FINALLY, we have found an amazing teacher and preschool learning…read moreenvironment for our daughter in El Sobrante. PROS: Kimba, the teacher, is educated and really engaged Field-trips in nature, museums and libraries (all included) She's learning Spanish Tiny class size Gorgeous learning studio in the hills Food is communal, and mostly provided Safety, Politeness and Leadership are taught with kindness Earth-friendly, Peaceful and Cross-cultural values are center-stage Work-trade and Sliding scale available, flexible options My daughter is excited about learning again ***plus: The teacher picks her up and drops her off at our house! (if you live near El Sobrante) CONS: Limited hours (best for SAHM/WAHM/Homeschoolers or to supplement other care) Kimba had a thriving program in SF, and (lucky us) she has moved to El Sobrante this year. She is licensed and can take a few new students in January 2013. Here are the links: www.AVENTURASProgram.com www.ConexionesPlaySchool.com

I would like to endorse Conexiones Instituto - a Spanish immersion preschool program. My daughter…read morehas been attending one day per week for 1.5 years. She had a little Spanish coming in but I have seen her comprehension increase by leaps and bounds. The other 4 days per week, she attends an English only preschool. The kids are exposed to art and the outdoors all in Spanish! They are taken on an adventure every week (to a park, museum, the beach). Other days, they spend at the director (Kimba)'s house doing art projects or exploring the oak woodland on her property. Kimba picks up and drops kids off at a few points between Berkeley and El Sobrante. So transportation is not an issue. Kimba is warm and loving, a native Spanish speaker, and has an outdoor education background. Highly recommend this Spanish immersion program!!! http://www.conexionesinstitute.com/aventuras/about/

It's really hard to find a Spanish immersion school that does both, take them outdoors for…read moreadventures and have a bit of structured learning time without it being so strict. I'm not sure how the school was before Covid but post Covid they had all the kids outdoors doing their lessons, songs and dances and play time and went out near the neighborhood to local parks for discovery. Both my kids had the pleasure of going to Si School and they had an amazing time and did pick up Spanish especially my youngest daughter she loved repeating the Spanish words and phrases. The staff is super friendly and the environment is fun and inviting, plus they do provide good solid lunch options and snacks. I highly recommend giving Si School a chance to teach your kids Spanish in a fun environment.

SI School was a wonderful experience for my child, who attended for 2 years. My very active kid got…read morea lot of opportunities to be outside, go on hikes, and have lots of fun while learning, exploring the forest, visiting neighborhood gardens, going to the library, and even heading to the beach. My child would come home happy, tired, and full of stories. What really set this program apart for me is how personalized it felt. The teachers truly took the time to understand my child, their interests and strengths, and where they needed a little extra support. The program was also very academic and my child was ready for Kindergarten. The program put a huge emphasis on social and emotional development, helping the kids navigate friendships, communicate their feelings, practice patience, and learn how to work as part of a group. All of this while learning Spanish! Overall, I feel like my child truly thrived and I highly recommend this program for the active PreK and TK kids.

Mathnasium really has an ideal set up for kids and parents. It does run close to 2x Kumon and RSM…read morein price, but for the right kid it truly is a better option. My son is just starting out and the 30min foundations class is terrific for him. As a 4 year old, he's able to walk in, find his binder, grab it and set it up in front of a teacher to go through basic counting and shapes. Mathnasium has free snacks so it's never a distraction to "earn" or "get" snacks. It just becomes a part of the fun environment. I like the multi-sensory approach. And the camps are really fun for my 6yr old - she learned all the coins and built robots. Her friends loved it so much they signed up immediately.

We are so glad we found Mathnasium. Our son looks forward to every session because the instructors…read moreare wonderful, kind, and always ready to help. They've helped him build real confidence, learn so much, and feel like he's actually improving.

Little Learners is so much fun! We found out about it through Kidpass and my little girl and I…read morestopped by on a Thursday morning class. Teacher Jen was wonderful! We learned about an animal during our session, sang songs and worked on an art project. During snack time (they even provided snacks), Teacher Jen read us a book and my little one loved it. They also have an animal visit during class and we had a snake visit us during our class. Lani was scared but warmed up to the snake after awhile. We also took time to walk around the zoo and visit with the animal we learned about during the class. It was so much fun and we will definitely return. Highly recommend! Also, parking is included!

Classes are held in the new and spiffy Fisher Price Little Learners Cabin. The space is clean, well…read morelit, and well equipped. It has a great playroom, bathroom and kitchen/eating area. SFZS Members $22 per topic ($90 for entire series); all others $25 per topic ($105 for entire series). Pre-registration is required. (Nice that you can pick and choose your dates!!) You pay no admission or parking - when you are signed up, you are on the class list. The cabin is in the kid area - they will give you good directions. They have a 1 adult per child limit. The teacher, Suzanne Cooper is Really good. She is attentive, energetic and what I would call "on it". The class is highly organized and prepared, and the kids are carefully guided through all the components of the class. Most of the time is spent indoors, however they end the class with a stroller-friendly walk to visit the animal that was the theme of the day. They play with specially themed toys, sing songs, dance, do an art project, pet a show-an-tell animal, do creative movement, story time, even snack. And it is all age appropriate. This is a good value for your kid's class dollar, and it's an excellent concept. Suzanne runs a tight ship and it is much appreciated.

