Children's School at Claremont

**Not For Working Parents.** I'm not as down as the last poster, but I'm also not thrilled. If you're looking for a pre-SCHOOL, this isn't it; keep moving. Kids ain't learnin' here. It's simply the prettiest little daycare in Claremont. Some of the monitors could do a better job, but my biggest beef concerns the schedule and price. The place is closed over two months every year (including this, the entire first week of January), and considering that this is by far the most expensive childcare company in Claremont (except for 5-College faculty and friends of the director...), I find this a huge inconvenience.
--Submitted by a parent

Send your child to Children's School at Claremont only if you want him or to be left behind in the future. My wife and I placed our daughter there for 8 weeks this summer before fully researching the place, and we chose not to return for the fall and spring. Why? Because every scientist who has studied the effects of different kinds of preschool on future academic success has reached the same conclusion: early exposure to math and reading skills is critical. And Children's School provides neither. To the contrary, for kids in the range of 2 to 5 years-old, a period that scientists say is the most critical learning time of a person's life because it sets the stage in a child's brain for all future learning, Children's School does nothing more than babysit. In fact, it purposefully AVOIDS promoting any math or reading skills to 2-5 year olds, arguing that kids "just need to play." Well it's true: kids DO need to play, but they ALSO and emphatically need to be exposed to math and reading early if you want them to do well later. Don't be distracted by the big parking lot and swings. Your kid deserves a better future than the one for which Children's School will prepare them.
--Submitted by a parent

We are just now deciding, after a full year, to move our daughter to another preschool. We like CS a lot but there is no structure. They do have lots of fun and get dirty and all that good stuff, but I don't feel there is any focus on learning. There is also a discipline problem - there is none. It's too bad b/c the grounds are beautiful and they have such a boon in the college students who do work study there. But the leadership is lacking in an interest in more focused, albeit play-centered, learning. The kids are coddled too much. They don't seem to want to make the most of the facility and opportunities they have, with such an educated group of parents - a lot of college prof's - choosing CS as their first preschool. Values such as responsibility, empathy, being capable, learning to be patient, etc are not so much emphasized. Instead there seems to be an ethos of, Let's keep the children really happy and play all day. The result has been some bad habits picked up and nothing new being grasped or learned. I can do what they do - and that's what we want to do with our child: have fun! What I can't do is what I think preschool teachers should do - making learning fun!

Our daughter attended this school for 2 years, spending the first year in the 2-to-3 year-old cottage and the second year in the older kids' cottage. We're leaving because of a job change. Our child enjoyed the experience, but several fellow parents, my husband and I consistently had concerns about the teachers. Most of the teachers are much more qualified than the average teacher at a place like Tutor Time, but several of them seem to care a lot less about the kids than others. For instance, the consensus opinion among many parents is that the lead teacher in the 2 year-old classroom is bored with her job and "mailing it in." The director of the school gives teachers in each cottage considerable leeway to run things as they choose, so great teachers soar but bad ones also hang around. Bottom line: philosophy and facilities are excellent, but teacher quality varies.
--Submitted by a parent

The Children's School is an amazing school for Child Development. They understand that for the very young child the very first science experiments are with sand and water, the first social contacts are on the playground, and language development requires endless hours of practice. The genius of this school is watching forty 3 and 4 years old rush into the cottage from the playground for storytime and then sit riveted, because all of this incredible learning is disguised as so much fun. It's true that shoes and worksheets are not required. Although my child was not 'reading chapter books' when she enrolled in Kindergarten, she did have a sharp self-disciplined mind that could problem solve. So, the reading came quite quickly at age six.
--Submitted by a parent

My children went here separate years. At first I was very impressed with the beautiful grounds, very nice buildings and playground, and the high level of education many of the staff had. As months went by my impression of the school crumbled as I realized their was no structure, few academics, and few rules. Imagine watching children walking around all day without shoes, children doing exactly as they pleased, dressed for summer in the dead-of-winter. My kids rarely came home with artwork, new songs, or new stories to report back to my spouse and I. Now when asked I do not recommend this beautiful looking school. I tell parents to find a school based on their academics.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends kindergarten here and truly loves it. It is a fun, hands on, safe, and nurturing environment unlike any you would find elsewhere. Take a tour around their 'kindergarten cottage' and you will find yourself wondering why students everywhere can't have a similar environment. The two teachers are kind and patient, and the students get a lot of one-on-one time. I know that my daughter will exit this class with a love for learning and and understanding of classroom expectations. My only wish is that the academics were a little more competitve compared to other private schools in the same area.
--Submitted by a parent

This school appealed to us initially because of its developmental approach to learning. However, after the first month of the school year we transferred our kindergartner to a public school because we were utterly disappointed with the quality of the kindergarten program. There was not a clearly identifiable curriculum nor were there any clear behavioral objectives for learning. There was also no evidence of effective classroom management which created an unsafe learning environment. As a fully credentialed teacher I know that this learning environment would never be tolerated in a public school. Our child is much happier now in our local public school where he feels safe.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends preschool here, and loves it! This is one of the few schools that is completely child-centered, and actually makes decisions according to their philosophy of education. May not be a good fit for parents who are looking for a more structured environment for the kids. The students at this school have many choices. It is more of a relaxed environment and the kids are happy here.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is developmental and nurturing, making sure that the child feels valued. They encourage children to make their own decisions and teach them to make good choices. Discipline is positive reinforcement,no 'time-outs.' The wait list is years long, so if you are considering this school for ages 2-5, apply early. There is not very much room for Parental Involvement as there are a lot of college students working in the classrooms. Social skills are the main focus at this school, and I agree that at the younger ages (2-4/5), that is more important than academics. Kindergarten was structured and organized. We loved the teachers. Kindergarten has a strong Art Appreciation program. I believe that the 1-3rd class is not as structured as K. There is yoga, but no PE, sports, or extracurriculars. Kids may not be prepped enough for public school if you don't monitor their work closely.
--Submitted by Loving parent, a parent