This place is incredible - I'd give them a million stars if I could! You can read further for the…read morelong-winded version, but the short version is - enroll here if you can & you will be forever grateful. Ms. Nikki and Ms. Jennifer set the standard and it is HIGH! I have had 2 littles enrolled here - 3 & 18mos - for the last year and a half and have had absolutely the best experience with bringing them to this center. It is clear that every teacher and staff member at Bright Start is genuinely invested in the growth and development of each of their students. In our time at this center my 3 year old has had the opportunity to be in 3 different classrooms - toddlers, 2's and preschool 1 (3 year olds). Every teacher and teacher's helper has seriously impressed me with how they interacted with him, understood his personality and worked with his strengths to help him succeed. Their support has helped give him confidence in social settings, contributed to his growing independence and fostered his curiosity and love of learning. My daughter started in the infant room and was not an easy baby! I was so nervous to leave her with anyone else because she was colicky and so particular about everything for her first several months of life, but somehow her preferences were also constantly changing. The teachers in the infant room handled all her quirks and demands with such genuine love and care, I am still amazed. Every day at pick-up they would give me a run-down of how the day went and any new things they noticed with her. Their open communication made it easy for us to work together to ensure baby girl had the best day every single day. When she transitioned into the toddler class, her teacher noticed some unease with her new level of interaction with her peers and stayed close to her the first few days to help her get comfortable. Now she just walks confidently right in the door every day, ready for fun and learning! The summer camp calendars and activities are amazing and my 3 year old participates in their phonics program as well, which is also incredible. I sincerely cannot say enough good things about this center and their staff. Ms. Nikki has always been so helpful and was flexible when our family needs changed at the last minute. We are moving and it is heartbreaking to leave a place we had no intention of leaving, but I am satisfied with knowing that this center had a measurable, positive impact on both of my kids.

This is a long-overdue review for Bright Start, as they have been an incredibly supportive, safe,…read moreand loving place to send our son (and soon to be our newborn daughter). As two full-time working professionals (and an educator myself), Bright Start has given us peace of mind that our children will be nurtured academically, socially, and emotionally. They are truly our village and partners in helping our children thrive--and in this season of life, that kind of partnership is invaluable. We began the process of finding daycare for our son when I was still pregnant with him. From the get-go, it was clear that Bright Start was head-and-shoulders above every daycare we visited in the area. We loved that it struck a balance between being a small, intimate center, while still providing structure and intentionality to the day--even for the infants. It's a place that feels like home, while still offering the routines and enrichment of a high-quality early childhood program. Ms. Nikki eased my concerns as a new mom through the entire registration and waitlist process, giving me a thorough tour of the facility and patiently answering all my (many!) questions about what daily life at BSLC looks like. She didn't just sell the center--she made me feel confident that my child would be seen, known, and cared for. We were so thrilled when we secured a spot and began sending our son when he was 6 months old. My son started in the infant room, and has since grown into the toddler room, and now the twos room. Every teacher we have interacted with has been professional, kind, and deeply attuned to my son's personality and needs. It's clear they prioritize relationships and connection just as much as they do routines and curriculum. Through every major early childhood milestone--introducing solids, sleep regressions, potty training, social-emotional growth--the teachers have gone above and beyond to partner with us and meet our son where he's at. It feels collaborative in the best way. The communication with families is top-tier. Caregivers are kept in the loop through newsletters, memos, and daily updates. The Procare app is a fantastic tool--they update it in real time with info about meals, naps, bathroom trips, and even share adorable pictures of your child throughout the day. It's the kind of thoughtful touch that goes a long way when you're juggling work and parenting and just want to feel connected to your little one's world while you're apart. Most importantly, our son is thriving. He's happy every time we drop him off and even more excited to tell us stories when we pick him up. His language has exploded, he's developed empathy and problem-solving skills, and he's constantly curious. We know that a huge part of that growth is thanks to the intentional, caring environment BSLC provides. If you're a parent searching for a place where your child will be loved, supported, and encouraged to grow in all the right ways--look no further. Bright Start is not just a daycare, it's a community. And we're endlessly grateful to be a part of it.

