I love Preschool Learn Time for my son. He started in the 2 year old room in September and has…read morelearned so much! If you're looking for a prek for your little one instead of a daycare ... this is the place. They have a structured school day/meal times/nap times. His teacher has been working with him with potty training which is amazing. They even offer before and after care which was very important for me with my work schedule. Although it's small there is a little outdoor play area they go to when the weather is nice. My son always is excited when he gets to go out and play there. It's nice that they communicate with parents often. We get a calendar every month of what the kids will be learning and any important dates to remember. I love getting the weekly picture updates. There are lots of fun activities for the kids during the school day also. I like that they have enrichment programs once a week (with an outside company that comes in) you can pay extra for (my son has already done gymnastics and soccer skills). Another plus is that there is summer camp which runs similar hours and you can choose which weeks to send them (1-8 weeks). The teacher and director are always available to answer questions and get back to me quickly when I send a message or email. All of the teachers and aides are so sweet and caring towards my son and the other kids. My son never cries that he has to go to school and always tells me he had a good day and loves school. I would highly recommend Preschool learn time.

After long consideration whether to send my 2 yr daughter old to play school or not , we decided to…read moreput her in Preschool Learn Time . After a month of her time at school we realized that out decision to send her was right. My daughter really thrived at this school. The place is neat and tidy and secure. The teachers here are awesome. They know how to handle each kid and their interests and teach them accordingly. My daughter always look forward for the next day. She loves her teachers and has such fun playing and learning. I would recommend this school to any parent.

Bank street is the standard in Head Start Education…read more It did not take long for my partner and I to realize we made the right choice for our son with Bank Street. From day one the entire staff made us feel safe and welcomed us with open arms. Our child has developed wonderful relationships with his classmates and teachers these last few months. Classrooms have one lead and two assistant teachers - the environment is very intimate and close knit. There is structure, yet the children are encouraged to rotate activities at their will. Lots of group and individual reading - such an important habit to develop at an early age. The children are also assigned "jobs" for the week- our son raves about how well he is as the "line counter" The children visit Tompkins Square Park for daily outdoor playtime, weather permitting of course. Parents receive weekly newsletters dedicated to the recent learning and happenings in the classroom - we love these since it gives us a closer look at the projects the kids have worked on and what to expect for the following week. An applause to the chef who is always leaving a mark - our child loves the cous cous (recipes are shared throughout the year). Parents are given a lunch calendar. The opportunity to join a council and team up with staff is great as well. Reiterating how much they value family involvement in the classroom. The leadership at BSHS is astonishing, Director Willis is always communicating with families - no matter the time of day or night. She masterfully manages all operations for BSHS. I truly admire her tact and skill. Thank You Willis, if there were more YOU's in this world we'd all be in a better place. Bank Street Head Start will not disappoint you - If you have the chance please enroll your kid(s) here. Solid learning, emotional and social development. What more could you truly ask for your little person? BSHS has played such a impactful role for our family in such a short period of time. I sincerely do not know where we would be without them. Our 2nd child will definitely be a student at Bank Street. Good luck to all!

My son had the best time of his life at this school…read more He had it very rough during the first few MONTHS of school. He cried and cried and cried every morning, everyday for three or four months of school. His teachers, Terry and TA-Joanne were patient, caring and understanding. Their everlasting efforts of trying to gain his trust had finally paid off and I had never felt so grateful on the day that my son waved good bye to me and told me he loved going to school. The school had a great staff. The teachers are college graduates and TA are all professionally trained to care and assist within the classroom. Every morning, children were allowed to explore and "play" with any activities of their choice. The only rule is you must clean up after yourself. Their morning activities includes art and craft, play dough, dramatic play area, blocks, puzzle, or simply being read to. When the weather permits, the children were allowed to go outside the secure area of the building for 45 minutes of physical exercise Monthly sing-along where parents are invited to attend with their children. Most importantly, they have awesome extra activities such as children yoga. Students also visit the Third Street Music school in the East Village regularly for sing-along, music appreciation, and group activities. Food is cooked and prepared on premises by staffs that are licensed by NYC DOHMH where they ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use fresh, and healthy ingredients to cook for our children. During the summer, they shop at the Farmer's Market to get low-price organic fruits and vegetables. Academically, they encourage children to learn through play which I also believe is the best way for children to learn. Children are being read to everyday to encourage and to establish the love for reading. And I can't believe I almost forget to mention those field trips to the farm, different museum, Highland Park, puppet shows and much more. Today my child is a sweaty but confident little boy who loves to read, play legos, and wanted to become a robotic engineer when he grows up.

