I have worked with the Prentice School for over 4 years and personally have seen the care, commitment, and pride the teaching and faculty staff bring to the table. The team consists of specialized and caring teachers along with licensed therapists to ensure students have the environment to grow and flourish. They invest in state of the art technology and programs to effectively pace students and provide the resources they need to excel in academics. If my child or family member needed, I can be confident that The Prentice School is a option for them. read more

This school is wonderful for elementary school grades and that's where they should stop. Junior high does not adequately prepare students for high school (one month into high school, we are now living a nightmare). In the entire 8th grade they wrote two essays and there is no feedback loop for corrections. They baby the students due to their learning differences rather than pushing them. Science and history are adequate but math and English are absolutely subpar. I know at least 4 other families who complained about one of the English teachers but the administration acted as though it was a situation unique to us. Irvine unified came to observe my son's class as part of his tri--annual and advised that he had made zero progress in middle school. They also observed the complete disorganization of the teacher who had planned a lesson where the students were to write an email only to realize the students didn't have the ability to send emails. She flailed trying to figure out how to handle the situation. Lack of use of canvas or email is also detrimental to students moving into high school as they are ill prepared. My suggestion is to start your child there young as the OG intervention in elementary is fantastic. But get out by 7th grade if you want your student to have a chance in high school! read more

The junior high portion of this school should not be accredited. Our child actually regressed while in 7th and 8th grade at Prentice, all while Prentice staff told us the opposite. We actually had someone from the public school district come to observe our child at Prentice and that person came back and told us that the teachers were disorganized and effectively not qualified to be teaching. We had multiple issues with one teacher in specific, and when we brought these issues to the administration's attention, they were quick to point out that no other students/parents had reported problems. We found out later that this was a total lie as we spoke with multiple parents who had reported the exact same problems with the exact same teacher. That teacher remains there today. At the junior high level, we feel that Prentice was a glorified (but very expensive) day care. The students graduating from Prentice are not at all prepared for high school. While I understand that academic progress for children with learning disabilities can vary, Prentice was completely dishonest about our child's progress and in my opinion, the teachers (at least some of them) are not qualified to be teaching students that have Dyslexia and other learning challenges. There is no accountability and no feedback loop. Furthermore, the learning environment at Prentice is toxic. By mixing students with severe ADHD and students with Dyslexia, the teachers spend most of their time dealing with behavioral issues rather than teaching. On a daily basis we had instances of kids pushing over tables, getting in fights, and having emotional outbursts that did not create an environment compatible with learning - all of this in classes where there were only 8-10 students per class. The worst part of all of this was the administration's response. Rather than addressing the problem, especially with one problematic teacher, the Prentice administration circled the wagons and refused to admit that there was an issue. Prentice is a great idea, but the execution failed. read more

Prentice was a wonderful experience for our family. My son attended for three years, and during that time, he built confidence, made meaningful friendships, and found a supportive environment that helped him thrive. The time went quickly, but it left a lasting impact. I always believed in combining school with outside tutoring and remediation, and I didn't expect the school to do it all. What we needed most was a school that would slow things down--and Prentice absolutely accomplished that. The staff was kind, and the community of parents was truly special. I still miss the connections I made there. No school is perfect, and while some of the teachers we loved are no longer there, I'll always be grateful for the ones who made such a difference in our lives. I can't speak for the current staff, as it's been over five years, but I want to say thank you to Devon--you were always a bright light! read more

This school is terrible. They did not communicate with us and we were very confused and unhappy with our experience. Thank you for the reply. I do not share my full name on Yelp. My child did attend the school. I can assure you that we do not want to move forward with enrollment after our experience. read more

We had a very disappointing experience with The Prentice School this summer. My professional background is in education and pediatric behavioral health, and I am appalled by the manner in which the school treated our family. I can't tell you whether or not The Prentice School is the right choice for your child or your family. But I can tell you that the administration is unprofessional, you cannot assume that no news is good news in regards to communication with your child's teacher, and that it is absolutely possible that you will be asked to pick up your child a half hour early, only to abruptly be notified that they have been expelled from the school. (You're welcome to privately contact me for more specific information.) As for the Enrollment Director who responds to any negative posts here, you are welcome contact me directly, as you never followed up at all, as promised, with recommendations for my child, besides the completely inappropriate recommendation you made while expelling him, which didn't serve his grade level or needs. We'd also love our ~$3,000 back ($2,650 for summer school programming + $250 enrollment fee) since you didn't not fulfill your end of the contract to "receive a small packet of work samples, projects, applicable assessments, and a short write up by your child's teacher(s). Embedded in this write up will be a short and comprehensive list of observations and recommendations as applicable to your child." The haphazardly thrown together stuffed and crumbled papers shoved in some folders when they went to collect his backpack after he had been expelled does not remotely count as this. And, while he did not complete the program, this was by no fault of our own. We were left high and dry without summer programming, while the school very clearly wiped their hands clean of us. read more