We love ACT, each of our kids started as an infant and stayed through the preK years. Our youngest…read moreis still there and loving it, and our older 2 love going back to see their teachers and the director whenever they can. The director wants learning to be fun, and fun is definitely had: my kids have often told me that I've arrived "too early" to pick them up. The teachers are wonderful. The kids have lots of opportunity for independent and high-energy play, as well as structured learning and activities for the toddlers and preKs that range from songs and counting to learning to write. They also meet every kid where they are at, which is so important at this age. I can't quite put 8 years into such a short review, but we've been and continue to be very happy here.

I can't say enough about the excellent level of care that Academy of Creative Thinking has provided…read moremy son over the past 2 years. It is always difficult to entrust your child's care in the hands of strangers, but Hector and his staff made our son a part of their family from the beginning. Unfortunately, my son is starting pre-school elsewhere, but our experience at ACT was fantastic. We cannot wait to go back next summer and see everyone. Very highly recommended!!!

I have been taking my time to write a great review for this school. My son just finished the…read moreschool year at Casa dei Bambini Montessori. He is 3 1/2 now and started when he was 2 1/2 years of age. I can't say enough about this establishment. Oana and Ms. Patti as well as their staff have been so kind, patient, and dedicated to the needs of my son as well as the other children. They were very accommodating to our schedule with work on our tuition plan as well as with my son's allergy's. The building as well as the classrooms are very Montessorri based and structured. Very calm and inviting atmosphere. The rooms are neat, clean, and very organized. I love the bathroom they have set up for the kids. They have a outside play yard and garden that is beautiful. My son enjoyed planting flowers and learning about nature. I loved that they often get the kids outside everyday to get fresh air. My son learned many important independent functioning skills while his time at their school. He also learned many other important skills such as problem solving, waiting, and separation from me. His transition to the school as pretty smooth. He took regular naps there and I feel the home visit they do beforehand really did help with this transition. He loved all his teachers and most of all I felt comfortable with him being there while I was at work. I knew he was well taken care of and in good hands and most of all learning. We have decided to move on to the Catholic school that we have my older daughter at due to cost as well as just having one drop off and pick up in the day. However, although this is the best choice for us as a family, this school definitely is a top of the line Montessori School if this is the education route you are interested in starting and continuing with. They have a beautiful video ( my son is in it) that can also give a nice picture of what it looks like inside. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Positive: Clean daycare, some friendly staff, some useful feedback but mainly geared towards…read morecomplaints about your children. Negatives: Lack of followup from the owner on multiple occasions, exaggerates normal child behavior to create a sense of immediate need for therapy (maybe there is a $$$ relationship there), video system not working in case you need to check something. They are a business first and foremost and not a daycare. If you are looking for a more traditional, not soldier building machine, steer clear. If your child is docile and low level of energy, great place.

My daughter absolutely loves this school. She've learned so much in just few months that I'm…read moreimpressed! Everyday they have different activities, and a huge outdoor playground. The teachers are the best, very caring and attentive. I can't say enough good things about Fairyland! Highly recommend!

We looked at several places in the area for our daughter to start preschool and we could not be…read moremore pleased with Fairyland. I am a teacher and I really love the way they are much more than a daycare facility. Ms. Eva is great and always accommodating as well as the rest staff. They use a curriculum that aligns with CPS, so the kids are getting well planned and thought out activitiesand lessons that will prepare them for kindergarten. It's clean and organized, and very reasonably priced. I would recommend Fairyland to anyone looking for a reasonably priced daycare/preschool in the portage park area that really is above the rest. And most importantly, my daughter loves it.

Little Scholars is forever embedded in my heart! My son attended this daycare for about 4 years,…read morethe staff has a family dynamic which speaks volumes as they care for the babies/toddlers/ kids in the same way. I will miss having my son attend here he learned so much with the daily activities and made endless friends! They definitely helped me along the way to get my son ready for his next chapter!

Amazing staff! It's nice to know that your children are cared for by teachers that actually care…read more My daughter loves going everyday. Which surprises me.

My daughter and son attended 30 years ago and Ms Kristie was there teaching and caring for them,…read morenow my 3 yr old grandson goes there 5 days a week ad he absolutely looks forward to it everyday. Its a small group and they give the kids individual attention. They build social skills and the kids make friends. I highly recommend this school.

