The administration and staff were friendly and helpful. While looking for the right preschool I…read morecalled and visited several different facilities. CMS set aside time to take me on a tour and answer all my questions. After I decided to enroll my child they facilitated an observation with me and my child to spend time in each of the three preschool rooms which allowed me to decide which room to place my child in. They even let us come back and spend the morning with the class to help with the transition. They always made time for us and my child is happy and in the right environment. Everyone from the administration to the teachers helped us while making the big decision on choice of education and care. Three months later and we couldn't be happier. It's an amazing community of parents, children and educators dedicated to success of the children and their implementation of the Montessori philosophy.

From the owner: Now Enrolling For Our Pre-Primary (Ages 2 to 3) Program!!…read more Columbia Montessori School (CMS) provides an enriching Montessori education in an environment prepared for the child, where natural curiosities are stimulated and the whole child is nurtured. With the structured Montessori environment, large playground, and outdoor classroom, we provide a place where children ages 4 weeks to 6 years develop a sense of self awareness, social responsibility, and a desire to learn while being free to explore and enjoy being kids.

Our children attended LPE in 2020-21, the first school year following the start of the COVID…read morepandemic; our 5-year-old son was enrolled as a Kindergarten student, our 2-year-old daughter as a preschooler. There was a high likelihood of Columbia's (very good) public schools relying on virtual or hybrid learning that fall, and we worried about our son's ability to thrive under those conditions. My spouse had the opportunity to return to the workplace that fall after being a stay-at-home mom for five years, and LPE's proximity to our home and its commitment to maintaining a safe, healthy, in-person learning environment gave her the confidence she needed to move forward with that job. While we were excited about our children attending a school where they would learn a second language, I will readily confess that the dual-language nature of the school was less important to us than the prospect of the kids attending school in-person. We never hid the fact that we would likely send our kids to public schools in future years, once the pandemic had subsided. The school's administration tolerated this, but we could always tell that it irked them a bit; that said, we weren't the only family who were using LPE that year as an emergency measure. Both of our children really thrived in their dual-language learning. My wife and I do not speak or read French and have no familial, social, or professional connections to French-speaking regions, so it wasn't a language the kids were hearing us use at home. The fact that they absorbed so much is a testament to the efficacy of language immersion. We no longer live in Columbia, and while we like our current home, we always find ourselves wishing that more language-immersion programs existed around here. Columbia is lucky to have at least two of these schools. (Maybe more?) I must commend LPE for its COVID protocols that year. Teachers and staff used PPE and worked hard to ensure that the school's various pods of students did not mingle and mix in ways that would spread illness. If I remember correctly, the school only closed once during the entire 2020-21 school year out of an abundance of caution--the ill staff ended up testing negative for COVID. Our son completed Kindergarten at LPE. Sadly, our 2-year-old daughter was asked to leave midway through the school year. We've learned in the four-plus years since that she has autism. This disability was already manifesting itself in its toddler years, often in the form of sensory sensitivities, difficulty with transitions, and delayed skill development. Unfortunately for us, LPE's administration and staff were wholly unprepared for her needs. We understand that it can be difficult to work with a toddler who is not behaving like her peers; that said, the degree of obstinance and cold-heartedness exhibited by some key individuals was shocking at times. One administrator in particular took pride in what she characterized as a traditional disciplinary approach to childcare. She may believe it is appropriate, and I've certainly read favorable comments from families who share her philosophy. But in our opinion, she spent far too much time engaging in power struggles with our small child, interpreting any of our daughter's inabilities to meet expectations as willful disrespect of authority. More than once, this person told us, "Your daughter knows what to do but is choosing not to," or, "She's making bad decisions, and I must let her know that we will not tolerate that." She routinely punished our daughter for not completing worksheets, not engaging in activities, or even not drinking out of a cup properly, by making her sit on a pillow in the hallway or in an otherwise empty room for hours at a time. She responded with exasperation when we noted that we were not disciplining our daughter at home for her shortcomings at school. It was clear from her comments to us that she felt we were failing the school by not taking an equally hard line with a child who was trying her best in the moment. Whether it's France or Belgium or the US, this is 19th-century behavior. Families are welcome to pay for it; I certainly wouldn't have had we been aware of other options and had a better understanding of our child's disability. Thankfully, we found a far more welcoming, patient, and acccommodating dual-language school on the other side of town. That school was founded by families who liked LPE's immersion approach, but not the more peculiar and dictatorial aspects of its pedagogy. I don't blame them. Yelp has suppressed a 2014 review from Crystal B. that expresses a lot of these concerns. Reviews by parents and former staff published on other websites mention this same authoritarian mindset. That's a sign that this wasn't a temporary problem brought on by the very real stresses of the COVID pandemic. It was real. Let's hope it has changed.

Loving the adult French classs with Maxime as instructor I look forward to next sessionread more

The Academy of Early Childhood Learning is a great daycare! The teachers work with their students,…read moreas if was their own child!! If the child has special diets, the cooks do take special attention, to accommodate to that childs needs! I would recommend this daycare for a good start!!

The Academy is truly an amazing place for children. The Head Teachers are of the highest quality…read moreand the retention of the Head Teachers is hands-down above and beyond my expectations in this industry. The children are loved, cared for, and valued. The facilities are beautiful with the East location being located on acres of parkscape. I highly recommend both locations and know you will be pleased with your experience.

