Now that my son has been at Formative Years Preschool for a year and a half, I can safely say that…read morethis is an incredible school with loving teachers, welcoming students, and an engaging curriculum; my son loves it and has blossomed since starting in September 2014.
After trying (and failing) at a more trendy, less-structured preschool, we found the structure we needed at Formative Years. My son feels safe and comfortable knowing when free play time, circle time, snack time, etc. will be each day. Each day is designated as a cooking, science, music, sports, show-n-tell, or library day, and each week has a letter of the week and other themes to inform the classroom activities, so I know that the students are exposed to a variety of subjects. While the school does academic activities like practicing letters and counting, handwriting, etc., the emphasis is truly on play and discovery. I feel like my son is learning the life skills he needs (e.g. socializing, taking turns, sharing, etc.) to be successful in Kindergarten.
Nestled in an old church building on 20th and Lombard, the school makes great use of the neighborhood as a classroom. Students take "nature" walks around the neighborhood to search for signs of each season, walk to the public library each week, picnic in Rittenhouse Square, and take field trips to Sound All Around (through the Philadelphia Orchestra), Taney Park, fire stations, and other spots around the community. The school helps students connect to their community.
The teachers in the school are wonderful. Ann, the head teacher and director of the school, maintains high expectations for her students, and still maintains a positive, nurturing relationship with each student. Even when my son misbehaves at school, he knows he'll still get a kind word and a hug from Ann when it's time to go home. The care, respect and love I observe between the teachers and students is heartwarming and reassuring.
When I first toured the school, I was a little disappointed that the school didn't have a playground, but my son hasn't missed it at all. Instead, the school blocks off an adjacent street or courtyard and fills it with toys (scooters, balls, bubbles, etc.) and the kids have a great time. Formative Years does an excellent job ensuring that little kids have the chance to move their bodies, so even when the weather is bad, the school pulls out scooters and has a small structure to climb on inside the classroom.
Here are some logistics: The school is one big classroom with 3, 4, 5 year olds mix together. Formative Years provides after-school care to students at Chester Arthur and Greenfield schools, so there are some KG and 1st graders who come later in the day. Parents have a great deal of flexibility in scheduling, students can choose to attend half or full days (or a mix) and can choose which days of the week they attend (although it has to be consistent). The school is perfect for working parents since they rarely close (e.g. you won't get saddled with trying to find day care for a weeklong winter break in the middle of February), and hold regular hours when the public schools have delays or early dismissals.
When I was shopping around for preschools, I did notice that the Formative Years website was out of date, so I'd encourage prospective parents to look past that technological faux pas and go ahead and set up a tour. When we were shopping for schools, I found it interesting that my son didn't end up loving the fancier schools with the indoor sandboxes, instead he loved the simpler school with the friendly kids and teachers who welcomed him and made him feel at home immediately. My son has continued to grow and thrive at Formative Years, and I would encourage families to check out the school when they start shopping for preschool.
