My five stars are for this particular Kumon location and its staff. The "Kumon Method" is a…read moredifferent subject entirely, ok guys? The cost is $100 per subject per child. So both math and reading (and that's all there is) would be $200/month for either one or two weekly visits to the center. The center is open Monday, Thursday, and Saturday for classwork, but students have Kumon worksheets everyday. I wish there had been a yelp review of what Kumon was before I started it for my kid. I really had no idea. Kumon is a Japanese method of learning the fundamentals of math and reading. It emphasizes repetition and accuracy and forces students do do the work within time constraints. So this isn't "new math" and it's not individualized instruction. Students come to Kumon and are often placed below grade level and are forced to work through the basics. I think this is a good idea, as it builds confidence, but I can also see how this could be a marketing/sales stroke of genius. If you start a fourth grader off doing second grade work you'll keep them longer, no? The students sit in a large open room, under watchful eye of the instructor/assistants and do worksheets. Very young children doing "Junior Kumon" are in a separate smaller room. Kumon is NOT personalized instruction. Kumon will NOT help your child with their homework. They have a method, they teach their method. I think that's fine for what it is, but it's not super clear initially. It is all about memorization of facts and rote memory which is NOT stressed in school these days. I'm old school...I like that for my kid. THE GOOD: The basics are stressed. A child will receive a foundation in math and reading that will only help them in a public or private school. The organization of the staff in North Andover is mind boggling. They have a system of check in and check out and homework/classwork tracking that is enviable. I really don't know how a worksheet never goes astray, but they don't. The Instructor, S. Donti is fastidious about work being done properly, and demands perfection with a quiet authority. I think she may have written tax code in a past life. But she knows her stuff. No one gets anything past Mrs. Donti and I LOVE that. THE BAD: The waiting room is small. Sometimes it takes over an hour, sometimes class takes 15 minutes. There is no way to know. THE UGLY: I think the tables could use a good wipe-downs in between students; with so many coming and going I think a lot of the germs my kid brought home this year were from Kumon. A little Lysol would go a long way in there. THE VERDICT: a couple of colds aren't enough to keep my kid out of this program. The work is solid, the Instructor knowledgeable, and my kid is building confidence I didn't know possible. I am thrilled with this program and would and do recommend it to friends. It's not the right fit for every student, but it's worth a shot...

The staff is very accommodating for scheduling and my daughter seems happy with their services. The…read morepricing is reasonable and the method works for her.

We have had nothing but great experiences at CCP! A great community, very well structured…read moreclassrooms. The teachers are lifelong educators and it shows! Ten out of ten recommend!

The teaching staff at Community Cooperative (CCP) is one of the best. They are particularly loving,…read morewarm and encouraging to every child. The parent community is strong and the school truly makes an effort to bring families together. Since it is a Co-op, you are expected to be in your child's classroom at least once a month if you can. This gives parents an unusual opportunity to observe their child in a new environment and see them really enjoying themselves! Smiles are all around at CCP.

A local art center that provides children's classes as well as adult ones. They range from painting…read moreto ceramics to stained glass, with a lot of one shot deals (book making or Raku (which looks totally cool)) I took the stained glass class and it was great. You buy a few supplies, but most of it can be found at the center including a lot of scrap glass that is perfect for your first projects. I made an owl panel, a ghost, a Patriots logo, a frame, and two maple leaves in the course of the class. You go at your own pace and everyone is fairly nice. Lots of parking, right by the All things Sicilian store that I always meant to go into but never have.

My children took classes for a couple of years. Mostly the children enjoyed them a lot. The last…read moretime we signed up was when the teacher threw out a bunch of ceramics within a few days of the class ending and without warning that we would not even be able to return on the regularly scheduled day to pick them up. I don't know why the kids did not receive all their ceramics to that point or why an email or flier wasn't given to the parents telling us the deadline but the communication was completely absent. After that I figured we would stick to different art centers.

The studio space at Theia is very large, bright and airy. It's a very impressive space. I went to…read morethe Lifetime of Sports Photography gallery event to meet Damian Strohmeyer and view his work. It was a lot of fun with over forty of his photos from Sports Illustrated framed with placards explaining the photo and how it was achieved. The cards provided a lot of interesting and insightful info along with some amazing shots. I'm looking forward to going back for the one day workshop on sports photography that Damien is teaching in May.

From the owner: We offer a full spectrum of classes dedicated to the imaging arts, from introductory to advanced…read morelevels and everywhere in between. Our courses, workshops, intensive 2-day boot camps and certificate programs are conveniently scheduled to accommodate aspiring entrepreneurs, professionals and enthusiasts alike. At Theia, you'll enjoy a high-caliber education experience in an engaging, dynamic environment. Our robust curriculum features classroom and studio instruction at our state-of-the-art studio campus in North Andover, Massachusetts as well as on-location training and cutting-edge online learning programs. Our innovative approach to imaging arts education offers an enriching experience for creative learners at every level.

Ernie has taken care of every music consideration for me for over a decade. He's loyal, top quality…read moreand all about the music.

Lovely looking shop, but was treated very rudely by sales staff. The man working the afternoon…read moreshift was condescending and unhelpful. Definitely not coming back.

My family loves this school! My kids are growing up wonderfully both academically and values! The…read morecommunity is very close-knit and supportive! Highly recommended!

Graduate of St. Michael School. All of the teachers and staff work tirelessly to ensure their…read morestudents have a solid foundation. They are helping children grow in knowledge, faith, and understanding. I was well prepared for high school, college, and everything after. Thank you!

Kate, the owner of Tiny Footprints taught at my preschool in Cambridge (Orchard Street Preschool)…read morefor many years. She was hands down the best teacher we've ever had. She is a kind and gentle with a sensitivity towards children. She's innovative in her approach and comes up with wonderful art and circle ideas for the children. She makes sure there's a good mix of structure and unstructured time and always made sure all the children were well fed and clean. She will work hard to provide your child with love and support, and give your child the best care possible.

From the owner: We have daily schedules and goals. We do circle time, arts and crafts, writing, songs--and we love…read moreplaying outside. As a teacher, integrating education into our days is very important to me, so I'm always working in different learning opportunities. For example, we do science experiments (like getting caterpillars and watching them transform into butterflies!), and I like to incorporate different languages into our lessons and songs to celebrate other cultures. My favorite activity is actually doing puzzles with the children. It's fun, educational, practices hand-eye coordination, and is a great opportunity to be on their level and connect with them. Of course, circle time is also special, when I get to know each one of them personally. I think parents often have the idea that a high-quality child care program has to have a lot of fancy equipment. But the value of the program is really in the educators themselves. I am a professional teacher, and I draw on decades of experience when running my program. There's a lot that goes into teaching and child care that isn't always obvious at first glance, and it definitely isn't as simple as having the latest toys or technology.