My son has been at this daycare since 18 months. It has become his second home. Ms. Tracey and Ms. Sarah give him so much love! There have been times when my son prefers Ms. Tracey over me. This warms my heart and gives me so much peace knowing that he is in a safe and loving environment. Another thing to note Is that my son LOVES their food!! Thank you lighthouse for being a part of our support system and for giving my son so much love!! read more

Both of my children started at Lighthouse at 2 years old. The teachers are amazing. Ms. Tracey takes care of the younger children and both of my kids adore her. Ms. Sarah and Ms. Alicia teach the 3K children. We love that they focus on academics and constantly expose them to new learning material. read more

I'm a typical parent that read many reviews before actually do something and I was kinda worried with some of the negative reviews towards this school. But turns out, I would regret it if I didn't send my daughter to Lighthouse. My daughter started for about 5 months now (she's 2.5 yr old) and she has learned a lot. She was a shy girl and didn't even say/speak anything before school. Now she'll come home and tells me about her classmates, this and that, even not in a whole complete sentence but good enough for me to understand her. It only took her about 3 weeks to a month to stop crying and she actually wants to go to school (Believe no one can calm her in the family other than Mommy needs to be present lol). Also, this school has potty trained her which I couldn't do it in 6 months time. They did it in like 2 months! As a parent, I couldn't ask for more. This school has many activities and my daughter loves them. On holidays, they will make art projects and let students bring their art crafts home. Overall, I truly think this is a very good starting school for children. read more

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**BEWARE! LONGGGG REVIEW FOR THE ADMIRATION OF THIS PLACE** If I could relive those 3 summers I've spent with Lighthouse, I definitely would. I spent my 1st year at this location, and the next 2 in P.S.1. They actually have 3 locations...PS1, Anchor (Chrystie St.) and this location. The first year I've spent here was when I finished 4th grade and they had every grade up until 8th, I think. Then, I think they "relocated" the higher grades at the Anchor site, which isn't bad. Lighthouse and Anchor does get real cold sometimes. From what I can remember, my first year here was so-so (it gets better, read on.)..I remember I had a teacher named Mr.Ben..he was nice also tough though and since the principal is at this location, it was a bit strict. She barely allowed outside food, which I can respect. There was actually a lot of fun stuff here...movies and computers and for lunch, we'd always walk to 130 2 blocks away. PS1 was the bomb! So many amazing memories here. The staff were definitely nice. Even though it was an old school, everything functioned just fine! Played dodgeball everyday, which was the best, computers and board games. A bit old-fashion compared to Lighthouse and Anchor, but it's alright. They even had ping pong (with the real board, yes!) this one time. Probably all the teachers and staff that were there when I attended, are all long gone now but I can never forget those memories. And every Friday is trip day. There's always trips to the movies, bowling (even though I never went), Liberty Science Center, and my most favorite, Fun Time USA (which is now closed). I really recommend people, especially if you have kids that are aged 10-12 years, to join their summer program. I don't know if it is the same as back then, after all it has been a long time. There's a bunch of nice people there. When I left this place, I was only 12, which was 7 years ago (now you know how old I am!). read more

I am a single parent, who has to work long hours, so I'm grateful for Lighthouse Preschool to be open early and close late.  They are also open most of the year, even during the summer, so I don't have to take off work to care for him.  My son's been coming home, telling me stories of his adventures in school and everything he has learned.  I am so happy to see he is growing out of his shy shell and enjoying his time in Lighthouse. Not only is he having fun, but I was also surprised how much he was learning over there like adding, subtracting, reading, writing. It's amazing what this school has taught. It's also conveniently located in Chinatown, downtown Manhattan, close to where I work so this works great for me. read more

Dear Lighthouse, Thank you for everything you have endured the last 2 years day in and day out. A has grown from the shy, introverted toddler who cried every day to the still shy but confident, expressive, talented, intelligent and powerful preschooler he is now. The journey we walked together, raising our A to be the kind hearted, beautiful soul that he is could not leave us more heartbroken. But we know Lighthouse will continue on to help other kids grow to be the best little growing person they can be. We could not have made a better choice bringing Ms. Alicia, Ms. Sarah, Ms. Shirley, and Ms. Tracey the ladies of Lighthouse Preschool into our extended family. XOXO read more

