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    Kidz First Academy

    5.0 (17 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 6:00 pm

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    First Day of School!
    Stephen A.

    What an amazing school and incredible staff! Neither of my two older daughters went to pre-school. We decided that my youngest needed the push, so we sent her to Kidz First Academy for two years. She started in Ms. Claudia's class. The amount of love shown to her was palpable. She learned SO much in that first year, socially, emotionally, and academically. The second year, she was in Ms. Donna's class. Again, the outpouring of love was something you could feel. She was always excited to go, to see not only her friends, but to see her teachers and learn. Now, she is thriving in Kindergarten. Kidz First Academy gave her all of the skills she needed to excel. She is always reading, and loves school. On top of it all, Ms. Molly is an absolute rock star. Her care for her students, her staff, and the families (not just parents, but siblings and grandparents) is above and beyond. I have been in education for over 20 years, and her level of dedication and care is rare and to be applauded. Bottom line? You cannot choose a better hands to care for your child than the staff at Kidz First Academy. They will care for your child's development mentally, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. On top of it all, we have gained lifelong friendships with the staff and other parents from the school. I gladly give Kidz First Academy my full endorsement with no reservations. Stephen Anastasia, MFA Professor of Music, MtSAC

    So much fun painting pumpkins!
    Joanna E.

    My two year old son has been attending since September of 2020 and we couldn't be happier! The first few days he cried a little during the morning drop offs. However that quickly changed to tears when we would have to leave for the day. He loves his fiends and teachers and has a blast going to school. He has truly blossomed and developed so much more since attending this preschool. I attribute that to the amazing staff who are so great with all the children who attend. Especially Ms. Lianne, who is wonderful with the 2 year olds! I highly recommend this preschool for anyone looking for a place for their child!

    Front of school from parking lot. Lots of parking!

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    3 months ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    This is a school I highly recommend! It is loving and academic focused. The teachers are loving and really care about their students

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Love this preschool! Both my kiddos attended here. Friendly and clean environment. Amazing staff!

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    Review Highlights - Kidz First Academy

    My 6 year old still talks about what Ms Claudia taught him(3 yr old teacher) and what Ms Donna taught him (4 yr old teacher).

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    Discovery Preschool at LAUCC

    4.9(57 reviews)
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    My wife and I have been searching everywhere for the perfect preschool for our 3-year-old, and…read morewe're so glad we found Discovery Preschool. From the moment we walked in, we felt welcomed. Roxy was amazing and guided us through every step of the process. The entire staff was engaging, patient, and genuinely connected with the children. What we love most is that it's not a "hands-off, just let them play" type of school. Discovery has a thoughtful, structured curriculum that includes early learning, leadership skills, writing, crafting, and so much more. We truly adore this place and feel confident our child will thrive here. I highly encourage parents who are looking for a well-balanced preschool to give this one a look!

    My son went to Discovery Preschool and had the best experience. Ms. Celia was a wonderful and…read moreunderstanding teacher to guide my son. He has a speech delay and went into Discovery with limited words but finished the program with so many new words and so many friends. Ms. Roxy the program director runs such a a great program for the kids and us parents. I appreciate the small class size and the engaging and hands on learning the kids get. The kids are taught in class but most importantly they are taught to be kind individuals. My daughter will be entering the program when she is old enough and we can't wait to be back with everyone at Discovery again!

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    4.9(36 reviews)
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    We LOVE this preschool! Our little guy has been attending since August 2020 and he has grown so…read moremuch! The staff and teachers are amazing, super supportive and informative. We have had a couple of parent / teachers meeting, which I love! The feed back and advise we receive is wonderful. Being we can't go into the class rooms to help out or have visits due to the pandemic. It's nice to be kept up to speed on how our sons progress is going. I just can't say enough about what this preschool has done to assist in our sons growth and development. Even in these crazy days of Covid, they have always made us feel at ease by providing an safe and secure learning environment. Which we truly are grateful for. A child needs the social interaction at this stage in their development. The preschools method of learning is through play and exploring. This is such a natural & fun way of learning. The teachers are always supportive and encouraging to the children. This creates a safe space for your children to really blossom. If you are in the market for a preschool that really focuses on the development of a child's social skills; being kind, learning how to express feelings & different emotions while having fun & playing with friends. This is the place for your little one.

    I can't say enough positive things about Little Sunshine House! We've had two kiddos attend…read morepreschool here and our youngest will also attend when he's old enough! My son has learned so much there and enjoyed his learning experience. We love water play days and all the sensory play. The teachers are AMAZING. Caring, kind, patient and gentle. For us, the teachers are what have made our experience so positive. Ms. Elvira has been incredible to work with, I trust her completely! They've made my children feel welcome and comfortable in their first school experience.

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    4.6(63 reviews)
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    I would highly recommend Marina Montessori School. Our daughter attended the school starting at the…read moreage of 2, through TK. The teachers, learning environment and enrichment programs have encouraged our daughter to flourish! The staff is very friendly and have great communication! Our daughter would race into the school daily. She really enjoyed her time there. She entered kindergarten socially and academically prepared, above grade level. Marina Montessori is one of Long Beach's top notch schools!

