So fortunate to have found this little gem. We found Little Elephant Too in Berkeley online when we were moving from India to the Bay Area last year in 2022. Fortunate to have fallen in love with this cute cozy and calm space for our daughter! She has so much fun here, loves her teachers and her friends We have been enjoying being part of this community, talking to the parents and bonding over birthday parties at the park or potluck gatherings in school. Amazing memories we will cherish forever! If you ever want to gift something special to your child, gift them montessori education for their early childhood read more

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Little Elephants Too (LE2) has been a fantastic experience for our third child. Our older two kids attended a different preschool in Berkeley; we made the switch to LE2 for our third due to some logistics concerns about drop off times and proximity to the elementary school. We felt badly moving on from the preschool our older kids attended but having the benefit of comparison I recognize how special LE2 is and how much more my third has benefited by being in this small, nurturing Montessori environment. Specifically, she is very good about cleaning up, politeness, recognizing and calling out unkindness, and engaging with others socially. She is much further along in terms of number and letter recognition than my other two kids were at this age. She loves going to school every day. The teachers at LE2 are wonderful people, each of whom provides a different sort of nurturing for the kids who attend. The space is also perfectly set up with different areas for exploration and a very large outdoor play space. I have been delighted with LE2 and think you will be too! Frankly I wish all of my kids had gone here! Highly recommend this gem of a preschool! read more

I can't express how thankful and happy we are with Little Elephant, too! Our older daughter has been attending preschool there since she was two and a half. Now, she is five and goes to kindergarten in Berkeley Public school. Our second daughter, now 3, has also been at Little Elephant since she was two years old. The staff at Little Elephant has been so thoughtful towards both our kids! They are patient and kind and thrive on teaching our daughters. Ms. Julie is the primary teacher and has been a Montessori teacher for over 30 years. She is amazing, and all the kids adore her. Ms. Natanya is the principal, and she is also a delight to work with. All the supporting teachers (Mr. Joseph, Ms. Katsuko, Ms. Julia) are great, and my kids have always felt safe and excited about going to school. Ms. Katsuko teaches the kids some Japanese songs, words, and Mr. Joseph have introduced wood work and craftsman. So many cool skills the kids have learned. I joke that if I were to have another child, I would have it just so we could keep going to Little Elephant, too! read more

Little Elephant Too (LE2) has been an incredible experience for both our child and for us as parents. Our daughter attended LE2 from the age of 2 1/2 until she was 5, when we relocated to another country and, sadly, had to say goodbye to this wonderful preschool and its amazing teachers. The entire team -- from the director, Natanya, to every teacher -- does an outstanding job creating a nurturing, peaceful, and enriching environment where children can truly thrive. It was such a joy to watch our daughter grow into a kind, curious, creative, and confident little person during her time at LE2. The parent community is also a true strength of the school -- warm, welcoming, and engaged. This preschool is a real gem, and we feel so lucky to have been part of it. read more

Natanya and the team at Little Elephant too are incredible! My son thrived at LEToo for nearly 3 years. They took each child's individual personality into consideration and Natanya went the extra mile to help council me when my son was having an especially challenging time. If you love the Montessori methodology this school is a no-brainer. read more

Our kiddo attends Little Elephant Too and has been there for just about two years now. She started when she was two-and-a-half, and will continue until she's five and starts kindergarten. It's been a stellar place for her and a wonderful environment for her to grow and explore and learn in. The teachers have barely had any turnover, most of her fellow classmates are also staying for multiple years, and it's been a joy to watch her spread her wings a bit and take on all the new challenges and works that come with getting older and being in a Montessori environment. The other families are lovely and folks regularly get together for play dates and other adventures on the weekends. Fantastic community. Overall, we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a preschool in the east bay! And if you haven't considered a Montessori preschool, you should give it a look! It's been a wonderful fit for our kiddo. read more

We love Little Elephant Too! The teachers are caring and wonderful, and the environment is warm and nurturing. Our daughter has been attending for nearly two years. She is learning so much while also gets to enjoy plenty of creative playtime and outdoor fun in the large backyard. The methodology encourages focus, curiosity, and independence, and we've seen incredible growth in all these areas in our daughter. Also, the close-knit community of families is truly special -- many alumni families still stay in close touch, which speaks volumes. We feel so lucky to have found LET and couldn't recommend it more highly. read more

My daughter attended LE2 from Spring 2022-Fall 2024 (2 -4.5 years old) and it was the best experience I could hope for in a preschool - I am so grateful for everything this amazing gem of a preschool has done for our daughter and our family! The experience for my daughter as an individual: the teachers are so knowledgable and well-trained in early childhood education - they are very clearly pedagogues actively engaged in teaching kids social-emotional skills, motor skills, preparing them for math/reading education, etc, rather than just passing time with the children. Any time you walk into the classroom, you can feel this amazing calm, educational, peaceful energy -- the kids are calmly engaged in whatever activity they are individually doing. Someone is reading books in the loft, someone is practicing manual dexterity skills, someone is working with numbers, etc., all while being supported and actively taught by loving and very competent teachers. They also spend plenty of time outdoors in the backyard - my daughter learned to ride a balance bike down a ramp, to climb safely on a structure, and developed the social skills to play creative, social games with other kids, and to safely manage conflict and learn how to interact and cooperate with others, all because of the way that the teachers nurture and guide them. The most notable thing is the safe, peaceful, soothing environment that can always be felt at the school. The experience for us as a family: This school also does a really amazing job at fostering a community, and even though my daughter is now in public TK, we remain close with the community from LE2. The school helps hosts really fun events and it was so easy to connect and become friends with other parents from the school. Also - a few times that we sought some parenting advice/ help, Ms. Natanya was really happy to meet with us and give us personalized coaching and developmental advice that was so helpful! I really can't recommend the school enough - it was a really great experience all around for our family! read more