My wife and I , we are so happy how my son has learned so much , he sings , talks a lot , play , socialize and ask mucho questions :) Couldn't ask for more. Lighthouse preschool is one of the best!!! God bless every teacher You guys are AMAZING !!!!! read more

This review is about my experience of finding the right preschool for my oldest. My oldest is now six and my second child has just turned 2 and so I am on my quest again to look for any newly established daycare and see if I can find one worthy of visiting. Anyway, I came across this school..again and I feel that it's my duty to share these information with all the prospective parents out there in Chinatown. When my oldest was just two, I started to look for a bilingual English-Chinese preschool. I want my son to grow up among both Chinese and the American cultures. In other words, I want him to have Chinese friends. We live in the East Village and going to school in Chinatown wasn't exactly the most convenience choice. Anyway, let's get on. The first time I visited the school was at around 10 am. I wanted to see how the children learn and interact with each others. Most importantly, I wanted to see the teacher(s) in action. I figured that everyone would be done by breakfast, and they should have already transitioned into whatever activities that their teacher had prepared for them. It's before their lunch and nap time, so I wouldn't bother the children. I rang the door bell and rang the door bell and finally someone buzzed me in. I walked up to the second floor and she blocked me out by the door. Just like that, out at the front door, the lady who came out told me she was the director and that I can't "SEE" the school because I didn't make an appointment. I didn't even get to step inside the school. Shocked, but I was mostly embarrassed because she was so mean that I felt like I did something wrong. I didn't want to go back or schedule a tour but my mother insisted that her friend heard it from another friend that this was a very very good school. So, I called back and made an appointment with her. I remembered it like it just happened this afternoon. I went there with my mother the second time and she actually said I can't see the school because I didn't brought my son with me. NO CHILD-NO SEE SCHOOL! The purpose of this review is not to say that the school bad. Honestly I wouldn't know because I didn't even get to step inside the school. My point is that getting information shouldn't be so difficult especially if you are going to pay almost 600 a month (that was 4 years ago). Good luck to all parents out. Hopefully you will never run into the same situation like I did. read more

When we first placed our son there at 2.5 years old. It took him a 8 weeks to stop crying when we dropped him off. My spouse and I were worried and did not like the feeling of not knowing what goes on behind the closed doors and not being able to visit whenever. Later we did realize that if we or other parents are able to visit unannounced it would disrupt the kids and their schedule. Our son learned a lot while he was there until Sept 2011. They taught him many things and prepared him for the Gifted and Talented exam. He missed by two points. This school may not be for everyone but it does prepare them for the next step and they are not too costly as other preschools that we were looking at. read more

this review is for their elementary school summer program. Parents beware. The worse program I've experienced. The program isn't organized well and they do NOT disclose pertinent information ahead of the signup, and there's no refund once you've paid, even though they didn't disclose any changes during the program. The quality of the program is terrible. Teachers are college grads who's trying to find a job and take this as a summer gig for a short term. My child came home with so many bad attitude and behavior since attending their summer program! Needless to say, i will never go back. hope this is helpful for some parents. I tried to search for reviews for their summer program and couldn't find any, so i signed up to try this year... and it turned out to be a horrible experience. read more

The team at Lighthouse are personable and approachable. They have been such a wonderful influence on all three of our boys. Ms. Sara, Ms. Alicia, Ms. Traci and Ms. Shirlee give the attention necessary to each child as if they were their own. They work with the schedules of the parents and provide extremely valuable insight to improve day to day activities for the children. We are thankful to have them so close so much so that the boys consider them family! read more