Cannot say enough about how transformative our experience has been at Prentice. Our son is flourishing because of the unique instruction he is receiving here. His confidence growing in and out of school. The administration is organized and well led. They are truly doing amazing things for those with language based learning differences. THANK YOU PRENTICE! read more

Prentice changed my life! It taught me how I learn best. The teachers spent time to put the puzzle pieces together to set me up for success. As a child I felt very fortunate to be able to go to Prentice. Dyslexia is such an amazing gift and it's because of Prentice that I was able to fully take advantage of my potential. I highly recommend Prentice! read more

The Prentice School - Prentice - Elementary Schools Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I don't have enough time to even say how bad this school is, but trust me don't go there terrible staff who don't know how to teach just is the tip of iceberg read more

I have a tutoring student who wasted two precious years at Prentice! A substitute teacher came in two months after the school years started. She was NOT trained in the Orton-Gillingham method. So that year was wasted! Then the next year, they thought it might be better. My student's reading/fluency scores are still in the 1%-10% range after TWO YEARS!! BEWARE!!! read more

this school is awful from everything to disrespecting the students and Learning less Than A normal public school ripping you off of you a money And awful restroom even during Covid Times. When you go to Prentice all the staff act phony to the students for A very short time but then they will still be phony to the parents some of meanest staff member's are mrs. shaw and Mrs. Matuszak But the worst has to be principal green And Vice principal Clark you sometimes get sent to the office for not wearing The uniform because it's "disrespectful And you can't Forget all the teachers that scream vary loud at the students And once in a while physically push the Students if you got to the end must Wonder what do I really rate the school becomes The lowest rate is 1 on yelp i say 0 over 0 to infinity and beyond So don't take your kids here Thank you to whoever read this rate Except if they work at prentice Sincerely A helpful student read more

My son attended Prentice while in 4th & 5th grade and Was able to "graduate" out of it by 6th grade. I am extremely grateful we found the school when we did and shudder to think if we hadn't! One if the founders of the school, Dr. Mark Leaner, is considered one of the founding fathers of the autistic/dyslexic movement in Orange County & while his bedside manner (while practicing at UCI) was less than bitter cold, he did an amazing job with the school! Good-They are experienced in kids with learning differences and teach in ways that help them achieve success. My son could barley read or write upon entering 4th grade and by the time he left he was up to speed and had beautiful cursive writing. More importantly he felt like he "got it" for the first time. The campus is gorgeous, but far from south OC. While we attended there was a different principal who was amazing, I loved her. That changed during his 2nd year and she began transitioning out which left us feeling like the school had some issues as to where and what the stood for. I don't know if it has changed but hope they went back to the students needs not the boards. Bad-Like all schools this school could be political and it became old! The students they began to let in were perhaps different in their learning styles but also were extremely challenging to keep in line which took away from the learning atmosphere. The dyslexic side of the school was beginning to loose out to highly highly autistic kids and they were not prepared. Again this is years ago. Overall I am grateful to Prentice and my son who everyone said "would never be normal" (Dr. Learner himself!) is now an "A"-"B" sophomore at JSerra High school with tons of friends. read more

Extremely disappointed with this school. I submitted summer school application for my 1st grader with ADHD. He got denied because they "need the students to be able to self regulate without causing distraction to their fellow classmates and the need for the teacher's intervention". Well, ADHD is characterized by impulsive behavior and the school's claim to fame is working with ADHD kids. I guess I was wrong to think that "teacher's intervention" is part of what teachers do while Teaching. Perhaps that's what teachers do at other schools, just not this one... read more

What a positive environment at The Prentice School! I have never known more encouraging, kind teachers and administrators. Social emotional learning is taught at this school, which I believe is so important. There is a culture of acceptance and respect for all students no matter what their learning differences are. The students' achievements are celebrated. The students and teachers work together toward academic and personal growth. I highly recommend for kinder through eighth graders! read more

If you have a child with learning disabilities, and other disorders such a ADHD or dyslexia, this school is for you! I just wish I had learned about it when she was in 'regular' elementary schools. She went in unable to read, when she came out, she couldn't put a book down! She's entering high school Now, and I have so much piece of mind knowing she is ready to read at her grade level and we have slowly closed that giant age & grade reading and writing gap!' They have the nicest teachers, so patient and caring, it really is a great school!! read more

