My daughter is of Jamaican and Trinidadian descent and she was immediately inspired by Spanish All Year (SAY) full immersion program. Spanish is not her native language but the essence of learning about culture and traditions has broadened her exposure to the world using diverse cultural experiences (cooking, dance, singing, holidays, art) and it also challenges her executive function and mental flexibilty. I had to do my research when she came home from school and wanted to discuss La Pachamama (mother earth). Although my daughter could have attended UPK in our hometown, her experience at SAY has been priceless. Ms. Bel, Mr. Marco and the nurturing staff at SAY have become family. This program is a hidden gem on Long Island and I hope that the legacy has created continues to blossom and bless other families the way it has mine. read more

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My husband and I discovered Spanish All Year when we were looking for mommy and me classes in 2019 and stumbled upon this gem. We were able to do a free trial class and fell in love with the whole school. Not only did they do Parent & me classes, but they had preschool/pre-k (which my son is currently in) and after school programs too. What makes this school so great and different is that not only do they concentrate on teaching the spanish language but they teach about the cultural. This is done through various ways such as cooking and dancing. Also, Ms. Bel (the director) and the other teachers treat each student as if they were their own which is hard to get in other schools. read more

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I found a dream school for my son at SAY. I came across this school as I browsed for a Spanish immersion program for my 3 y.o. who I speak to in Spanish all the time, but before joining SAY would mostly reply to me in English. I thought he needed an additional influence in order to feel comfortable speaking the language. Just a few weeks in, he began speaking to me in Spanish... and singing new songs... and talking about his friends ALL the time. This is just the practical part.. I found the solution I was looking for, but what I didn't know is that I would also find the most nurturing, friendly, and caring environment not only for my son, but for myself as a mother. This was the first school experience for my son and he was so nervous to go all by himself. All the teachers were extremely supportive throughout the whole process and made us both feel so comfortable - he went from tears to laughs in no time. It was like going to a house full of tías! Then the cherry on the top is CULTURE. They teach the Latin American culture in such a beautiful way, through dancing, cooking, music, etc... This is such a unique and eye-opening experience for kids and it's amazing to watch them enjoy and taste the essence of our roots. I could keep going and going... Do yourself and your child a favor and check out this program. It truly is a gem! read more

This program has been so beneficial for my daughter, I'm not sure I can fully express it in words but I'll try. My wife and I wanted our daughter to learn Spanish so we put her in this Full Immersion programmed and she has grown in her skills to the point where we are asking our 4 year old to translate words into Spanish. Their program includes cooking class, art class and gym so they are learning all about the world around them as they learn Spanish. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to have a truly bilingual child read more

This is an exceptional preschool and after school program. The director has a wonderful and unique vision, that is well thought out and comes from the heart. Through the PreK and after school program my children are learning about language, math, writing, art, culture, dance, cooking, and community. Finding this school has allowed me to give my children a gift beyond the excellent education that it offers. Through example it teaches children how to be responsible, proactive, and caring community members. What it offers is truly something rare and special. There is music in the halls, the scent of homemade cooking in the kitchen, children's art up on the walls, and the happy voices of children in the classrooms. We are so grateful to have found this program. read more

