I've had a wonderful experience with Little Sunshine over the last two years. My four-year-old son recently graduated and started transitional kindergarten, and my two-year-old has just begun attending. The school provides a nurturing environment where my son developed strong social skills, learned to play respectfully with other kids, and gained confidence and independence. The teachers, along with the Director, Ms. Amy, helped reinforce the discipline and respect he already learned at home. Every teacher is kind, welcoming, and respectful, and the kids couldn't be in better hands under their careful supervision. read more

My daughter loves going here! We really want our daughter to be bilingual in Cantonese and this is the only school around east bay that has teachers to interact with her in Cantonese. They also speak Spanish and Mandarin and tailor to individual family's needs and wants. So even though circle time is held mostly in English, they would talk to my daughter in Cantonese during play because we requested it (she picked up some Spanish too!). They sang her happy birthday twice. Once in English and once in Cantonese. They give us updates during pick ups and post photo updates on Cluster app from time to time. Highly recommend this school! read more

Little Sunshine Learning Center - Preschools Near Me - Castro Valley, California

We are so incredibly grateful for Ms. Amy and the entire staff at Little Sunshine Learning Center. After our 4 year old son was asked to leave his previous school due to 'behavioral issues,' we found ourselves in a difficult bind as parents. From the moment we met Ms. Amy, she was so kind and took the time to truly get to know him and his specific needs on a 1:1 basis. Since starting here, he has had a quick and complete 180-degree turnaround. He has become a great listener, is now brave enough to try new foods, and absolutely loves being the 'teacher's helper' in class. It is such a relief to have found a team that leads with patience and understanding. We can't thank Little Sunshine enough for the positive impact they've had on our son's development and our family! read more

Just wanted to write an update as my daughter ended up going to Little Sunshine as well. We had such a wonderful experience there. My kids are in elementary school now, but they still miss Miss Amy and Miss Daniela so we still go to visit periodically. They are such patient, loving teachers. Highly recommend. read more

I'm so glad that I sent my son to Ms. Amy's Little Sunshine Learning Center. He only cried for a few minutes on his first day of school after I dropped him off and ever since he was so happy to go back. It was his very first school experience and it couldn't have been better. All the teachers care so much and everyone is so friendly and truly care about all the kids. If he was ever upset or something was wrong, the teachers would always update me at pickup if he had a good day or not because my boy is very sweet but can be moody sometimes. But everyone knew how to handle him and cheer him up most of the times. I cannot thank Ms. Amy and all the other teachers enough for being so loving and caring. read more

Our 2.5 year old is at Little Sunshine, and he is absolutely thriving there! He used to be at an in home daycare but then was assessed with severe developmental delays in receptive and expressive speech at 16 months, with some physical delays as well. The specialists recommended that we switch him to a preschool with structure and opportunities to interact with more kids his age. We toured and interviewed many preschools in the area and landed on Little Sunshine because of how intentional the Director Ms. Amy was, as well as all of the teachers, with interacting and developing the kids. We wanted a place that wouldn't just be a childcare center that "babysat kids," but a place where development and interaction with teachers happened to really work with his speech. With the help of practitioners and Little Sunshine, in half a year, our kiddo no longer has any delays and is a chatty little kid! I believe Little Sunshine was a big part of that. They have been incredible flexible with scheduling since we have so many Speech Therapy and OT appointments for our son, and we are so grateful. Even if we aren't scheduled for a day to come in but we need to send him, Ms. Amy is always willing to take him and pro-rate the day. I love that they give me a run down of his day and how he did every time I go and pick them up. They're never rushing around or too busy to talk. Also, we potty trained him this past month and it has been a slower process, but the teachers have been really great about bringing him regularly and partnering with our training we did at home (We did the "Oh Crap!" method over winter break). Another bonus is that we wanted our kiddo to have Cantonese exposure, and Ms. Amy is very intentional with conversing with him in Cantonese. She even talks to me in Canto to help me practice too haha. I also like that they are very clean, doing a thorough cleaning at the end of every day and bringing the kids to wash their hands often. Best of all, our kiddo absolutely LOVES going to Little Sunshine and always asks to go even if it's a weekend. They have fun outdoor and indoor play and no screens. They really facilitate his interests and we are so grateful for this learning center. We 100% recommend Little Sunshine and their teachers! read more