    Marina was the best decision for our little one. It was the first school that we looked at. We…read morechecked out a few other schools but this one felt right and my child instantly took to Ms. Candy who runs the school. Price: the price is competitive for private if not better than some schools for the type of flexibility & environment they provide. Schedule Options: I like the options offered. I appreciate their flexibility. I didn't see a lot of flexibility with the other places we looked at. This was important for our family. First Day: The first day of school can always be scary and nerve racking. My child is very nervous normally, but felt very welcomed here and ran right inside to participate in story time. Didn't even look back to say bye. I was surprised and happy to see that. It brought us immediate comfort. Class Structure/Communication: I like the type of structure they have. It's not rigid but still organized and routine. The teachers keep you in the loop and inform you of any issues or concerns during pick up or by the class dojo app. They will even give you updates and pictures of their playtime which I love! It's a decent class size. The kids learn a lot of fun things and interact with each other really well. You can tell most of the parents are very caring. There wasn't any drama or pretentious attitudes (that I was aware of) while we were there. We were even able to communicate with other parents on the app. So we made more connections outside of the school. Teachers: Ms. Brittney is great! Very patient and on top of everything. I really appreciate her communication and commitment to the kids. The other teachers we interacted with are also very kind and supportive. The teacher group is very diverse. They all have a calm vibe and I never worried about my child's well-being. They seem to pay attention and appreciate the kids differences which was nice to see. My child will forsure miss Ms. Samantha, Leann & Elizabeth. Activities/events: They offer extracurricular activities during school at reasonable prices which is nice if you want your child exposed but don't have time after school. They also have cute gatherings for the kids during the school day that parents can come participate in during holidays. Cons: My only real con is that my child was always full of sand by pick up lol. I got over it though. I had to remind myself that it's important for sensory play. My child talks non-stop about all the fun things they made while on the playground in the sand. I just decided to rotate the same few outfits to avoid messing up shoes & clothes. The obvious I know lol. Thank you Ms Candy & Brittney for the environment you provided! We are grateful for the experience. We are sad to go but I know my child enjoys learning and school because of Marina

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    We have loved being a part of the LVCC Preschool community for the past 4 years. My son attended…read morefor 2 years, and my daughter is just finishing her first. The teachers are all very kind and loving and work with you to address your child's individual needs. Mrs. Luyben and the school leadership anre also excellent at communicating about special days, activities, school needs, and new experiences for the kids. The school offers fun after school activity days at least 2x each month, and they celebrate most holidays in creative ways. I have also been really impressed with the quality of the art projects, playtime, and learning of basic letters, numbers, and shapes. I also want to note that, even though it is a Christian preschool and associated with the LVCC church, and we are non-Christians (but people of faith), I never felt pressure nor excessive Christian messaging. There was always a nice respectful balance of lovely Bible quotes and prayers, while respecting that our family was not Christian. The faith-based preschool is really expressed in their love and honoring of the sacredness of childhood. Which I love! I am grateful that LVCC Preschool was my kids' first experience with school! Definitely worth checking out for anyone looking for a kind, warm, creative, play-based preschool experience for their little!

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    We love Oakwood Academy (preschool). Our son joined in October of 2025 as a 2.5 year old. The…read moreschool is very clean and organized with processes that support safety, stability and care for the kids. My son has already learned so much in less than 6 months. I love that they post the lesson plan so you can reinforce the learning at home. There is a lot of communication through the Class Dojo app and postings at school. He also was potty trained fully in 2 months which I was more than happy to pay the extra $25-30 a week for that guidance. They have fun activities like field trips, Christmas recitals, special guests like firemen, dentists, etc. He LOVES his teachers, Ms. Cynthia and Ms. Khalifa and we do too! They really understand each child and their personality nuances. I can share what is happening at home and they help guide and reinforce behavior changes at school. It takes a village to raise a child and I'm so thankful to have Oakwood Academy as part of mine!

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    Our daughter loves going to "school" as she calls it. She loves playing with her friends and is…read morelearning a lot including how to fold, write her numbers and letters.

    My husband and I are very grateful and satisfied with the care and teachings of Mrs. Kamini and her…read morestaff. My Son attended from 2.5 years until 4 years old. We recently moved him to TK at a private school and his new teachers have been impressed with his ability, advancement, and independency. We know this was all due to his time at Play Pen Montessori. While attending, he met many amazing little friends which he is still very connected to. Mrs. Kamini checks in to see how John is adapting to his new school and truly cares, loves, and misses him. This is meaningful to us as parents! A day at Play Pen Montessori: Drop-Off commences at 7am. They have breakfast at 9am when most kids have arrived. They focus on teaching, reading, playtime, and activities until lunch time around 11:30am-12noon. (Summer Fridays: Water days), nap time from 1pm-3pm, snack and drinks after, more activities, playtime until pick- up time which ends at 5pm. Currently, we have our baby girl attending Play Pen. She began at 6 months old and is thriving within all her development stages. They communicate with us in regards to her changes and we work together to come up with new routines for her as she continue to grows. Most importantly, we have been very comfortable and at ease knowing our kids are/were safe with Mrs. Kamini. Play Pen Montessori is an amazing daycare/preschool. Highly, highly recommended!

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    Kidz First Academy - preschools - Updated May 2026

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