus, the monthly parent education meetings (affiliated with North Seattle College) are invaluable. We learned about emotional regulation, brain development, and practical discipline strategies that actually work. I am a calmer, more confident parent because of this school. Play-Based Learning at Its Best MCP understands that for ages 3-5, play is work. The curriculum is brilliant. It isn't about worksheets; it's about sensory bins filled with textures, painting at the easel, building complex block structures, and dramatic play. My child learned math concepts through cooking and physics through water play. By the time we left for Kindergarten, my child was socially adaptable, curious, and ready to learn--skills that go far beyond just knowing their ABCs. The Atmosphere The vibe at MCP is joyful and "messy" in the best way possible. It's a place where kids are allowed to get dirty, make noise, and explore. The classroom is bright and organized, and the outdoor play areas are fantastic for getting energy out even during the gloomier Seattle months. Financial Value Seattle preschools can be incredibly expensive. The co-op model makes high-quality early education accessible. For the quality of teachers, the low adult-to-child ratio, and the facility, the tuition is a steal. You "pay" the difference with your time, but that time is spent bonding with your child and their friends. Magnolia Co-op is a special place that nurtures the whole family. If you want to be actively involved in your child's early education and want to make friends with other families who value community, look no further. It's the perfect launchpad for school life.

Amazing school and general area. I've never gone here, but my best friend lives right near by so we…read moreoften go to epiphany and play there

Epiphany is the best and I am grateful for a supportive community. My daughter has been at the…read moreschool since Kindergarten.

One of my kiddos goes here, and it's been great for him. He's a verrry shy guy in traditional…read moreschool settings, but is super comfortable at this school. Really grateful we found this place!

I never would have been able to secure an early decision admission to my dream school (the…read moreUniversity of Chicago) without Vicky and her team. As a junior, I approached the college admissions process unsure and hesitant, but Pathivy guided me through every step of the process - my application strategy, what schools I should apply to, how to handle interviews, and wherever else I needed support. I am truly grateful for their help and couldn't recommend a better college counseling team!

I was very nervous going into junior year without much college prep, but Vicky helped me unify my…read moreinterests and create many effective applications that brought me success in the college admissions process. Her help let me get into my dream school (Stanford) and have other options I wouldn't have had if I applied blindly.

Our twins attend NWS. It is an amazing education with a great matriculation track record. This…read moreschool is small and humble, but the experience feels big and important. I have visited the other private schools in the area. They have all the bells and whistles, for sure! But the rigourous STEM and humanities programs taught by esteemed faculty that are highly ranked in their perspective fields is unmatched at The Northwest School. Private School is not cheap, but NWS is worth every penny!

My eigth grade twins really love this small school with BIG personality. They feel supported and…read moreacademically challenged.

Our family has worked with NWES for the last 4+ years. We started when our son needed a proctored…read moreexam for the online ed advanced Algebra class he took over the summer before starting high school and he continued to work regularly/weekly with NWES tutor Jason on various things for which he needed guidance over the 4 years in high school. Their sessions were centered on strategy and learning how to organize and develop good study habits and while content teaching was a part of it, our son's growth into a confident student was the most important benefit. The last session with Jason is next week. Our son will be graduating from Ballard High School next Wednesday (with straight As) and in fall he is starting at UW Engineering - majoring in MechEng and Industrial Design. My husband and I are very grateful to Greg and Jason for all the support in last 4+ years. It was really great to know that even though our sone would not really listen to us, Jason will likely get through him and point him in the right direction. It was wonderful to work with NWES. finding them was one of the luckiest accidents!

We worked with NWES from our son's middle school years through high school. He received support for…read morehis math courses. The coaches that our son worked with were consistently excellent. He developed strong relationships with all of them. The rest of the team is excellent too. Everything about the place makes getting help easy. Can't recommend strongly enough!