I am the mother to the fore mentioned review. If our child misbehaves all we have to do is mention this school and she starts to tear up. I understand as a Caucasian female the Asian education standards could be different then what I was used to from what my daughters father explained. To be fair she did excel academically for a while. Now that she's older she has declined academically. I believe the pressure of that school has made her no longer excited about learning. My daughter was yelled at all day long. She was terrified of her teachers. I fought with her dad regularly but she didn't speak up to how much they yelled till after she finished this program. If you are willing to sacrifice your child's joy of learning and spirit for great grades this school is for you. read more

I'm what you might call a second generation parent here in this school. I had two children who went to Lighthouse Preschool and I must say that my kids and I absolutely love this school. Both my kids had stayed for three years and I had seen such amazing improvement in them. They had become much more independent and grew to love reading books. We visit the library every week and they would pick out books they had listened to from school. read more

I was told about this school from a coworker and incidentally, my brother had also sent his child to this preschool a few years ago. They both say that this place is a great start for their kids, who started kindergarten with an amazing start. My little cousin had been in the school for about a year already and she was able to go from weakly tracing her letters and numbers to being able to write them ALL BY HERSELF! I can't wait to see her growth in the next years. read more

My daughter attended and graduated from this school a few years ago, and this is a review of our experience. She didn't really like the school, because of how rigorous their programs are, but got accustomed to it. You have to test into the school. While attending, the kids are given a good amount of work. They are taught proper etiquette. Some parents may think that this is too much for their child, but I disagree. The principal there told me that kids are like sponges up till they're about 5 years old, then they slow down some, in respect to learning what is right and wrong, and to not be lazy. This school trains kids to work hard. It is a school to bring your child to if you don't mind them being taught a lot of info, and you want them to excel. Around graduation time, within the small-ish class, 5 kids took, and got accepted into the NYC talented and gifted program for elementary school. 3 of the 5 kids scored over 90. My daughter is one of them. Those few classmates went on along with her into the TAG program in elementary school, and are all doing extremely well. I believe Lighthouse paved the way. I remember when we originally interviewed, our friends (with kids attending the school) told us that this place isn't for everybody. Some parents (like my daughter's mother) may think this place is a bit harsh. I can totally see that. It's not THAT bad. They do not allow parents inside, which may be scary to some, but it's for safety reasons, and also to keep kids from getting distracted by seeing their parents. Remember, they are very young children. Good luck! read more

As a former employee, Lighthouse is a place where a child can learn and discover new things. The staff is hands on to ensure that your child with feel safe, energetic, and having fun while learning. Lighthouse gave me the opportunity when nobody else would and for that i'm grateul ; it is why i'm writing this review in kind. Abraham Pichardo read more

As a new parent, I was worried about sending my child to a preschool.  When my daughter first went, she cried a lot because she was never really far from me and my wife.  I was realllly worried that she would never stop crying, but in a month I was surprised!  She no longer clings to me when we go into the school.  She tells me bye and runs in without looking back!  She loves going to school now and always comes home singing songs with stories of her friends. I'm really happy with her development. When my son turns 2, I'll be sending him here as well. You won't be disappointed with this preschool!! read more

I love Lighthouse! My daughter is excelling in her elementary school after she attended Lighthouse, and I expect this to continue. This is all thanks to Ms. Shirley and Ms. Tracy. Would definitely recommend! read more

When I visited New York to visit my family, I went to go pick up my niece at Lighthouse Preschool. I see the hard work the staff puts into taking care of the kids and keeping the environment accepting and friendly and clean. My niece was telling me about all the fun activities they were doing while she was in school with a lot of excitement. She definitely has a lot of fun whenever she goes to school because she always has an interesting story to tell whenever she was back home. I could tell that the staff really care about each and every child attending their pre-school. When I have children, I hope the pre schools in California have this same level of service to my children. read more

Omg! What a scary place! My wife and I came by here today, when we asked the administrator if we could view the area where our child would be cared for, she said, that was not important. Really?! I can't imagine someone so aggressive and confrontational caring for my child. read more

