My child has been attending Bright Minds for 2.5 years now (from the age of 2 years old). And I cannot say enough how I am happy about the whole experience. This is THE ONLY school in NYC where I was not worried whether my child was fed, appropriately dressed for outside time, had enough nap, and diapered in time. And at the same time, they provide an excellent studying environment with top-notch teachers and caregivers. Just to be clear: we were admitted to the best American schools in TriBeCa as Washington Market School, Montessori Beach Street, etc. But we decided to go with Bright Minds. And there was not a single time I felt sorry about our decision. Amazing school! (from Google reviews)
Kris G., Mother of 2.5. y.o.
Excellent school with excellent and involved teachers who put their all into helping kids master language and logical reasoning skills. They have classes, in which kids are asked to sit at a semicircular table to ensure all the kids are engaged, and can sit and focus on their tasks, which is a challenge for toddlers. The teachers make sure each kid gets the task at hand before moving on to the next one. There is play time in the afternoon allowing kids to socialize and learn through free play as well. Their outside play area is the Imagination playground nearby. Overall, we are very happy with the school and my child's development in it. That said, in response to another review here, this may not be for those parents who prefer an indulgent/permissive parenting style. My husband and I find the school to be a good balance between what one may call a "serious" learning environment for little kids and play time with classmates, which goes well with what we hope is a well-balanced, demanding, yet responsive parenting/teaching style. (from Google reviews)
Lena K., Mother of 4 y.o.
We were privileged to have the opportunity to attend Bright Minds. I appreciate the cultural and academic values my kids picked up from the school. The staff is great, the space is clean. They offer a fun variety of classes with passionate and enthusiastic teachers! One definitely will pick up Russian as the method of immersion surely works! It's a very enriching and stimulating community to be a part of. (from Google Reviews)
Philipa N., Mother of 4 y.o.
My daughter has been attending Bright Minds right after she turned 2 years old, 8.30 am to 6 pm, 5 days per week. Within the first year she has developed her verbal skills in 2 languages (we use Russian and Spanish at home) and the school developed her language learning skills a great deal. She has also learned all shapes, colors, basic numbers, concepts of depth, size, comparative skills, and much more. Now in her 3rd semester at the school, she is learning English, as well as Russian letters, began to read basic words (at 3.5 y.o.), and so on. The Bright Minds School offers 2 amazing things: focused discipline, unmatched by an American school, and a Russian type of education, where kids are taught to learn things, not just memorize them. The BM schooling experience offers excellent academic, and simply human experience at not above average private schooling cost, and my daughter is far better off, as a result of attending it. At home, we can relax and just spend leisure time with our daughter, as all schooling is properly fulfilled by her school. We plan on enrolling our currently 7-month-old son in Bright Minds, as soon as he becomes of age as well.
Dmitriy G., Father of 3.5 y.o
My sons - now 4.5 and 3 years old - have both attended Bright Minds since they were just over 2 years old. Over our time at Bright Minds, they have grown into curious and proud students, excited to show off their work and new logic and motor skills at home whenever the opportunity presents itself. My 4.5-year-old already knows both, the Russian and English alphabet and has rudimentary reading skills in Russian! I love the nurturing and structured environment that the preschool provides for my boys' cognitive development - something that I looked for and found very difficult to find when initially searching for schools
Oksana K., Mother of 3 y.o. and 4.5 y.o.
"I have been very impressed with my daughter's progress at Bright Minds. Every time she comes from school, she brings new projects and new stories. She has developed a lot of different skills, including counting, recognizing shapes, colors, and sizes, learning letters of alphabet. I can clearly see what she does each class and can see her progress. We are definitely coming back next year!"
Mila J., Mother of 2.5 y.o.
"Bright Minds Center is a wonderfully flexible and warm place with a lot of personal attention to children and their parents... I am hoping that this is a long-term project which will continue to grow as my daughter grows with more interesting teachers and families joining." RU