My Spectrum Center

Our daughter started at camp in the summer of 2022 and rolled into the 2’s program in September. Yes, she had an adjustment period where she cried in the beginning because she is young and it was a big change going from a nanny to school. However, our family could not be happier there. It’s a family-owned and managed program based on a Harvard study about meeting children where they are in their development and it’s been pivotal for our daughter’s language and development. This is not a daycare, it’s a school and it’s treated as such. Dr. D is very serious about her program and she provides structure. Miss Jennifer is very nurturing and Mr. Jason piques the kid’s creativity and interest in the sciences. Since September our daughter has walked right in without saying goodbye to us and is thrilled to be greeted by Miss Jennifer. Everyday we pick her up smiling. It’s very clear they have actual love for our daughter and the other kids. They truly care about her development and work with us to help meet her specific needs. If I had to guess, some of these “bad” reviews are simply because people think when they pay for “daycare” they are the boss. That’s not the case here and I’m happy to comply. I’m not the educator, so I expect and believe they know best. It’s a diverse set of kids with lots of professional parents and I would recommend it to anyone I know.

Dr D and Ms Jennifer are awesome. My daughter started last September for the toddler class and has been loving going to school ever since. She’s learned many words, numbers and colors and totally surprised us. We enrolled her to the school’s summer camp as well. We can’t be happier with everything at Spectrum!

My son was in a preschool prior to My Spectrum and did not enjoy school nor was he challenged. When we switched to My Spectrum he was excited to go every day, he was learning so much, and making new friends! Now that he is in kindergarten we continued with the after school program and camp. Lovely staff that truly cares for your children. We feel blessed to be a part of it!

This experience has been wonderful! Our daughter attended for three years and our son one. He'd run in without looking back. She was more hesitant, then couldn't stop talking about it. We moved to Port largely for this school and were not disappointed. The references were strong when we were deciding, and perhaps we'll chat if you're considering it. Many parents were educators (we're not), and we developed some close friendships. The name comes from "Project Spectrum," a research program that ran at Harvard under Howard Gardner and Mara Krechevsky. It's unrelated to the autism spectrum. The idea is that there are several types of intelligence (a "spectrum" of knowledge), and they can be cultivated in early childhood. My Spectrum School combines elements of this theory and the Reggio Emilia approach. It excels at translating theory into experiences. That's mostly because teachers care about kids, and kids aren't interested in Gardner. There's a commitment to longer-term themes (e.g., creativity, cognitive skills, STEAM), which informs curriculum. And they have a moment-by-moment approach: Teachers incorporate kids' interests and provide remarkable individual attention and differentiation. Class sizes are small enough to make that work. There's also some structure. Teachers stick to a routine for activities like arrival, lunch, playground, and departure---even if there can be considerable flexibility in between. Kids call adults by titles. Dr. D, Ms. Jennifer, and Mr. Jason became household names. The teachers are amazing, and it's hard to say enough good. Mr. Jason and Ms. Jennifer are bright, engaged, and passionate about the kids. They're also all-around wonderful people. Dr. D brings considerable experience with education theory and practice. Everyone had helpful insight at our conferences. They love talking about the kids. They were willing to reinforce things that we worked on at home, like empathy, imagination, or potty training. They will also tell it like it is: You'll hear something if your kid is in diapers at four or five. It is Long Island, after all. The facilities are large and thoughtfully designed. Mr. Jason teaches Pre-K students in one room. Ms. Jennifer and Dr. D have younger kids in another. There's a fair bit of crossover, where younger kids join the Pre-K students for some activities, parties, and play. Kids without younger siblings play eldest to the little ones, and likewise. We'll have fond memories.

Sending our son to this school has been one of the best decisions we have made for his development and confidence. The teachers all take a lot of pride and care in not only educating young children but inspiring them to reach beyond their years. Every day our son would come home and tell us detailed stories about what he learned about the human heart, intricate details about insects, the concept of evolution, the solar system, and more. What other pre-k does this? More so, this school is a community and a family. While our son is still young, the friends he has made there and the connections with his teachers are truly special. We will be sending our daughter here as well and would recommend to any parent without any hesitation to send your child here as well. It is a unique and special place.