My 8yr old has been in Mandarin Immersion since she was 2yrs old. She's been taking once a week…read moreZOOM lessons with Mei since February 2024 and it has been super helpful! My husband and I don't speak or read Mandarin and it's nice to have a little bit of help outside of school. My daughter loves Mei and scheduling has been super easy! She just started 3rd grade and told me that she feels her Mandarin has improved and that she's feeling super confident. I highly recommend. Mei and KaiXin Language School!

KiaXin Language School has been a really interesting and fun way to learn the basics of Chinese. I…read morehave participated in the first two levels of Mandarin taught by KiaXin's Jennifer Bai. Jennifer is extremely kind and patient. I strongly recommend her and think she is a very effective teacher.

Our child is going to the Pre-K1 program at the Lycee - so is at the Ashbury campus. Neither my…read morewife or I speak french but we speak Spanish and appreciate the value of knowing another language and wanted the same thing for our child. Especially since it's pretty easy to learn when you are young and your brain is like a sponge. I myself forgot most everything else in school but a language is like an enduring gift. Wish I had learned more before my brain calcified.... Anyway, so far the experience has been great. Lots of activity and involvement, very friendly, international community. Teacher seems great, kids are always doing something cool, and having fun. My only caveat is we're pretty early on in the program so I'll update this as the experience evolves. At this point, we're very happy and our child loves the school. Update as promised 4/22/14: Child is finishing 2nd year, pre-K2, still love the school, and feel very fortunate to be there. Hope we keep the string of awesome teachers going. The pictures and the address above, by the way, are for the high school. Our child is at the Ashbury campus, where they have a pre-K / elementary program. Wish I knew French! C'est la vie!

My kiddo has been going since pre-K and loves it. The cultural integration is what sets it apart…read morefrom other schools.

PEL Learning Center is a wondering place and reasonable price for kids to do tutoring after school…read more My daughter is so enjoyed to have tutoring here. All the tutors there are very patient, especially Jennifer she's a very kind person who's teaching kids. The Place is clean and good lighting. One thing I like it very much they will celebrate the birthday with kids that's very thoughtful....

My 5-year old son is currently a student at Chinese American International School. I know that he…read moreneeds to catch up with his English skills. I looked around and found that PEL in San Francisco has a great program for him because they have a curriculum designed for kindergarteners which focuses on phonograms by the Spalding Method. Since he enrolled at the Junior PEL English Language Arts program, he started to pronounce words more accurately. His vocabulary and dictation have also expanded and he is very confident now with using new words. The unique method and individualized lesson plan at PEL work very well for him. I'm happy that he has displayed so much improvement in just 3 months. Nowadays, he is motivated to learn everyday and likes to say "I love the PEL program!". Enrolling my son in the PEL ELA program is one of the best decisions that I have made for his growth.

Terra has felt like San Francisco's best kept secret for our family. The biggest thing we noticed…read moreearly on was how much our son genuinely looks forward to going to school. He comes home excited to talk about what he learned, what he built, and what he explored that day, which gave us confidence that we made the right choice. We visited a few public and private schools with a strong Mandarin immersion program. What stood out with Terra over time was how balanced the learning feels, both inside and outside the classroom. Academically, he has grown steadily in both English and Mandarin, and at the same time we have seen real growth in confidence, independence, and how he works through challenges. The outdoor program has been especially meaningful for him. Spending time learning outside each week has clearly shaped how he approaches learning. He often comes home talking about things he created or discovered in nature, and those experiences seem to stick with him in a way that traditional classroom lessons sometimes do not. The small class size has made a big difference for our family. His teachers really know him as an individual, including both his strengths and the areas where he needs more guidance. That level of attention has helped him grow academically and emotionally without feeling pressured to fit into a single mold. We have also appreciated how involved the parent community is. It feels collaborative, and communication between families and the school is very open. The after-school enrichment classes like engineering, cooking, and art have been another highlight because they give him more ways to explore interests he might not otherwise try. Terra is a smaller school, but for us that has created a strong sense of connection and support. Most importantly, our son feels happy, challenged, and excited to learn, which is ultimately what we were hoping to find in a school.