I am one of those creative types who lean towards the granola side when it comes to rearing…read morechildren. My dream school for my daughter was Blue School. But, reality hit me with my wallet and I found this school. My daughter goes to this school for the second and the final year now. This is a play-based nursery and pre-K school. They call it a co-op school, though it is not what I would call it a co-op. Cos, I lean towards the granola side. That said, the parents are always welcome to come in and talk to the principal with questions, and we are all required to put in 15 hours of work into the school. It feels good to be in the same room my daughter spends her days, cleaning and organizing. All the teachers are super gentle, and they guide the children skillfully without them realizing that they are being taught. They have a screened room where parents can watch the classroom in action, and I looooved sitting there, observing my daughter outside of my direct influence. The principal, Mrs. Varsam, is a character, and can come across a bit put-offish for outside adults, but she is a passionate educator who loves children. I highly recommend this school to every child.

This is a fantastic nursery/Kindergarten school. Both of my boys went there and it was the most…read moreamazing experience for both of them and for me. I was sorry when it ended for them. They did amazing art projects, went to sing for the senior citizens at the local center, and hand plenty of hands on learning and play. The staff is patient and caring and the children spend their day learning, playing and becoming independent. It's a cooperative school so parents are expected to help out either helping to clean before the program ends in the June or fixing or building items for the yard/play area. They work with you in terms of what you can do. They are not cheap but they are worth what you pay for your children. I highly recommend this school to anyone in the area.

What a warm, nurturing environment. Both my children go there and we could not be happier. The…read morebiggest thing that stands out to the whole school is the teachers and their commitment to the children. They come alongside you and your child and truly become part of your lives. This is a school that puts your child's need first. As a parent, I am so happy with the educational foundation they are getting, but more importantly I'm so happy they will be getting a foundation for the whole child.

My son attended RMS as a 4 month old and stopped right when he was about to turn 2, due to…read moreCOVID-19. The schools true colors showed during this time, and I would urge anyone considering RMS, or any Twin Parks locations to do their research. The "teachers" my son had were great, but great caregivers can be found elsewhere. My review is not of the care, but the administration and their dishonest business practices. As a parent, of course finding loving caregivers is essential. What you don't consider is how inflexible and uncaring administrators will affect your experience. I have a gripe with the school. I am no longer sending my sons there (toddler and infant) due to circumstances from the pandemic lockdown, and had requested my enrollment fees back, but the school has decided to keep it. They had refunded other families, but continue to deny mine. I can go on, but will give you a pros and cons list instead, and hope that you learn from my very expensive mistake. Pros -Infant program starts at 3 months, many programs don't start this young -Columbia affiliated, which means you get dibs if you have a connection to the university Cons -Facilities are located in the basement of a residential building, lack of natural light, shared entrance with residents. -School schedule has MANY days off for "professional development", holidays, weeks for winter break and spring break -Make parents fundraise for holiday bonus for teachers and staff, and a staff luncheon---as if parents won't do nice gestures on their own accord -Make parents fundraise for a spring charity -Very strict pick-up time policy for late care -Early closing on Fridays -Expensive tuition, strict contract, no flexibility should you need to leave school. You will have to pay the entire years tuition anyway. They require your SS# to hunt you down if you don't pay. -Administration makes you fee like they are doing you a favor, as if you are not contributing to their livelihood. -Small space, limits the types of strollers they will allow you to store at the school during drop off. If you've made it this far and want to ask me questions, send me a dm and I will be happy to share my honest experience. I know one review won't stop them from securing families to attend, but I hope that this will save some families from throwing their money away. There are much better options around the UWS.

Of the dozen highly recommended schools we looked at across UWS, UES, and harlem, this school was…read moreclearly the best. The students were sitting quietly and fully engaged with their projects when we attended a school visit. A student had made a mess and was in the process of getting a broom and sweeping it up when we arrived. No screens, no screaming, no fancy live streams or eye scanner locks like other schools we went to. Just a philosophy that work builds character, children should be allowed to be children, and learning should be hands on, not digital. Loving staff, fantastic teachers, great facilities and location. We could not be more grateful to have found this school. I truly believe it is one of the best pre-k schools in Manhattan.

We had nothing but a wonderful experience with OCA in Edgewater NJ. The school is very organized…read moreand communicative. The facilities are wonderful and safe for the kids. The videos and updates from the classroom every single day are just want a parent needs. This school has a real curriculum and my daughter was absolutely prepared for kindergarten after attending this school for many years. Ms. Alison is just a wonderful teacher and truly cares about all the kids. She is the Pre-K 4 teacher. She is so passionate about teaching the kids not only how to read and count but also about the world (travel, theatre, arts, NYC, books). I can't say enough great things about this school. The administrators are very involved and responsive to any requests made by the parents. I was so lucky to find this school and really believe this has given my daughter a massive advantage in life. Thanks OCA!