Good Evening Everyone, I hope that this review finds you all well! My wife and I would like to leave a review of Spanish All Year! Background- My son was going to another Spanish immersion program and it did not work out between us and the school. The Spanish immersion school has treated us so bad that it shook our faith in pursuing another program. My wife stayed up day and night looking for other programs. Finally, my wife came across Spanish all year. My wife said to me, lets please go check this school out it seems really good online. After coming from a bad experience from the previous school i was a bit skeptical but I went along anyway out of curiosity. When we arrived at the school Ms.Bel answered the door and met with me and my wife. From the moment we walked thru the doors of the school, what a difference. Compared to the last school Ms.Bel was so warm and full of good life and joy. She sat us down and explained the program to us. After she explained the program she gave us a tour of her beautiful school. My wife and I were completely blown away, I will get into details later. After the tour, Ms.Bel asked us what we thought of the program and we said we love it when can i son begin the program. Ms. Bel said immediately. Once we had agreed our son was to start attending this school i turned to my wife and she was crying. I said to my wife why are you crying and she said, this feels so much like a warm home and our son is going to thrive in this environment. School- The school has so many amazing qualities to it I don't know where to begin. My wife and I are believers that learning can be done in other forms outside of traditional books and thats what this school brings. Through arts, cooking, yes i said cooking activities, music, dance and science our son has fully embraced other cultures. At the age of 4 our son is realizing that there is more to the world then just the United States, its a whole world of great cultures that exist. Now, you may be thinking that this school only teaches Spanish culture. No, this school teaches about many cultures and that is what makes this school very very unique. Teachers - At my son previous school I used to drop off my son and the teachers would barely say good morning to me. At this school, I get hugs and kisses from the teachers. They also say to my son who is eager to run and begin class, no pls go back and give your mommy or daddy a hug. I like that to some people that may not be important but to others it maybe and it matters to me. The teachers are well knowledgeable and very very caring. They go out of their way to make sure that each child is well take care of. Student Curriculum - At the beginning I had mentioned that the curriculum at this school is not your basic textbook curriculum. Our son sees an occupational therapist. He has issues gripping items with his hands. At our son previous school, the teachers said don't worry it will get better with time. At Spanish all year they observed and acknowledged that our son had an issue and they had a curriculum structured to help our son with his gripping issues. This is done thru cooking classes, art classes and science classes. By having the students be more engaging then just using a pencil and writing on a piece of paper I am happy to report that our son's hands has become stronger. Now our son has a stronger grip like never before. Now, we all know that teaching is not easy. Keeping kids engaged is very hard and we tip our hat to any teachers. However, these teaches I really have to not only tip my hat but salute them. The time, the thoughtfulness the creativity of the lessons plans that the school does for these students is extraordinary. Classroom Infrastructure- What impresses my wife and I the most is the fact that the school has a good amount of interior space. It is a well designed space. For example, they have a kitchen area where the kids not only eat lunch but take cooking classes as well from the teachers. I can not count the number of days my son has brought home authentic cook small dishes either some kind of desert or food. The have a full room that they use for art shows to showcase students art work as well as a dance floor for students to learn different cultural dances etc. They have a whole downstairs basement that they use for storage materials and btw I forgot to mention that they make authentic kids clothing. Our son can now speak fluent Spanish and hold actual conversations at the age of 4. Program Directors - Ms. Bel and her husband are truly the best people you can know. Our son in addition to occupational therapy needs speech therapy. When we told Ms. Bel about the having our speech therapist come to the school Ms. Bel said absolutely. Ms. Bel and her husband allocated a classroom that our son and he therapist use one a week for speech therapy. My wife and I will be forever grateful to Ms. Martinez and her teachers for taking us in and for teaching our son. read more

Love this place- the care and attention they give my child is like no other. Highly recommend! We started with the mommy and me and now my daughter does the pre-school program during the week. I know she's in good hands and they are extremely accommodating. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Spanish All year school. Ms. Bel and her entire staff are absolutely excellent with the children. My daughters have attended both the Mommy & Me and Saturday School program for 4 years now. Also there is a Friday after school enrichment program and a preschool with full or half day options. They are licensed by OCFS as well and I have always felt that they have my children's safety and wellbeing as their utmost priority. If you are looking for a premiere Spanish language immersion program where your children will not only learn but thrive Spanish All Year is an excellent choice!! *They also have many different celebrations during the year for various holidays and ones that highlight the country the children are currently studying. The year cumulates in an amazing finale with performances by all age groups, delicious food and lots of fun for everyone* read more

I started Spanish All Year in September going to the Parent and Me class with my one year old. Fell completely in love with this school! Ms. Sandra is a gem and the whole culture of the school is absolutely magnificent. We are going to enroll for the 2 year parent and me class and despite moving to Astoria, I'm planning to send my child to their preschool because there is just some magic there! Highly recommend! read more

Spanish All Year is run by the most dedicated and caring professionals who take great care of all the children that attend. You will feel like family when your child goes there. Their understanding of bilingualism is exceptional and the environment for the kids is just the best. We love you Ms. Bel and all the teachers! read more

