Everyday after school I ask my son what he did, his response is always the same, "I played today…read moreand had fun", to me the best way to teach preschoolers is though play and making a fun environment where they don't realize they are in school learning. The school has a great curriculum and the teachers are great, my son has learned so much this year and never 'dreads' going to school, which has set him up for being excited about starting kindergarten next year! We like this school so much that my soon to be 3 year old will be attending next year.

Grand Avenue has been a great fit for our son since we moved here a year ago. He likes all the…read moreteachers and they truly care about him. They not only help him with his schoolwork but also socially to make good choices. I would recommend Grand Avenue to other families in the area.

We have been absolutely thrilled with the caliber and quality of Intercultural in Oak Park. The…read morecommunity we've created with other parents, the support we feel from the school administration and teachers, and the leaps we've seen both our kids make academically, emotionally, and socially are all reasons we've stayed all the way through kindergarten for both kids. The Spanish immersion was a no-brainer, but the Montessori method was new for us - I truly credit this method in helping shape our kids into little world citizens who are independent, inclusive, curious, and kind.

Um, I was sad after reading the first review. Not knowing what sort of experiences others have…read morehad, my daughter seems to love it at Intercultural. It's a wonderful departure for her from regular day care, and I love the fact that she is getting a healthy dose of the Japanese language every morning. The teachers communicate well and are good at sending home what the children have been working on. My daughter just started at the beginning of November and is happy every morning that she attends school as opposed to not wanting to go to her previous day care. Obviously I don't have as much experience with the school as others do- I am interested to hear what others think. I give it 4 stars simply because it is super expensive. (As are all private schools of quality) We're shelling out a lot of cash monies to read a bad review of this place..... eeek. Thought I'd update my review - Feb. 08 - my daughter does not attend this school any more. We took her out at the end of last school year. She seemed to be the one kid who couldn't handle not understanding the language. She wouldn't talk to, or hardly look at the (Japanese) teachers. It made me sad to take her out because I really wanted her to have the early understanding of another language. She also seemed to dig the Montessori learning techniques. She's super happy at her new school and seems much more comfortable. comfortable

As an employee of Alcuin, I can speak highly of this school's teaching faculty, who are among the…read moremost intelligent, talented, and committed Montessori teachers I have met in the field. The families who send their children to this school seem highly committed to helping their children reach their highest potential, and see their children as whole beings with social and emotional needs, as well as academic ones. As a teacher here, I have greatly enjoyed my relationships with parents, as they have been so collaborative and positive. We have newly begun a terrific adolescent program, and I encourage anyone interested in finding an alternate middle school, or a high-quality educational program for any age child to inquire. I have been so happy to work at this fantastic and excellent school, which is truly a haven for Montessori teachers who love to nurture and challenge children!

We absolutely love Alcuin. Our son has thrived in the Primary classroom, and our daughter is new…read moreto the Toddler class. Both children are happy and actually look forward to going to school! Since starting at Alcuin, my daughter has shown significant progress with her verbal skills and interest in potty training/toilet learning. It's only been a short time, but the difference in her is truly remarkable. For those considering a high-quality, Montessori education in a loving environment, look no further!

Love this place!! It was the best start for my 3 boys. Caring teachers, small classes, great…read morefamilies! Just a wonderful preschool & we're so lucky to have found it. It's not all play, my boys did very well here academically& it's a place we still miss as they're older now. Fond, fond memories!

Can't say enough great things about First United. Our 5th year here, we love it! Wonderful,…read morecaring teachers and staff and a really great environment. While it's a play based preschool so much learning has happened during our time here.

Our two children were at La Casa for a month during the summer this year, and we were so happy with…read moretheir experience there -- they got to take a circus class, try chess, speak Spanish, create work they were really proud of, meet a wonderful group of kids, and get to know and trust the fantastic instructors there. They got lots of outdoor time and substantial walks to and from nearby playgrounds, and came home with fun stories about friends and teachers (after a tearful first few days, of course). We also saw real growth in how they perceived their own capabilities and responsibilities -- we were totally and happily shocked when our daughter said, for the first time ever, that she needed to tidy up her room before she moved on to her next activity (!). The school is cozy and unfussy, with a big downstairs space for performances and physical play. Our children's classroom was upstairs and filled with light; it had fascinating activities and toys arranged along the walls and in various nooks. In terms of our experience as parents, we were so pleased with the regular communication (photos on a closed Facebook group / emails about class activities / texts when the kids were heading to a park in the afternoon) and felt welcomed immediately. La Casa is well run, caring, and learning-focused in the best way.

