Earth Angel Preschool and Karen Leonetti are wonderful! The preschool is on Siesta Key, set in a beautiful, lush paradise. The kids do organic gardening, have a weekly organic farmer's market, and have no idea how much they are learning as they play, play, play. The preschool is strong in sensory integration, which means that Karen's curriculum uses a lot of body-centered activities to stimulate the brain. (i.e. upper body movement, tactile activities, and vestibular like spinning and jumping) This is good for all kids, but especially good for active or attention deficit types.
One of my concerns when I sent my then-three-year-old was continuing a strong sense of family and place for her. I didn't want a school that required her to fit into a peg or become a number in a sea of faces. Karen's school became a second home for all of us-- when I had parenting problems or discipline questions, Karen spent time talking me through loving, but firm, tactics. And the kids all 'studied' empathy-- at a school event when a kid got hurt, all the kids came running to help. One got an ice pack, one got mommy, and another rubbed the injured child's back. Amazing to watch.
As my daughter got older, I worried about her academic readiness. But even though the academic side is embedded within the play structure of the school day, and not immediately obvious, they are learning. My kindergartener is now reading at a second grade level and LOVES school-- including math and science and she didn't get that from me. I credit Karen.
In fact, my only complaint is that my second daughter can't go until she's potty-trained. read more