My son has been at Bright Start Academy- Columbia East for nearly 3 years, and we love it! We were…read moreinitially pleased with the security features and the cleanliness of the facility- important when our son was an infant. But these days he's a rambunctious preschooler, and we're still driving out of our way to go to BSA. He has a big classroom full of toys and large outdoor play areas. My favorite part is the low turnover of students, so even though it's a big daycare center, he's been with the same group of kids since they were tiny babies. They've practically grown up as siblings! Center-based care is amazing for its dependability. I never have to scramble to find emergency childcare. The administrative staff is super professional, and the turnover of teachers is very low too. I thought it would be a revolving door of college-age students, but there are full-time teachers for each classroom. They all remember my son's name and say hello every day! I can drop by anytime during the day and peek in at my son through the 2-way mirrors in each classroom. I also get daily updates and pictures through an app so that I can see all the fun he's having. My son loves going to school each day to see his friends and play. He comes home knowing new songs and reciting the months of the year and counting to 20 and it's all wonderful. I know my son is getting good care there, and he's safe and loved!

From the owner: Bright Start Academy is fully accredited and follows strict guidelines and high standards of the…read moreNational Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA). National Accreditation is a mark of excellence that very few preschools achieve. To become Nationally Accredited our programs have to be proficient in 29 key concept areas, including health, safety, administration, teacher qualifications and continuing education requirements, developmentally appropriate curriculum, communication, community involvement and more. Maintaining our NECPA Accreditation is an ongoing commitment proving Bright Start Academy goes beyond Missouri State Licensing requirements in order to provide the highest-quality care.

TLT is tucked in off the gorgeous Stephens Lake Park. We have been involved with TLT for over 4…read moreyears and have 1 graduate of the French Program and we will conclude our preschool years at TLT this May with our son graduating:( I have been very involved with the school while my children attended and have gotten to know the staff very well. I can't say enough about the school. All the teachers are dedicated to their classrooms and to the school, usually you see high turnover in preschools, majority of our head teachers have been with us for 5+ years. Having native speaking teachers in all classrooms is so very special - we love the curriculum and the educational opportunities that they provide to children is amazing! Everyday at pick up my son is so excited to tell me about his day..the letter he learned, the circle time activity, the craft that was done or even sing me the song they are learning! It always puts a smile on my face!! If you are thinking about TLT, schedule a visit and sit in on a classroom and observe- it truly is amazing!

I sent both of my children to The Language Tree. They were in the French program. We loved Mrs…read more Stephanie, Mrs. Virginie and Mrs. Souzy! They were amazing with our children. And they gave the gift of a second language to both of them. TLT prepared them for Kindergarten and for the world!

I just wanted to start by saying how extremly rude kindercare was to me on the phone. Covid has…read moretorn through the U.S. and change a lot of things for everyone. I called this company to discuss child care options, at the end of the conversation i was told it was not there problem and they hung up on me. I would think at the end of the day everyone would pull together and help each other, Guess not! This was at columbia mo location, thanks again for all your help.

In the beginning, I loved everything about this facility. I really liked the daily email updates,…read morethe teachers sent pictures of my daughter daily, relieving some of my anxiety. Later on after just a couple months of enrollment, I began having communication issues with staff. Incident reports were not being made and I ended up withdrawing my child from this facility for unexplained bruises. I was tired of having to guess what happened to my child. Not worth the money or worry.

Uses inappropriate/abusive forms of discipline. I had to pull my child immediately after he came…read morehome telling us that a teacher put her hands on him.

From the owner: If you are looking for a safe environment where your child will grow both socially and…read moreacademically, Walnut Street Day School in Columbia, MO, provides an excellent learning and growth environment for kids ages 2 to 6. With classrooms offering an age-appropriate curriculum geared for student development and teachers who receive continuous education, the quality day care is proud to support the needs of children and their families. By providing small class sizes and a low teacher-to-student ratio, their goal is to have each student leave ready for the next educational environment they will advance to. During their time at Walnut Street Day School, children create art projects to bring home, get plenty of social interaction by playing with others, and can even sign up for swimming lessons when available. The day care also participates in the Missouri Department of Health and USDA food programs, which allows them to make sure all kids receive the proper nutrition every day. To enroll your child or take a tour, call (636) 939-1568. Take a look at their Facebook photos for a look at their facilities and happy students!

I have two children at this school. Before we had our first child I was very tempted to go the…read morenanny route purely out of convenience but now my husband and I are truly glad we decided to send our kids to this school instead. Every day presents a new learning and socialization opportunity. The teachers have a curriculum that they follow yet they are flexible enough to suit your child's needs; kids get plenty of variety with their meals/snacks; they get outside when the weather is nice enough and there isn't a doubt in my mind that my kids will be more than ready for kindergarten when that time comes. The amount of things that they have already learned is pretty incredible. Sure there is some turn over occasionally with the teachers but I don't know a large daycare provider that doesn't have this same issue. Some of the staff that have left have even come back. Overall the teachers and staff are fantastic and I would recommend End of The Rainbow to anyone that is interested in sending their kids to an environment where the teachers and staff truly care about the children.

From the owner: For more than 30 years, End of the Rainbow Child Care Center in South Columbia, MO, has been…read morededicated to providing children a safe, caring environment to grow and learn. This early childhood development center offers child care centered around educational programs designed to encourage them socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively. Owner and Director Nikki Reynolds has been leading the team at End of the Rainbow Child Care Center since 2000. In that time, she's shared her belief that children deserve a place where they feel safe and encouraged, and parents need peace of mind in knowing their children are in the best hands. Reynolds has employed a staff of experienced, certified teachers and tutors to care for infants as young as six weeks and children as old as 12. They maintain an explorative classroom environment with curriculums intended to encourage children to reach their full potential. To help children with their educational paths, End of the Rainbow Child Care Center offers day care services, after school tutoring, kindergarten readiness and early childhood development programs. Their staff is large enough to cater to each age group's specific developmental needs while providing children individualized attention and care. Nursery school children learn to understand the world around them, and school-aged children benefit from out-of-the-classroom learning experiences...