Corner Co-op Nursery School

Corner Co-​Op is a nursery school where kids can grow and learn in a safe and supportive environment. Children learn through play and have choices about how to spend their day. Each morning starts with circle time, or kids can choose to play in the block room. There is always music, art, playdough, the sand table, blocks, trains and imaginative play. The teachers are creative, thoughtful and caring. There is virtually no turnover among the teachers. Rosie (teacher and director) has been at the Co-​op for 32 years, Sajed for 27 years and Sue and Beth for more than a dozen each. The newest teacher, Lin has wonderful energy and is also a gifted teacher. The school is a cooperative and parents spend time in the classroom. We’ve found parent helping to be extremely rewarding and enjoy seeing our son in action at his school. It’s wonderful to see him forge friendships, express himself, articulate his ideas, problem solve, negotiate, build, explore, create, challenge himself and grow! If you want your child to love learning and you would enjoy being a part of a community, this is a great nursery school!

Finding a preschool in Brookline can sometimes feel like applying for college. You can’t walk down the sidewalk without seeing families with young kids around every corner. Knowing how competitive the preschool market can be, we spent a lot of time researching the different options, going to open houses, and observing classes. I am so happy to say that from the moment we found it, we never doubted that the Co-​op was the exact right fit for our family.
It is clear from the moment you walk in the door that you are someplace where the children, and childhood itself, is valued. The teachers are among the most kind and patient people you will ever meet and they seem to have an endless amount of respect for every child who walk through their door. It is amazing to see how they can take a child who some schools would write off as a «problem kid» and help them really begin to express themselves in a much more positive way.
I am quick to say that the Co-​op is probably not for everyone. The guiding philosophy is learning through play, and if you are looking for a strictly regimented «10 minutes minutes at station one, then 10 minutes at station two,» you won’t find it here. They follow the individual child’s needs, and if someone wants to play in the block room for two hours no one is going to tell them otherwise. But no matter what the kids are doing the teachers are doing alongside them, asking questions and offering support when necessary, challenging them to do their best at whatever they do.
Our older daughter is nearing the end of her second year at the Co-​op, and next year her younger sister will be joining her too. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next!