My daughter, Sammi, is 4. She's been going to Preschool Social Academy since the summer of 2012…read more We love it there! The school has a low student to teacher ratio, 10:3, which provides ample opportunities for working individually with each child. I have been able to watch Sammi learn and develop so much through her work at PSA. Each day I get a personalized report about what Sammi has done/eaten that day at school, as well as what they are focusing on. All snacks and meals are provided by PSA, which makes it so much easier getting out the door! I love to hear Sammi sounding out starting sounds of words, and seeing in the reports that, that is what they are learning at school. I love being able to build on what she is learning at school. The play plans each child draws/labels as they're able to, are great as I get an idea of what she's doing at school and she's writing them in her own words, which is huge! The school is very academic based as well as structured. Using their reports, I enjoy being able to build on what she is learning in school. It is also nice when I ask Sammi what she did at school, and she says I just played, I can ask more specific questions, and see her get all excited telling me about her day! There are 3 class options at PSA. Two year olds go tues/thurs 9-12, 3 year olds 9-12 mon/wed/fri and 4 year olds (pre-k) 1-4 Monday through Friday. All classes have the option of extending their day to include lunch 12-1. The teachers come out to assist with drop off/pick up, so you only have to walk your child in if you choose, otherwise, no need to get siblings in and out of the car! Drop off/pick up service is available as well as early drop off, and extended day, which has definitely helped me when I've been in a bind! PSA accommodates the parents needs when it comes to drop off/pick up. Miss Kimberly, the owner/lead teacher, is very available to the parents. I can't tell you how many late night texts I have sent her! Whenever I have a concern/paranoid parent moment, she listens and takes the time to get me a meaningful answer. For example, Sammi started joking around and misidentifying colors, Kimberly took the time to work with Sammi 1:1 and show me that this was just a stage she was going through regarding playing with humor. Kimberly also takes the time to go above and beyond, my husband is in the army reserves and is gone at times, Sammi was having a rough time with that, and Miss Kimberly sent home a nice book about this for Sammi to learn from and borrow. PSA offers a flexible summer camp option for enrolled students. The consistency has been so valuable to us! The teachers are so warm and caring. I have heard many stories about some minor boo boo that was a catastrophe for Sammi, "then Miss Amanda hugged me and I smiled!". PSA does not close for snow days unless driving is banned, so if you want to get your child there in a snow storm, they're ready for them! Sammi is in her second academic year at PSA, she's already signed up for summer camp and will keep going until she starts kindergarten, fall 2015!

From the first day I enrolled my oldest daughter in Preschool Social Academy we have had a great…read moreexperience.  I was lucky to see my child run into the play area and wave goodbye as she ran off with friends. She would come home excited to tell us what she had learned at preschool.  When she started Kindergarten she knew all her alphabetic symbols and numbers and was eager to learn to read.  Socially she was more than ready to start Kindergarten. Once Kimberly opened a toddler room, we enrolled our second daughter.  Within 2 weeks we saw an immediate improvement in her verbal skills.  When she arrived she was only saying a few words, but now she is speaking sentences, singing ABCs, counting.  After showing interest in the potty, she is well on her way to being potty trained.  Kimberly has helped us with the horrible transition of bye bye binky.  As a full-time working parent, it is great to know that my children have wonderful care.  I get progress reports daily.  Food is provided, so I only have to pack pullups and a change of clothes.   If it is one of those days and I forget something, no worries, they have extras.  I couldn't be more pleased with the education and care my children have received at PSA.

My older daughter graduated from the school two years ago and my youngest is about to begin her…read moresecond year. For our family the school has been wonderful. The staff is talented and committed. There is a parent participation component, as with all cooperative programs. This is something that drew me to the program. I was amazed my first year how varied people's situations are - one or both parents working outside the home part or full time, nanny's, grandparents and family friends helping out at pick-up and drop-off, as well as moms and dads working as stay-at-home parents. I didn't carpool, but some families arranged carpools. I often swapped child-care of my youngest daughter (when my oldest was in school) on parent-help days and then would watch another family's younger child when it was their turn. I've benefited from the sense of community at the school, and the chance to have a few hours every month or so to be with my child at school. The best part though is the positive experience my children have had at the school, developing social skills and learning through play.

My youngest attended their toddler program last year, and will be entering the 3-year-old program…read morethis fall. We had a great experience in his first year. It is a cooperative program, so you have to be open to that aspect. I personally loved helping in the classroom and getting to observe my child interacting with his friends. There are some volunteer components -- one work day a year to help maintain the school and grounds and service on one committee -- but they certainly aren't onerous. It's not for everyone, but so far I've found it very manageable as a working parent. The other parents are very supportive and open to switching schedules. I'm new to town, so I've found it a valuable way to meet other people and find a sense of community. The curriculum is play-based, so the focus is more on developing imagination, healthy social interaction, etc. I'm looking forward to seeing how the curriculum develops as my son progresses.

I believe this place is discriminatory and only hire people who are either friends or relatives…read more They never answer telephone calls, never respond to emails or never respond to messages. Very Strange place.

The teachers are great. They are welcoming, caring, and have good communication skills.read more

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!

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.

We are so thrilled with our experience at CCL. Our son started at age 2 and will remain through…read morepre-K. This is our third experience with pre-schools in the Boston suburbs and CCL stands out for its excellent sense of community, curriculum, location, teachers and tradition of caring. We are so lucky to have this wonderful school in our Lexington community.

Its all about the kids and the teachers at CCL. My daughter has been going there since she was old…read moreenough to attend and to get out of one of the corporate daycares. I feel so strongly about how great this school is that I am also on the board, as it is a non-profit. They treat the teachers with the respect that they deserve and don't send them home without pay when the numbers are down for the day. If the numbers are down, our kids get more interaction with more teachers. Did I mention how great the teachers are! My daughter has thrived at CCL and loves going to "school" everyday. You do have to walk up stairs as the space is rented from the church, but that has actually taught my daughter stair safety at a very early age. I cannot recommend CCL highly enough. The space is a bit dated, but they have tons of toys for the kids and they love it, so don't let the space fool you, this place is great.

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!

Lacking Empathy and Basic Human Kindess…read more I had been hired by Kiddie Academy with the hopes and promises of advancing my career in early education only to find discrimination and cruelty. They have admitted to being against hiring males specifically and fired me as soon as they found out I had become homeless. I had worked hard for the short period I was there and gave everything they demanded as quickly and efficiently as I could just for them to terminate me for reasons out of my control. As soon as the Director, Nancy, was told I was living in hotels due to my mobile home being crashed into by a snowplow (enough to have left damage making it unlivable) she fired me. It did not matter how good of a worker I was for them, she discriminated against me due to my currently living hardships and in turn making life in general much harder after letting me go. I had even turned down other positions for this job just to be treated in this way. On top of all of this, I still have not been paid for my time there AND Nancy tried to cut down the hours I would get paid. Are these the kind of people you want teaching your kids? Lacking empathy and basic human compassion, sexist, do you really want your kids growing and learning from an environment and people like that? Trust me, if you love or care for your child, you will go elsewhere because they don't care about your child just the money they bring in.

The great care my kids received while at the center. The center is safe and secure. My kids had…read morefree time as well as organized activities.