Cooperative Nursery School - Urbana, Illinois

Steph W.

We moved to the area about a year ago, and we didn't know anyone or anything about the schools or neighborhoods. We really lucked out with Cooperative Nursery School! The classrooms are well-stocked, well-organized, and incredibly clean, and the open curriculum prepared our child well for Kindergarten academically, emotionally, and socially. The teachers are great, and the parents are fantastic! We immediately began feeling a sense of community there, and I've enjoyed getting to know the other parents as we rotate working in the classroom together. I've loved being involved in my child's education and having the sense of community!

Angela S.

A small school where parents are greatly involved with in the day-to-day activities. The teachers are very kind and gentle and teach the children in creative ways through play. The families that are apart of Co-op often become great friends beyond school hours. Tuition is very affordable and children do not need to be potty-trained (my son was very hard to train until he started here and was 100% trained by Thanksgiving!) The children's schedule is consistent on a daily basis. My oldest son is starting the 4's class and has grown tremendously since he started in the 2's class. My youngest son will start this year in the 2's and he already knows the teachers and is comfortable in the classroom because the closeness of the "Co-op Family" and the parent involvement.

Kuldeepa V.

As its name 'Cooperative nursery' and Statement describes- "where children parents and teachers work together", its in real sense cooperative!
Our family joined coop 6 years ago and now its like a family! The best feature of this pre-school is its openness for parents to be around till the parent decides to leave the school and not the other way around! The helping parent in classroom is another unique and friendly asset of being here! Each class parent gets to know other kids and taking care of other kids creates the bonds as families!
The school building with enough sunlight and huge windows and space of the classroom is just apt for growing kids!
The quality of Staff here is much better then some other nurseries having higher fees! The teachers are not just kind and loving but knowledgeable and well certified!
Thank you Coop for being here for our kids 🙂 V luv U 🙂

Kathleen T.

My son and I started going to the "Good Beginnings" play group on Fridays when he was around 20 months old. I think he really like the interaction with kids of different ages (0-5 yrs). We had just moved back to CU and didn't know a lot of familys with young children, so it was a good opportunity for me to meet others as well. I really liked the flexibliity of the play group and like that there was a predictable routine and structure each week.

We signed our son up for the 2's class this last fall (and started classes after being on the wait list for a couple of months). He had never been in daycare or with a baby sitter outside of our close family, so I was looking forward to the flexibility of being able to "ween" him into the class. I stayed in the class with him for the first month and then started to leave for longer and longer periods until I though he would be ready to stay by himself for the entire class. It was a very smooth transition (and tear free) for both of us, and I am grateful for the opportunity to do things at our own pace.

Now that he is fully immersed in the class room, he knows all of the kids and the parents that help in the classroom and is more comfortable around others in general. I like the parent involvement in the classroom (where 2 parents assist the teacher in each class) because he and I both get to know the kids and their families. All in all, we have had a wonderful experience in the last year. I highly recommend the cooperative nursery school if you are looking for a way to be involved in the class room and/or are looking for a flexible structure with parent involvement.

Brooke P.

The school has been a great place for my children to learn and grow. They love the teachers, and have great stories to tell about what they have learned each day. I love that it is a cooperative, I can be involved and get to know my children's classmates, through working in the classroom, as well as participate in the direction of the school by being involved in the board.

Mayte R.

I can't say enough good things about this preschool. My daughter is always excited to go to school in the morning! I love how the diversity of every child is embraced. The teachers are wonderful, and really care about the students. Inclusion of parents in the classroom helps to bring about the feeling of a community, more than just a school.

Michelle S.

We loved our three years at Co-op! The classroom teachers are wonderful and we truly appreciated the way the creative curriculum methodology was implemented. Being able to settle our child when she needed us and having a chance to be a part of her learning and discovery process was so rewarding! We hope to go back to the Co-op for our son if we are still living in the area!

Daria B.

My daughter is attending the school for two years and she is having a great time there! Her first language is not English, but the support and love of the teacher made her confident almost from the first days of school. It is particularly the good place for those kids who just start to go to a school.