My son is in his second year at La Casa, and we plan to enroll our daughter when she is old enough…read more The building is clean and beautiful, and the teachers are communicative and caring. They respond promptly to text and email, and post pictures weekly on the closed FB group. I know that as soon as my son steps into the classroom, he will be treated with dignity and kindness. He loves all his teachers and gets so excited to see them - he even wanted to invite them to his birthday party! La Casa does a great job of following the Montessori methods, and I have been impressed by what my son has been learning (and is excited to learn!) - at 3, he is teaching Spanish to US! He has become quite and eager helper at home, too. La Casa is excellent at working with parents on potty training, and is much more flexible than most schools at working with the parents of kids with special needs to make sure they are learning to their full potential. Probably what I love the most is how active the kids are every day. They go for walks and to the park nearly every day, usually twice a day. When the weather isn't cooperating, they play "pelotas" and games inside, and they have Zumba at least once (if not two or three times!) per week, which my son LOVES. They also have options for yoga and additional directed art on top of the regular classroom art (and this all starts at age 2!). The only reason I would not give La Casa 5 stars yet is there is still room to improve in terms of administration. They would benefit from FT rather than PT administrative staff, as the organization can be a bit lacking at times. As a parent, you need to be a bit persistent to get all the information you need at the beginning - but at least the staff is very responsive. My son and our family have made some wonderful friends through this school, and we would recommend it to other families looking for a flexible, full-day, reasonably-priced, Spanish immersion school starting at age 15 months.

We love NDC!! Our daughter has made significant social and educational strides during her time…read morehere. Every day her face lights up when we walk in, which tells us everything we need to know! The teachers are all incredibly invested and loving, and we're so grateful for their care and support. We highly recommend this daycare to any parent looking for a nurturing and stimulating environment for their child. The staff and teachers are truly exceptional!

The teachers and staff at Noble Daycare are extraordinary. They are kind and loving and really make…read moreyou feel like family. Our oldest daughter was at Noble from 4 months to Pre K3 and our 2nd daughter is currently there. With our first daughter Noble helped guide us through the new parent phase from telling us to go up in diaper size, to helping with transitioning from bottles to solids, all the way to helping with potty training. We honestly would be lost without their support. It's the most loving space and we are so thankful we found it. We will be sad when the day comes for our 2nd baby to move on to big girl school. We highly recommend.

We just left Prairieland due to a move to the suburbs but the whole time wished we could keep it…read morepart of our 21-month-old daughter's life! She had been at Prairieland since the age of 3 months and even as a real little one was always giddy and thrilled to arrive at daycare, which always comforted me and provided the confidence I needed to continue building my career outside the home. Prairieland is very professionally managed and I've always felt good about the teachers caring for my daughter. The Bumblebee (infant) Room was a little small and high traffic near the cribs -- I never felt like my baby got the full length or quantity of naps she truly needed according to Dr. Weissbluth :) but by the time she was in the Meadowlark (toddler) Room this felt less of a concern. The inadequate sleep could be a phenomenon of daycare in general, however, and Prairieland does many other things right. My husband and I weren't necessarily looking for a Montessori program from the start, but we've become supporters of the concept as we see our baby girl's curiosity, independence, and helpfulness take shape at such an early age.

I found the school online and trusted my intuition for sending my 18 month old to day care the 1st…read moretime! The first thing that got me intrigued is the fact that the school facility is designed completely open to the street and everyone are welcome to see the kido's in action. In my mind is a great sign for how open the school is and its definitely interesting for the kido's to see what's happening outside. I have been extremely impressed by the care and the love that the Prairieland team giving to my son. He absolutely love going there and we didn't event had any issue in the beginning like separation anxiety or adjustment to new sleeping arrangements during nap time. Would highly recommend this school!

We are thrilled with Kindness Creators!…read more They're a preschool located at the Oak Park Arms retirement community where the retired residents volunteer in the classroom and the kids go visit the residents who aren't physically able to come down. It's like my daughter has 50 grandparents watching over her at preschool and it is heart-warming to see the seniors light up around the kids. Jaime and Pam do a fantastic job educating our daughter. With more and more research highlighting how critical social skills are to kids' success in school, we were excited to see that the emphasis is on social/emotional and empathy. Since she's started school, our daughter has done a great job making friends at the park and dealing with disagreements. She's still a 4 year old, but it's fun to see her confidence grow. Of course, she's also getting great with her numbers and letters. There are a whole lot practical conveniences to Kindness Creators that are a great bonus. They are really flexible on their hours, you can have your kid go to preschool year round (if you like), they meet you outside for pick up and drop off which definitely saves time and the kids don't have to be potty trained when they start. Kindness Creators is great for my daughter with the added benefit of bringing a lot of joy to Oak Park's senior citizens.

We have been at no less than five preschools in the area, and are just in love with Kindness…read moreCreators. Pam and Jaime are both early childhood certified, and have special ed and ESL endorsements, so they are very qualified to be teaching our kiddos. KC focuses on social/emotional development, which is why we have moved our son here this year rather than a traditional after-kindergarten program, since that is very important to us. The program is in a senior citizens home, so my kid gets to mingle with seniors, which is a win-win for everyone involved in my book. There are ice cream socials every Friday ;) In addition, there are education college students helping out in the classrooms as well as seniors from the center. It is well-run and I love that I get to spend as much time as I need every day talking to Pam and Jaime at pick up. I haven't found that anywhere else. We love it so much, we are transferring my other son here next year. I wish it had been around years ago when we first started in preschool!