I can't recommend Strategies for Learning highly enough! Natalie and Michelle have both been just…read moreamazing. My son (6 yo) has a number of learning disabilities and tonight he was able to accurately recite the entire alphabet to me (twice!). For parents with kids who struggle in school, it is the small victories that matter so much and to see your child make such a major improvement in only three months is just amazing.

We worked with BJ McIntyre and he was really great. He is kind and fun and was really curious about…read moremy kid and what she needed to succeed and feel positive about herself as a student. The strategies he taught her have helped so much. We would definitely recommend!

Here's one more grateful mama writing the praises of Tilden Prep. Our son attended a well-ranked…read morepublic high school for his 9th and 10th grade years. He is a bright guy and has always done fine in school, but never liked reading, and spelling is not his thing. We were assured by well-meaning teachers that his challenges would disappear with time. The first two years of high school were miserable for him, and I had to drag him out of bed every morning to get there. He worked hard, but his grades steadily declined until he pretty much gave up putting any effort into his assignments if he did them at all. The last straw was when he confided to me sadly that he no longer felt smart at all. Ugh. So, long story slightly less long, we had him tested and discovered that he is dyslexic. Of course, this information made his teachers' suggestions that he work HARDER, rather than DIFFERENTLY even more frustrating. We discovered sadly that his school was unable and/or unwilling to help him out. The silver lining for us was sending him to Tilden for his junior and senior years. What a Godsend they are there! After two years at Tilden, our son is graduating with the knowledge that he is capable, intelligent, and has learned how to learn in a way that works for him. He's excited to attend college next year with renewed confidence. Tilden is pricey, but for us, it was well worth it. The teachers and Sallie, the head of the school, were committed, encouraging, and engaging. What relief to see our boy back on track and excited for his future!

Tilden Prep has been transformative for our son, who's twice exceptional. It offers greater depth…read moreand breadth of curriculum and more highly educated staff than its competitors, like Fusion Academy. For example, Tilden offers Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra. While such courses are offered at a community college, having the option to learn 1:1 is critical in giving a student a more solid foundation before entering a 4-year college. At the same time, the rates make more sense than Fusion Academy, which is on a trimester system and 30% more. Tilden is run like a school rather than a corporation. It's more pure to its cause. Good job Tilden. Keep up the good work!

Sim and the Kumon Center of Oakland In Rockridge have become an Educating partner for us in our…read morefamily. Our daughter respects and sincerely looks up to Sim and the staff at the Center. Our daughter has been going to Kumon since she was in 2nd grade. Through Sim's guidance in math and independent learning, she has become Academically Confident and Competitive. She does her homework daily with a passion aimed at mastering the day's assignments from School. Then she tackles her Kumon with the same passion and focus. Through Kumon's daily exercises and repetition, her skills have earned her every year a Top 95% in the Math National Star Testing. She is a straight A student. But most importantly, she is not a stressed child. She is happy, funny, and has many close friends. She helps her friends with school work, and she is great at sports and top in Karate (almost a brown belt). By starting young and teaching her to be organized, habitual in her studies, focused, consistent, and independent, the Kumon Skills are incorporated into her daily life in all areas. We have found that living the Kumon way, helps in all activities and helps life be 'a little easier'. Thank you Sim and the Kumon Center...we are so lucky we found you over 6 years ago!!! We highly recommend beginning Kumon young, with Sim at the Oakland Center. This will be the greatest gift you could give your child. And Sim (and the staff) go the extra mile to help and guide kids. Seriously, just do it. Education in many schools in America is nothing like it used to be. We are so appreciative we found this center when we did. Thank you so much Sim & Oakland Kumon Center!!! Here's to the Kumon Way!!! :)

Sim and censorship committee- I can honestly post these 100x a day, up to you, but each time you…read moreblock my review, it just republishes it for everyone. Not a good center for small children, that is my experience based on negative words said and actions made by the owner. I would go on, but Yelp's system is allowing the owner to take down all negative reviews.

We love Maybeck! It gives students a rigorous education that is based in deep reading, thorough…read moreresearch, considered discussion, labs and experimentation. The school has the principles of honesty, integrity, and democracy. The staff gets to know the students well and the students form lifelong friendships. Many annual school trips and camping trips help the community grow close. Social justice and democracy are foundational principles at the school. It doesn't just talk the talk, it walks the walk. It's one in a million.

Honestly don't know where to start with this.. This school…read moreclaims to be a safe and helpful place for alt students and students with unique learning style but it is quite the opposite. Most of the teachers who made the school special and unique have been pushed out in order to create a shitty excuse for a college prep school. In my two years here before transferring to a far better alt school was called "Lazy" when not preforming well despite not receiving the accommodations I was promised. This only scratches the surface of what is wrong with this school.

My second child is now attending New House, and I think that's the greatest testament to this fine…read morepreschool. It has the right amount of structure and the right amount of play. The staff is very energetic and very loving of all the children, and there is much emphasis on play, sharing, art and music. They have a large outside play area, as well as a separate indoor structure with plenty of things to keep the kiddies occupied. I have a strong feeling of confidence in the staff, and they are genuinely good people whom I trust exceedingly. What's more, they take kids from about 1-1/2 years old, and they do change diapers, so your child does not have to be potty trained to begin attending. School size is very small, about 20 kids per school year. School hours are 8:30am-3:30pm Monday through Friday, but not all children attend all days, so there are typically fewer than 20 kids on any given day. There are weekly trips to the Berkeley Public Library across the street, as well as occasional field trips by public transit. There are also field trips to Lawrence Hall of Science, and swimming lessons during the warmer months at extra cost. Dance and music classes are also offered in-house for an additional fee.

