What do you think of the Goddard School?

nmh2001

My dd will be in her last year of preschool next year. I've decided her current preschool is ok, but not fabulous. I went to the Goddard School yesterday and they seem to have a good program for pre-kindergarten that they assure me will make her arrive at kindergarten at the top of the class. They are almost full though and if I'm going to move here there next fall, I need to decide now. Does anyone have experience - good or bad - with the Goddard School? Is it a good academic program?

 Her current school is ok, but not the best academically. However, she likes it and is very comfortable there and most of these kids will go on to kindergarten with her. I only want to move her if the alternative is clearly better for her. I'm not sure what decision to make! Any advice, or even just your random thoughts would be appreciated.

EliseB0323

No first-hand knowledge, but my co-worker sent your daughter their and they LOVED it. It's a very good school, from everything I've heard.

Cbidt's girl

I know it by reputation only, not personal experience. I've heard it is a great system.

LyndseyLooo

I think the Goddard School is FABULOUS! Because I work there 

I love the school, and the curriculum is top notch. There are so many enrichment programs (yoga, foreign language, sports) and the teachers actually write them into the lesson plans and USE them. I previously worked at a Kids R Kids and a Primrose, and they weren't nearly as focused on education as Goddard. Kids R Kids doesn't require their schools to use a planned curriculum, and Primrose has one written out in such precise detail (down to the color of paint the children are supposed to use on a certain day), that no one is really expected to follow it.

Goddard is very big on child directed learning, meaning whatever the children are interested in, the teacher will build onto that instead of forcing them to learn what is expected. For example, imagine the children are sitting in circle time talking about weather, but then a huge truck parks outside the window. The kids are obviously going to be more interested in the truck, so the teacher may let everyone go over to the window to make observations. Maybe ask a few questions like "How do you think cars work?" or "What do you think is inside that truck?".

 I love the Goddard system and hope that I can afford to put my son through the entire system. Currently about 75% of the pre-k class can read at well over the kindergarten level, and it's only March!