Where do I begin? The teachers and staff at Kids Express have been integral to my children's social, emotional and educational development for more than 10 years! Five of my children have graduated from Kids Express, each spending 2-3 years in various classrooms, and my youngest son has been there now since infancy. I can simply tell you that you won't find a childcare center/preschool better than Kids Express. Over the years, my children have had various educational, social, emotional and health-related needs. My oldest daughter was diagnosed with a developmental disorder as a preschooler, and the teachers and staff made an incredible difference in her social and emotional development by providing the support and care she needed to succeed. Most recently, our two year old son has experienced some medical problems related to an endocrine disorder. My husband and I provided a care plan from his doctors, and the staff and classroom teachers took an active role in ensuring his health and wellbeing. On one occasion he necessitated transport to UW Hospital Emergency Room. It was a frightening call to get, yet I cannot even begin to tell you how seamlessly the staff at Kids Express ensured his safety and care. As a healthcare provider myself, I couldn't have carried out the scenario any better. The communication between the teacher, administrators who stepped in immediately, and emergency personal was remarkable. These exquisite care providers never left my son's side, and stayed with him until my husband and I could meet them at the hospital. Thankfully, he recovered well and returned to school within a few days. As a parent, it is stressful to have a child with a chronic illness, and Kids Express is the only place I would trust to ensure his wellbeing and care. I truly trust the teachers and staff at Kids Express. The Dahl Family truly cares about each and every family at this school, and is responsive to individual circumstances and needs. They are "Salt of the Earth" people. I am thankful, beyond words, for the wonderful, loving experiences my children have had at this school. read more

We've been at HHA for years. Both of our kids attended 3K for 2 days/wk, 4K for 3 days/wk. My daughter then left for kindergarten at our public school. While her public school experience was fine, we could not wait to get her back to HHA for first grade. Their new facility is beautiful but it's the staff that we love the most. The teachers and administration are wonderful. I really believe they care about my kids and want the best for them. My kids come home happy. They can't wait to tell me about art class and they especially love their STEM teacher. Maybe we've just been lucky, but I feel like this school has brought out the best in our kids. When my daughter started first grade at HHA she was reading well behind grade level. Halfway through 2nd grade and she is reading above grade level. But more importantly -- she LOVES it. She wants to go to the library to check out books. If she's bored at home, she'll grab a book to read. This is directly related to the confidence she's built during her time at HHA. My biggest critique is back when my youngest was in 4K. There was high turnover in staff at the beginning of the year. But even though that totally sucked, I felt like admin did a good job keeping us updated the whole time. And we ended with two teachers that my son (and I loved) so it worked out well. I still get excited when I see either of them on campus because my son did not make their jobs easy and they still always saw the best in him and are wonderful teachers. read more

Our journey with Hickory Hill Academy began in 2022 when our then 3-year-old started preschool. As my husband and I were researching schools, we specifically wanted a school that emphasized social emotional learning in addition to being academically challenging. Currently our children are thriving in kindergarten and 3K at Hickory Hill Academy. We have found the teachers and staff to be kind, caring and encouraging. The Early Childhood Program is a great place to establish a love of learning. Our son struggled with separation anxiety in his first year at preschool and the team at Hickory Hill was accommodating and even provided us with daily updates on how he was settling in after we left. The Lower and Middle School's moto is "cultivating compassionate leaders", and that is exactly what we have experienced there. At a conference, our kindergartener's teacher mentioned that she has been encouraging our son to be more confident in himself. Hearing that your child's teacher cares about how they see themselves in addition to how they are doing academically brings such comfort. Hickory Hill has thoughtfully incorporated compassion and confidence building into the students' daily schedule. This is evident when you see kids holding doors for each other, older students reading with younger ones and the comradery at Community Circle every Monday. We would highly recommend Hickory Hill Academy. read more

