I have to highly recommend Little Thinkers Preschool! I have had all three of my children go…read morethrough little thinkers and it's been a great foundation to their success in school. Mrs. Heather and her excellent team of teachers give love, care and great early education to all kiddos there. We were so lucky to be at Little Thinkers and can't imagine my kids starting their school journey anywhere else. Also the art work they bring home is the BEST!

We love Little Thinkers! Our oldest attended from 18 months-4 years and we now have our 2 younger…read morechildren there. Heather and the crew do an excellent job providing an entertaining program of arts and crafts and learning about a variety of topics, so the kiddos are always excited when they are dropped off and sad to leave. We have also appreciated the socialization aspect of getting our little ones together with other kids, and thankful that Little Thinkers provides a great environment for this at a very early age. This school has been an incredible blessing for us and we've happily referred them to all of our friends!

Absolute most wonderful teachers and staff, and such a special place. Both my boys went there…read more(newer Olivenhain location) and I can't recommend it enough.

Love this school. They take such good care of kids and meet kids where they are. They value play…read moreand understand that drive problem solving and long term success.

This school is so sweet and the staff is caring and attentive. When you walk in class it feels…read moreincredibly peaceful and calm. My kid is given the opportunity to learn and grow and gain confidence in so many aspects of daily life. Plus she learns Spanish. The teachers Ms Ely and Mrs Yvonne are kind and make the kids feel special. Josue who manages the front desk/operations is also so kind, flexible and communicative with parents. It's a sweet, safe and confidence-building environment and I would recommend to anyone looking for a Spanish immersion preschool. We love it here!

This school is wonderful! The space is beautiful, tranquil and spacious for this kids. Our 3 year…read moreold loves it. They have plenty of activities planned each day and they send precious photos regularly. The teachers are attentive and professional in the way they foster learning. They treat the kids with kindness and patience. An added bonus, our boys Spanish grammer and vocabulary are growing quickly. 10/10 would recommend.

My son is thriving at Learning Tree! He started right when he turned 2 which can be a tough…read moretransition, but the staff are so caring and it's such a supportive environment that he was easily able to make the switch. I love how much time they spend outdoors, how much art the children do and how all age groups are able to play and interact. Their new director MsAllison has made so many positive changes since she took over and we can't wait to send our youngest there too when he's old enough!

We are so lucky to have found The Learning Tree Preschool in Cardiff. The teachers are caring,…read morequalified, and happy- and the students get lots of social learning and support. There is a true feeling of community and kindness. Always great communication with parents from staff. Amazing professionals giving their support in all the stages of preschool- they truly helped potty train my kid and has helped her learn to share and take turns. At the playground yesterday my 3 year old asked a kid on the swing if she could please use it when she was done. I was very proud and surprised because she didn't learn that from me. Hidden gem of a school :)

This is one of the best places to send your pre-school child. This family-run business has been in…read morebusiness for over 30 years with two other locations--Encinitas and Vista. Kathy is the head cheese and her daughter runs this location. All I can say is that the children are really loved here. The emphasis is on supporting the children as they explore art, learning and playing. There are no or only limited time on computers and the kids can even play in their bare feet. I sent my child to the other location and she still maintains friendships that she established there. At this location the school house is set on a couple of acres of land allowing the kids to really get a that dose of natural fresh air they thrive in.

This is an excellent preschool in Encinitas. All of the teachers are enthusiastic and caring, and…read morethe activities are engaging. We enrolled our daughter here after relocating to the area, and her transition was seamless! She loves the outdoor/natural school setting and all of the creative activities that they engage in. The children create an art project everyday, dance, and do theme-based play. In addition, the school also tends to the more traditional school curriculum (letters and numbers). I am sure that our daughter will one day look back on her time at this school with fondness.

My son attends Central Montessori, and I truly couldn't be happier with our experience. The…read moreteachers and management are wonderful--so caring, knowledgeable, and supportive. A special thank you to Ms. Ban and Mr. Jay for everything they do. My son absolutely loves going to school every day and never stops talking about his friends and teachers. It means so much to see him so happy and excited to learn. The school also offers great activities like field trips and summer camp, which makes the experience even more enriching and fun for the children. After researching many schools, I'm so thankful my wife and I chose Central Montessori. We really appreciate everything the staff does for our children

Although my kids no longer attend this school, I continue to recommend it to my friends and family…read more They are currently expanding, and it's exciting to see the growth! This school gave my children the strong foundation they needed to excel in their next steps. A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Ban and Mr. Jay for being so wonderful!