My son attended Little Sunshine for 2 years from the age of 2-4 years old. He loved his time there! Ms. Amy is communicative, organized, understanding, and kind. She and the other teachers were amazingly flexible and supportive of us as our daughter was born this past year. When my husband visited a few years ago in the midst of us picking a preschool for our son, he noted how happy the kids all seemed and how they responded to Ms. Amy and the other teachers. The warmth and connection he saw back then has been a huge part of our son's positive experience there. We are moving away from the area and thus won't be able to send our daughter to Little Sunshine, but if that were not the case, I would have definitely enrolled her. I am truly appreciative of the care and commitment of all the teachers at this preschool. My son insisted that his teachers be invited to his 4th birthday party, and to my surprise every one of them showed up! That speaks volumes for the kind of relationships the teachers are building with kids here. Thank you Little Sunshine! read more

Amazing teachers and environment to learn in. The teachers truly care about what the kids want and will show as much love as they can give.

Found Little Sunshine through word of mouth from another parent. My daughter went there during her preschool years and she never cried or said anything about not wanting to go to school. She always enjoyed being at Little Sunshine so much with all the teachers there being so very caring and supportive. She even ended up learning a bit of a new language from one of the instructors and came home singing me a song. I definitely recommend Little Sunshine for other children as well. read more

UPDATE: After more than a year, I can now say that my daughter has enjoyed this preschool almost every day she's gone. She comes home with the typical things that happen to kids at daycare or preschool, minor scrapes, bruises, dirty shoes/pants but I think I'd rather she be outside and able to play then stuck indoors all day long as what would be the point of going and being stuck inside every day as a kid? One thing that made her a bit unhappy was when most of her friends who older kids moved over to "the other side" for the pre-K (under 4 y/o) vs the pre-K (4+) class. She felt like she didn't have anyone to play with and didn't have friends and when I found that was the case I asked Ms. Amy to switch her over when she was close to turning 4 y/o. Luckily, that was after there was a unfortunate incident where the school had to shutdown due to COVID19 in the pre-K class so luckily we avoided COVID. We 're working on the vaccinations for 5 and under and hoping with 2 shots in and one left we won't have to worry about her having to go through COVID anytime soon. Ms. Amy and some of the other teachers also try to send pics to us via email or text sometimes which was nice. My biggest concern is still usually whether they turn on any of the portable ACs when there are heat waves like today and the temps outside are 90+ degrees but that's still seems like less of a concern for most of the rest of the year for winter, sprint and fall. For a recent heatwave (100+ for the week) the school advised to not send the kids since they would be stuck staying mostly indoors and with very little AC which makes sense but is something I hope they look into solving at some point. read more

This school is just amazing! From the director to teachers are kind and professional! My daughter kept on talking about little sunshine till now...they have left a beautiful mark in her heart .. thank you Mrs. Amy, Mrs. Irene, Mrs tang, Ms lulu, Ms Stephanie, and Ms Danielle for always being kind and caring to my baby read more

My son is now 11 and he used to attend here when he was 2. I have taught of filing a complaint but I needed to focus on my son. The owner/director made a decision to take him out in a 15-minute call, I remember vividly. I was going through my separation and my son is starting to show effects of the situation. He didn't hurt anyone, but he was throwing tantrums, like any other kid in the school. What was bothersome was we had a game plan. School would call if my son was having a bad day and if the over the phone talk to my son wouldn't help, I would pick him up. So the Director called asked me to talk to my son, and then before we ended the call she said it is best to pick up my son, and after a few sentences, she asked me not to return my son. She didn't submit necessary papers she had asked me to complete to get help from a therapist through the county. When I informed her that a private therapist said my son was acting normal, she told me that she didn't agree. As a parent I didn't see the partnership for the child's welfare especially when going through something difficult. And total disregard of my kid and my kid's situation. read more

