Our oldest son just finished his first year of preschool in the 3-day program at Belmont Coop. We…read moreabsolutely love the school. The director and the teachers are so engaged with the kids and its an incredibly warm and welcoming community. We originally visited the school when it was located in Cushing Square. The space was fun and interactive but the new space has really allowed the school to grow in both capacity and programming. It's bright and sunny with plenty of room for more creative play and planned activities. It has an adjacent playground as well as a nearby park for more lengthy outdoor activities. The school provides several special activities which our son loves. Habitat, the Mass Audubon education center, regularly visits his class and provides hands-on exposure to the local fauna. They are also regularly visited by Hugh Hanley, a local musician who leads an hour of song and story telling. These are particularly fun days to be a parent helper in the classroom. Since this was our first foray into school for our son, we are very glad we chose a coop program. It allows us to see our son in his school environment and better understand his development and how we can help shape his growth both at school and home. We also get to know and work with other parents and families in the area. The teachers provide regular feedback which is encouraging and helpful. We particularly love the director who is constantly in the rooms with each group of kids and consistently checks in with us. I would highly recommend this school to anyone but would strongly urge families to look into the program sooner rather than later as the school regularly has a wait list.

I agree with the previous reviewer - the leadership and teaching staff at this school are amazing…read more My twin boys had a wonderful year in the 3-day class as their first out-of-home experience, and we all loved it. Everyone on the teaching staff is extremely committed, detail-oriented, and caring. They are working really hard to create a fun, engaging environment, and to make sure that every child is included and enjoying the experience. The classroom is organized thoughtfully, with an impressive range of activities always available to the children plus daily curriculum plans that include developmentally appropriate and seasonal enrichment activities, and also the year's enrichment activities from outside visitors included theater, music, yoga, and art. There is always so much going on at this school, and yet it manages to feel comfortable and homelike for the kids. We have also really appreciated the co-op aspect of it, since we recently moved to the area from out-of-state. The school has a wonderful mix of families and they have all been very welcoming. This school feels like a close-knit family with teaching geniuses at the helm. I love it, the kids love it, and I can't believe we were lucky enough to find it.

We decided to withdraw our place at Goddard for our infant after we toured it. While we were…read morethere, we saw a teacher gruffly push the head of an infant back down after they woke up. We were deeply concerned by this and shared our feedback with the management. They reacted dismissively to our feedback. It was an easy decision for us to not move forward despite losing our full $3,000 deposit and having to scramble to find alternative childcare.

I can't say enough about what the Goddard School has done for our family…read more In our previous center, We were told my son was a "problem and "what are we going to do with him." At one point, I dropped him off and I went to pick him up 5 minutes later. I couldn't. And I searched for another center. Our son started in a room on the cusp of the younger kids because of his speech and social development. He fell in love with one teacher, Kelly. She (and Goddard!) saw what we saw in Vincent. Goddard helped Vincent learn to love school. He's now in pre-k and loves all of the teachers, friends and now learning. He loves animals, math, writing, asked when he can start reading, and surprises us every day! My son is in speech through the Belmont Public Schools and needed an evaluation to assess the whole picture of his education. After the school visited Goddard, they expressed their approval of Ms Kim and Ms Nicole in their control in the classroom (even with some high energy little boys-- my son being one of them :)) and what love they had for teaching. I know he'll excel in kindergarten! My daughter loved every second of everything. Goddard brought out the best in her and created life long friendships! She loves to go pick up brother and say hi to all of the staff, teachers and friends. It's a place you'll always feel welcome! We'll be sad to leave Goddard this summer and recommend to anyone and everyone. The owners truly care about not only the success of Goddard, but every individual student and staff. It shows in everything at Goddard!

It is impossible to say enough wonderful things about Waltham Childcare Center. For the past 5…read moreyears, I have seen nothing but a staff of loving caregivers and brilliant teachers who are genuinely invested in every child's growth and happiness. The classroom space is organized, positive and always stimulates and enriches their learning; from the interactive reading of CAPS where students got to practice balancing hats on their heads, to the excitement of playing in the 'big gym' at the Boys and Girls club and of course, the creative art projects that involve him painting his hands to make imprints or making homemade slime or experimenting with the fizzy properties of baking soda! The staff is always engaging with students, checking-in, and making them feel heard and seen. Waltham Childcare Center is also dedicated to preparing their students for Kindergarten. My son, who will be 5-years-old this October, has made tremendous gains in his social-emotional learning, counting, letter identification and speech. As a teacher myself, their curriculum and learning instruction are outstanding and I have no doubts that my son will enter Kindergarten hitting every benchmark and then some. In fact, they are often able visit the library which has enabled my son to develop a love for books. Waltham Childcare Center is a rare gem and I am so grateful that they have been able to provide an amazing childcare experience for both my children. I highly recommend them to any parent-you will not be disappointed and neither will your child.

My son has attended this childcare center for over a year, and the entire team provides a…read moresupportive environment with age-appropriate learning, an emphasis on manners, and guidance on how to be a good friend. They follow a consistent schedule, which has made coming to school a joy for him and has given me peace of mind as a parent going to work knowing he is in a safe, caring place.