As a first time mother, I am utterly impressed with the utmost care my daughter has received this past summer. As any new mother can attest to, it's very hard to leave your newborn/infant in the care of anyone other than you and your family. I found them to be more than equipped for the job. My daughter was instantly all smiles upon entering the classroom as she was greeted by her amazing teachers Miss Sara, Miss Jessica and Miss Anna. She got to experience the outdoors, learn about animals and nature, paint with her tiny fingers and toes, fine tune her small motor skills, play with other children, go for walks, discover new textures and toys, play with musical instruments, read books, play peek-a-boo and more. They had a curriculum every day and tracked all her eating, sleeping and diaper habits. And I was very happy with the teacher-to-child ratio. I never felt she would be left alone and/or neglected. I have many friends that had their children attend KELC, and they have nothing but great and positive things to say about it. Honestly my friends' opinions weighed a lot in our decision for our daughter to attend KELC. And with our experience, KELC's reputation did not disappoint. I look forward to this new school year, and what new things she will discover and learn. I love coming home to her paintings! read more

Strongly recommend this school. We brought our daughter over to Hickory Hill Academy for summer on the farm 2024 with the idea in mind that we wanted somewhere that was going to be supportive of my daughters growth no matter where she was at on campus. The community that welcomed us from day 1 felt like family. The connection between Early Childhood and the Lower School and Middle School side of campus is there to support and help my daughter thrive and learn. There's not a day that goes by that she doesn't ask to go to school, her favorite part of school is being able to see "Dolly" and also spending time over at the Big School as well as the Stem and Nature Bus. Her education and outcome has flourished since making the switch and she comes home each and everyday happy, talking about her friends and teachers and consistently asks when she can go back. I truly recommend this school with their community events, family culture on campus and all the loving staff and administration that has been there every step of the way to help support and give a smooth transition to my daughter. The value of this school is above and beyond. All the different educational enrichment opportunities they offer for both summer on the farm and during the school is one of a kind and not comparable to any other center. read more

As a former early childhood educator (who spent a few months teaching here years ago), I cannot emphasize enough the positive experiences I've had with Hickory Hill Academy (previously Kid Express Learning Center)! This preschool is not just a learning environment; it's a nurturing space owned by the most caring and compassionate family. Being a second-generation school, you can truly feel the dedication and love that permeates through the campus. The beautiful nature-based campus provides an inspiring backdrop for curious little minds to explore. But what sets Hickory Hill apart is their developmentally appropriate curriculum that's perfectly designed to foster growth and learning at every stage. The devoted teachers are exceptional, creating engaging and enriching experiences for the children. Plus, the community of families here is incredibly supportive and involved, making it a warm and inviting place for everyone. I absolutely love the variety of special events they host -- it truly brings the community together! If you're looking for a preschool that prioritizes your child's development in a loving environment, I highly recommend Hickory Hill Academy! read more

Campus, teachers, community. These are what I think are the top strengths of HHA. Our 3 kids grew up on their preschool and we have so many great memories from that time period. The same 3 kids are now in school and are really enjoying their time. We feel incredibly welcomed whenever we're on campus and the community of families has been wonderful. There are plenty of extra-curricular options. Our kids are involved with the after school care and my son comes home with stuff he's cooked/baked in culinary (never does this at home!). My daughter did Girls on the Run which was an incredible program to boost her confidence. My son did flag football for the first time recently and loved it, now doing basketball. My oldest really enjoyed playing volleyball. We have been most impressed with the teachers at HHA. What incredible people with positive attitudes. We constantly have emails describing what they're focusing on. One of our children required some extra attention at a time period and the teachers were not only super helpful, but professional and respectful. read more

My son started at KELC when he was 2.5 and it was his first preschool experience. At first he was nervous and sad to leave me. It was also difficult for me to leave my crying child, but his teachers were very kind and consoling of him and me. Now (one year later) he can't get me out of there fast enough! He loves his teachers, friends and the entire environment at KELC. As a parent, I could not be happier with KELC. They do an amazing job with my child. He learns so much and so fast, it amazes me all the time. Not only do they teach him about numbers, and letters they also have a song about being polite! The curriculum is varied and includes a nature class, gym class, and foreign studies (languages, foods and traditions of other cultures). I've known the Dahl family for many years, and would expect nothing less than this level of excellence from them. They are a warm, welcoming family and I truly believe they look at each family at KELC as an extension of their own. read more

