The Young School

5009 Honeygo Center Dr, Perry Hall, MD 21128, USA

Address:	5009 Honeygo Center Dr, Perry Hall, MD 21128, USA
Phone:	+1 410-248-1120
Site:	youngschool.com
Rating:	4.6

Location

Photos 22

Reviews 4

Lara Kopf

Today my son is 21 months. He started attending the Young School at 8 weeks and my husband and I have been very happy with our experiences. One of the things that drew me to the school was the small class sizes (6 kids) all within 3 months of age for infants/toddlers. I like that the same 2 teachers and group of kids stay together for those first 2 years. It has allowed for both my son and us to create bonds with the teachers and other parents and kids during a time when consistency and nurturing are so important. Also like the school’s REI approach which promotes independence. No bouncers or walkers means my son got complete adult attention and at 1.5 he could already drink out of a proper cup (not a sippy) and use a spoon and fork. He’s happy and independent because they provide a safe environment for him to grow in and encourage him to develop his abilities. Even for infants, the teachers write weekly lesson plans to help them grow new skills and explore and offer parent teacher conferences. As a first time parent I really valued these meetings as the teachers would go through all the appropriate age developmental milestones and we’d discuss how my son was demonstrating them. I quickly got lazy about ready books because the teachers were all so well educated, trained, and experienced, they would educate me through our conversations and encourage me to try new things at home when they knew my son was ready. The “classrooms” are rich creative environments with lots to explore and changed frequently as the children’s skill develop. The school also has separate crib rooms to help the kids sleep easier away from distractions. Their “school year” curriculum is broken up with a summer camp that includes water play and a relaxed environment. My son loves all of his teachers, even the ones that only visit for short times to provide breaks. They all know him well and drop off/pick up is often prolonged as my son wants to say hello or goodbye and give hugs to so many of the people who work at the school. I always feel comfortable dropping my son off (he is often eager to get out the door in the morning to see his teachers and friends). The teachers have become his second family and that was something I have always desired for my son while I’m away at work, that he has a safe, nurturing, loving environment to grow up in and I am confident that is what he receives every day.

Anonymous User

A little different as preschools go, which has its positives and negatives. Pros: very child-centric, really focuses on the children as individuals, gets them excited about learning, makes them part of the learning process (teachers learn WITH them, not teach AT them), fosters creativity, thinking outside the box, problem solving, as well as teaching them a basic preschool skill set. Having had children there for over 2 years, I definitely dont agree with the reviewer who termed it a meat market, our experience has been that the teachers are very warm and nurturing. Cons: the cost is more than other preschools in the area by $100-$200 a month (although infant care was a couple hundred less than the area Goddard). Because the school is focused on communication with the child, they have some unusual policies like no sippy cups or pull-ups. On one hand, no pullups means more laundry during potty training, on the other hand, my child who was at the center from infant stage learned how to drink from a regular cup and go to the bathroom much earlier and faster than the one who was in home care as an infant. They are very strict on adherence to their policies, which can be annoying. If you authorize them to give Tylenol until Apr 30, you need a new medicine authorization on May 1 - no wiggle room. There are doors on the 2s & preschool classroom, but Ive never seen them fully closed, so I could see kids getting out into the hallway, although even if they do, there are two doors and the office between them and outside. Regarding safety, Ive never noticed unusually sharp edges, but they do have tables and shelving that a kid could hit if they fell - although wouldnt most pre-schools have these things? The no time-out policy does make more work for the teachers because they cant just stick a kid in the corner, they have to suss out the problem with the child. For most things - and we had discipline issues with other kids hitting or pushing ours - this approach seems to have worked but it doesnt give the immediate satisfaction of the punishment approach. For a truly unruly child, I dont know what they would do, luckily, we havent encountered that. All in all, although there are some minor irritations, I am very happy with the school and so are my kids - my child has told me that they never plan to leave!

Anonymous User

If I had it to do again, I would have never sent my 21 month old to The Young School. The rooms lack the basic child-proofing found in most homes and the concern for the children is not what it should be. I received a call from them that my son had fallen and hit his head on an unprotected surface in his "classroom". I left work to go check on him. He was bleeding from a nasty gash between his eye and eyebrow. I took him to the ER, where he had to receive a couple of stitches. Once the stitches were in, I returned to The Young School to speak with the manager there. My wife and I calmly explained that it would really be in their best interest to childproof the room by getting rid of the sharp edges. To say that they were underwhelmed at the notion would be an understatement. Their nochanlance was disturbing, as they explained that the surface in the room has been unprotected for quite sometime and this was supposedly the first time anything like this has happened. They then implied that it would not have happened at all if he was a little more stable in his walking. My son is 21 months old and he walks like a 21 month old. It became clear very quickly that their intention was simply to downplay the incident and protect themselves from litigation (denying responsibility). They seemed unmoved and unconcerned about the state of the child in front of them or his two concerned parents. For what they charge, I expect my child to be safe and for The Young School itself to be concerned about the safety of their current and future students. On a side note, I spoke to the owner of The Young School, Josh Young. He said that the room design has been the same for 21 years. He said that this type of thing does not happen everyday, but he would try to look into it. I told him that I took pictures of the edges and the damage to my sons face, and asked if I could send them to him so he could see firsthand the dangers in the room. He said that he was uninterested in seeing them. If your looking for a quality daycare that does not operate like a meat market, this is the wrong school for you.

Anonymous User

I have been employed with The Young School in Perry Hall for over five years and couldnt ask for a better preschool in which to work. The teachers and administration are the best around and truly love what they do! Along with the teachers who have their 90 hour Child Development certificate, there are many who hold Bachelors Degrees in Education. I have two children enrolled in the school and am extremely happy with the care they receive. The infant program is like no other - the children are respected, given freedom to explore, and nurtured as if they were the teachers own. They are allowed opportunities to grow and development at their own pace. The two-year-old and preschool classrooms implement a curriculum that is above and beyond what you would expect in an early learning center. The children are happy, engaged, and involved in every aspect of their day. Circle times and activities are based solely around what the children express an interest in, which keeps them intrigued and inquisitve. If it were not for such a supportive management team it would be impossible for the classrooms to run as smoothly as they do. When children graduate from The Young School, the only complaint is that the children are "bored" in Kindergarten. These children are so well-prepared for their school career that some have even been able to skip grades in elementary school! I take absolute pride in the school in which I work and recommend The Young School to anyone and everyone who is looking for child care.