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Choosing the best preschools in Philadelphia can be challenging. Several schools are in the running to be the best, and choosing the one that best fits your child’s needs requires extensive research.
After all, you want your toddler to be put in capable hands to nurture them into intelligent children with a love for learning. Your toddler needs proper guidance to learn, grow, and develop their skills so that they collect information in the right way. It will help with their overall development and encourage rapid growth and learning.
So, if you’re looking for a preschool for your beloved toddler, here is a list you can go through to take your pick.
Key Pointers
- Attending preschool can help your child to develop their skills and love for learning at an early age.
- Before choosing a preschool, research the location, infrastructure, affiliation, teaching staff, programs, facilities, sanitary and safety practices.
- Note that a preschool teacher must have a Preschool Teaching License.
1. Kindercare Learning Center
Image: kindercare.com
- With the innovative programs and experienced staff, the Kindercare Learning Center offers an unsurpassed learning experience. Your child will discover the learning is indeed fun by making new friends and building relationships with the teachers.
- The Kindercare Learning Center gives immense importance to the safety of the children. They have a keypad entry and outside surveillance. Each classroom is equipped with telephones and emergency bags.
- The faculty also keeps itself up-to-date with all the latest trends in Early Childhood Education.
Address:
1700 Market Street, Lower Level, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Contact Number: (215) 789-9476
Website: www.kindercare.com
2. The Beacon Center
- The Beacon Center, a kindergarten for children aged two to five has been in operation for over 25 years. It provides creative, emotional and social guidance for kids in a loving and homely environment.
- The preschool believes in sensory learning through games, play, and exploration to make your child’s first school experience a friendly and relaxed one.
- The curriculum includes reading readiness, music, science, math, science and art activities to stimulate and encourage your child’s growth and development.
- And the best feature of this preschool is that it offers enrollment and flexible schedules throughout the year, but only if space permits.
Address:
2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Contact Number: (215) 963-0748
Website: www.beaconcenterforchildren.com
3. Children’s Village
Image: childrensvillagephila.org
- Children’s Village is a non-profit organization providing early childhood education and enrichment by working together with children, parents, and community.
- The childcare is accessible to the family of all economic levels. The tuition fee of the preschool depends on the family income. If the parents qualify for the Pre-K Counts, then the program is free.
- Children’s Village has also won the Children’s Village GSK Impact Award for their outstanding contribution to the education of the locals.
Address:
125 N 8th St # 2, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Contact Number: (215) 931-0190
Website: www.cvchildcare.org
4. NEST
- Founded in 2011, NEST is an activity and child enrichment center for children aged six months to 6 years. The goal of NEST is to make the life easier and better for the kids of young children.
- NEST helps children develop a love for discovery. It also gives them opportunities for making new friends and improves their socialization skills. Besides, NEST also offers parent-children classes once a week.
- The facilities offered by the preschool include a snack café, toys, an indoor playground, a clothing boutique and a kid’s salon.
Address:
1301 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Contact Number: (215) 545-6378
Website: www.nestphilly.com
5. Busy Bees Learning Center
Image: busybeeschildcare.com
- Busy Bees Learning Center is a family owned preschool and childcare located in the heart of the city. The location of the preschool supports the philosophy of the school to help kids learn through the environment.
- A unique feature of the preschool is that the staff plans the curriculum activities along with the support of each family.
- The program of the preschool is modeled after the “Nanny Share” nurseries. It also offers hands-on experience for the children. The enthusiastic staff encourages the communication of the children by engaging in conversation.
Address:
601 Walnut St, Suite LL25, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Contact Number: (215) 733-9271
Website: www.busybeeschildcare.com
6. Trinity Playgroup
- Trinity Playgroup is a private, nonsectarian and non-profit preschool located in a beautiful church.
- The preschool aims to provide a secure and enriching group experience to each child while building trust, self-confidence, curiosity and self-expression.
- The preschool also maintains a close relationship with each family so that the parents can keep a track of their child’s early education and development.
