The Little School in Seattle, Washington

“My daughter attended TLS from K-5 & is now in a highly academic & rigorous middle school program. She is excelling there in many specific ways that I credit to TLS: her natural curiosity & love of learning were nurtured & are serving her well now she's in 7th grade; she was supported in working independently on projects that required her to be self-motivated and self-regulating; & she was given many opportunities to stretch herself as a public speaker and self-starter (perceiving a need or having an interest & being allowed to run with it). As the daughter of an academic & someone with two graduate degrees who spent several years teaching undergrads, I was looking for an elementary school that would keep alive the skills necessary to succeed in higher education and real life: self-regulation, self-motivation & an intrinsic love of learning. We found that at TLS.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We have three children at The Little School, and have really found it to be the perfect school for us. Education is *very* important to my husband and I, and we feel strongly that our children learn in an environment that is not fact-, homework-, or test-driven. As parents, we particularly like the small class sizes at TLS, the way our children are encouraged to answer their own questions, and the focus on social development. The kids love their teachers and friends, the autonomy they are given, and exploring the beautiful campus.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter moved to the Little School this year, and it has completely changed her attitude toward school. She quickly developed confidence and enthusiasm toward school, which she did not have at her previous school. The staff are wonderful, class ratios are small (2 teachers for 16 students), and the other parents are friendly and welcoming.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My child went to TLS for the upper grade levels (though there are no grades per se) after a frustrating public school experience. How refreshing to find 'the most awesome school on the planet' according to my daughter. Her love of learning was revived. The small class sizes enabled her to receive individualized attention from her teachers and the woods/campus are breathtaking and foster an appreciation for nature. My child made great friends. She is excited about her next school but she misses TLS so much.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“If you are looking for a traditional model of education with test-taking and grading, expecting children to meet prescribed standards from behind a desk with 25 other kids fighting for the teacher's attention...I guarantee this is not the school for you. Our family feels so blessed to find another option in The Little School. Small classrooms, child-centered education, high caliber teachers who respect each child as an individual, an emergent curriculum that supports children's innate love of learning. My children loved the preschool, but are absolutely thriving in the grade school. My son used to be so painfully shy and quiet. Just four years of being there, he is a leader, loves public speaking, is even trying his hand at theater. He is a voracious reader, loves research, team projects, and politics. Kids are allowed to be themselves and learn at their own pace. It is really a beautiful thing!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The Little School has been an amazing place for both my children. It is not for everyone but if your child does best with small classes and teachers who treat their ideas with respect rather than sitting at a desk doing a bunch of worksheets, it's worth checking out!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My children attended this school for two. It's an excellent school for preschool. But not for elementary school or you will end investing high cost in tutoring”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Great for Preschool, but not beyond that. There is little structure or in depth teaching of the basics such as reading, writing and math. Although many don't admit it, a large portion of parents here supplement their child's education with outside tutoring. Some children thrive here, but often those children would thrive in any environment. Often parents have not found out until they leave that their children are struggling academically. The school talks about their emphasis on social aspects which is great, but it doesn't need to come at the expense of learning the basics which it does. We aren't a family who what are children to be pushed excessively academically. We want an environment where there is a healthy balance. This is not it.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I couldn't be happier with a school than I am with The Little School. I enjoy the school's focus on social development, and have consistently been impressed with how my children's teachers are able to take advantage of child-directed educational opportunites as they arise.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am the parent of a Little School alum and will be eternally grateful for the care and education my daughter receive from ages 3 to 12. They prepared her academically to become an honor student, receive scholarships, and excel all the way through Gonzaga and Seattle Universities. TLS fostered the highest ideals, tended to her individual needs, and understood her family stress and dynamics. I could not be more proud of her as the strong, intelligent, principled and caring, achieving woman she is today. She is without question a product of the years she spent in the arms of The Little School. I was a single mom not knowing how I could afford the tuition despite financial aide but month by month, year by year it happened. With a gigantic leap of faith those dollars became the investment I ever made.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We have two children who have started at The Little School this year. We could not be happier. This is a school which respects children, builds a foundationof curiosity and love of learning, and incorporates educational research with emergent curricula to provide truly engaging and effective teaching methods. The faculty are absolutely wonderful.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“All 3 of my children have different learning styles and all 3 have attended The Little School with great success. It is a school where children can truly be themselves. My youngest is still there, and the older two went all the way through from ages 4 and 5 until they left for middle school. Both older kids made the transition easily, and I give lots of credit to The Little School for nurturing their self esteem, confidence, social kills, and critical thinking skills. And both of them still love to learn! The emergent curriculum at The Little School taught them to feel ownership for their educations, and to view teachers as partners, not directors, of the effort. And along with giving my children such an excellent, healthy start to their education, The Little School provided our whole family with a nurturing community. It has been worth every penny to”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I'm delighted with the education my children are receiving at The Little School. They both have very different learning styles and this amazing school is able to adapt the curriculum to meet each of their needs. The forested campus is a great setting and the faculty is top-notch!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My child outgrew and she received a great education at TLS that nurtured her desire to learn and allowed her the freedom to grow at her own pace. They have a beautiful campus in which the children have the opportunity to explore and learn about the natural world. I couldn't be happier with the experience my kids have had at The Little School and the education they received. My child is now going to the private school at the top of our list for middle school and I feel will be fully prepared for the transition.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“In my opinion, this school is not worth the money. When my son outgrew, he was not prepared for the level of work at his next school. We spent several painful months trying to get him caught up.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Fine place for pre-school. By the time you reach kindergarten, you should know that there is no curriculum--it sounds crazy, doesn't it? But it's true. As experienced teachers move from 'full day' to part-time, they are replaced by teachers (and in some cases just plain TAs) with little to no experience, which is a poor decision on the part of the administration, because this style of education needs experienced teachers. If you live on the Eastside, save yourself the cost of tuition and attend your public school by first grade.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“When you are told 'tuition doesn't cover the cost to fully educate your child', they mean it literally and many of the parents have the tutor bills to prove it. While I absolutely agree that children learn interpersonal skills and that teachers are trusted friends and resources, the holes in the academics are huge. This is beginning to change now, but it will be some time before it is implemented and tested.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am unhappy with the administration of this school. I often wonder if the school is fiscally responsible. I have to teach my child myself in some subjects, because the teacher doesn't return corrected homework assignment for weeks at a time. In my opinion, this is too long for my child to wait to receive feedback on an assignment. In addition, the teacher is there only part-time. The rest of the time, the class is taught by a TA. For $15K in tuition, I expected more. I expected a full-time teacher. What makes the situation truly outrageous, is that the administration is constantly asking for funds and reminding the parents how tuition doesn't cover the full cost of educating a student.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“As a former student of The Little School and current faculty member I value the deep level of respect that students experience. This is a direct result of the intimate relationships formed throughout the small community. Compassion is highly regarded as a form of intelligence and academically, children are externally supported and internally driven.”
This review was posted by a other.

