Cambridge Montessori School embraced both of my children and placed them at the center of the…read morelearning experience. They love going to this school and their CMS experience has taught them to love learning. My second grader interacts with adults gracefully and articulately because of the skills and confidence this schooling experience has given her. CMS has an excellent arts, music, and drama offering and the teachers encourage academic excellence. I would recommend CMS to any parent looking for a school that supports a curriculum that encourages independence and confidence in addition to accelerated learning.

The school culture is rigid and judgmental, with a culture of pathologizing normal toddler…read morebehavior. Some of the things that made us withdraw our 3yo mid-year: Despite a stated open-door policy, parents were actively discouraged from involvement in or visiting the classroom. In March, a formal school memo forbade parents from speaking to each other at drop-off/pickup, asked parents to drop their children off at the front door instead of at the classroom door, and instructed parents not to carry their children or their children's belongings. The memo specifically suggested that any discipline problems at home were caused by not following the same rigid "expectations" as the school. When our son was afraid to use the toilet at school, the teacher forced him to sit on the toilet for 45 min while he cried in frustration. He was criticized for not doing work exactly the way the teachers wanted (e.g. sorting puzzle in the "right" order). In a parent conference, we were told our son was "too literal" because asked where rain came from, he said "From the sky," not "From clouds." He was already reading and adding at 3, but we were told this, along with his shyness, were signs of a possible psychological problem. We were bullied to take him for autism screening, even after a specialist and our pediatrician said he was likely fine. Administration, up to the head of school, either ignored problems or blamed us. When we sent a formal letter detailing our complaints, the school offered us a partial tuition refund if we signed a nondisparagement agreement. We refused. We've since learned other families had similar experiences. If you click on Yelp's "non-recommended reviews"--which are weeded out by algorithm--you'll see that other families have made similar complaints.

We sent our younger kiddo to Bigelow after moving to the neighborhood and have had a wonderful…read moreexperience. She's in the preschool classroom, and her teachers are incredibly creative and engaged. Bigelow is Reggio Emilia inspired, and focuses on child-led learning, so when the teachers noticed our kid and several others were interested in writing letters, they incorporated opportunities into everyday activities. Boom, our 4 year old is writing! The facilities are also lovely, and include a large shared space for gross motor play even when the weather is yucky. Most of all, we have really appreciated the community of other families, many of whom have become friends.

My 7yo son went to Bigelow from when he was 3yo to 5yo and now my daughter is in her 2nd year…read morethere. It is a cooperative so parents head the various committees and get to set the various policies but there is a director and teachers so nit parent run. The teachers are wonderful, creative, loving, I cant say enough good things really. They create many opportunities for children to explore and discover. Also, parents can volunteer to spend time in the classroom which is super fun. The classrooms are spacious and inviting with lots of windows and there is a giant playroom in the center of school for those days that outside play isn't an option. The school has a very large fenced yard that has trees, giant sand pit with water pump, track for biking/scooting/push alongs, and garden. It is truly a gem.

The teacher-leaders at Aster (the directors of the school as well as the classroom teachers) are…read morekind, well-trained, talented educators with whom I'm glad to entrust my son. Under their guidance, he has made huge gains in the past year. He is more confident in his thoughts, actions, and his ability to communicate. They encourage curiosity, exploration, and self-motivation, allowing an interest in a wide range of topics. They address his and each individual child's needs and value their different backgrounds. As a former teacher, I see the educational environment at Aster as one in which I'm happy my son participates and one that I feel all children deserve. The support, access, and awareness each child develops will give them an incredible start to accessing their full potential. Some of my favorite things about Aster include: -daily outdoor time at one of the parks or playgrounds nearby. -a beautifully designed space that includes photos of each family, lots of plants, and materials that are accessible and interesting to the children, but never feels cluttered or overwhelming. -the encouragement of strong friendships among children and families (further developed by opportunities to connect outside of school as well as during drop-off and pick-up each day). -a convenient location (we walked to school every day last year). -quick responses to emails, phone calls, and texts (outside of school hours, of course). -diverse teacher perspectives/race. -a strong scientific basis and the use of data and observation to assess needs and guide learning. And finally, I truly believe that not only is my son safe and growing and learning every day, his teachers love him and care about his future happiness and success. I cannot think of anything greater.