When I first saw this place, I was like oh it's just old school, California earthy. I liked earthy…read morewhen I was young this will be great. Mistake number one on my part. I am sure this was a great place and idea in the 70s. I don't know the exact history, but it was probably more of a small neighborhood school for the neighborhood when it began. But truth be told, it isn't what it used to be. I don't know maybe it was always like this and nobody expected anything better or thought that they would need to evolve. We have evolved as parents, teachers and guardians of how to raise a healthy secure child and how to really help them thrive and feel safe in a pre-school/school environment. There are too many incidents to mention and too many red flags to mention of what my child witnessed and I myself witnessed and other parents witness but I didn't know any better. Your young child will not be in a physically safe environment in the outside area, there are hiding spots for children of all ages to wreak havoc and harm each other. Despite what you're told, the bigger kids are definitely mixed together with the younger kids without proper supervision and it's basically a free for all. "It's a kids will be kids and boys will be boys environment". That said, they also have them watch tv if they aren't allowed to nap. Yes they can tell your child they can't nap, there is not room for everyone. The teachers feed them candy without asking your permission and your child will be totally filthy when you get them, unless it's raining, then they have to block the whole dirt/Sand back off because it will be totally muddy with pools of water. The bathrooms are also a free for all. If your child is potty training, this is not the place you want them. Although the 2 tiny little potties and sinks are cute, they have zero privacy. Children are allowed to open the doors and crawl under the doors while other children are going potty. I saw this more than once and nobody did a thing. Things such as big boys were slamming the doors back and forth bothering a little girl who was going to the bathroom. My kid who was learning said that he didn't want to go at school because the big kids bothered him, so he was terrified. Maybe they get to eat a proper lunch without being harassed. The children with emotional or behavioral issues are not helped properly and are left to do as they please to the other children if they are not constantly supervised. Even during lunch or snack time. My child literally begged me not to take him to school on several occasions and I just thought he was being a toddler but now I know better. I have also witnessed children climbing the fence begging parents not to leave them. Again, I thought this was normal. It is not. He and his friends were being bullied and tormented by other older children and he was emotionally stressed, time has passed and he STILL talks about it. When I had to address an issue and asked to discuss it, I was heavily dismissed and ignored. Security-They leave signs for delivery people on the front latch gate to leave packages in the outdoor hallway. Which means if your child is hanging around alone someone could easily snatch them. Granted it has probably never happened but it's not actually secure. Anyone can walk in through the two old iron school gates and harm the kids if they wanted to. This place in theory could be great if it were updated, cleaned up, painted, managed and staffed properly and not a total fire hazard. If you let your child go and he or she thrived, great for you, but if your child showed or shows signs of being abnormally stressed, hopefully they will be able to express that to you and hopefully you listen to them. My son was sad and stressed after only a short few months and my heart broke. I felt like the worst parent ever for not noticing it wasn't his age but the environment I placed him in. PROS-great art projects and Ms. Lara One teacher Ms. Lara was always kind and gentle and basically had to protect some of the children and she knew it, but even she was afraid to have a voice. I felt like she was pretty intelligent and should probably be in a better place herself; but Ms. Frankie, Ms. Cathy and the other teacher(s) were not that smart and I am not even sure if they have degrees in child development, If they do, I am shocked and I didn't ask and that is my fault. Cons-Everything else Please do your research, there are much much much better/safer options for your child and you only have to pay as much as this place costs or a few hundred more for a quality education in the area.

This is one of the best places to send your pre-school child. This family-run business has been in…read morebusiness for over 30 years with two other locations--Encinitas and Vista. Kathy is the head cheese and has guided many children in this space many well-ahead of the game when entering kindergarten. I can honestly say is that the children are really loved and looked after here. She has had the same employees for many years as they also truly love the experience. The emphasis is on supporting the children as they explore art, learning and playing. There is none or only limited time on computers and the kids can even play in their bare feet. My child attended this awesome school for 2.5 years and she still maintains friendships that she established there. Just a note, the location has never been renovated so be prepared.

We cannot recommend Jodie and Cardiff Family Daycare highly enough! Our son started with Jodie when…read morehe was 16 months old and stayed for a full year. During that time, we saw incredible progress in his development and social skills. Jodie is so creative with her daily activities; she doesn't just 'watch' the kids, she truly teaches them through play. One of our absolute favorite parts of the week was Music Day, where a musician comes in with a guitar to sing with the children. It was a highlight for our son! Jodie has cultivated a wonderful, kind group of children, and the environment is always warm and welcoming. We only moved him because we wanted a Spanish-immersion environment for his language development, but we are so grateful for the love and care Jodie gave our son. She will be missed!

