Testimonials

“We applied for our 2-year old daughter to attend Binkley Preschool after hearing several recommendations from friends and neighbors. Ellen Cole, the director, took my daughter and me on a tour and our excitement grew. The classrooms were large with lots of natural light and the playgrounds were fantastic. The students and teachers all seemed happy and relaxed. When we got the letter notifying us that our daughter had a spot in the 2s class, we were thrilled!

My daughter has now attended Binkley for three years and her experience has exceeded our expectations. Her first year in the 2s class with Mrs. Mastin and Mrs. Donovan was great. She learned through guided play and grew accustomed to sharing a classroom with her peers. I credit Mrs. Mastin and Mrs. Donovan for a lot of her potty training, too. In the 3s class, Ms. Wesley and Ms. Derby did a fantastic job of adding a little more “school structure” to the day. My daughter still learned through guided play, but Ms. Wesley and Ms. Derby guided her into stronger social skills with her peers. In the 4s class, Ms. Jones, Ms. Denno, and Ms. Benedict provided a stronger “school structure” with play centers that were often based on the theme they were studying, whole group carpet lessons that addressed literacy, math, and social skills, as well as some more “academic” opportunities such as chances to practice writing, word recognition activities, and reading comprehension – and still plenty of guided play. The teachers did a great job of offering opportunities for reading and writing without pushing or communicating any specific expectation – it was truly a choice.

Finally, Binkley offers several special classes beginning in the 2s and increasing as the children mature. My daughter had music in the 2s and 3s class, and in the 4s, she has music, physical education, and drama each week. She looks forward to these special classes every week and enjoys the chance to be taught by different teachers. In PE, Ms. Benedict plans activities such as dancing, age-appropriate circuit training, and obstacle courses. She also has mini-lessons about the importance of exercise and making choices that lead to good health. In music, Ms. Sharon, plays her guitar and uses rhythm instruments and other visual props to teach her lessons. The children learn songs that often relate to their current unit of study. They also participate in multi-cultural activities, get to play rhythm instruments, and learn some beginning music concepts while having a lot of fun.”