There is nothing like this place in the world. Nothing. This school/second family is about so much more than "learning Spanish". It is about embracing culture, learning from our past to better our futures, teaching tolerance and acceptance and encouraging children to ask meaningful questions. The programs offered are VAST and there is SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. The staff, well, I get emotional just thinking about how the staff really do become family. They love your children in ways no "teacher" is necessarily expected to. They come to know their strengths and their challenges and they teach the kids AND the parents how to capitalize on BOTH. The facility is incredibly CLEAN and incredibly SAFE as well. Go check it out for yourself!!! Find a way to send your children full or part time, or take advantage of their after school and Saturday options. It's an experience you will NEVER regret. My kids are better kids because of their experience with SAY. Yours will be too, there is no other way to explain it. Oh, and they're bilingual as well, which is something MOM AND DAD could not have offered without SAY. read more

Truly the most amazing program. The teachers and entire program exceeded my expectations! I am so happy with my daughters' first school experience thanks to Spanish All Year and their amazing staff! read more

I highly recommend SAY - and if you want your children to be citizens of the world, love and appreciate all diversity, be caring spirits who learn about how important caring for the Earth and each other is, AND learn another language- this is the school you want. I cannot adequately express how beautiful the work that they do it Spanish All Year is. My daughter is completely fluent in Spanish, and I know a lot of her language comes from her immersion with Ms.Bel and her staff. She learned so much from her teachers of not only foundational skills, but social emotional learning, as well as cooking and dance classes that she really enjoys. The cooking classes are unique and that they celebrate Latino culture and they're all focused on a skill that students can use in their future lives to help them cook such as spreading, slicing, mixing, kneading, etc. etc. It's incredibly functional and I love making food with my daughter and hearing her say things like "y esta manito es el ayudante que coje el tazón " ( "and this hand is the helper that holds the bowl " when we mix , And " sólo adultos pueden tocar la estufa porque se puede quemar" (only Grown-ups can touch the stove because it can burn you)- And telling me " cuando cruzamos la calle siempre tiene que darle la manito a la mami " ( when we cross the street , you always have to hold Mami 's hand) I see the seeds everywhere that SAY has planted in my daughter, and i am witness to the love and care they have for each student. The children acquire Spanish through immersion intuitively through play song and the interactions with their teachers. It's really amazing to see students of all different backgrounds understanding and speaking Spanish. Another thing that makes SAY an absolute gem is the way they pass on the love of language learning and Latino culture. The students learn about the various indigenous people groups of south and Central America and begin to embrace and love diversity. I really believe the love and pride my daughter has in her Spanish language ability is what will help her Grow and maintain her fluency. Most of us know someone who spoke another language as a child but lost it as they got older. I really believe that the pride and love that my daughter has in Spanish is going to be the key for her. I would love for her to complete pre k here and her younger sister to complete the program as well. read more

Looking for individual attention, care and good early childhood educators with the bonus of exposing your child to another language - this is your school. They would easily get 5 stars on so many aspects of the school. The center is a feast for your senses and the owner-director works from the philosophy we can always learn more and improve. It's wonderful to see the smiles of the children's faces in cooking school, or watching them use musical instruments. It is a full immersion school so only Spanish is spoken but many students are from non-spanish speaking families and it is fine. They are an independent school founded in the heart of its director. The reason they get four stars is because the bathroom isn't "child-friendly" and at this age, encouraging independence is so critical. It might seem silly but many preschools have toilets that are designed to allow these little ones to feel independent to reach the sink and toilet by themselves. Unfortunately here they would need an adults help. And they don't make TOILET TIME a part of the daily routine. Again as someone that works with children, I can confidently say it's rare to get a 3 or 4 year old to ask to go to the potty until the last second. And sometimes they will hold it for 6-8hours. Not healthy. So at this age, we must gently encourage them by offering TOILET TIME and have everyone try. The teachers are educated, knowledgeable and love their children. It's worth the money and you can feel comfortable knowing your child is in good hands as well as will be getting the quality of playtime and development that is age-appropriate. Small class size is always a plus (usually no more than 10 children with 2 teachers - with a max of 12 children but that is rare). read more

My children have attended Spanish All Year for Nursery and Pre-K programs, and because we are so reluctant to leave this fabulous school, they will attend for Spanish Kindergarten, too! We love the school, the program, and the teachers! They put their whole heart into everything they do for the children. The children are nurtured in a safe, loving environment while learning essential fine and gross motor skills, engaging in sensory play, navigating social and emotional matters, and of course, learning Spanish. We don't speak any Spanish at home, yet my children are now capable of maintaining a simple conversation in Spanish. It's truly amazing! Spanish All Year welcomes the parents, too! Parents are invited to volunteer, observe the classes, and even work through parent/child separation in whatever way works best for the family. They have created an open door policy for parents that makes me feel like my kids are safe, protected, and happy, which are my absolute top priorities. I highly recommend Spanish All Year for any family looking for a wonderful school for their children to shine, blossom and learn/maintain the Spanish language and culture. read more