Scheduled a tour and we got there before the appointment time but the director went home already... she totally forgot about it! I wouldn't trust sending my kid there ... read more

My son has attended Little Sunshine for about 2 years, and has had a very positive experience. Ms Amy is the director of the school; she is very flexible and responsive in dealing with any problem or situation that arose while in their care. I feel Ms Amy always has the best intentions in her heart for the children under her care. My son has been the target of bullying and violence like hitting from some other very specific children who have exhibited behavioral problems. When brought to Ms Amy's attention, she always has been diligent in taking measures to protect my son, like closely monitoring behavior. Overall, my son's peers seem friendly, and my son has made MANY good friends amongst the children. His experience has really helped his social development, and has brought much happiness, and many of life's lessons into his life. The curriculum is not rigorous, but this is PRE-K, so the Montessori-like, free-form teaching that takes place seems to engage all of the kids, and they all seem to be learning so much from their experience at this daycare. Besides Ms. Amy, the other teachers seem devoted to their profession, and seem to love the children and put their hearts into what they are doing. read more

The teachers are very caring. My daughter declares she loves school. That's good enough for me! This was the only preschool I visited, so I cannot compare. I was really only looking for a good Chinese/English preschool. read more

I have sent both my kids here. The teachers are wonderful, warm and caring. They try hard to make the children's time spent here enjoyable and a great learning experience - mostly through play and immersion. I have sent my kids to other places and I do notice that here, they got sick way less (trust me on this... I actually I had to move home back and forth for a bit and so have experience with 3 different day cares within 1 year of time)... I think it is because of their emphasis on hand washing and generally cleanliness as well. Then only feedback is that in the summer months the building does heat up and they do not have A.C. I do love too that the kids get exposed to several languages (Mandarin and Spanish). read more

Miss Amy and her nurturing teachers provide a gentle, balanced approach to Kindergarten Readiness. Graduates of Little Sunshine Learning Center develop a strong set of social skills along with academic confidence that helps them successfully meet the challenges of today's classrooms. My granddaughter, now in Kindergarten, and grandson in first grade have become amazing students thanks to the firm foundation they received. I wholeheartedly agree with the mothers who raved about the staff of Little Sunshine when I was anxiously searching for a preschool that would accommodate the needs of my socially immature grandchildren. Your child's first experience out in the big world will be a pleasure while attending Little Sunshine Learning Center in Castro Valley! read more

I used to like the place until my daughter got injured one year ago. I was so angry because they didn't inform you right away and even tried to hide the fact. It was grandpa who went to school to pick her up. He found the little girl who was so abnormal and not as cheering as always. So he approached the teacher and asked what happened. The teacher told him nothing happened and she was so normal for the whole day. Grandpa was furious because my daughter was complaining about her shoulder pain. The teacher finally "reminded" the kid told her she fell from the monkey bar. We finally ended up with ER that night and found my daughter had a bone fracture on her collarbone. I questioned the kid why she didn't tell the teacher about her pain. She said she did...but when she told Ms Irene and the teacher asked her to stop and said "if you keep crying, I will never like you anymore". Horrifying. Pulled her right away and switched to another daycare. I hope they made improvements afterwards. Definitely, no one was supervising when kids were playing, and they were in lack of proper training to tell if a kid is in pain!!! read more

I've been meaning to write this review for awhile now and finally remembered to do it. We love Little Sunshine. On my son's first day (Feb 2013), he told me as I picked him up that he loves this school. I took that as a great sign. It's been 4 months since he started and he's still enjoying his time at the school. The teachers care and always take the time to give me feedback and progress reports. Ms. Amy is easy to work with and charges reasonable rates. I'm glad I found this place. read more

My two daughters just started attending the school. My first impression couldn't be better. Ms. Amy is an amazing person and teacher who knows and loves the kids. She created a great environment where children can learn and thrive. Wonderful so far. read more