We have a three year old daughter who had the luxury of being home with a nanny since she was just…read morea few months old. Her nanny had a baby and we were ready to put our little one in a preschool. We started her at another school and for a month we went through tears (hers and mine), the shrill "mommy mommy mommy" and even nightmares. We assumed this was one of the growing pains that comes when your child starts school. Then we got a call from MCC that they could get her in (off the wait list). MCC was significantly more convenient to our home and was our preferred school so we made the leap. Within days the nightmares stopped, the "mommy mommy" lessened and the crying significantly subsided. Now she actually LIKES going to school and there are days we have to drag her out of there at night saying "Okay, the school is now closing, you have to come home". I think what worked for our kid was that there were more adults to children than her previous school, it's small enough for a kid not to feel overwhelmed, and the teachers are amazing and loving. Since our enrollment several months ago, we feel like we have been welcomed into a family. One that's been around the neighborhood for a long long time, one that cares about the kids and the parents, and one that our child is very comfortable in. Now if only MCC could make my child a morning person so the 7am wakeups are a little more smooth... Thanks MCC!

My daughter is a full time student at MCC and absolutely loves the program. Cameron is fabulous…read morewith the kids and her team keeps them challenged with fun play and creative art projects. We still have one more year until kindergarten but I know she will help to make that process seamless. I highly recommend this hidden gem!

Our toddler is a student at Provident Montessori and we could not be happier. We toured many…read moreprograms when looking for the right environment for our child but nobody compared to Sudhar and Felicia. They are loving, kind and extremely knowledgable. Our son started attending the school at about a year old and from day one we could see the difference in his behavior. He started coming home and cleaning up after himself, putting toys away, putting on his own coat, etc. He is also extremely happy every day at drop-off which makes me confident that he enjoys his time there. We get lots of updates, photos and videos through the Brightwheel app throughout the day which is also really nice. They spend some time outdoors at playgrounds daily which was really important to me. The school provides uniforms and snacks which makes my mornings easier. Overall we highly highly recommend and could not imagine a better situation for our toddler!

Our third baby is at Provident Montessori and we are so pleased to have found them. We were worried…read moreabout the pandemic and staying safe from Covid and both the facility itself along with Sudhar and Felicia have been very communicative throughout this time with everything. From the beginning with the application process, interview, and acceptance, Provident Montessori has been nothing less than professional and also welcoming, and loving. We couldn't have asked for a better place to send our child where we felt comfortable knowing that he will be in their care throughout the week. Communication and updates with photos and videos are great through the Brightwheel app. The pick-up and drop-off is very convenient as well. We have referred many friends to them as we have been so impressed and pleased with the Montessori and both Sudhar and Felicia. We look forward to seeing them grow the Montessori with more children and also expand in the future. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for a Montessori daycare with professionalism and love.

Our son has attended Tiny Giants for a year and a half and we couldn't be happier! They have the…read moremost amazing teachers who just adore the kids. My son is so excited for school every day and has made tons of wonderful friends. He has truly thrived here! We look forward to when our younger son can join his big brother at Tiny Giants.

Very happy with our experience at Tiny Giants. Both our girls have been attending since a young…read moreage and have shown progress in leaps and bounds. The relationships with their teachers and classmates is strong. They tell us about their experiences after "school" everyday. For us parents, the events at the daycare and on the weekends have allowed us to connect with folks and create a network that is invaluable. Thanks Tiny Giants!

My son has been attending Speech Inc for a couple of years and we have had a wonderful experience…read more(specifically with Brooke and Carolyn)! His expressive speech has completely transformed and he really enjoys each session with his speech therapist (he adores her!!). As a parent, what I have so valued about Speech Inc is their thorough, data-driven recording of abilities and progress, and outlining of specific goals that we revisit quarterly. I was a little apprehensive of how engaged my son could be once we had to switch to virtual appointments but have been so impressed with how well his speech therapist has been able to keep him engaged and keep his progress steady. It will be a bittersweet day when he graduates soon!

My now 5 year old son has been going to Speech Inc once a week, an hour at a time for close to a…read moreyear now. We started with in office appointments which were great because they have tons of toys for the kids to play with while they're "working" on their speech. The parents usually are sat in the waiting area which is nice and airy. The views are pretty amazing since the office is on the 7th floor. I believe some parents may have left the waiting area to run errands but were always back before the children finished. So there's always that option. However, since the pandemic, offices are closed and we are doing our appointments virtually on Zoom. We are still having great success with progress. The sounds that my son had trouble making while saying certain words has greatly improved. Through Zoom, he was able to get the same help and learn even more words and progress in his journey. Currently our speech pathologist is Kristin. WE LOVE HER! She is super professional, very friendly, flexible and is an absolute sweetheart! She knows how to keep my son's attention and is always super patient with him. We've had office visits with her before the pandemic and even though I was not in the room with my son, I knew he had a great time because he'd be smiling ear to ear when he met me in the waiting area. So if you're looking for virtual appointments or (eventually) in-person appointments, I would definitely recommend Speech Inc.