First School is a child daycare & preschools daycare located at 25610 S Gougar Rd, Manhattan, Illinois IL. Find contact info, location details, and similar daycares nearby.
What Parents Say
First School receives universal 5/5 ratings from parents who praise the caring, professional staff and director Sarah for their dedication to child development and well-being. Parents highlight significant developmental progress, a clean and safe facility, and teachers who genuinely invest in each child's individual growth. A speech-language pathologist also commends their collaborative approach and healthy nutrition practices.
I am pleased to offer my strong recommendation for First School. In my role as a speech-language pathologist providing services within their program, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the level of care, dedication, and professionalism that the director (Sarah) and staff bring to the children and families they serve. What stands out most about this daycare is how deeply invested the team is in each child’s growth and well-being. The staff consistently create a nurturing, engaging environment where children feel safe, supported, and encouraged to learn. They take the time to truly know each child as an individual, responding thoughtfully to developmental, social, and emotional needs. From a professional standpoint, their openness and cooperation are exceptional. Sarah and her staff communicate clearly, welcome collaboration, and actively support therapy goals so children can make meaningful progress. They are proactive, flexible, and consistently follow through on strategies and recommendations, which greatly benefits the children receiving services. In fact, this is the only daycare in the area where I currently provide therapy services, specifically because of the positive, team-based approach and the strong partnership I have with them. Their willingness to work collaboratively and their genuine commitment to doing what is best for children set them apart. Additionally, as a SLP that specializes in feeding therapy, their healthy menu and approach of exposure to a variety of foods is a welcome change to daycare environments. I confidently recommend First School to families seeking a caring, professional, clean, healthy, and child-centered early learning environment. Sincerely, Renee Peavler, MS, CCC-SLP/L Speech-Language Pathologist Talk The Talk, Inc
First School has been wonderful for our daughter! She loves her teachers and all the fun activities they do, and she is learning so much every day. She has been through infants, toddlers, and now twos with great experiences in all three classroom settings. We’ve been very pleased with our experience at First School and highly recommend it to anyone in the area looking for early child care.
We started our little one with first school at 7 months and I wish we would of started sooner! As I write this post, she is 16 months and the development we have seen since attending First School is insane! They are very loving, caring, detailed oriented and kind. They truly care about your child and their personal growth. There has been many times I have came to the staff for advice or help and I have never felt judged or unseen. Sarah and her faculty are TOP NOTCH!
We have been a First School family for over 6 years and have loved it! The staff are friendly, considerate, and care for my kids as if they were their own. Both of my kids look forward to seeing their teachers at First School and it is refreshing that they enjoy going. The facility is also very clean and organized.
We have had our two children there for a few years now. Beyond happy with the school. We love all teachers and staff! They always make sure kids are happy and safe but very honest if child was struggling or having a tough day. Highly recommend for daycare and for summer camp!