Both of our children started at LE Too! in summer 2020, when no other preschools were open, because the director, Ms. Natanya, is a BOSS. Our very different children both thrived at Little Elephant under the warm and firm hand of the head teacher. While we didn't initially seek out a Montessori preschool, we found this version of it to be a good fit. The kids had lots of outdoor playtime, enjoyed doing the various indoor activities, and our 6 year old (TK-age) learned to read.  Our kids went to different schools before this due to moves and the pandemic, and LE Too was by far the best run environment. We feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of this special community! read more

Our daughter went to Little Elephant Too for two years. We could not have asked for a better school for her and our family. Now that she is in TK I can see how she got the skills and preparations to thrive in public school. We are grateful for Natanya and the Little Elephant teachers. They have taught us so much and created a great community. read more

We've had a great experience at LEToo. Fantastic teachers, engaging environment, just enough structure to help with learning social skills, while also giving a lot of time for independent play. Teachers are very attentive and support individual development​ and needs. Classroom is super clean, with lots of engaging materials, and they are always doing fun crafts and experiments to learn about different topics each month. Outdoor space has sand box, bikes, construction and pretend play materials, and nice shaded area. The current group of students is very diverse, and families like to share traditions and treats for holidays, helping the children learn about their friends' cultures. Our toddler loves the environment and has gained so much confidence. read more

Words can't explain how great of a school this is. My daughter started when she was 2.5 until 6 years old. She loved it. Great teachers and wonderful community. My six week old baby will be there the minute he's able! I highly recommend this preschool read more

My kids have both been going to little elephant too! In Berkeley l. While I had a lot of concerns about transitioning them into preschool the team has been extremely supportive. They truly care about the children and their well-being. The parents community is diverse and engaging, everybody is extremely friendly. Natanya (Director) cares so much about sharing knowledge around education that she organises parents conferences where for example she invites positive discipline specialists. The teachers Ms Julie, Ms Angelina and Ms Jamilett are wonderful with the kids. My kids got attached to them do quickly that they are happy to go to school to see them. Additionally to the Montessori program, the kids get to do yoga and spend a lot of time outside in the lovely backyard. It took me a while to find the perfect preschool for my kids and for sure it is Little Elephant too! read more

We have loved our experience at LEToo and it has been such a warm and welcoming community for us even amidst a pandemic. The teachers are incredibly caring and thoughtful and we have loved the way that the school's values of compassion and kindness, creativity, community, learning, and peace are always at the forefront in all that they do. Our son has benefited greatly from the calm and nurturing environment and our only wish is that we had started him there sooner! read more

If I could give Little Elephant in Berkeley ten stars, I would. The school is fantastic from the classroom environment to the incredible teachers who are so nurturing and loving. At the same time, the school instills a great sense of independence, fun and community at an early age, which I really liked. It's a true Montessori school, which is a rare thing to find. My daughter (who is two-and-a-half) is shy, observant and yet, independent and eager to try new things. It's a strange combination and Little Elephant took it in stride. They were so incredibly kind and gentle with helping her transition from being with a nanny to being in a school environment. It was unbelievable how much patience and true warmth they showed her. I wish everyone could have such an open hearted environment as their first experience of schooling. All the staff (who range in ages and ethnicities, which is another awesome, rare facet) teach the children manners, about patience, how to share and help out, and other age appropriate social, as well as academic skills. Under their care, my daughter has blossomed both socially and emotionally. She clearly loves her teachers. She loves going to school. She comes home singing songs and chattering about all the great things that happened at Little Elephant. As a family, we are also beyond impressed with the staff who have been flexible, caring and supportive of our family's needs. They have been amazing partners for us. If a family is interested in a Montessori education or really, just a great place in which their child can flourish, I would strongly and wholeheartedly, recommend Little Elephant in Berkeley. read more

No one can prepare you for the emotions you'll face when choosing a preschool and trusting your little person in the care of others. We knew we wanted a Montessori, but even with that parameter, we learned from visiting practically every Montessori in the East Bay that Montessori in theory and practice varies wildly. So it was such a relief when we found Little Elephant in Berkeley and instantly had our Goldilocks moment - it was an easy choice, a painless application process, and has been transformative in our son's social and cognitive development from day one. Most importantly, it just makes all of us so happy. Our little guy loves it as much (if not more) than we do, as evidenced by how he (literally) sings its praises anytime he's not there. Vacation in Hawaii? "I want to sing songs with Miss Julie." Playing hookie to go to the beach? "I don't want to miss circle time." Hanging with Grandma and Grandpa? "Let's talk about my friends." Little Elephant's teachers and classroom foster a peaceful environment of love, patience and warmth, while nurturing independence, structure, and self and community-awareness. Natanya is passionate about (and abundantly qualified in) the Montessori method, and has meticulously implemented the pedagogy throughout every facet. Our son's compassion and self-reflection has flourished, which made his recent transition to "big brother" completely smooth sailing, and other parents can't believe it when they see our just-over-2-year-old socially engaged during "adult" meals, thoughtful and considerate about sharing, setting and clearing the table, intentionally putting toys away before starting a new activity, folding his laundry, and (shocker) going to the bathroom by himself. All thanks to the Montessori concept (and practice) that children are much more capable than we give them credit! (A saying we hear a lot is "please help me do it by myself.") I truly can't say enough good things about the director Natanya, the incredibly caring and qualified teachers, and the beautiful classroom; the entire experience has been such an eye-opening blessing for our entire family. So I'll leave you with is this: enrollment caps at 24, get your spot while you still can! read more