Our son has attended here since he was age two. The space and the staff are marvelous! Our son has thrived here and we highly recommend LSLC to others! A big plus, if your children are bilingual, is that teachers come from many different backgrounds and encourage speaking in different languages. read more

Unlike our son's previous pre-school. Little Sunshine's teachers are friendly, caring, and enthusiastic. I regret not looking into Little Sunshine sooner. I'm amazed that the teachers at Little Sunshine can remember the names of all the kids and their temperaments. Ms. Amy provides feedback about my son daily. It really is like leaving my son with his favorite Aunt. Summary: 1. Amazing staff. Friendly, Caring, cannot say enough. 2. My son is never hungry coming home. Ms. Amy makes sure her kids get plenty to eat and drink. She encourages second servings if the kids are still hungry. 3. The price is more than reasonable for such a well-run school. I had called around the CV and surrounding areas. Little Sunshine is one that really stood out. Extremely responsive and receptive. Far exceeds my expectations. I simply cannot sing enough praise about Little Sunshine. My son actually enjoys going to school. Before Little Sunshine, he would play sick sometimes just so that he wouldn't have to go to school. Enough said. read more

It's been over a year since my boys attended and they still fondly remember Mrs. Amy and the fun they used to have with her. I wish that I had found her sooner and that they could have spent more time in her care. read more

We've just joined and they're brilliant. My son hasn't been away from me much, and now I'm returning to work so I had to find a childcare solution. The ladies really care here. He was a bit upset for the first few visits, but they got me out of there and he adapted just fine. Now he's happy to go, They offer art, toys, singing, dancing, circle time, hot food for lunch and the list goes on. Thanks Ms. Amy and the team! read more

It has been 2 1/2 years! My twin boys have a good time at Little Sunshine. Finally, they are moving on to their next stage. Staff are caring and put a lot of heart on the kids! read more

Great preschool!! My daughter went there for 6 months and loved it. The only problem I had was an isolated incident with the director, Ms. Amy. I picked my daughter up 5 minutes late one time and she harped on it and treated me rudely for two weeks!! I couldn't believe that she was so upset!! On the day that it happened I had called in advance and let her know that I was stuck in traffic and would be a few minutes late. I apologized when I got there and paid her the late fee immediately. The next morning after that she lectured me about their policy and picking up my daughter late, which was a little irritating considering that I thought we had addressed it the day before. I felt that her response was a little extreme considering that I always paid her fees on time and never picked up my daughter late before. To make a long story short, I pulled my daughter out of her preschool a month later because I refuse to pay someone who treats their student's parent in that manner. I don't care how great her preschool is, I refuse to be disrespected for a one time incident that was resolved when I'm paying hundreds of dollars for preschool. I think that if she had better business etiquette her preschool would be perfect. read more

My son attends at this school for 1.5 years now. Great school, great teachers especially the director, Ms. Amy. She is very kind, friendly, easy going and loves kids. She is very professional to the parents. The kids are getting along very well. My son looks forward to go to school every morning. She also flexible on the schedule for part time students. Come and visit her facility to see it yourself. read more

My son not only absolutely loves this preschool, he has really come out of his shell and its all thanks to Ms. Amy and his other preschool teachers. My son used to go to another well phone preschool is CV and I thought it was good for him but his teachers used to isolate him and treat him differently than the other children. So we decided to to pull him from that school and try a montessori school. That kind of school might work for other children but we wanted our son to express himself with out being punished, which I felt the Montessori school did. So I went on the search again for a preschool. I happened to drive past little sunshine learning center and decided to call. From the moment I talked to the teacher Ms. Amy, she had made me and my son feel so comfortable with her daycare. Little subshine learning center has really helped our son blossom. They make him feel welcome and involved in all of their activities. All the teachers are always informing us on how he's doing and how he's improving. We are so greatful that we found this preschool. Highly recommended by a first time mom. :-) read more