This is truly a place of magic. Not only are the program and methodologies top notch, but the staff and teachers are some of the most dedicated and intelligent people I have worked with. read more

I am updating my 8/17/2012 review of Prentice School for those Parents that are interested in our experiences after Prentice. Mark attended Prentice grades 2 through 7 and then Mark attended Public school (Serrano 2013) for 8th grade and with a 504 accommodation graduated with a 3.5 GPA. Let me add that a tutor helped three to four times a week. 2014 Mark attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School for 9th grade. With a 504 accommodations, Mark graduated 9th grade with a 3.1 GPA. Mark did not fit in with the SM crowd and is currently attending El Toro public HS (2015) and he is into the second week of 10th grade. But Mark feels comfortable with his educational setting; which I mainly attribute to a solid educational basis supplied from Prentice Schools. Mark is doing well at El Toro and making friends. Yes, I would place my only child again into the Prentice program. It has been the best thing I have done for my child at so many levels. We do not make a lot of money. But if it came down to making the fee at Prentice I would wash dishes to make sure he could enroll at Prentice to get that foundation. That is how strongly I feel about Prentice Schools. Note: Picking your child up, is Prentice's major weakness and what a pain. If they would stagger one class for a few grades it would be much better. read more

I read so many great things about Prentice online in some Facebook groups that I'm in. After talking to my husband we decided to enroll our son in the summer enrichment program. Because of Covid we weren't sure the school would actually happen. We rented an apartment close by and took the drive from Northern California, Bay Area. Because of Covid we just had to drop our son off after a temperature check. We never got out of the car. My son loved going every day. There was no communication between parents and teachers. The only info I had to go on was what I got from my son. At the end of the program we received a quick note about what was worked on and what he should continue to work on. Hopefully it was just because of Covid that the interaction and communication was limited. We didn't get a baseline from the school so it's hard for us to gauge if the program helped much. Our son has been talking non-stop about our time in Southern California and really wants to go to Prentice next summer. I really appreciated the efforts and extra steps Prentice took to protect out kids during this pandemic! read more

My son has struggled so long with reading and focus. He just started 4th grade and still reading at about 1 grade level yet his intelligence level is above average. This school is giving my son the tools to read with his learning style. It's not that he can't read it's just that the public school district teaches one way and that's not my sons wAy. He is more of a visual learner. This school has taught my son to read using visual, Auditory and kinestic. My son has finally found his place. Please please take a tour or participate in their parent information meeting. read more

Not happy at all! We didn't even get past the office staff to see how the teachers were. I was coming from out of town and paid for an assessment that they refuse to refund after they could not accommodate proper scheduling. My son is already behind and they wanted to asses him 3 weeks after the school year started. During my tour the director assured me that my son was the only new child to his grade. So his assessment should have been right away, NO! Absolutely no consideration for students and their families that are uprooting their lives and moving to attend the school. I took this as a sign of what would be to come in future dealings with the staff. The fact that the school was unable to accommodate should have been enough to refund my assessment fee but I guess at $20k per child they can't afford it. read more

Very surprised of the school for kids with LD treat the kids harder than any other schools and colleges I have heard of! They set my son to failure and dramatized my son emotionally through only one month! Very sad! read more

Wonderful, loving teachers with the trainings to help students with learning differences; small class sizes; and a sense of family.

My daughter's struggles with reading and writing started in Kindergarten and progressively became worse each successive year in school. We knew she was intelligent because of her math and science skills and couldn't understand why reading and writing were so difficult. Teasing and bullying by her classmates became worse in 3rd and 4th grade to the point where she didn't want to go to school. She was finally diagnosed with dyslexia by her psychiatrist near the end of 4th grade and he recommended The Prentice School. After her first day at school she said; "Daddy, the best school ever." From the very start of her attending Prentice, her confidence and desire to learn improved tremendously. The small classrooms helped her focus and get the attention she needed, the nurturing environment made her feel relaxed and loved, and the advanced tools and techniques she learned gave her the skills she needed to succeed. She attended Prentice from 4th through 8th grade and then transitioned to a traditional high school. She maintained a 3.8 GPA in high school and is now doing well in college. She is still dyslexic and will always be dyslexic but we believe all of these achievements would not have been possible without the caring staff and unique environment she experienced at Prentice. read more

i hate this place because they wont let my son listen to music in class while he does his work. this helps him focus greatly as it shuts out white noise. this school also tries to sucker money out of its parent hoping that they wont read the contract. this is complete bullcrap and i wont except it! read more