My 4 year old son has been going to Taproot for almost a year now. When we went to go check out the…read moreschool I was a little weirded out by the well behaved quiet little kids, but right when I got there my son ran over to the class to join in without prompting. Everything they do is in 30 minute increments in order to encourage better focus. They also have a pretty cool playground that the kids play on twice a day. The have two 2.5 hour blocks of class time, which is when they do the whole weird well behaved time as they go to different stations and work on the activities of their choosing. During that time the teachers walk around ready to help guide/help any of the kids and also pull groups of about four kids to the side to work on things like numbers and letters. They also provide a monthly calendar with a theme of the month and daily things that they talk about during their group time (e.g. one month they talked about space and each day they would talk about certain planet, or about stars vs planets, etc.). It's nice because it helps you feel involved as you can talk about the topic of the day with them before or after school. One thing that I am not crazy about is you gotta drop them off at the door. When he first started I was little bummed that I couldn't see him settle in before I left, but I get it- they do it that way as to not have drop offs be too distracting for the other kids as they try to stay pretty on schedule.

I can't thank enough the wonderful teachers/ school this is! My son started at age 3 ( preschool/…read moreTK) and is now 5. Ms Karla is beyond amazing! She has been so instrumental in my sons learning thus far. When, he first started we had some speech difficulties & needed help in social skills. He has had such tremendous growth! Such a testament to the wonderful teachers ( Ms. Vicki & and Christina and Ms.K, as well) THANK YOU! We will miss this school , but so incredibly grateful! Do not think twice about skipping this school! Best decision ever!

Just updating my review after almost 1.5 years at AOP. We are obsessed with this place. Our toddler…read moreis engaged and learning so much here! Just a few things she definitely didn't learn from us: -"agua," "buh bye," "night night" -"all done" with sign language too -the sign for "milk" She also gets so much exercise and outdoor time on the play area and has learned how to climb up and push herself down the slide. We love that the app keeps us updated with photos and other events throughout the day (all food, diapers, naps). The staff also keep us updated if there are any sicknesses going around or if the group is going through anything challenging (like the biting phase!) and what they are doing to address it. Now that our baby is eating solids we love the convenience of all of her meals and milk being provided (included in the cost!). The meals are well-rounded and it's so cute that they all eat together at a table! I think it encourages my baby to eat more when she sees her friends doing so. We also love that they keep the cohort together and how the teachers move along with the kids from room to room as they grow. I am not sure if this will continue into preschool, but just having Miss Mariela from the infant to toddler phase has been a true blessing for us. I can't tell you how many times I have showed my mom friends the app or told them about the things AOP offers and they say "wow my daycare doesn't do all that!" It takes a village to raise kids these days. The first part is finding that village, and the second is finding one to love your baby like family. We have found that in AOP. They truly care about your child like their own

We absolutely love AOP. The teachers are phenomenal and we feel that they have so much love for our…read morechild. Every day our kid is so excited to go to daycare that she's literally banging on our front door to get out when we tell her it's time to "go to school" haha. If you're looking for a daycare that fosters learning, language development, kindness and growth, this is the place for you. We cannot say enough positive things about AOP!

My child has been attending Learning Jungle La Mesa for about a year and a half, and I'm very happy…read morewith the school. Here's why: 1) Tuition is comparable to or beats some home daycares, and beats a lot of (non-home) school-like daycares. Also includes snacks and lunch. You may think you're getting a better deal at home daycares that provide diapers but I personally like being in control of what brands of diapers and wipes are being used on my baby's bottom! And for that matter, (compared to what I've witnessed at home daycare visits and have heard from others' experiences), there is a lot more oversight when your child is at a school-like daycare. I feel like there's less accountability at home daycares in general and it just gives me a greater peace knowing that the place my child spends 9 hours a day is more official and follows guidelines more strictly. 2) The teachers really care a lot for the children. I have great relationships with them, they're very communicative, experienced, and you can really tell that they love the kids! It's more than just a job for them. They use really nice language with the kids, for example, "No thank you," "Come this way, friends," or "Nice hand, please!" (You will not hear them "yelling" at children the way sometimes frustrated grown-ups or parents do). 3) You hear a lot of buzz these days about Montessori schools.. but honestly LJ teaches kiddos the same kind of independence and life skills (for example, the kids are expected to throw away their trash, return their water bottles to the fridge, and return their nap time bedding to their cubbies). What I think LJ does that's actually a greater service than the Montessori schools is that it provides structured activities and instruction that are similar to the format of traditional public schools. (I mean yeah, in theory, it's great that your kid can explore and learn with activities that vibe with his/her preference or unique learning style, but in real life, your student will be expected to participate in class activities during group time, and will be expected to work independently during individual work time, when he or she is in elementary school and beyond.) So, in that regard, I think LJ does better to prepare young children to meet the demands of kindergarten and school (and life, for that matter) than the Montessori schools. (I mean, there aren't learning centers for all grade levels and in all walks of life, right?) And lastly, 4) there are monthly activities and/or seasonal events that involve parents and guardians that are festive and fun, which make (along with everything else) LJ La Mesa altogether a fun, safe, educational and happy place!