KELC is an amazing place for daycare in Madison. When we moved to Madison with our one-year-old, we scheduled appointments to visit as many daycare facilities as we could but stopped our search after visiting KELC. The teachers in all of the classrooms so far have been superb - you can tell in your child's reaction to saying a teacher's name just how much they like the teachers as people as well as educators. Additionally, the grounds themselves are awesome - the emphasis placed on nature, animals, and gardening is something that we value and KELC thoroughly provides. Some days it is hard to leave because our daughter wants to keep feeding leaves to the goats. Amusingly, a relative keeps commenting on how our children won't have anything remaining to learn once they get to kindergarten - the teachers and curricula are certainly effective. All in all we love KELC for our children and couldn't imagine sending them anywhere else. read more

We couldn't be happier with our experience at Hickory Hill Academy. The campus itself is beautiful --open spaces, bright classrooms, and an environment that inspires learning and growth. What truly has made this school the best experience for our kids, are the incredible teachers who are passionate about what they do and genuinely care about our children. They take the time to get to know the students tailoring their teaching to fit each child's needs and learning style. Beyond academics, the school prioritizes social and emotional development, helping students become not just great learners but also compassionate and confident kids. My kids have loved interacting with the animals on campus, which i believe is both therapeutic and educational. What makes HHA feel so special to us is the sense of family and community. Everyone is welcoming and supportive. We're so grateful to be part of this amazing community! read more

We moved to Madison 5 years ago. Our son was 2 at the time. He had been in a daycare we were thrilled with but when we moved to the west side it was too far of a drive so we moved him to Kids Express. We were immediately impressed and couldn't believe the organization, facilities and progress he made there after being at a center that was excellent. Kids Express provided an even better educational experience. Since he has moved on to grade school but we have had our daughter there for the past 3 years and are equally impressed with her time there. We still send the both to the Summer on the Farm since they both really enjoy it and most importantly we know that they are safe and well cared for. read more

The staff are well trained and care about all students. They find ways to make all kids feel included and special; there are lots of activities and things that get parents involved. You always feel like your kid is in good hands when they get dropped off, and the organization is run with a caring and kind attitude from the top down. The campus is also remarkable and their plans for the next few years will continue to make this one of the brightest spots in private education in the Dane county area. read more

Our son has been attending KELC for the past year. WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT AND KNOW HE DOES TOO!! The learning experience is amazing. From learning about gardening to some pretty awesome art projects and much, much more, there are days we wish we were attending KELC. We have gotten to know the Dahl's quite well and are feel as though our child is treated not only as a student but as part of a family. We have recommended KELC to many others and will continue to do so. read more

We are so lucky to be able to send our son to Kids Express! He's 2 1/2 and has been attending Kids Express since he was 3 months old. All of his teachers have been amazing and he is so excited to go to school every day! He's made great friends and loves Mr. Rich's nature class. We love the weekly emails and constant teacher communication, always sharing photos and letting us know how our little guy is doing. We couldn't ask for a better place to send our son. read more

My 2 kids have attended KELC for 5 years. They both attended the preschool program as well as Summer on the Farm for school aged kids. There is no better place on the planet to place your kids throughout their developmental years. From the teachers to the front office to the facilities and to the curriculum, it is a world class operation. read more

We've been sending our children to Kids Express for almost five years. The teachers and staff are well educated, professional, and passionate about what they do. Our children light up when they talk about their experiences in gardening, sports, nature studies, and the classroom. This is a wonderful place that our family highly recommends! read more

i used to go to this school for 3 years its was the best school i have ever been to I have dyslexia and they helped me adapt to the problems that i encountered i have no idea what the other review is about i received nothing but kindness and love from the staff there BEST SCHOOL IN MADISON read more

My grandkids attend HHA and the facilities, teachers and staff are top notch. It is a safe and unique learning environment that allows kids to flourish and become leaders no matter where they are. HHA is a breath of fresh air!! read more