I gave them a 2 rating since safety is an important factor that I look into for my kid. I agree with some of the unrated reviews that this school is very hungry for money. But my major dissafaction with this school is they falsely took credit for something they didn't do. Pros: kids are safe here since they don't allow parents stepping in the classroom when drop off or pick up. They will bring the kids out the door to the pickup parents. This place looks pretty clean compare to the one of the two that my kids been to. Cons: - They have so much hidden fees on top of the monthly tuition (if you stay less than one year, you still have to bring one year required supplies): - you are required to bring the list of supplies on their booklet from pencils, printing paper,..,to bathroom tissues. They offer to give you a discount if you buy all these from them. - $200 annual party fee regardless how long your kid enrolling. Per their description, it's covered for thanksgiving and Chinese new year parties and for Chinese new year party, they have $50 raffle. And the $50 raffle never happened. My kid only stay for 5 months and ask if we can pay 50% of that, they said it's their policy to pay in full. So Chinese New Year party and Easter party with a few candies cost us $200. - My daughter started 2nd week of February, they asked us to pay full in February and gave us one week discount in full since March has a longer work weeks where they applied the standard per dime rate. They claimed that this is their policy which the calculation logic doesn't make sense to me. - They don't notify the parents if your kids if they are hurt. My girl got nose bleed, my girl said she bleed a lot and the teacher gave her tissue. However, they did not notify me. one day she complains that her foot hurt, when I asked, she said there was a kid ran and push her and she fell. The teacher made him apologize, but I didn't receive any notice from lighthouse. I saw her foot was all bruises. - Falsely took credit for positive gt result. My daughter enrolled lighthouse in February after she took her gifted & talented exam in January. When the result came out in April and my daughter was the only one accepted to citywide program and 4 other students got accepted to district only. Lighthouse listed my daughter on their school bulletin board with wordings "They've done exceptionally well in OUR rigorous Gifted and Talented training program..." This is absolutely false advertisement that they claimed my daughter was trained at their g&t program. - Graduation party - you have to pay $150 for cap, gown, yearbook, and a lavish meal. They are holding the graduation party dinner at a Chinese restaurant so that parents have to pay additional $60 per person and $38 for the student (my daughter). read more

I would just like to say that some of the past reviews just make me laugh. I have been a part of the lighthouse program since my children have attended. I met the principle several times and I can tell you now that she does speak English and she is not from china. Anfno where do thry discriminate against those who are not Christian. They don't force the religion on the children, they just tell the stories to them. As for the fees, they to straight back to the children in forms of more supplies and lunch parties for parents on thanksgiving and Chinese New Year. For parents who rather have their kids play all day, bring them to a different school that acts as a babysitter. As a fellow teacher in public school, I am grateful that lighthouse has helped ease the children's transition into public school where they ARE required to learn and do work. I am all for children being children but if my child is doing something that is harmful to themselves to other children, then I agree something needs to be done. If the teachers and principal believed that my child does need evaluations or services, then I'll think about the future of my child rather than the superficial fear of my child being labeled (which will happen regardless once they're in cliques in school). read more

My child just turned 4. He is still attending this school. I would say the teachers are very supportive and experienced. I love the overall learning environment which is encouraging and motivating. My child has been learning a lot. My son had attended other school in Chinatown before Lighthouse that experience did not meet my expectation. A friend of mine suggested to try Lighthouse. My son was crying at beginning but he got a lot of help from teachers in his class and neighbor class. He was gradually blended into this new place and shown some happy face at the end of the day. Furthermore, he began to sing some popular songs that was not be able to do. One thing I observed that my son become more behaved at dinner time. He told me he was doing this at school, like he waited for me to eat together and cleaned up his dishes after dinner. read more

I love lighthouse. Teachers and Principals are wonderful. I have two girls and they both goes there. As a parent, I also always want the best for my children. And this is the place where you can find it. I am totally shock about some of the sad reviews I saw in Yelp. In my experience, this school had done more than what I expected. My oldest girl went to Lighthouse since she was 30 months old. Now she is in kindergarten. She loves to read and write and she had built up a wonderful self -esteem to work with challenges and new things. My little girls had been in lighthouse for almost two years. She enjoys goes to school every day. She comes home and tells me all about school. Principals are always there in school and all the teachers are very dedicated and passion about their works. I want to say thank u for Lighthouse for everything. read more

