Petite Scholars

"We feel super lucky that we found Petite Scholars! We moved down here about 4 months ago and toured several schools for our 5-year-old boy. He picked Ms. Martha's school himself! Turns out it's the best decision he has ever made : ). I have to list a few things to tell you why we highly recommend this school. 1. The setup is very unique. kids get tons of outdoor play and experience in the beautiful backyard with plants, birds, vegetables. This is gonna to be a lifelong good memory for them. 2. The ratio is great. With only 6 kids, each one is getting enough attention and Ms. Martha teaches each kid according to their own development level. Another plus is that since there are only 6 kids in the class, my son has never got sick from school, so we don't have to stay home with him for sick days. 3. Ms. Martha has a great way of teaching. She made it so fun for kids to learn. My son learned how to read in just 2 months! We are very impressed to see he can now pick up a first grade level book and sit there read out loud, which he had never done before enrolling in Ms. Martha's school!"

"Awesome School.. My second son Goutham studied there and he loved the school very much. He gained confident and started to speak,write,friendly with other kids. All this credit should go to Ms. Martha. He loves Ms. Martha and she is so Friendly and Carring.Here morning and afternoon they will have group study it will be fun and interesting.Kids will play in backyard and will have their snacks, lunch with nice music and they also enjoy the swing. We are really missing Ms. Martha and Folsom."

"I would like to take a few moments to recommend Martha Duran / Petite Scholars Preschool/Daycare to any parent looking for high quality care and terrific kindergarten preparation. My oldest son, Connor came to Petite Scholars in April of 2007, soon after the school's opening. He celebrated his 3rd, 4th and 5th birthday with Miss Martha and couldn't have been with a better caregiver and educator...She truly loves and cares deeply about the success of all of he students. Liam arrive very close to age 3 in 2009... Beyond excited to follow in big brothers footsteps! Both boys had an A+++ experience! Both boys came to the school with great social skills, but limited scholastic skills. Martha's introduced the Phonics program to the children and they were suddenly awakened to the world of reading. Most of the children arrived able to draw simple objects and scribble. By their cap and gown graduation ceremony, they all could draw, read, write, and do simple dictation of sentences...and they had all just turned 5! Routine is great stability in Martha's school which is very important for our children, but it was always fresh and fun! From art projects, outdoor education, music time (involvement, listening and singing),imagination dress-up as well as poetry. They participate in nurturing the "garden" as this is their back yard too! The many things she introduces to the children, far extend the above, but these are some of the terrific times that I am aware of as a parent, and am truly grateful, that my sons were loved, nurtured, educated and never even knew it. Even though they only attended 3 days a week, It was a second home to them... one full of play and friends! Our decision to apply for and have Connor and Liam interview for private school was much easier knowing how well they had been prepared by Miss Martha. We are proud to say that with the love, support and preparation of Martha Duran and us as parents, both boys were accepted to and have attended St. John's Catholic School since kindergarten. They have remained in accelerated math and reading courses and they are currently in 5/7th grades with just about perfect grades. I believe their academic beginning began at Petite Scholars; where the kids learn to love learning! Thank you Miss Martha! The Bizjack Family"

"A move to Folsom from Sacramento in 2013 brought us to Petite Scholar (recommended to us by a good friend). I enrolled my 3 and 4 year old little boys and in just about THREE WEEKS, both of my boys learned to read their first words. By the time we left in 2014, both boys were reading well beyond their age level, doing simple addition and subtraction (up to 3 digits), counting to 100 in English, counting to 30 in Spanish and comprehending the books they were reading. Martha was able to draw out my introverted oldest child and capture the attention of my extroverted youngest child and encourage their natural curiosity and love of learning. I recommend Petite Scholar and Martha Duran without reservation if you are looking to give your child a rich learning experience."

"Living in El Dorado Hills, we had plenty of preschools at our disposal...but NONE could compare with the experience our children were given by Ms. Martha at Petite Scholars. We now have three THRIVING elementary school children that LOVE school and learning and I will always give that credit to their time at Petite Scholars. Our first son only attended Petite Scholars for 15 months. He had no preschool experience prior to this and entered kindergarten at the very top of his class and reading well-into a first grade level. His "desk skills" were unlike a kindergarten teacher had ever seen before. His strength in phonics and reading ability required his teacher to convince the principal to have him enrolled in an advanced reading program usually only offered beginning in first grade. His fine motor skills (scissors/handwriting) are way better than most of his peers. I am 110% sure he could not have been better prepared for kindergarten. Our son who attends Petite Scholars right now is attending three days per week. He will be the absolute youngest one in his kindergarten class this coming Fall, but he already has the phonics skills, reading skills, and fine motor coordination to hold his own in a kindergarten class. Besides being ready academically, his social skills are also nurtured by Ms. Martha and I am positive he will enter kindergarten as a strong 4 year old student. The one thing that I never would have looked for in a preschool is the one thing that now is most important to me. I have two little boys who absolutely love school and learning. My kindergartener loves reading and he knows how to sit down and "work" independently on his homework. My son who is at Petite Scholars right now often says, "Do I GET TO go to Ms. Martha today?" I have never toured a school where learning was made so much fun. Martha integrates learning into everything they do and the children don't even realize it is happening. The outdoor garden and play area is so valuable. Don't dismiss it for its size. The tricycle track encircles hundreds of plants the kids help take care of. My son knows how yummy the "licorice plant" smells when he rubs his hands on the leaves. He also knows that if he does not water the blueberry bushes there won't be more blueberries to eat the next time he comes! The "butterfly garden" is a secret play area the kids adore. Both boys and girls love the little cottage for role playing. The trucks and building materials just "scream" creativity. Hauling pieces of two-by-four, bricks and ladders to build roads and bridges turns into amazing projects. The bird watching and squirrel watching through binoculars is a highlight while going on a snail hunt. The children act out stories in costumes. They have costume balls where they dance with partners. They study the food groups and are always learning the importance of healthy habits. The have "dinosaur digs" in the sand box. They learn the lifecycle of the plant, butterfly, and frog and can act them out for you step-by-step. They have "band" time and all play different musical instruments. They learn to measure. They jump in leaves and do "roley-poleys" outside. They learn good manners and how to be a good friend. The creative and adorable art projects and "gifts" the children make are just icing on the cake. They paint flower pots and plant flowers in them, make wreaths made only with cut-outs of their hands and feet. These are precious projects that they are so proud of and you will love too. It is always a good idea to visit several preschools to make a well-informed decision. You can only see so much during a tour and I hope this letter offers a glimpse into the fun and learning going on every day at Petite Scholars. If there is an opening, snap it up for your child. You will see them come home with learning spilling out of them, and they will never have had so much fun. Kristin R."