If you could send your dc to any preschool in DMV where would it be and why?

[Anonymous]

We are very excited to be attending St. Columba's this fall. A great community feel with a play based approach. Great playgound. Many of the kids go on to Janney. I think other than that, St. Johns and NCRC are the best.

[Anonymous]

A cooperative preschool for sure! They grow up and head off to Kindergarten so fast - I am so glad I got that time with both my littles.

http://www.preschools.coop/v/school-province/Maryland/l/

[Anonymous]

We loved Little Folks in Georgetown. Kind of a combo of Montessori (e.g. Mixed age classrooms and use of Montessori materials, play-based and arts focused all in one. Very experienced teachers. Plus, a great community of parents. That being said, there are lots of wonderful schools where your child will be happy. Best to pick one that's convenient for you.

[Anonymous]

Sparkles Crystal City

[Anonymous]

+1 for coops. We loved Rockville Community Nursery School.

[bellechasse]

I like Georgetown Montessori

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sparkles Crystal City

Ha haha ha

[Anonymous]

We've sent our kids through the Audubon Nature Preschool and it is far and away the most incredible place for little ones to grow and thrive. What we, the parents, love: We considered at least a dozen preschool programs in the area. We were drawn to visit Audubon because we wanted our children to have a reverence for nature and we wanted an emphasis on playing and discovering rather than academics. We knew they'd be spending most of their school hours indoors when they were older, and wanted to give them a chance to be outside as much as possible before then. When we visited the school, we already knew we loved the grounds and the nature philosophy. What really sealed the deal was the teaching philosophy. The teachers don't talk down to the children--they treat them with respect and kindness. They don't scold or punish--they teach the importance of community and understand that certain behavior is natural and normal in this stage of development. They make the children feel safe and valued and just as important, they are so much fun! The result is that the children feel invested in being kind to each other and have ownership of their own small community. We love how much thought is put into the activities and toys at the school--there is a good variety for different moods, personalities, and developmental stages. The toys and activities evolve based on the kids' reactions to them and, often, the season. The day follows a predictable pattern (playground, then circle time, then story and indoor play, then hike, then playground and goodbye) so the kids know what to expect, but within that framework there are so many great choices for them to make. Sometimes the teachers know our kids better than we do. I can't tell you how many times Stephanie and her staff have calmed our worries, put things into perspective, and educated us. Their help has extended far beyond the classroom into our daily lives with our kids. And we love that our children come home happy, dirty, and excited for more. They make new friends, learn that the world is bigger than themselves, and feel confident about exploring new and wondrous things in nature and in life.

What our kids love: Getting dirty, using their imaginations, learning about foxes and bees and deer and then going out and seeing real fox holes, bees working, and deer on the grounds. Reading new books, playing in the sensory table that might be filled with anything from water to rice to seasonal items like pumpkins and corn. Choosing their own adventure every day. Making new friendships and finding "connections" with them. Making their own choices. That the teachers care about what they think and feel and want to do. On his first day, my shy son loved making juice from apples and carrots, freezing them into Popsicles and eating them, hiking to see a fox hole covered with grass, finding treasure in the sandbox, and hearing a book read aloud to the class complete with silly voices and lots of opportunities for the children to engage in the story. He came home beaming from his first day of preschool this year. He's quite shy, and we were worried about that, but he can't wait to go back. His older brother went with me to drop him off and said "I wish I could go back to Nature Preschool."