I rarely leave reviews, but I feel it's important to share our family's experience with Learning…read moreJungle La Mesa so other parents can make an informed decision. Our daughter attended this center for approximately four months, and during that time the center went through two different directors. While leadership changes can happen at any childcare center, we experienced inconsistent communication and a lack of continuity throughout our time there. From the beginning, we wanted to partner with the daycare to help our daughter succeed. Whenever behavioral concerns were brought to our attention, we worked with her at home and asked staff how we could support them. Unfortunately, despite repeated concerns about her behavior, no one ever scheduled a meeting with us to create a behavior plan, discuss strategies, or ask what techniques were working at home. Instead, it often felt like incidents were documented without a collaborative effort to address the underlying issues. One of our biggest concerns was communication. We specifically requested that staff notify us if our daughter was having a difficult day or refusing to nap. Despite those requests, there were multiple occasions when she was in the office during nap time and we were not notified. On one occasion, my husband went to the daycare and found her in the office with markers in her mouth, which raised concerns for us about supervision. On another occasion, he found her cot placed by itself in a corner of the room, separate from the other children during nap time. We do not know whether this was a one-time occurrence or a regular practice, but seeing her separated from her classmates was upsetting and raised concerns about how she was being managed. Regardless of the reason, we worried that repeatedly separating a young child in this way could leave them feeling excluded rather than supported. As parents, it was difficult to understand why she was repeatedly removed from the classroom or separated during nap time without timely communication or a discussion about what was happening. We also repeatedly requested copies of incident reports involving our daughter but did not receive the documentation we requested. Without those reports, it was difficult to fully understand the incidents and reinforce expectations consistently at home. Another concern was hygiene. Our daughter was potty training, and there were multiple days when she had several accidents. On several occasions, I picked her up still soiled and needing to be changed. We understand accidents happen with toddlers, but we expected that she would be cleaned promptly and cared for appropriately. Communication with our family was inconsistent. Staff would tell us that "it's better when parents are involved," but when I attempted to become more involved, I was told, "We've got it." At the same time, concerns were often shared with me informally at pickup but were not consistently communicated to my husband when he picked her up. We wanted to be active partners in supporting our daughter, but we never felt included in developing a plan to help her succeed. Another thing that stood out to us was the classroom environment. Throughout our daughter's enrollment, we consistently saw artwork from many of the other children displayed in the classroom. We never observed any of our daughter's artwork displayed. While there may be an explanation for this, it added to our concerns about whether she felt fully included in classroom activities. The biggest reason I'm writing this review is because of what happened after we transferred our daughter to another licensed daycare. The difference has been remarkable. She has not been reported for hitting or kicking other children. She plays well with her classmates, comes home clean every day, and her teachers communicate with us in a positive, balanced, and collaborative way. They celebrate her accomplishments while working with us on any concerns, and we've experienced the kind of partnership we were hoping for all along. Every child deserves patience, respect, and a team of adults who work together with parents in their best interest. Unfortunately, that was not our experience at Learning Jungle La Mesa. My hope in sharing our experience is that the center reflects on its communication, collaboration with families, and overall quality of care so that other children and parents have a better experience.

My two daughters have been at sparrow since 2021. It was such a relief to find a school that has…read morecommunity and meets criteria for education. Our teachers thus far have been caring, knowledgeable, and dependable. While the school has gone through a few changes over the years, the sparrow community continues to hold together for the kids with help of parents and staff alike. The most important thing is my children are HAPPY at sparrow. They have made true friendships, they know all the staff on a first name basis, and are learning to love learning. Waldorf education is a different kind of educational pathway, however at sparrow all concepts that are seen in public school are still met at sparrow bcuz they are a charter and state funded. They just teach it in a different way. They are not perfect and it's an uphill battle to keep this charter school functioning as a Waldorf since we still have to meet state testing, but the village it provides makes it worth while. Those looking into Waldorf education private or charter, should really work to understand what, how and why, waldorf curriculum is taught.