My wife and I have been sending our daughter to Aster since she was 3 years old, and we have been…read moreamazed at how well she has been thriving, developmentally, socially, intellectually, and spiritually. She has grown to be more independent, confident and socially active. For someone who is the younger child at home, she now feels pride in helping her younger peers while continuing to have older peers as role models. One of the things that we love most about Aster is the sense of family that permeates through the school. Through weekly parent days at school and monthly parent education evenings, we feel that we get to spend time with our children, build a community with the other Aster families, and learn more about the Montessori method. Through these shared values and this shared time, Aster has come to feel like an extended family for us. This sense of family extends to the community as well -- whether the children are planting a garden in the park across the street or baking cookies for their neighbors or just greeting people on their daily walk to the park, they are becoming contributing members of their surrounding community. We feel great pride as parents to be associated with a school that not only cares for our child but also cares about making a difference in the world around them.

i can't say enough good things about GNS. our son has thrived during his first year there and we're…read moreenthusiastically sending him back for a second. the curriculum is rooted in play and emotional growth, rather than "ABCs and 123s." the faculty is excellent and they make amazing use of their interior and exterior spaces. the co-op aspect also makes you feel like you're taking part in your kid's education. great community of people, too. here's another way to put it: my wife went there 30 years ago and loved it so much, we went out of our way to make sure our son got to go too.

Recently became a parent at GNS via the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP)…read more I had many reasons to be nervous about my kiddo starting preschool - pretty big aversion to playing with other children, having essentially no daycare/nanny experience, loud "no school!" when the idea was brought up periodically in attempts to make it less foreign, being a picky eater, etc. True story - when we did a classroom visit, where families can come and see the school, be in the classrooms, and meet the teachers, my kiddo said "why do I like school?" 5 minutes into it and the rest is history (currently in the making). The thought "oh, I can leave my kiddo here" came to me pretty unexpectedly and clearly during that visit, and I legit got pretty emotional. The other reviews ring true. If GNS interests you even a little bit, I highly recommend that you check it out for yourself.

I have nothing but positive things to say about my child's time at LCS:…read more The staff were full of love and brought so much care and attention to my little one every day. All of the teachers/caregivers work very well as a team and take the time to get to know and love each of the children they look after and it really does show on the faces of the little ones attending the program. The learning curriculum is engaging for the kids and the communications with parents are frequent and clear . The Brightwheel app updates are amazing; seeing photos of my kid every day really brightened my mood. The physical space within the daycare is fun and inviting, with each classroom mocked up as a house or building in a neighborhood (hallway). I'd HIGHLY recommend this daycare to anyone in the Brookline/Boston area looking for somewhere their LO can socialize, exercise, learn, and grow in a safe and loving environment.

Both of my kids spent several years at LCSH, starting (for kid #1 at age 4, and kid #2 from 9…read moremonths). Between them, they passed through every classroom. There was not a single room that we (and they) didn't love! My son left for Kindergarten a year ago and my daughter is leaving now at age 3 to be closer to our home for pick-up/drop-off reasons. I'm so incredibly grateful we had LCSH to care for our children. First, the leadership. Lissy and Gladys are wonderful. They are experienced, kind, friendly, professional, and very responsive. They clearly love and know each one of the children and care for their staff. There is very little staff turnover, which both creates a very nice family atmosphere for the kids and speaks to Lissy and Gladys' leadership. When the pandemic hit, Lissy and Gladys did everything they could to keep the children safe while understanding the needs of working parents. I also have compared their tuition to many other places and they are very reasonable. Second, the staff! They are such wonderful people - my kids loved them all because they are warm, loving, and great educators. My son was fully ready for Kindergarten and my daughter has learned fine motor skills, sharing, listening, resolving conflicts, and fairness. Often teachers from previous years would see my daughter in the hallway and give her big hugs. It meant a lot to us that they felt surrounded by people who care. Third, the other programs. Lissy and Gladys keep things fresh by bringing in music teachers, having field days, sports, and many other activities. My daughter looked forward to every Thursday when Ms. Monica would come to her class and bring instruments for the kids to play and to dance. Finally, the community. The parents and other children are a lovely group of people. We are sad to leave LCSH, but grateful we have the memories. If you visit the school - especially Boylston street - it's not the most beautiful location. But don't judge based on that! The school itself is very nice and the teachers get the kids out and about to the local parks for sports, water parties in the summer, and playground fun. Ultimately, LCSH is a great place with people who truly care about kids and families.

If you are looking for a preschool in the Belmont area - look no further!!! This school has been…read morearound for 78 YEARS and has offered wonderful, exceptional and one of a kind care. The longevity of the caring staff, varied curriculum, bright and sunny classrooms as well as the huge outdoor playground make this school unique and special. The curriculum is play-based with themes based on the children's interests. They also have specialists visit the classrooms - such as music, science and movement! Your child also has an option to stay later for an extended day program - where they are able to learn about fun topics such as art and artists. You should see some of the art they create! Trust me - Your child will be in the best hands if they attend Plymouth Nursery School.

My daughter has had the most ideal preschool experience here. From mimicking Jackson Pollack…read morepaintings to marching in a Chinese New Years parade around Belmont Center, she has gotten to experience creative and challenging activities that have her excited to go to school each day. Most importantly, it is done in a warm, truly nurturing setting. I felt that from day one when I met the teachers on our tour. (It actually brought tears to my eyes.) In addition, being a coop, we parents have gotten to participate and have definitely become a community. We chat outside every morning during drop off and have had multiple school-wide activities and play dates. We truly feel lucky to have found this school.