The only thing to say about Jodie and Cardiff Family Daycare is that she and the in-home daycare…read moreare truly INCREDIBLE. We started sending our son at 16 months old, and now at almost 2 years, we couldn't be happier. We'll be sending our newborn to her too and all future kids - I couldn't imagine sending them anywhere else. Jodie is one of the MOST caring and energetic providers we've ever met. She creates such a stimulating environment for the kids filled with creativity, play, and learning. The kids are constantly engaged--painting, doing art projects, exploring the outdoor mud kitchen, learning shapes, colors and numbers through projects, or enjoying weekly visits from a music teacher (the dancing videos we get each week are the best part of my week). It's an incredible, play-based, and family-oriented atmosphere - Jodie feels like part of our family and welcomes you into her home like you're part of hers. It couldn't be a more safe, comforting, loving and perfect environment for a daycare/preschool. What sets Jodie apart is her experience, energy, and thoughtfulness. She's been doing this for decades, and it shows in the care she provides and the countless creative ideas she brings every day, to holidays, and to any and all special occasions. Our son doesn't want to leave at pickup, which says everything about how happy he is there. We also LOVE the multi-age setup--the babies learn so much from the older kids, and it creates such a warm, community/family feel. On top of everything, Jodie goes above and beyond to support families. For example, she's already offered extra help when our newborn arrives. She is just incredible. I don't know how she does it. We will send all of our kids to Jodie for as long as possible because we truly believe it's the best learning and caregiving environment for infants and toddlers. We cannot recommend her and Cardiff Family Daycare enough.

So far we have loved the experience and I could not be happier at the school (and I have high…read morestandards and expectations). Each grade offers children to work at their own pace, and children can learn curriculum in reading/math up to two grades above each grade they're in without a competitive feel between the children. NO IPADS which is amazing since all public schools use that now as a learning tool and I'd rather my daughter not learn via tapping her finger on a screen. There is an intentional effort to have healthier food options at events, ordered school lunches, birthdays in class, aftercare snacks, but there is also no judgement amongst parents or between admin and parents. They offer extracurricular classes for kids in TK and beyond. My daughter does keyboard and dance once a week after school, and it's really nice, she just stays an extra half hour and I pick her up when it's done, and she LOVES them. The aftercare program has been amazing compared to the other Montessori we went to prior to ECDS. We absolutely love our teachers this year, along with the extracurricular teachers we've met. Ms. Hayes is the new principal but has worked at the school for over 10-15 years, and she is just wonderful, caring, dedicated, and knowledgeable. It's a really good feeling as a parent to have the principal and teachers open and welcoming of communication, and allowing us to be involved with our child's experience at school. Feel free to DM me on Yelp if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

This elementary school administration is completely in inept and lazy. If you have a child with any…read moresort of special needs, or he/she needs any special assistance at school, look elsewhere!!!!!! Apparently if your child doesn't fit into the perfect square box, or they may learn differently, you will be overlooked immediately. Discrimination at its finest. Fortunately I've heard the teachers are amazing. So that is their saving grace.

We have had a very positive experience here! I have an older son so this is also my fourth…read morepreschool so I feel like I have something to compare it to. My daughter started at 18 months. The teachers in the toddler classroom are so sweet and patient - Miss Monica and Miss Jayme. They are willing to work with whatever schedule you'd like to ease the children into the classroom. They are also very good at helping the children transition as many times this is their first place away from home. They have part time or full time schedules available. There is also an app and there are constant updates parents receive including lunch time, nap time, diapers and play time with pictures. I also love that there is a drive through drop off and pick up where the children are brought into school or out to the car. I'm a working mom and responsible for all the drop offs and pick ups and since my son attends another school, we don't have to get out of the car so this makes things much easier. The school also hosts some parent classes for free if you're interested. Cost wise for full time, it is on the higher end from what I've seen but it's cheaper than having a nanny which is what we had previously. I also believe it is reflected in the quality of care so it is worth it to me. I am happy we found this school and my son will be attending as well starting in a couple of weeks.

My son went here for two years and had a good experience. He had some social and developmental…read moredelays, and the staff were very encouraging and did their best to accommodate him. Often times, it's about the teacher - we were lucky to have a very supportive teacher. The other staff were very helpful and caring as well. We miss seeing their faces for drop off and pick up, especially Miss Kristine, who was always so warm and friendly.