Little Scholars Academy Johns Landing Preschool

"This is a space that will keep your child alive at a slightly more affordable cost than surrounding daycares. The administration is very responsive and are nice people. The payment portal is also not bad. These are the pros. I made the choice to switch my kiddo almost immediately after starting, it simply took time to find a new space. The facility itself is not remotely secure and in my option just not safe in some areas. The website advertises that doors remain locked throughout the day, this is not true and I have arrived at various times during the day. The gates in the backyard have toddler-sized gaps and I have witnessed kids attempting to squeeze through. The stairs in the front are concerning. Kids are provided an amazing amount of autonomy (read: unsupervised) for being toddlers. Besides those big issues, this space is dirty. The loose dirt in the backyard is where the toddlers gravitate and mine came home filthy every day. I would expect him to look like this coming home from an outdoor summer camp. I weirdly lost countless socks at this daycare. If it’s important to you, TV is a more common occurrence than advertised, one time in particular the kids were indoor on a summer day watching TV, “because it’s too hot outside”. The staff are nice people but just seem lethargic. Honestly, sometimes I felt like the intent was there, they are making attempts to create structure and elevate themselves. But for $20k/year tuition I want a space for my kid that already provides that. We loved the other kids and parents, but we chose to leave in the best interest of our child."

"We tried this school given it’s close proximity to our home. It’s great that they provide meals if you are juggling multiple children, this is extremely helpful. While we liked the owner but we had a couple things that personally for us were reasons to enroll our daughter in a more structured program. My main concerns were 1) the lack of learning activities, 2) the house physically smelled in the winter months from diapers and lack of air circulation, 3) the main staff were more like babysitters (who also had their own children at the house during the day). Eventually one of the staff’s families moved into the basement of the house, which is when we pulled our kid out. This daycare is not that much more affordable given the major difference in quality of childcare at other places nearby."

"We pulled our child out of this school after noticing some things that concerned us. That being said, the owner of the school gave us time to express our concerns, took notes, and let us out of our contract without penalty. Ultimately this wasn't the right fit for our family, however for some families this may be an option to consider. The good: The teachers seem to be kind and care about the children in general, it was really easy to communicate with the staff and owner, and the schedule is amazing for working families. It's also helpful that the school provides snacks and lunch for the children. This school helped our family be able to have a sense of normalcy in our schedule. The criticism/feedback: This is not a good preschool for parents looking for a structured and neat environment, that being said if you're looking for a play-based preschool where children can have fun with peers all day, where they're able to have birthday parties, watch movies, and be cared for in a very flexible and generous schedule, then this is maybe a good fit. I would NOT recommend this preschool for parents of kids who are neurodiverse or who get overstimulated easily, nor would I recommend this preschool for families who want their kids to learn certain skills or pre-academic prep. All families are different, and this is clearly a preschool beloved by parents who like what Little Scholars has to offer!"

"Little Scholars Academy has been a wonderful place for our son, Mason, who is almost 3 years old. Previously Mason attended My Bundle of Joy starting at 4 months old, which is for children under 2 years old. My husband and I have been very happy with our experience at both locations. Mason wakes up every morning excited to go to "school" and he has made best friends over the years, some of which he has been in the same daycare with since he was 4 months old! He loves his teachers - who always take time for him and make sure he is well taken care of throughout the day, always interacting with the children and attending to their individual needs. Mason is great at sharing and playing with other kids as a result of being in Little Scholars Academy - the amazing teachers even had him potty trained in two weeks! The kids regularly do art projects, learn about different topics (each noted in the monthly calendar), sing, dance, play outside, read books and so much more. Overall, we could not be happier with our experience at Little Scholars Academy and would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for childcare in the Portland Area."

"We love Little Scholars! Our son thrives there and has grown so much since starting last winter, especially compared to his previous daycare. He always tells us he had a good day and how much fun he had with his teachers and friends. A few of our favorite things are the jungle room which is amazing for the kids to play all winter, the backyard for outdoor space, the monthly calendar with a daily theme or activity, and one of the biggest differences we noticed is that he doesn’t come home hungry! Also he is 2.5 yrs old but speaks like a kindergartner and potty trained and we believe that’s hugely in part to the methods at Little Scholars! The teachers are wonderful and really care about the kids! The management and staff have been so strong throughout this pandemic and stuck it out to be there for the families who needed them. We are so grateful we found Little Scholars."