Learning Stages

Love all of the teachers and the staff! They are top notch 100% and I just wish that my older son had gone there when he was young! They focus on reading and problem-​solving from day one, including infancy! My 3 year old is already writing his name and they are very consistent with their discipline. I truly cannot say enough good things about the them! Keep up the good work!

I cannot say enough about how much I love this day care and school. I do not work for them although this may seem like an ad for them! I had all 3 of my children at Learning Stages from the time they were about 2 months old. The oldest was there until she graduated to Kindergarten and we would have kept the youngest up until Kindergarten as well had we not moved out of state. My oldest entered Kindergarten from LS already reading at a 2^nd grade level. Our children altogether had been with Learning Stages for about 7 years until we moved, and we drove our children an extra 20 minutes the opposite direction of our jobs to keep them there. The learning environment is structured, which we liked. They provide a hot lunches and snacks in the morning and afternoon.
We loved having our children there and trusted the staff. They genuinely care for the children and even now, many of the staff stay in touch with us out-​of-​state. We now have a nanny, and I have to say, we still wish we could go back to Learning Stages. They provide loving care and try to educate and encourage along the way. The director, Ms Leti, has been there the entire time, is very organized, and always took our suggestions to heart. Any time we had even a remote concern or suggestion, she would act quickly with professionalism and with the children’s best interest at heart.
I speak from long-​time experience with Learning Stages. It’s a great place to entrust your children.

Learning Stages is open 6:30am to 6:30pm. They take babies and kids up to age 5 (pre-​k). Tuition includes lunch, morning snack, and afternoon snack. There is an option for breakfast that you can sign up for.
The staff is always friendly, kind, and accommodating. They really care about children and their parents. Kids are encouraged to learn without undue pressure. Frankly, I was impressed that my 4 year old has learned to read many words and can write many letters already. I also appreciate how the teachers encourage good values and social skills. And they have a daily communication folder where the teacher lets parents know how their kid did that day, how much they ate and napped, etc. In the summer, they try to bring in fun activities like puppet shows, petting zoo animals, and sprinklers for the kids to run through. My daughter likes to look at the photos of her and her friends posted on the hallway wall and tell us about the activities they had done. Even better is if those photos were available for download.
The school offers a variety of resources for parents, such as free parenting classes and a lending library. And just about every month, there are special programs for parents to join such as parties, Thanksgiving lunch, and student performances. Most parents go, so your kid will probably give you a guilt trip if you don’t take off work to attend. It’s also a good time to check out the frenemy your kid is always talking about and to contextualize the kiddie drama that goes on during the day. Or you can use the classroom webcam to check in on your kid (they actually give you instructions for logging in).
You can pay weekly or monthly. However you have to pay for the entire week. There is no option to have your kid there for just few days a week. They emphasize learning and try to make it like school which kids have to go to every day (to which my kid responds as any kid responds when they have to wake up for school every morning). There are options for additional activities such as soccer or ballet class. However, you have to pay extra for those. Otherwise your child cannot attend. So your kid may give you a guilt trip on that too. At least mine does.
Lastly, I must mention that the playground outside has a black tar gravel of some kind. It has ruined all of my kid’s pink, white, beige, and red pants. The only pants we can buy now are jeans and black pants.
Overall, a great option for full-​time working parents. Not a good option for parents who need just a few days off from taking care of their kids. It’s sort of an all or nothing deal.

I found this school online through a Google search and immediately went take a tour. I love how they treat it more like a school instead of a daycare, with field trips, art and music class and outdoor play time. I feel like it will prepare my daughter for when she begins Kindergarten. The director, Letty, is very friendly and helpful and doesn’t get irritated when you call to check on your baby daily for the first week she’s there :) They have an excellent menu for the children, that doesn’t consist of the typical chicken fingers and pizza, but nutritional and diverse items. They do not have a single violation on the DFPS website and they are incredibly reasonable with their prices. Some of the teachers do not speak English very well, but my kiddo is attended to and taken care of very well. They also have webcams, which you’re allowed to access for your child’s room. I love that I’m able to see my kiddo whenever I’m not able to be right there with her. It really puts my mind at ease.