What preschool do you think is great in Philadelphia? Why?

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Parent Answers to "What preschool do you think is great in Philadelphia? Why?"

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The Big Backyard! This is a co-operative nursery school in E.Gowen. I have 2 children that attend. My son initially was at another school which seemed good on paper but not in practice! After a trial at 2 other places we found the Big Backyard! Even though we live in Lafayette Hill, we didn't mind the commute for the sake of this precious setting. When we walked in, we immediately knew that this is what a preschool ought to be like. The children are given the utmost respect and love. Compare to other schools my son attended, here each and every kid was SO HAPPY and there was no crying. (My son cried almost every day at the other school.) Each and every child is treated as an individual. The Director is PHENOMENAL and herself is a Special Ed. teacher. She sets a high standard for the rest of the staff. Every staff knows every child. There are lots of choices of play activities/centers to cater for each child's needs. There are 3 classrooms. Because of the co-operative nature of the classroom, each family is expected to be in the class once a month. So almost every parent in your child's class gets to know every child. It becomes a close-knit community. This is a VERY SPECIAL place. It is very nurturing and a home away from home. The only problem we seem to have is that our kids don't want to come home at pick up time! And it seems to be a contagious problem throughout the school :-) If you want a place for your child that is safe, loving, embracing, nurturing and where your child will be treated with the utmost respect and love - then this is it! However, there the time committment of being in the class and having a small job that averages to about an hour a week and not necessarily on the premises. All the best

My son is currently enrolled in the Pre-K class in the Northeast Central Christian School, a ministry of Calvary Memorial Church. He began three years ago in their day care program "Precious Children Learning Center." I can't express enough my gratitude to both the teachers and the administration. It is evident their love and commitment to the children they work with. Before attending Precious Children Learning center, my son was in "Little Learners Day Care" off of Castor Avenue for a year. Every time I dropped him off and picked him up, I was disappointed to find that he was watching TV. He would always cry and latch onto me when I dropped him off. It was a horrible experience for the both of us, but I had limited options. I researched other daycares that I could afford and had state accreditation. I found Precious Children Learning Center with the highest child care state accreditation! I have not been disappointed! My son has learned so much since beginning their program. He is in Pre-K and has begun trying to read! I am very happy with our experience at PCLC and NCCS. It has been extremely difficult as a single mother on a fixed income to make sure that my son receives a quality education. But, by far, they have exceeded my expectations. I have to say that my favorite aspect of this school is how my son is excited to go to school. When he gets to school, he runs up to his teachers and hugs them. When I leave him there, I am so comforted by the fact that the teachers and administrators have a genuine love for all the kids.

Visit their website: www.calvarymemorialchurch.org/pclc/default.asp

I don't know where you're located, but if you're in the Northwest, I highly recommend The Big Backyard, a cooperatve preschool in Mt. Airy that takes children between the ages of 2 yrs. 7 mos. and 5 yrs. The only catch is that it's cooperative, so all families are required to spend one half day in their child's classroom each month, as well as take on some sort of small "job" at the school. It's just the loveliest, most nurturing place imaginable. The school's approach is child-directed learning, with lots of free play to supplement the extras (like hands-on science, art, library, and music). Our older child spent two years there, and our younger child will have spent three years there once he moves on to kindergarten. For more information, check out their website at -
www.thebigbackyard.net

Best of luck! I'm sure that whatever you choose will be the right choice for you and your family.

You may have found a great preschool by now. But if you haven't, I would suggest you check out the Overbrook Presbyterian Pre-K & Kindergarten. If you are close to or are familiar with the City Avenue section of Philadelphia, the school is located at City & Lancaster Avenues.

The class size is small and the teachers are the most caring, involved, knowledgeable I have come across thus far. They staff have a long tenure with the school (this was very important to me) and the students are from various cultures. My daughter had a great time there in Pre-K and in Kindergarten. My only regret is that I didn't' find it before we spent two years in a Montessori program (great concept, but was not a fit for my daughter).

Of course, you can find additional information about the Overbrook Presbyterian school at this website.

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