Little Kids Academy

I cannot say enough good things about Little Kids Academy! We initially enrolled our son temporarily as we looked at a school closer to home with an outdoor playground. We very quickly fell in love with LKA and immediately forfeited our deposit at the other school. LKA is truly dedicated to each child’s development, engagement, and well-being. They foster a loving, caring, and supportive environment where each child can grow independently surrounded by their exceptional senseis and wonderful friends. Our son’s speech and social skills improved tremendously after starting preschool at LKA and he has made many friends. It is evident that the senseis want to expose children to crucial life skills, social behaviors, and a well developed and planned curriculum. The children have music and yoga classes and regularly perform crafts and they get their daily exercise on outdoor walks. We receive daily videos, photos, and personalized updates and it’s one of the highlights of my day. Knowing that I am leaving my child in the hands of experienced and dedicated teachers in a nurturing environment at LKA is priceless. My younger daughter and soon to be born daughter will follow in my son’s footsteps and join the LKA family soon and we are looking forward to many more years with LKA. I truly cannot say enough good things about LKA and Reiko sensei and all of the other senseis!

Originally, we wanted to send our daughter to a daycare with larger classrooms and an onsite playground. But then, we toured LKA and couldn’t help but fall in love with the place. It was like love at first sight, except it only got better. LKA doesn’t have an onsite playground or very large classrooms. Instead, they have good mid-sized classrooms filled with love and care from their teachers. As soon as you walk in, you can feel the loving vibe—one where your child would feel safe, loved, and never want to leave. Our daughter was 21 months old when she first started daycare, and she was barely speaking. But in less than three months, she could speak in short sentences and in English! Since then, she has also learned some Japanese words and songs, and has practiced Spanish with her teachers. Our daughter loves LKA. She wakes up every day asking if we are going to play at school; she goes to bed talking about all the fun she had with her friends and teachers during the day. She talks and pretends like she is the teacher and won’t stop talking about them. More importantly, she can’t wait to bring her little brother to school with her. This makes my heart full, knowing that she is growing and becoming a little, caring human being. Thanks to all the little friends and teachers at LKA for encouraging such a nurturing environment!

Little Kids Academy is a wonderful place for little ones to learn and grow. My 18 month old daughter has been in the full day program since she was 6 months old. She has become such a happy, talkative, observant, loving, and joyful little person thanks to her teachers and friends at this wonderful school. She adores her teachers, who are all gentle, kind, and so thoroughly invested in the children’s success. And she beams when I mention her friend’s names. The interweaving of Japanese language and culture along with English/American traditions (plus other international traditions from around the world) is thoughtfully done. My daughter is currently able to speak about equally in Japanese and English. She enjoys a multitude of activities with the other children, from regular walks to the nearby parks, to music performances and other enrichment activities that come to the center multiple times a week, to themed crafts that the children do together on nearly a daily basis (with a lot of help and creativity from the teachers). The environment of the center is welcoming and well kept. The center also does a great job with communication - I particularly appreciate the detailed observations of my daughter’s development that are shared in the daily written summary. Thank you to Reiko and all the sensei/staff at LKA for all of your hard work and commitment to the children. 5 stars, without question.

My daughter has been attending LKA for almost two years now, and I am so glad that my sweet, sensitive kiddo is a part of this wonderful little community. My daughter was born right before the pandemic, and between parental leaves and early lockdowns, she was at home with just me and my husband for her first year of life. I was so worried about sending her off to school, but the patient teachers at LKA made her feel safe and comfortable from day 1. She has been thriving there ever since (from the infant room to the toddler room, and now preschool). I love hearing my daughter talk about her teachers and friends, watching her show off her new yoga moves, seeing the adorable art projects she brings home, and learning about what she’s learning. They recently had a space unit, where the staff turned the preschool into a space station! Reiko (the director) is very creative, and I love seeing her ideas for the classroom take shape. I also really appreciate the Japanese immersion component; it’s so nice to hear my daughter belting out her favorite Japanese children’s songs every day. We’ve had a great experience at LKA!

We love LKA! We appreciate the director’s thoughtful communication to the parents, which must be difficult as the pandemic evolved over the last year. The teachers are very friendly and we love reading the notes from them every day. My daughter loves all the different activities they do - music, yoga, art, circle time and the neighborhood walks. It’s great that she’s able to get exposure to Japanese and English at such a young age. My daughter has been there for a year since she was 20 weeks old. She started in the infant class and transitioned into the toddler class after she turned one. Her classes have been small (5 in the infant class, about 8 in the toddler class) so we feel great about the teachers getting to know her and her friends well. She loves school and as parents, we love watching her grow and develop at LKA.