Address:
2212 Spruce Street, Philadelphia
Contact Number: (215) 732-2519
Website: www.trinityplaygroup.org
7. Smith Memorial Playground Preschool
- Smith Memorial Playground Preschool is one of the most prominent play schools in Philadelphia. It provides creative, safe and fun recreational facilities for kids in the Philadelphia area, that too, without any cost.
- The 16000 square foot playhouse was designed especially as the play and learning space for children.
- The preschool classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday and are open to kids aged 3 to 4.
Address:
East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
Contact Number: (215) 765-4325
Website: smithplayground.org
8. St Mary’s Nursery School
- St Mary’s Nursery School is a non-profit cooperative day care center for kids aged 18 months to 5 years.
- The preschool involves family and even the community in their programs to foster a trusting, healthy and caring environment for the children.
- St Mary’s Nursery School follows the Reggio Emilia curriculum. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of every child.
- The educational program of the preschool is based on play, arts, and creativity. Besides, the school also lays emphasis on the social, emotional growth and development of the children.
Address:
3916 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, University City, PA 19104
Contact Number: (215) 386-0321
Website: stmarysnursery.org
9. Beautiful Beginnings Childcare Center
- If you are looking for an affordable, yet exceptional preschool, then Beautiful Beginnings Childcare Center would be perfect for you. The childcare aims to provide a safe and healthy learning environment that is second to none.
- Beautiful Beginnings Childcare Center follows ‘Creative Curriculum,” a research-based method comprising the core areas of development- physical, cognitive, social, emotional and language.
- The learning centers give the child an opportunity to express, gain skills or knowledge in various learning areas and explore new materials.
Address:
8120 Bustleton Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19152
Contact Number: (215) 745-5350
Website: www.beautifulbeginningsphila.com
10. Learning World Child Academy
- Established in 2008, Learning World Child Academy is a preschool that focuses on the educational and personal development of each child.
- It encourages learning in kids aged six weeks to 12 years while supporting the communities and families they serve.
- Even the staff members are trained to be recognized leaders in providing extraordinary educational programs.
Address:
5140 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144
Contact Number: (267) 388-4441
Website: www.learningworldchildacademy.com
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What criteria should I consider when choosing a preschool for my child?
When choosing a preschool, you must consider its location, distance from your home, infrastructure, affiliation, teaching staff, programs, facilities offered, communication and transparency with teachers and other staff, sanitary practices, and safety practices. Some preschools also provide extracurricular activities and food which may also be a deciding factor.
2. What qualifications do teachers in preschool programs in Philadelphia typically have?
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to qualify as a preschool teacher, one must have a Preschool Teaching License. Anyone with a bachelor’s degree in any subject, along with at least two years of experience as an assistant preschool teacher, teaching certification through the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the subject of early childhood education, or at least 24 semester credits in specific subjects is eligible for this license. Also, you must be 18 years or older and pass certain health examinations (1).
3. What types of support and resources are available to parents of preschool-aged children in Philadelphia?
Some resources in Philadelphia that offer support and help for the parents of preschoolers are The Office of Children and Family Services (OCF) City of Philadelphia, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Philadelphia, Family Resource Network (FRN), PA Parent and Family Alliance, Cradles to Crayons, and Pennsylvania 211. Get Connected, Get Help (2).
Understanding the advantages of a preschool can help you see the long-term benefits of early childhood education, including social, cognitive, and emotional development. With our list of the best and most well-known preschools in Philadelphia that holds good accreditation, make the best choice for your children to start their educational journey. This well-researched list contains schools that tend to your children’s all-around development and growth, so go through the descriptions and pick one that best fits your requirements and resources. Remember to take these only as references and visit the schools of your choice in person to gain a better insight into the infrastructure, facilities, and other essential factors.
Disclaimer
: “The list of schools has been taken from various surveys done by third-party print and online publications. MomJunction was not involved in the surveys nor it has any business partnerships with the schools covered in the list. This post is not an endorsement of the schools and parents’ discretion is advised in selecting a school.”
References
- Requirements for Early Childhood Education Jobs in Pennsylvania.
https://www.preschoolteacher.org/pennsylvania/#choose-route - Family Resources.
https://healthymindsphilly.org/family-resources/
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