Our family has loved New House Day School for our now 3.5 year old. We found Mabel after leaving a…read morechildcare center abruptly as it was not suitable for our then 2.5 year old. New House Day School has provided the social emotional environment we were looking for. We have been there for one year now, and our daughter enjoys the variety of activities offered like walks through the neighborhood, cooking, extended unstructured play time, water play, music class, play doh making, book reading, and much more. Mabel provides a warm, nurturing environment that is perfect for our sensitive daughter. She is also learning Spanish. There are parent potlucks at the school, which are fun for children and adults alike. If you are looking for a preschool for your child, look no further than New House Day School.

We've had the most amazing experience with the Kumon in El Cerrito. I became really concerned about…read moremy son's math instruction at school when the transition was made to Common Core. Not only was math being taught in a very confusing way, but the materials were awful, and the teachers were unable to explain the material to either me or my son. That's when we enrolled in Kumon, and it allowed me to relax and breathe again. Greta and the Kumon staff are incredibly capable, dedicated, and kind, and I felt confident that they would keep my son's math learning on track regardless of what was going on at school. That was 5 years ago, and my son has gone from a poor math student in elementary school to a straight A math student in high school. You won't regret giving Kumon a try!

My son has been attending Kumon for both Math and Reading programs for over 7 months now, the…read moreresults are surprisingly good! Academically, he is very comfortable with math problems now, and loves to read on his own. With Kumon work, he's math and reading levels are above other classmates'. In terms of self discipline, he is used to doing the homework everyday on his own and tries his best to avoid any unintentional mistake. I am a proud mom! The Kumon el cerrito and Pinole instructor Greta has been so patient and kind to all the children and the parents. She knows everyone's name and level, and is very involved in the progress of every student. Hats off! and what a kindhearted person to be around. To those who are still thinking about joining, I would say, Kumon (like any other program) is not a promise to the success. However it is a great opportunity for the kids to create the healthy habit of studying and to boost their self esteem, and a reliable way for the parents to help our kids to make the most of their potentials. Your effort will be paid off!

Not the best, but Mentoring Academy started to give me a lot of believe again. I wish I could do a…read morelot better but over time, I started to have hope once again.

Like other recent reviews, I am also a student that attended Mentoring Academy…read more I feel like I should address these reviews. I cannot speak to several of the things mentioned: teachers making inappropriate jokes, students making homophobic quotes masked as jokes, mental health being thrown out the window in Guatemala, and the school catering to male students are things that I simply have no knowledge about. (I will say that I am somewhat skeptical of them) Some of the other small complaints I do know to be true. Yes, the pizza in Italy was disappointing. Yes, the school wasn't very decisive about how to respond to the pandemic (the government wasn't either). However, these really aren't major problems to me. I do agree with some of the larger issues that the reviewers raised. 1. The cost. There isn't much to say here, the school is pretty expensive. 2. The atmosphere. The school does have a more laissez-faire culture, which does mean that things are more casual, sometimes even unprofessional. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes it is a bad thing. Parent-teacher meetings will take place next to science experiments, tests will be taken in the kitchen, and sometimes employees will be paid late. It's simply the culture. Generally the school is fairly relaxed on grading, and that combined with the casual atmosphere means many students don't give assignments their all. 3. The schedule. The school has very long hours, going from 9:00 to 5:30 four out of five days of the week. This comes with the caveat that work is done at school, not at home. This is only sometimes true. Teachers will often assign work that they expect to be done at home, which can make the long hours even more arduous. This long time commitment means that there aren't many opportunities for extracurricular opportunities, jobs, volunteering. 4. The size. This is once again both a positive and a negative. The small size means that the school is more intimate, and that classes have plenty of time for each student. However, it also means the school can't really include clubs, sports, or many classes. It also means that there just aren't that many people to meet. If you're an extroverted student, this can be a real problem, and is probably the most important thing to consider about going to the school. If you're an introverted student, I could see the small size being a pro, not a con. 5. The diversity. Mentoring is not very diverse. In particular there are very few female students. I wouldn't say that this is the fault of the school, but it's worth noting. Mentoring IS very welcoming of all people. Overall I agree with some of these points, but I don't really feel they warrant a 1/5 review, or the negativity that these other reviewers raise. Some other points: I have had negative experiences with some of the school's teachers, however they are all no longer members of the faculty. On the other hand, some of the teachers are quite excellent. In particular, the science teacher, Garret, is fantastic. He has a real joy for science and teaching. The school has a lot of "teacher cycling", but luckily most of them are pretty good. I personally went on two extraordinary adventures. One of them was a bit of a mixed bag, but the other was a fun experience. There are problems with them, but I certainly don't think they "straight up suck". The food options around the school are great, and are much better than cafeteria food. The headmaster, John, has a real passion for education, and a real love for every student. While sometimes he can be a bit unorganized, he truly does care about every student and wants them to succeed. I don't think that is true (at least not on the level it is with John) for most principals/headmasters at other schools. John's enthusiasm for teaching and young people (there's no way to type that sentence without it sounding weird) bleeds into the school's culture as well. It's a very welcoming, encouraging place. At the risk of sounding sappy: some of my fondest memories at Mentoring include the school-wide student presentations, lunches spent talking with teachers, and otherwise grueling layover flights. I suspect that most high school students can't say that! While Mentoring has its flaws, it's worth noting that every high school is too. I think for certain students Mentoring is an excellent fit, and for other ones it isn't. It simply depends.

Sylvan helped our stubborn to read and now Sylvan is teaching him the mechanics and joys of…read morewriting. Your child has the skills to master these skills. He or she simply does not want to do it with their parents. Send them to Sylvan. You will not regret it.

Our son is a reluctant writer. Since he started attending Sylvan he has begun to have more…read moreconfidence and less fear. Sylvan has a nurturing atmosphere that fosters learning. We are big fans!