Zam Learning Center

Terah Herman-Saldaña

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

We absolutely loved our time at ZAM and were so sad to see it end as our daughter heads off to kindergarten. She spent 3.5 years at ZAM, and during that time we watched her truly flourish. When she first started, she was a bit behind verbally due to the COVID-19 lockdown, but with the guidance of Ms. Jessa and Ms. Sam, she quickly caught up. Today, she is more than prepared for kindergarten. Ms. Jessa has an incredible gift for seeing each child as an individual and caring for them both academically and holistically. From the very beginning, our daughter felt safe in her care, and our first-time parent anxieties quickly melted away as we saw the love, attention, and quality education she was receiving at ZAM. We could not have found a better place for our child. We are endlessly grateful to Ms. Jessa, Ms. Sam, and Ms. Pamela for the amazing care they provided. We sing their praises every chance we get!

Laura Harris

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Our daughter has spent 3 years at ZAM and we couldn't be more happy with the experience. She's blossomed from an almost-2-year-old with catching up to do, to an advanced almost-5-year-old who, on Mrs. Jessa's recommendation, we are sending to a different school for her final Pre-K year because she has grown beyond ZAM. We wish we could keep her at ZAM, but Mrs. Jessa is the type of forthright, honest educator with the kids' best interests at heart that will recommend a child move on to further challenges rather than keep a spot filled. We have grown to utterly value her guidance and insight into our daughter and her education. Mrs. Jessa is a kind, keen, unflappable, and supportive teacher and caretaker. She provides an excellent balance between learning through academics and through play, and the school size is such that she can really understand each child and connect with them where they are. She's also dedicated to continuing her own professional development, and consistently bringing her new training to bear in the classroom. When our child was in speech therapy, the SLP asked to do a brief school visit. Afterwards, she was effusive: this was a special place, with remarkable caregivers, and that while it might have fewer frills than other preschools, in just 30 minutes she saw a learning environment that any kid would be lucky to be a part of. We could not recommend ZAM more highly for daycare and preschool needs!

Tamara Young

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Ms. Jessa and Ms. Sam, remember their names as your children will come home singing their praises daily! ZAM is an in-home daycare center that values group/peer learning, developmental growth, social interactions, building self confidence and responsibility, and having fun of course. There is always an event they are having with the kids, science experiments with fruit, baking treats, or learning about the earth while digging up worms in the backyard! ZAM is constant, which is the best for parents on the go who want a stable environment for their child to grow while feeling safe and cared for. All the meals are hand prepared daily, and snacks are provided throughout the day. Ms. Jessa prioritizes communication with parents with quarterly parent meetings and newsletter/emails. My son left ZAM soooooo ready for kindergarten, he has consistently tested in the 90th percentile, or higher, on all his standardized assessments. He’s only been in kindergarten for 6 months. Ms. Sam and Jessa are kind-hearted and committed to each child that enters their door. They have graduations for their learners departing for school, even if it’s only 1 learner! 😍 Can you tell we enjoyed our experience with them?! 😁

Bahar Çetinsoy

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

We have absolutely loved our experience with Zam Learning Center. I was very nervous how my son would behave and react as he had been at home with me untill the age of 2.5. MS. Jessa and Ms. Sam welcomed us with open arms from the first day, making it easier for my son to adjust to the changes. Ms. Jessa helped my son develop his social skills, including interacting with other kids, taking turns and sharing. The teachers at Zam not only prioritize social and emotional learning but they also allocate a good chunk of time on cognitive development of the children. My son learned numbers, colors, letters and shapes very well. One of the great things about Zam is the easy communication. Teachers are very quick to respond and answer your questions or concerns. I also appreciated the monthly newsletters ,which kept us informed about the concepts, inquiry units, letters and number would be covered in each month. Ms. Jessa is a compassionate, caring, and dedicated teacher whose purpose is to create a safe learning environment to equip our children with the skills that they need to be ready for the next academic stage of their lives. I can %100 recommend to anyone considering Zam Learning Center as an option for their children.

Sasha Tyukavina

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

We felt so fortunate to have this gem of an in-home daycare and preschool in our neighborhood! My daughter started at ZAM around 2.5 yo and stayed there right until Kindergarten (5 yo). We actually turned down a spot at the UMD CYC that we were on the waitlist for for 3 years to stay at ZAM. There is so much we loved about ZAM, most importantly - that teachers genuinely care about the kids and their wellbeing. Some of the specific things we appreciated (in no particular order): 1) Food! Ms. Jessa cooks fresh homemade meals for the kids, with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. And for the low price she is charging for the care, having the food included is a nice bonus. I won't be naming names, but some of the big daycare centers charge twice as much and don't have the food included. 2) Activities! Cooking (including baking and making ice cream from scratch), science experiments, water play in the Summer, you name it. My daughter would randomly start telling us that apples brown faster in vinegar compared with water. 3) Focus on emotional intellect and independence. They use Tucker Turtle technique to teach kids to recognize their emotions, stop and think before acting on them. Also, teaching the kids to attempt solving problems and conflicts on their own before asking for adult help. 4) Teachers at ZAM will support you at potty training, and help make transition to fully independent toileting smooth and painless. 5) Lots of outdoor time, 2+ hrs a day when the weather is good. The teachers are very consistent with applying sunscreen. 6) Mixed age group (2-5 yo) with older kids caring for younger ones. Teachers at ZAM are very good at creating a sibling-like culture of care among the kids. 7) Long working hours: 7am to 6 pm, you really can't beat it. Some of the fancier pre-K programs have, like, a 4:30 pm pickup, which is too short for a normal office workday. Some thigs that could be tricky or not everyone would look for in a pre-K program: ZAM puts a lot of emphasis on early literacy and pre-reading skills, and math. I feel like Ms. Jessa basically covered Kindergarten program with the kids in pre-K, which is good and bad (your kid might be bored in Kindergarten). So, if you are looking for a play-based program without academic focus, ZAM is probably not the best fit for you. Luckily for us, our neighborhood Kindergarten program is a 50% Mandarin immersion, so it will be challenging enough for our daughter even if the standard English and Math curriculum has already been pretty much covered in ZAM. You can tell that this program is excellent, if the only thing I found to sort of complain about is the academic focus. 10/10 would recommend this daycare!