“My two children have had wonderful experiences at this preschool through elementary school. If you want your children to love to learn, have all their needs met (social and emotional as well as academic), have the chance to play outside in an incredible outdoor environment, have highly skilled and caring teachers, small class sizes where teachers really know their students, this is a school worth checking out! I'd have to disagree with the comments about this school not being 'academic' beyond the preschool years. Things have changed a lot in the last few years, and I feel that my 5th grader is learning more than most kids in elementary school, and having lots of fun while doing it!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“We have two children at The Little School, both have attended since the age of 3. We researched many schools and are very pleased with the education our kids are receiving. Best of all, they both love coming to school and we are constantly amazed at the things they are learning! A wonderful, nurturing and well-rounded experience!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Te Little School is a place where the unique interst, abilities and challenges of each child are valued. We pay close attention to their emotional and intelectual growth as well as their differences, their culture, and celebrate the diversity they bring into our classroms. They start learning the Spanish Language and its culture as young as our 3 years old!”
This review was posted by a teacher.

“Our older daughter attended TLS from age 5 to 12, our younger has been there from age 4 to 10. Little School's greatest strengths: music (weekly sing-alongs), the outdoors (the woods on campus and all the hours they spend exploring them), small class sizes and personalized attention, their encouragement of creativity and imagination, their attention to the emotional and social needs of the kids, and their focus on keeping kids excited about learning by allowing them to pursue projects they have a passion for. They do not spend a lot of time on drilling kids on basic facts, or on busywork. But, if you've got a bright kid who is motivated to learn, they'll do fine. My older daughter is now at an academically rigorous middle school, consistently getting A's with the occasional B, and does very well on standardized tests. And she loves school and loves learning.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“After 6 years at the Little School (kinder-5th) I think it is best suited for families who: a) wish to avoid the test-driven curriculum that dominates many public school districts; b) seek a schooling environment in which the really difficult questions surrounding diversity and community are tackled head on and with great honesty; c) value all types of intelligence (embracing diversity of 'intellectual ability and learning style' is part of the school's basic philosophy, unlike many academically-exclusive private schools); d) want their children to develop higher level critical thinking and research skills as well as cultivate independent learning habits rather than simply being able to regurgitate isolated tidbits of knowledge. The Little School is not for everyone, but for our family and many others it is a real blessing.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My children have attended this school for years. It's an excellent school for preschool. But beware: get out by elementary school or you will end up paying the high cost of money and time for tutors to catch your children up. I used to believe everything I read about 'emergent' curriculum but now I know the truth: not all children learn the same way and yes, some of them do benefit from direct teaching of concepts such as spelling, phonics, and math. (Yes, I've read Alfie Kohn.) The Little School will not do that for you, because there is no curriculum in place. Is it a compassionate school? It can be. Is it without bullies? Absolutely not. Is there a huge gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' of the community? Without a doubt.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Terrific school for parents who want a 'whole child' approach. The early childhood program is especially wonderful. Amazing teachers, emergent curriculum, small classes so that teachers can tailor their approach to each child's strengths and needs.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This is a good school for preschool age to pre-k(3 to 5 year olds) but education for older kids is not very academic. Yes, TLS has the hands-on approach but children still need to be taught to 'read'. For the money I rather send my children to my local public school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This school is good for preschool to pre-k age (3-5 year olds) but not for older children. Yes, TLC has the hands-on approach but children still need to be able to 'read'. There cannot be such a 'freedom' that phonics is not taught. A friend's daughter who attended TLC for 3 years is still behind in her second grade reading. And worst yet, some children at TLC has to enroll in additional tutoring courses. Rather than paying the big money for tution, I'm sending our chldren to our local public school.”
This review was posted by a parent.