I hope everyone is lucky enough to experience this incredible program! SSYY is an absolute treasure…read more- which is all thanks to the Program Director, Mrs Kristie. Despite preschool being the first "away from parents" experience for most littles, Mrs Kristie makes children feel safe and comfortable, and does an amazing job building community among the students. The curriculum is fun, creative, and focuses on social and emotional skill development and academic learning. Over the course of 6 consecutive years, all 3 of my kids went through SSYY and I continued to be more impressed year over year! We love Mrs Kristie and are forever thankful for the foundation that she created for our children!

Outstanding staff Outstanding programs…read moreThis is defiantly a place you can send your pre-k or Kindergarteners to help prepare them for the real big schools. Miss Samantha, Ms. Schaffer, Miss Cathie, Miss Dawn and the aides are wonderful and were great with my daughters!

Sending my son to this school was one of the best decisions I've made for him. He's so happy here!…read more I feel super lucky to have found such a great team of teachers and staff. Everyone is so nice! My son is learning so much and comes home every day so excited to tell me about his day. I'll be sad when it's time to move on to another school (we still have a few years here thank goodness!).

Having two children who have now graduated and moved onto high school...I can still attest to the…read moregreat school St. Barts is. Academically - both my children tested and successfully made it in at Loyola Academy. Numerous other graduates from both of their graduating classes successfully made it into selective enrollment schools or are enrolled in honors/ap classes at other Catholic high schools. The biggest positive of this school, that I am just realizing in hindsight is the type of kids that go here. After realizing how "advanced" some other kids were in areas of sex,drugs,alcohol who came from other neighboring grammar schools I was so thankful that wasn't an issue at St. Barts. We have such good kids and caring families as well as a dedicated staff. I'm sure that goes a long way when keeping our kids out of trouble. It's crazy what's out there. We r so blessed to have been in a safe situationall all their grammar school years. I really want to clear up what "Jerry H." On this site said about the school caring more about basketball than they do about academics. Obviously by using basketball as the only sport cared about I have to wonder if this post is made by a parent from another school. Yes we have a fantastic girls basketball program. As well as other sports like volleyball and cheerleading. The school has no focus or governing on our athletics. We are ran separately from the school and through the parish. The only "effort" afforded our athletic program is by our volunteers who coach. We have a parish paid athletic director and that's it. Sports are not pushes...nor the focus of our school. If we have winning records and do well...we celebrate it...that's all! Jerry- your facts are also wrong when it comes to the "rules" governing athletics. Those rules have been around for years. They were resurrected as a type of reminders to schools about time spent. The only thing that has changes is that we had to drop out of one of the leagues we did. So did a lot of neighboring schools. I can guarentee our school was not a reason for the rules. We only practiced once or twice a week before the rules...and the same holds true for now.

This review is specifically for the "Montessori" preschool. My son attended St. Bart's Montessori…read morethis year. I had heard nothing but rave reviews from fellow parents about the preschool. Unfortunately, my impression of it does not match their enthusiasm. Although his teacher (Ms. Sarah) did follow some Montessori practices, it is just way too Roman Catholic for me. As I understood it from parents of preschool alums, the preschool is run separately from the K-8 school. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. As a non-RC, I was put off by how much religious education/indoctrination my son received. The school pushed The Church's political agenda to preschoolers!

The best preschool in the area. My 3 children went here from 2006 thru 2011. Very warm and…read moreinviting. Teachers are nurturing, you cannot find that at many places. Their curriculum is great. I remember my daughter marching around my dining room and counting in French. She was learning this from preschool! They have so many cute programs. Was always sad when Mother's Day tea comes--because it meant it was the end of the year. All 3 of my kids were well prepared academically and socially for kindergarten. They have a waiting list---so inquire early.

Love this preschool! We moved from Utah where my son had attended a fancy academy since age 2 that…read morehad Chinese, yoga, martial arts, etc. We took a chance on this school since he was 4 and needed one final year of preK and this was down the block. So glad we did. It is the perfect preschool. It is play based and the kids had so much fun. The teachers truly care and it is obvious in every interaction you have with them. The classroom is clean and very large. They have a great outdoor play area as well. My son literally loved it since day one. Can't wait for my younger two to attend!

I was referred by a friend to this daycare. This was my son's second daycare and he absolutely…read moreloved it. Maria is amazing we are absolutely grateful for her and her caring staff. Kids get to be kids and just be happy in a safe environment. My son no longer there, but he still talks about Ms. Maria and Dobbs. .

I am about to graduate with a Masters degree. Started my education here and I could not be more…read moreproud! Thanks to the staff! Love you all!