Little Scholars Academy of Kannapolis is a women-owned, 4-star DCDEE-licensed private childcare center at 320 Russell St in Kannapolis, NC, serving children 3 months through age 5 using a Reggio Emilia approach. Founded in 2021, it has quickly earned a 5.0 Google rating from parents who praise the staff's genuine care and the school's commitment to keeping families involved in their child's learning journey.
Safety7.0
Curriculum9.0
Art / Music9.0
Infant care8.0
Kindergarten readiness8.0
Teacher quality8.0
Compassion9.0
Management8.0
Culture9.0
Class sizes7.0
Extracurriculars7.0
What parents say
“Staff is friendly and they genuinely care about the kids. My kids get excited to 'go to school' every morning.”
“Reggio based has allowed my son the chance to embrace his inner artist since we are project based.”
“This school really focuses on making sure the teachers and parents are on the same page.”
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Reggio Emilia inspired approach that views children as strong and powerful, emphasizing respect for children's choices while nurturing their curiosities and inquiring minds.
Programs & activities: Full-day (8:30am-4:00pm) and half-day (8:30am-12:30pm) programs for ages 3 months through 5 years, plus extended care (7:30am-8:30am and 4:00pm-5:00pm).
What sets it apart: Programs run year-round August through July. Now enrolling for 2025-2026 school year.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
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Top 100 in NC
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 100 in NC</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked in the top 100 statewide across all North Carolina licensed childcare centers scored in our 2026 rankings.</span>
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Top 3 in Kannapolis
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 3 in Kannapolis</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked in the top 3 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Kannapolis.</span>
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Best Curriculum
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<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/charlotte/kannapolis/little-scholars-academy-of-kannapolis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Curriculum</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest curriculum score in Kannapolis. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.</span>
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Best Arts & Enrichment
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Arts & Enrichment</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest arts score in Kannapolis. This dimension captures music, visual arts, creative play, and enrichment programming that goes beyond core academics.</span>
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Best Infant Care
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Infant Care</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest infant care score in Kannapolis. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.</span>
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Best Kindergarten Prep
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Kindergarten Prep</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest kindergarten readiness score in Kannapolis. This dimension measures literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skill-building that prepares children for elementary school.</span>
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Most Compassionate
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Little Scholars Academy of Kannapolis -->
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Most Compassionate</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest compassion score in Kannapolis. This dimension captures warmth, emotional attunement, and the degree to which parents feel their child is genuinely loved and seen.</span>
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Best Management
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Management</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest management score in Kannapolis. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, operational consistency, communication quality, and how problems are handled.</span>
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Best Culture
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Little Scholars Academy of Kannapolis -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/charlotte/kannapolis/little-scholars-academy-of-kannapolis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Culture</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest culture score in Kannapolis. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.</span>
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Best Space & Comfort
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Space & Comfort</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest space and comfort score in Kannapolis. This dimension reflects classroom size, outdoor play areas, and whether parents feel the center is appropriately staffed and uncrowded.</span>
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Best Extras
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Extras</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest extras score in Kannapolis. This dimension captures standout features — specialty programs, extended hours, unique amenities, or community partnerships that set a center apart.</span>
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Updated · July 2026
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
