Slacker-Friendly Preschools in Greater Boston
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Plan to raise a bilingual scholar? Try…
Pine Village Preschool
Young minds absorb new information like a sponge, especially when it comes to learning and retaining a second language—hence the fierce competition for language immersion preschools. In fact, it’s not unheard of for parents to apply before their child is even born. At Pine Village, however, that sort of foresight isn’t necessary. Rather, the Spanish immersion school offers year-round enrollment to its programs, which aim to instill a love of learning in its students through play-based instruction. And with eight locations in and around the city, it’s possible to avoid the waitlist altogether.
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Want to get in on the fun? Try…
The Preschool Experience
You can remove that red X from your calendar—there are no hard-and-fast application deadlines at the Preschool Experience. Instead, the school offers rolling admissions and hosts informational workshops for interested families in lieu of formal interviews. With most classes located inside a Victorian home in Newton, the school stresses that a preschool education is a partnership with parents, strongly encouraging their involvement in day-to-day classroom activities such as reading books and helping with art projects. Moms and dads can even come in to share their talents with the class.
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Looking to build an independent learner? Try…
Wild Rose Montessori School
If enrolling in preschool is a challenge for local families, it’s exponentially harder for those moving to the area from out of town. Thankfully, staffers at Wild Rose Montessori School provide a distance-friendly option for that initial parent-teacher meeting: Google Hangouts. Like other schools in the Wildflower Montessori cooperative, spawned from the MIT Media Lab, Wild Rose offers low student-to-teacher ratios inside storefronts turned classrooms, with the goal of connecting more directly with the community. Bonus: An artist in residence works in a kid-friendly studio space, teaching children about the craft.
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Searching for cutting-edge instruction? Try…
Charlestown Nursery School
In a brick building near Bunker Hill, Charlestown Nursery School students explore their environment through walks and outdoor instruction as part of a Reggio Emilia–inspired curriculum. But it’s not all fun and games: Staffers spend an hour studying new research in child development for every hour they teach, with the goal of implementing individualized, research–driven instruction. The best part? There’s no back-and-forth when it comes to scheduling a tour: Just drop in any Wednesday at 10 a.m., or visit during the open house in November (late admissions are rolling through the end of February).
