Children's Learning Center (CLC) in Rockville

[Anonymous]

This school has been recommended many times on these boards for special needs kids. My son doesn't have a special needs diagnosis but does have a good deal of social anxiety and doesn't really talk in the group setting. I'm wondering if this school would be an appropriate place for him. I would welcome any feedback, positive or negative, about this school.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely! I moved my daughter to CLC in the middle of last year when she was getting overwhelmed and basically not engaging at another preschool. She wasn't using her language there and was definitely experiencing some social anxiety. As soon as she moved to CLC, she immediately began engaging in the activities. This year, she is completely participating in all activities and loves going to school (in fact, she cried this morning because there was no school). I think what makes CLC so great for all kids but especially those that have a little more trouble adjusting to preschool is a number of things:

1. It is a fairly structured program. They have a clear daily routine, limit the number of activities that are going on at a given time, have assigned seats at circle time and snack/lunch, etc. This was very helpful for my daughter since it becomes much less chaotic of an environment.

2. Since it is located in a former Montgomery County elementary school, the classrooms are very large. This allows the kids to spread out and have a little time to themselves when they are feeling overwhelmed. It also allows the room to be very organized (i.e. there are not toys all over the place during free play) which makes it much less overwhelming.

3. The teachers are very experienced. Many have been there for more than 10 years and both the teacher and the assistants tend to have a lot of experience and basically co-teach (at my daughter's old school, it was basically a head teacher and an assistant who basically set things up, changed diapers, etc.). Since the school has always run an inclusion program, the teachers have a lot of experience with kids with various needs. They are very good at giving a kids a little extra help when necessary while not jumping to assist a child who may just require a little extra time to get comfortable with an activity. At my daughter's old school, they would always assume that my daughter couldn't do what was being asked which wasn't always the case. Other children who have moved to the school had situations where the teachers would basically ignore their child who was having trouble interacting. CLC reaches a great balance which teaches a child how to succeed while recognizing that some children need a little extra help in order to get comfortable with an activity.

4. CLC has an open door policy and are very open to suggestions about how to work with your child. We have sent in our speech therapist and OT which has been very helpful in educating the teachers how to best work with our daughter. Not all schools are so welcoming to outside help (as we learned the hard way). Our OT now recommends CLC to her patients since she has been so impressed by the CLC program.

This may be a lot more than you want to know but the transformation of our daughter since we moved her there has been astonishing. I looked at a lot of programs before moving her to CLC and I really feel that I found the best possible fit for her.

[Anonymous]

OP here... thanks so much for that very helpful information. PP, how old is your daughter? My son would be in the pre-k class.

[Anonymous]

She is now in the 3 year old class and will be in pre-k next year. It's a really nice group of kids that are in her class now and will be continuing next year.

[Anonymous]

Thanks very much!!

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I am the Admissions Director at The Children's Learning Center and you are welcome visit any day. We have an open door policy. I will be more than happy to give you a tour of our facility and you can sit in on the age appropriate class for your child. You can email me at:
[e-mail]

Dottie Harris

[Anonymous]

I have two children enrolled at CLC. My first child went when she turned three. She was very introverted, but had excellent communication skills, learning abilities, etc. We wanted to get her from a family/home daycare environment to a pre-school environment. my husband and I both work full time and wanted her to have more structure and a variety of relationships. We sent her to full school and before care and after care. She is know in pre-K. We plan to send her to kindergarten at CLC next year. Her brother, now three, began the moment we could get him into the toddler class. He joined right after he turned two. He is the extroverted child and was bored at the family daycare, with the small number of children, lack of variety, and lack of structure. They are both doing tremendously well. My daughter, while still more introverted, has really flourished. She has good friends and loves her teachers. My son has also flourished. The structure is great for him. He has better manners, skills, and is cleaning up after himself at home. We love the teachers and administrators at the school. The families are really wonderful too. I would strongly recommend CLC for any child.

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I can confirm that CLC has been amazing for both my son with special needs (language/communication issues) as well as for my daughter who has no issues and is probably more along the lines of being gifted both academically and socially.
My son started the school when we decided to repeat his pre-k year. It was warm and welcoming with the perfect atmosphere to make him feel loved and welcomed. The other children were all quite bright, but were welcoming and wonderful with him. It was a wonderful atmosphere, and my son just blossomed there. He is still there in Kindergarten and will stay for 1st grade.
The things that are really great about the school is how warm, tolerant and loving they are. Everyone is incredibly kind to both my kids....it is a place that my kids really feel welcome and at home. It is a wonderful resource, and I couldn't recommend it more. The classes are small and the place really feels like a family....from the teachers that welcome your child through the door in the morning, to the office staff, to the classroom teachers....everyone is kind and always has a nice thing to say. It is really the perfect environment for kids of all kinds.
Also, having seen other schools first hand....I really think it probably has the absolute best pre-K program around. I highly encourage you to visit it.

[Anonymous]

Yes, my children went to CLC for four years, they are not special kids, but we had the chance to see special kids in their classes. We saw that the special kids had the oportunity to experience a nurturing environment and to learn together with the other students. Everybody in CLC receive lots of attention and love. I got to know the mother of a kid that needed to take drugs in order to feel emotionaly stable. She told me how hard was for her child to get adapted and feel comfortable in a school. She tried many schools and never last too long. In CLC this child is happy, we, my family and me were witnesses of the progress, she ended up being a kid that could smile, respond and talk to other people. At this time my kids are not in CLC anymore because we moved away, but this little kid and family come to visit once, the child seems to enjoy life now. I think CLC has a lot do with it.

[Anonymous]

What is the disciplinary style of the teachers? Are they a bit strict in the Pre-K?

[Anonymous]

My children are not yet in the Pre-K but after being at the school for 2 years, I can't imagine that the pre-k would be described as strict. The teachers are very warm and nurturing and from what I have observed, the kids are usually well behaved. The teaching style is fairly structured (i.e. first there is free play with only some sections of the classroom available, then there is circle time, then snack, etc.) and they incorporate movement nicely into the routine which has helped my child with sensory needs. CLC has an open door policy so you can sit in on a class at any point and see what you think. Also, I have found the office staff very helpful if you have any specific questions or concerns. Good luck with your decision!

[Anonymous]

I read this and wanted to bump it up.

DC is gifted but has mild attention issues. He has a hard time sitting still if he's bored.

I want DC to learn to get along and enjoy all children of all kinds of needs. But at the same time I am concerned about too many special needs children in a class as it does mean more shadows there, possibility of more aggressive behavior, and just how it changes the social dynamics of a typical classroom.

Does anyone know exactly how many special needs children there are per K or grade 1 classrooms at CLC?

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on the year and enrollment (I don't think anyone is turned away because of needs) but in the preschool from my own experience, there are generally 1-2 kids with mild issues in a classroom (as I would guess there are in most preschools) and I have not seen any shadows in the preschool classes though there are a few in the elementary school. They have an open door policy so you may want to stop by and see what you think. Also, they can probably give you a sense of how many children with needs would be in next year's pre K and grade 1 classrooms at this point.