OCA is the best! Our now 2 year old enrolled in Oct of last year and it has been the absolute best…read moredecision as parents. The teachers are so loving and caring - I feel so comfortable leaving her knowing she'll be looked after with love. The classrooms are colorful and sun-filled. The class sizes are small and the curriculum is so thoughtful and includes music and dance classes! I've been so impressed with how much my daughter has learned in such a short period of time. We love OCA!

Imagine a school as loving as your own home.... where your preschooler is excited to go and you…read morefeel completely secure in leaving him/her. Imagine a place and a teacher whom respects your child, his/her needs, concerns, fears, struggles, and whom acknowledges him/her, and teaches your child how to cope with them.... tools to use to help them through their concerns. Tools that will be used throughout their life. Never before have I seen teachers/directors more equipped to support these young, inspired, and yes, sometimes fragile, little minds... and nurture them, helping them unfold into capable, honest, and self-aware individuals. In school, the children problem solve, support each other, and learn from one another, with the ever calm and present guidance of their teachers. Now, this is a play based school- one where play is the work of the children.... and through this socialized play, they develop everything a pre-schooler needs to know! This school is also A TRUE COMMUNITY- welcoming to all who want to be a part of it.

We are so happy to have found this precious school. We were new to the area and visited several…read moreschools. When we came across the Millburn Co-op we new it was the right one for our daughter. She loves it and is excited to go each morning. It's a special little school with loving teachers and wonderful families.

We had high hopes for Prodigy Academie. Our infant and toddler both loved their core teachers, who…read morewere warm, consistent, and truly cared about the children. Unfortunately, our experience with management and some aspects of the overall culture left us deeply disappointed. On a Friday afternoon, we picked up our two-year-old and saw she was visibly upset, which was very out of character. She had been with a new teacher we had never seen before. When we asked what had happened, the initial response was vague. We followed up with management, who told us she had been "gently redirected" after spitting. The explanation felt scripted and evasive, and our questions were met with repeated, circular responses. Our gut instinct told us that something just felt off. Eventually, we were invited to view video footage. It had already been queued to the moment our daughter was crying, but we asked to rewind. That's when we saw what really happened: the teacher aggressively pulled her by the arm, and then left her standing there crying by herself. It was painful to watch. Not only was the physical interaction too rough, but the complete lack of empathy or attempt to comfort her was deeply upsetting. The teacher was let go on the spot, which validated our concern, but we only got the truth because we pushed for it. The claim that she had been spitting was not reflected in the video either; she and her peers were making silly sounds, which was totally age-appropriate behavior. What made this harder to accept was the school's constant emphasis on "transparency." We had been told, both during our tour and in written communication, that parents are always notified about staff changes and that the director is consistently on-site. Neither was true in our experience. The director opened a second location and was rarely present, without formally introducing or announcing the person she had placed in charge. When parents, ourselves included, asked for clarity, the response was defensive rather than collaborative. It also felt like a revolving door of new teachers. The lead teachers in each classroom were consistent and wonderful, but there was frequent turnover among support staff, and we were rarely, if ever, introduced to the new faces working with our children. This raised questions about why so many people were coming and going, especially in a setting that promotes stability and trust for young children. As someone who works in early childhood myself, I came in with a trained lens and tried to give the benefit of the doubt. But even before the arm-pulling incident, there were things that gave me pause, particularly the way certain staff members interacted with children. While many teachers were warm and developmentally appropriate, we also witnessed harsh tone, punitive responses, and outdated disciplinary tactics that didn't reflect best practices. After the incident, we asked if they would consider a small tuition credit as a gesture of goodwill. Instead of a thoughtful conversation, we received an email accusing us of "extortion" and were told to direct any future communication through a lawyer. It was a jarring and frankly alarming response, especially coming from a program that emphasizes partnership and trust with families. Our children were happy with some of the teachers and we're grateful for that. But ultimately, we could no longer trust the leadership team or the culture they fostered. If you're considering this program, know that while it may appear polished from the outside, our experience suggests there are serious cracks beneath the surface.

We were part of this daycare for three years, and while the early experience was positive, the…read morefinal year--after it transitioned to Prodigy--was disappointing and led us to leave. In our experience, the school had a low tolerance for typical childhood behavior, especially in boys. Expectations felt unusually high for the age group, and the environment was more focused on compliance than on developmental growth. Staff were often reactive in handling behavior, which escalated situations instead of helping, and communication around concerns was vague and unhelpful. At times, conversations with staff even felt inappropriate, which made it hard to feel supported. Since moving to a new school, we've seen a huge improvement. The environment is more enriching, communication is clear, and the teachers truly care about helping our child succeed as he continues through the program.