We chose GMS-Belmont as our son's first school at 16 months old (over a year ago) & have had such a…read morepositive experience. The teachers are so patient and loving as they help incoming children settle into a new routine. They work so hard to cultivate a deep love for learning/exploration, and a sense of confidence and independence in children. The Montessori method is put into effective practice each day through work-cycle & thoughtful, creative activities. The teachers have a lot of experience implementing healthy practices to help children with emotional regulation and social aspects of learning. During the academic year, the school has a rich curriculum spanning language, math, science, practical life, sensorial, and gross/fine motor - the teachers create this and share via monthly newsletters. Two major highlights of the year are the holiday & summer concerts where all children in the school perform together - this is a tremendous undertaking and months of preparation by the teachers for a most delightful family-oriented tradition! Director Ms. Sahar and co-director Ms. Jenn are fully present and so dedicated - they know each child by name, each family, and are always on the ground to ensure smooth daily functioning. There is little-to-no staff turnover and the teachers have a wealth of experience. Our family is super grateful for the strong foundation and core values that the teachers have given our son, and again, highly recommend GMS-Belmont!

We had a very positive experience at this school! Our son spent his first primary year of…read moreMontessori education at GMS and he so clearly thrived in the environment nurtured by his teachers and Miss Sahar/Tara. He joined at the age of 3.5 and within a few weeks made significant strides in terms of his learning & development, independence (such as dressing himself, cleaning up after play time, and helping out around the house), and overall curiosity on reading / writing / coloring. GMS still has that small community feel even as the classes continue to grow and the system becomes more mature over time. We are sad to have only learned of this school late in our time in the greater Boston area and wish we could've stayed for the full 3-year cycle.

There are so many wonderful things I could say about this preschool. The teachers are so giving and…read morepatient. They really take their time to get to know every individual child and they encourage their strengths and really help them to grow. My oldest child went here for two years and left very ready for kindergarten. My youngest will be at the school for three years and she loves going everyday. There is a very special parent community at the school, because it is a co-op all parents are asked to be involved with some aspect of the operations of the school, helping in the classroom once a month as well as fundraising activities. I have enjoyed this aspect very much, feeling very much part of a community and becoming friends with other parents has been very special. I would whole heartily recommend this school to anyone in the area looking for a preschool for their 2.9-5 year old.

Our son is in this third year at WCNS and has grown so much! He started at 2 years 10 months old,…read morehaving spent most of his time home with me. The first few months he was very interested in what the other kids were doing, but didn't want to participate. He was very much a watcher, figuring out how the other kids interacted with each other. After the Christmas break he became more involved, articulate, and participated more in group play. His second year he was still in the same class with the same teachers and thrived as a "big kid" knowing the ropes and helping out. He still liked to play by himself a lot, but was better able to invite kids that wanted to help to build a building next to his building. He also became better at stepping back from group play to go to the book corner when he was over stimulated. This year the school has moved to a mixed age format so he is with children 2.9-5 years old in his group. He is very much enjoying being a mentor to the younger children. It has also provided an opportunity too see how much he has grown over the last two years. Behaviors that he had when he started, like not wanting to share toys or wait a turn, he is now very patient with in the younger children. The teachers are wonderful and provide a range of craft, free play, and structured activities every day. The children play outside daily except in extreme bad weather. Early drop off and late pickup options are available and can be signed up for the day you need them.

I really like this place. The teachers and staff are all super nice, it's not overwhelming. I have…read moreexperienced daycares that are way too loud and crazy and it's not like that at all, this place has a nice cozy feel. They do a really good job communicating with the parents, it always feels safe and is a really a nice learning environment and most importantly my kid loves it. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful facility with caring teachers and staff. They are great with my son and very easy to work…read morewith. I couldn't be happier.

Little Llama isn't just a daycare but a second home. The…read morecare, warmth, and intention they pour into every child is exceptional. Our toddler is not only hitting developmental milestones with ease, but is also thriving in a multicultural environment that nurtures curiosity and confidence. Trust, love, and growth is all in one place. Thank you all! We appreciate all your efforts!

We tried several models of daycare in the Belmont / Watertown area for our two children, before…read morefinding Little Llama when our youngest was entering preschool at 2.9 years. We have had an amazing experience at Little Llama and simply did not think that a childcare / preschool provider could be this wonderful. The curriculum is creative and engaging, including music, exercise, and hands-on activities every day. The children also go outside every day, often several times a day, for fresh air, walks, and play in every season. The space is sunlit, bright, and spotlessly clean. What especially stands out to us is how communicative the owner, Evgenia, has been from day one, and how communicative the teachers are throughout our son's day. We get updates, photos, and daily summarizes about his experience and any time we send a message to teachers, they respond immediately. The preschool teachers are so wonderful, treating the children with kindness, respect, and enthusiasm. And as bonuses: a healthy (!) lunch is provided every day, drop off and pick up are easy with ample side street space to pull up to, and there is a very secure safety system installed in the building. Our son is thriving and loves going to school every day. We truly cannot recommend Little Llama enough; we only wish we had found this wonderful childcare and preschool earlier in our parenting journeys.

I think that they are probably fine for very easy going kids who are fine anywhere, but my kids…read morewere there for two months before I moved them to another preschool and it was like night and day. It felt chaotic, the teachers seemed pretty burned out and the one time I tried to talk to a teacher about my kid's feelings, she got defensive like I was accusing her of doing something wrong (I wasn't at all!). I had to talk myself into dropping them off every day. The school we switched to was nearby and cost the same, but I actually felt like the teachers liked my kids and were kind to them.

I can't speak highly enough about the teachers and directors at Brighton, but the owners have…read moreturned the regulations from Covid-19 into a money grab, persisting in shortened hours (1.5hrs less than pre-pandemic) and no longer providing lunches. They blamed regulations imposed by the department of early education, but upon contacting the department, I found out this was a lie and the owners backtracked to a different excuse. Despite regulations being now lifted, they recently said they wouldn't be resuming either lunches or hours until September. Like I said, the teachers our kids had were great, but be ready for the owners to take advantage of you every chance they have.