I have a 3 year old daughter, who became more outgoing while at Lighthouse, now speaking more to random people. Through Lighthouse she improved her reading and writing, math skills, and even learned to sing songs! I am very happy with how my child has grown after going to Lighthouse for such a short period of time! read more

I've known this school since the first years they had opened in 2001. I was first told about this school from my brother, who had sent his daughter to this school, and then I brought my own son to the school. In the next two years, I had seen such growth in my child that I decided to bring his two younger siblings in the following years. In the next decade, I had continued to bring my children to Lighthouse for their after schools and summer schools program. This year my eldest has entered their last year in high school and received his college admissions. I've got to say that the preparation and first steps in Lighthouse has done an amazing job. read more

Choose this school, only if you want your child to be subjected to mounds and mounds of busy work that is not developmentally appropriate for preschoolers. My children have come home with piles and piles of worksheets on short and long vowels, spelling words, skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s, measuring to the nearest half inch, and telling time. This is work that a first or second grader should be working on, not a 3-4 year preschooler. In addition, not only do the children complete this work at school, but they are given the SAME EXACT work for home. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS? There is no constructive instruction, you'd be better off investing your money into some quality workbooks. read more

We pay so much money for my kids preschool, all we get back is complain from the quote and quote principle , about kids being kids and having fun with each other, just because they think its not how they want kids to play and behaving to there standards, really ? there are standards for 2 - 6 yrs of having fun and being kids???? and they discriminate against peoples and their beliefs and how they raise and teach there kids, to them they are right and you are always wrong in raising your kids, discourages kids to freely express themselves and for parents to express their concerns. Well the Better Business Bureaus and Consumers Affairs and Department of Education its going to be hearing about this and going to be filing my concerns on Parents Beware on this place and really looking into it. if i could give it negative star i would, rude politically incorrect and force religion upon your kids without your consent. The teachers are amazing and wonderful people, its just a one bad apple and miss representation of the learning level just ruins the standards and quality of the school, its arrogant and ignorant people like the principle really discourage you from going here, u have to bring your our supply and everything, they only care about making money and taking your money and want you to teach your kids on their standards and require. my kids was sampled out cause he was just being a himself. just really disappointed and disgusted as a parent of this place. read more

In response to Mya C's review, I personally find it offensive. I am sure in every daycare/pre-scool centers have a policy of setting up an appointment ahead to ensure the safety,well being and privacy of the students. Furthermore she visited the center around 10 in the morning. I am sure lessons are being conducted in various classes and the students and teachers do not wish to be disturb. Furthermore I find it hard to believe she did not bring her child with her during the second time she visited the center. I would want my child to get a first hand look at the preschool that he or she is going to attend. Now about the "NO CHILD - NO SEE SCHOOL" comment. You can never be too careful nowadays with all kinds of people out there. Safety is the main concern in every teaching establishment. I should know. I brought my children to Lighthouse when they hit 2 1/2 years old. I was amazed with what they taught there. Some of the lessons were meant for Pre-K level ! When my kids were in First Grade, they already know their math and grammar because what they learned in school were taught in Lighthouse before hand ! Now I send my kids to Saturday School Program because I and my wife have to work on Saturdays. As you can see I have nothing but praises and kudos for Lighthouse Preschool. My kids now are 7 years old and they still go to Lighthouse for the After School Program and Saturday Program. One of my girls even got into The Gifted And Talented Program thanks to Lighthouse!!!!! Now I have to get the other one into G&T too. I have the utmost confidence in Lighthouse. One thing I know in the real world is you can't please everyone but you certainly have impressed me. I couldn't be more happier!!! Keep up the good work!!!!!!! read more

The staff in this school only care about $$$$$$, constantly looking for opportunities to get "donations" from parents. They do not invest any genuine care or love towards the children. read more