Testimonials
“I truly realized how great the PlayTogether pre-K program is after my daughter started kindergarten at PS9. She was well prepared for the academic requirements (vs. some kids who attend progressive preschools and are not familiar with the alphabet), and she could focus on meeting new friends. I now understand how a good pre-K should launch a kid to a successful start at school. PlayTogether allowed my daughter to confidently begin this important chapter of her life by offering a play-based approach to learning. My child loved all the art projects and games. Further, I appreciate the individual approach to each child at PlayTogether. Both the director, Nyla and the head teacher Ms Allen gave me very useful insight on my girl’s talents and behavior. Everything was spot-on! I was given guidance on what schools would be best fit for my kid and how to approach interviews. I highly recommend this school and I look forward for my son to start there.”
M.D.
“PlayTogether NYC’s UPK program has been an enriching and enjoyable experience for our son. The teachers engage the students in appropriate and fun learning. Not a day goes by that my son doesn’t report on the meaningful and rich connections he makes between things they work on and discuss at school. Most importantly, my son loves it and he looks forward to going every day.”
Matthew Gamage
“I am so grateful to have my son at PlayTogether UPK. The teachers are incredibly caring and nurturing. My son loves going to school, and he is thriving academically and socially.”
Sarah Cimino
“Our son started attending this lovely school when he was 2 years old. He had a hard time separating, but he adjusted to the idea of being at school and learned that all the teachers are people he can trust. I cannot say enough about the incredible 2’s and 3’s teaching team. I got to see firsthand how understanding, kind, and warm the teachers are. They took time to get to know my son as an individual and know what to expect from him in all situations. They are also incredibly knowledgeable about early childhood development. Bottom line, the school is fantastic and we love these teachers! Thank you for being so warm and taking such good care of our son!”
D.G.
"Our son Charlie is in the Pre-K class at PlayTogether UWS. We are extremely happy with the teachers and administration as well as the care and academics Charlie is receiving. Most importantly to us he has fun and really enjoys going to Pre-K, always coming home with a big smile on his face. We are so glad we found PlayTogether."
Laura Burns
"When we first began exploring preschools, it was a very daunting process. Many preschools we visited put a great deal of emphasis on admissions, and sent the message that the worth and future of our child was determined by where they went to preschool—and we were not interested in that kind of pretention. We were looking for a nurturing environment for our son to become comfortable with separation and structure, and engage in socialization. We were so happy when we visited PlayTogether, and we knew we had found the right match for our son and for our family. I am grateful for the energy, patience, care, and especially for the respect the teachers show for the children. They communicate about my son’s good days and challenging days, and as a first time mom I feel lucky to be supported by an experienced, knowledgeable team who know my son well, and truly care about his growth and development."
S.C.
"After watching Nyla teach, I was amazed at her ability to connect with children. When I observed Nyla sitting next to a child, both on tiny chairs, in storybook-like conversation, I knew that Nyla possessed an innate ability to communicate with children. Nyla’s highly sophisticated process of gathering information regarding each child is made possible by her training and intelligence, which allows her to create the best environment for the child to flourish. She is the architect of this hand-made genius jungle-gym of sorts designed for your child and like a magical greenhouse, it results in the best possible conditions for the child to grow.
I witnessed Nyla as someone with an obvious inherent gift of teaching, supported with years of structured in-depth training and high level study. I watched this little child truly learn – right before my eyes – all through fun and whilst gaining confidence in himself in the process."
E.H.
"My daughter just turned two when we joined this group. She had some separation discomfort during the first month which I found absolutely normal. Just like any other preschools, parents and kids go through a transition period. My daughter has been a quiet child so I was at first bit worried that she may not participate as much but Nyla really worked with her and now she’s blooming beautifully.
Nyla constantly tells us what’s going on with the class as a whole and the children individually. Her feedback is always precise and with suggestions and game plans. As this is a small group, I can see the teachers really pay great attention to every single child. They do fun projects and the most important aspect to me as a parent, is my daughter gets to play with other kids and gets the kind of socialization that she would not have staying at home with me nor joining a weekly class elsewhere."
Parent
"I have had nothing but good experiences with Play Together. My daughter wasn’t yet two when she started the program and had a hard time separating at first. After a few weeks of working with Nyla and the other teachers, my daughter separates beautifully, gives me a hug and kiss; then runs to join the other kids in the activities they are doing. She has become more social with other children and has learned to take turns and cooperate. Nyla has also helped us tremendously with developmental milestones. For example, my daughter had terrible separation anxiety when my husband would leave for work every morning and she was taking it out in aggressive behavior towards him when he would get home from work. We spoke with Nyla about this and she suggested some strategies that completely fixed the problem.
There are numerous other examples I could cite, which to me have just proven that Nyla really understands early childhood development. She specifically works with kids and encourages activities that will help their individual needs inside the classroom, which is more than what I can say they do at the newer and more modern facilities like NY Kids Club or Kidville, (both of which my daughter also attends with me and which we pay a fortune for).
In my opinion, it is the quality of the program, the emotional support and attention and the depth of understanding of early child behavioral development which is most important at this age."
Mommy Poppins