The teacher kept the kids in for lunch, just bc they didn't do the math problem on the board (most…read moreof them did it, and went back to talking). The kids only had 2min of lunch. It was Mr.Lawson who did it

i have learned so much there and all the reachers are really sweet and i have enjoyed all the time…read morei have had there and i would highly recommend if you live in the area

I'm writing in response to the nanny who posted below, to help clarify some of her misconceptions…read more I have been a Kumon instructor for almost 7 years, (at a different location). Prior to Kumon, my background was in teaching high school. Yes, it's true that most kids hate doing Kumon. Most kids hate doing anything that involves work or thinking, especially if their friends don't have to do it. If you go back and ask most adults who did the Kumon program as children, many will tell you that yes, they hated it, but it was the "best thing their parents ever did for them"; especially those that were in the program for many years. Many students struggle in high school and college with math (and still finger-count to add and subtract); Kumon students typically breeze through their classes. There is a misconception that Kumon is all about rote memorization and repetition and not full understanding, which isn't true. Yes, repetition is part of the program. Kumon is an EXERCISE program for your brain. You get better at things, whether it be golf, playing piano, running, etc.--by practicing. And yes, you need to do things more than once in order to get really, really, good at them. Math is no exception. If a child isn't grasping multiplication, the instructor will have the child practice multiplication until they do understand it and get really good at it before moving them on to division. They will practice division until they get really good at it before doing fractions. It makes math really simple and easy to understand when it is progressive. We do want them to try to do the exercises quickly so that as they move through the program they will be able to get through the upper level material in a reasonable time without it taking hours and hours to complete. They are not forced to do all the math in their heads. We encourage them in the lower levels of the program not to write excessive scratch work when unnecessary, because it will make the assignments go much faster and make the subsequent levels easier. If the child trains him or herself to add the extra "one" in their head instead of writing it every single time, it will make it easier later on to add fractions, which are written horizontally. When they are doing more complex processes, they do need to write the intermediate steps. Occasionally I do have some kids that have difficulty with this, and they are allowed to write out the carries or borrows to keep track. There are several reasons we ask parents not to help or teach their children at home. Kumon is a self-learning program, where we develop our students to be able to teach themselves through studying the examples--and yes, they get really, really good at it. If they aren't understanding the examples, the instructor will work as a guide to help the student. In almost seven years, I have rarely had to sit down and explicitly explain something to a student. I would say that roughly 60% of the kids figure out the examples without assistance. The rest of them may need some guidance (usually 3-10 seconds of quick guidance and asking questions helps them figure it out). Some need a little; others need a lot. I find that maybe one out of every 2-300 kids needs me to actually 'show' them. They designed the worksheets to be very self-explanatory. When parents start over-teaching their kids' Kumon at home, we find that many teach their kids the incorrect way (or more difficult way) of solving something and we have to go back and undo it. I had a student once who took 1 1/2 hours to complete 3 pages because after she learned division at Kumon her mom "re-taught" her the long way to do it--when I went back and had her do it the "Kumon way" she did the same 3 pages in 15 minutes and it was much easier for her. Also, kids who get outside help become EXTREMELY dependent upon it--no one is going to be holding their hand through school. I find that the kids that are in our classes who are struggling, needy, and dependent are usually the ones that are getting too much help outside of class. If I don't take your training wheels off, are you ever going to be able to ride a bike on your own? =) I've had students here for 5 years that have never needed to ask a question. If a student is having difficulty, I want them to alert me in class--not ask their parents. It helps me know what kinds of questions they have so I can better lesson plan for them. Students who learn to study our examples well are able to progress into the higher level math easily and finish the program; those who get too much help end up dropping out once their parents are no longer able to help them. Most of our students get ahead of grade level end up in accelerated programs at school, honors classes, skip grades, or are the top of their math class. I've watched hundreds of kids go through this program and reach a higher potential--that's a great program in my book. =)

It's not the specific location that's awful, it's kumon in general. I am not a mom, but I have…read morebeen a professional nanny for 9 years now and EVERY child I have looked after or have known through other kids HATES kumon. it's the philosophy that bothers me most. Repetition, speed, and prizes outweigh any thoughtful teaching or need to actually understand concepts. They drill worksheet after worksheet, the kids being forced to do the math in their heads(they are not allowed to show their work or mark the page). I watched an instructor explain borrowing in subtraction to a child. She said if the number is lower on top simply add a one in your head. There was no explanation of place value. It was simple mechanics of getting the right answer quickly. They didn't seem to think it important to teach concepts. Not only that, but I was told I could not help explain at home or the child would always be dependent on me for help. Excuse me? Shouldn't the goal be parent involvement? I understand teaching independence, and I would never do the work for a child, but a simple explanation should be ok. Yes, all the kids that have gone to kumon can rattle off addition and multiplication problems both super speedily and accurately. Most have little idea what it means and most will learn these skills at school anyway with the added benefit of understanding what they do. Let your kids play after school, they will learn more than by attending any kumon program!