I can't say enough about the quality of the teachers, especially Miss Annie, who runs such a caring…read moreand professional school. we are a former school family, and we still join the school on outside activities like Apple picking, we were fortunate to have Miss Annie for the 3. years we did , my kids still talk about her to this day.

Our family has had a great experience at Waverley Square Daycare - Belmont. Ms. Annie and all the…read moreteachers have been so welcoming and our daughter is excited to walk in every day! We've been in both the toddler and preschool rooms and have enjoyed seeing the progression of activities and learning for the children. The Waverley team is very responsive and easy to communicate with, and even organizes fun family activities throughout the year where we can spend more time with the teachers and the other families. Would highly recommend to other parents looking to find the right spot for childcare!

Needham location needs severe improvement. My son did not…read morelearn Spanish and his naps were way too long. He would arrived at 8:00am and at noon they went to nap until 3:00. I would then pick him up at 3:30. Terrible if you ask me. My son is 5 (late birthday) and he only needed an hour of rest. He never wanted to nap honestly. The teachers at times would put them to nap at 11:50 which made me a bit furious....I would pick my son up for lunch and sure enough when I would drop him off at 11:50 the teachers would place the kids down for a nap 10 min early. They need to move this location into a bigger suite/building. It doesn't look like they invest much because it's obvious inside they need new toys/everything really just an upgrade. For the amount I spent to have my son attend, I expected better. Lastly, Jenn Doyle from enrollment needs to be fired. She's rude and takes forever to get back to you. She typically has the same lame excuse stating that she is in a meeting which an attitude. I pulled my son out of Pine Village because I felt that he was not learning at all. He is now in another Preschool where he's been learning really quick academically in order to be ready for kindergarten. Look elsewhere or stay away from the Needham location. Lastly, my son learned horrible habits of hitting and biting from other children. That stopped at his new school because the teachers would not tolerate this. But, at Pine Village the teachers my guess is that they did not pay attention to the kids or no consequences happened for example. pulling the child aside. And this is why it persisted. The teachers are nice here but they have a high turnover...My guess is that the higher up's do not value them and simply do not pay them well. The higher up's only cares about profit and they are rude. They should try treating the staff every Friday to maybe lunch as a thank you. Lastly, in order for teachers to receive a bonus they ask us parents to donate money. We pay a lot for our kids to attend school. They should maybe give them a bonus on their end...

Pine Village is a Spanish immersion daycare and preschool, with classes from infant to…read morekindergarten. There are a number of locations (10 by now?) and my son went to two: Brighton (for a transition summer before the new school opened) and Newton Highlands, and we toured West Newton. We LOVE PINE VILLAGE! It's clean, organized, professional, and so warm (emotionally, but also on cold winter days, literally). Spanish immersion. The teachers are native Spanish speakers but there are teachers who speak English (for kids who don't speak Spanish yet, and to talk to the parents who don't speak Spanish). The Directors are fluently bilingual and are around at dropoff and pickup if there is any linguistic confusion. (So no Spanish? No problem. Kids are supported in learning but are understood in English and parents can communicate.) My kid came in as a toddler knowing no Spanish and within a couple months he understood everything but responded in English, and now in preschool is expected to speak Spanish (with gentle prompting) given his abilities. There are Spanish books everywhere to read, or for teachers to read out loud. The price is on the lower side of area daycare/preschool, based on about 13 other schools I looked at. Still not cheap exactly, but maybe licensed trained and educational child care shouldn't be cheap, right? The 3 facilities I looked at are in different spaces, but all seem pretty nice and have access to play areas. The West Newton one is in a UU church basement near Mass Pike, and has a HUGE indoor space for winter running around. The Brighton one is in the bottom of a city block, with big windows, and a small playground/big field across the street, and a short walk away over a sky bridge is a huge glorious public water park with 2 big playgrounds, and Charles River walkways. (Pretty awesome especially in summer.) The Newton Highlands one is also in the basement of a church, in two large rooms, with a permanent smaller indoor play area and (depending on church uses eg play) access to the large empty room next door. There are two small fenced playgrounds and a short walk away is a big field. I'm told there are sprinklers for hot summer outdoor play. In addition they have group exercise classes, such as yoga or Zumba, which kids do according to interest & ability. Pine Village has a dedicated curriculum quality rep, who goes between all the locations to ensure that quality of education stays high across the sites and that best practices are shared. They're ok with different locations having their own 'flavor' or feel, so long as the quality stays consistent. They also really focus on emotional self regulation. Deep breathing like blowing up a balloon, and taking a time out to gather one's reserves when too emotional.