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN HERE. The school is falling apart. They are losing teachers and faculty…read more They don't have a math teacher, hand work teacher and the Spanish teacher is horrible. I regret sending my children here. My son had to repeat 4th grade ("because it follows Waldorf development" but then they changed it a year later to conform to LMSV School District so my son got screwed and now he's a year behind all his friends.) This was the worst decision I have EVER made. The community is great. The families and friends we have met have been great. Thats it. Period.

My son went there from about 4 months to 2.5 years old. We really enjoyed the time spent and thank…read moreall the ladies who took great care of him. Open early and late. Easy check in and check out (and felt safe). And a great app with plenty of photos and updates. Thanks, Charley Brown!

We love Charley brown children's center! They are so friendly and all the staff members treat the…read morekids as their own!

Trusting others to care for people that are so incredibly important to you is not always easy, but…read moreABC Barn and all of the staff there have certainly put our concerns at ease! It means so much to us knowing our kids are in good hands and the icing on the cake is that our kids love it there too! We truly appreciate the care and love that they give to ALL of the kids EVERY day and highly recommend ABC Barn! Thank you guys for being you and all you do!!

We looked at 3 spots in the area for our daughter to attend daycare. We found that ABC Barn was…read morethe best place for our daughter to get educated. The staff is real friendly, teachers engage with the parents about activities, they serve coffee to the parents, and really do care about the kids. We had a great feeling when we first stepped inside school. I highly recommend them and it was the least expensive of the other schools we looked at. Must make a visit at least if you are thinking of dropping your kids off.

I have to say I really liked it at first and the app is wonderful. But they don't always log diaper…read morechanges. My child was in the preschool class and they didnt really log if he ate or not. They just wrote down the menu for that day so I wonder if he ever really ate even though they said yes when I asked. My son was always big for his age and it seemed like there are too many kids here and they weren't able to give him the time and attention he needed. The ratio is 12:1. When I dropped my son off one morning, poor Ms.Kelcey was changing a diaper while 10 other kids were running around and one was crying in the corner. Nothing on Ms.Kelcey; shes great and she handled that like a champ. They just need more staff here. I noticed one of the teachers had quit when my son first started and the teachers here seem kind of burnt out. The director met with us and said my child wasn't meeting his milestones and that the teachers hadn't observed them. But, when we got our son evaluated by his pediatrician and a speech therapist, that was not the case. His outbursts at school didnt improve. From looking at the footage that they DID show us, it appeared it happened whenever teachers were looking away, so I do feel bad for the other kids. It seemed like he was always getting written up and they looked for any reason to write an incident report. Most times that we asked to see the footage, we wouldnt get it. The director would just say she watched it and tell us what happened. The director pushed for my son to get evaluated through the regional center and even after I went through the process of doing so to get him the help he needed, he was still terminated. After my sons occupational therapist went to the school (she went and observed him his last week there), she observed that our son was not the worse behaved one and that he was just copying other kids behaviors. Now that my son is in a different pre school with a smaller ratio, he is doing better. So, maybe this school isn't for neurodivergent kids or for shy kids or for kids that are big for their age. For the price, I would say you get what you pay for because the facility is beautiful, always clean, and the yard is nice. Food is good from what I've seen and super healthy. But, it is packed with kids (12:1 in prek) and they really need more staff!!

My daughter attended this facility for two days and it was an awful experience. The teachers…read moreincluding management is very rude and dismissive. When we brought up anything to them their response was we can't watch all of our friends. I did see a bad review and it looks like it got deleted so my review may get deleted as well. A WARNING to all considering learning jungle. They pick their favorites, my child was eating sand (two days in a row) had marker all over her clothes (she could have had it in her mouth), had an ice cube they use for accidents in her mouth (choking hazard) because somehow it ended up in the classroom accessible to her, got sick on the third day when we withdrew her. Everytime we picked her up there was one teacher playing with the same group of kids and one just standing around, but not paying attention to what the kids are doing. Also they never answer their phone so if there is an emergency you have to go to the center to speak to them. They called me on the first day to ask me to come pick up my child because she wouldn't wake up from her nap and the other kids can't go outside and supposedly there is a rule stating that they can't wake her up even though it's past their nap time. This is unheard of and so inconvenient. I wasn't able to pick up my daughter because that day I already had to go back to the location twice before because of their lack of communication. Save yourself the headache, this Place may look like it's good for your child, but internally it's all messed up. My child has since been taken to a daycare facility near our home and she has been thriving. Learning jungle is the worst daycare I have ever dealt with.