I have been taking my son to this school since he was nine months and my daughter since she was six months. Now my son is twelve and volunteering at Spanish All Year and my daughter is seven and still attending! I am a parent that believes that it is extremely important for my children to speak, read and write proper Spanish and this school as done just that. I love the fact that all classes are taught in Spanish, the children learn about different Latin American cultures and the recital is phenomenal! The teachers are caring and take pride in teaching the children. The Director is dedicated and makes it her mission to make sure that the children are learning and that parents have a support system. read more

I contacted the director of this establishment to find out about their preschool. I emailed asking 2 questions - do they host an open house for prospective families & do all the preschool teachers have degrees in early childhood education. The director emailed me back in broken English saying that she was insulted by my question and that I was mistreating her staff because it was run by Latina women. I emailed back in Spanish, explaining that I am also a Latina woman, that I am simply being a responsible parent in checking on the qualifications of their staff. The director emailed me back, in poor Spanish, berated me and was just plain rude. I was shocked and appalled by her behavior. I would not even think of enrolling my child in their care after the treatment I received from their director. I have contacted countless schools asking the same questions about teacher qualifications. A lot of schools don't necessarily hire people with early childhood education degrees, so I find it important to ask. Most reputable schools have bios and resumes of teachers on their website, and if it's not explicitly stated, I ask. After contacting several schools, not one school has ever made an issue of a parents request to check on teaching degrees. If you are looking for Spanish immersion schools in Long Island, I highly recommend Spanish Immersion Workshop. They have several locations and the people are wonderful. read more

My son has been going to Spanish All Year since he was 6 months old. He is now 9. I speak Spanish to him at home but am the only one who speaks Spanish to him (I am 1st generation American and really want my son to know his background and culture and especially to speak the language of his ancestors). You can imagine how difficult it is to have him speak Spanish and to raise him to be bilingual. Spanish All Year has helped so incredibly!!! He speaks, reads and writes fluently!!!!! He even translates when he is with others who do not speak the language. Not only is he learning the language but he is also learning the culture of all Spanish speaking countries through cooking, art, dancing and literature. The children at the school learn the language and culture through "fun" activities and it is amazing that they do actually learn and it sticks. I am truly amazed that my son can read and write Spanish as well as he can and it is all thanks to Spanish All Year!!! I love the school and highly recommend it to everyone I know!!!! If you want your child to learn Spanish or if you want to raise your child bilingual to speak, read and write Spanish this is the place to go. It requires years of dedication but it is truly worth it!!! read more

I am proud to say that my child has been a student of Spanish All Year since he was less than 18 months old in the mommy and me classes and is now in the nursery program. My first concern when sending my child to a program is safety. At Spanish All Year the doors are always locked with a buzzer entry, with someone at the main desk at all times with a sign in/out log for everyone who enters. I can confidently say that I have gotten to know all of the teachers. Each teacher is a native Spanish speaker who is kind, caring, high energy, encourages the students in their speech as well as their creativity and exploration. The program content is well rounded, creative and ever evolving. I cannot to begin to say enough about their curriculum. Students follow a routine with an opening greeting and a closing song at the end of their day. They play, read, do art, listen and sing to music, create crafts and cook all in fluent Spanish. Parents are provided with a binder of the curriculum including vocabulary in Spanish and English as well as key phrases that are spoken throughout the day, a CD of music and a DVD of a play/children's program in Spanish. Classrooms are colorful, well decorated and labeled in Spanish. The nursery program is extremely hands on focusing on fine motor skills such as holding a pencil, peeling a banana, stamping, cutting with scissors, crumpling and tearing paper, threading beads, gluing etc. all while teaching the children vocabulary and expressing themselves in fluent Spanish! If you want to give your child a head start in life by learning another language, even if you don't speak Spanish, Spanish All Year is the school for you. Trusting your school, the teachers and administrators is of the utmost importance and I would not consider sending my child to any other school than Spanish All Year. read more