Our daughter has attended Terra since April 2024, including Preschool, Kindergarten, and summer…read morecamps, and we couldn't be happier with our experience. We're really proud to be a Terra family. The school places a strong emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence, and it truly shows in the way the children learn and grow. The staff are incredibly dedicated and do an amazing job partnering with parents. They're committed to building an inclusive, supportive environment and are always willing to work with families through both school-related and personal challenges. What initially drew us to Terra was the language immersion program, along with the focus on experiential learning and community engagement. These elements have given our daughter opportunities to thrive, develop a sense of responsibility, and feel meaningfully connected to the work around her. We also love the small class sizes, which allow teachers to give each child individual attention and build strong one-on-one relationships with students. Our daughter's teacher sends out thoughtful weekly newsletters detailing what the class has been learning across subjects, which makes it easy for us to support her learning at home. The school also holds three parent-teacher conferences each year, giving us regular opportunities to check in on her progress and address any concerns along the way. One of the most special aspects of Terra is the close-knit community. The school year starts with a camping trip that brings families together in a fun, relaxed way, and throughout the year there's an active parent WhatsApp group that makes it easy to connect, plan playdates, and attend social gatherings. Terra truly feels like a community, not just a school, and we're so grateful to be part of it.

The school should refund the students tuition fees due to shut down about 3months but they fought…read morewith you for$30 when you didn't sit down 2hours there as security guards even no students at the gate. !!!Don't go there!!!!! ,they will collect the tuition fees whole semester but no refund if school closed for any reason.

Huada Chinese Academy is possibly the Best Chinese weekend school in the San Francisco Bay Area. It…read moreoffers Chinese (Mandarin) language instruction from pre-school to high school levels including Advanced Placement Chinese class. Currently, there are two language learning pathways, one is for parents who speak Chinese and the other is for parents who don't speak Chinese. The school's high school credits have been accepted by the San Francisco Unified School District. All teachers at this school are highly qualified language teachers. They are either experienced teachers from China or teachers who possess Chinese as foreign language teaching credential or degree. Besides Chinese language classes, they also offer Art class and GO class instructed in English.

I am an "intermediate beginner" in Spanish and have very much enjoyed working with Ricardo. He's…read morevery personable and enthusiastic. I feel his lessons are designed specifically for me. We do grammar, vocabulary, conversation, story telling; and his exercises often have an element of playfulness I really appreciate. I admit there are times I feel overwhelmed by what I don't know, but he is SO supportive and encouraging it gives me the confidence to keep learning. Thank you Ricardo! And thank you Se Habla Español.

I HAVE HIGH RECOMMENDATIONS for "Se Habla Espanol," a privately-owned Spanish language school in…read moreSF's Richmond district. Silvia and Ricardo both are native speakers and Spanish teachers. My friend told me about this school, and we started taking classes there several months ago. Silvia is a wonderful and patient teacher. and is a lot of fun to work with. We do a lot of laughing in the class, but we laugh in Spanish! My friend and I are "beginning intermediate" level - we've each had some Spanish previously but are nowhere near fluent. So we're focusing mainly on speaking correctly and reviewing correct use of verb tenses. I'm taking Silvia's class concurrently with a class at CCSF in the evening. I cannot recommend Silvia highly enough and encourage you to give her and Ricardo a call if you want to learn to speak Spanish.

When I 1st came here there were over 20 kids waiting to get picked up by their parents for after…read moreschool care. As the weeks went on there was less and less. Even prior to COVID19 there were less than a dozen kids coming here. At a friends birthday party I ran into a child that had recognized my kid. She told me she was also going but told her parents she didn't like it there after a week, so the parents stopped. Seeing what the staff does and doesn't do I understand. My niece who had gone here for preschool said the pretty much the same thing now that she is in high school. It's pretty much like paying a teenager to watch over your kids, just having them watch TV, play and eat Goldfish crackers. The kids while waiting for their parents are walked down to the Wah Mei and allowed to play in the courtyard for an hour before going in and allowed to run around. When the weather is cold or raining they are allowed to run around the next door church instead. When there is a disruptive child in the group the staff does nothing about it. Most of the time the kids just all give and all run around and play instead of focusing on study and homework, what the staff should be doing. 6 months ago they invested in a TV so the staff could just plug in their phones and watch Youtube videos instead of running around.

Last Friday was our last day of preschool at the amazing Wah Mei Preschool. After two wonderful…read moreyears, I shed quite a few tears; it was bittersweet. With incredibly dedicated staff, a well-rounded, play-based curriculum that's an accredited California "First Five" school and choice of either full or half day programs, your child will be totally prepared for kindergarten and perhaps bi or tri-lingual in Mandarin and Cantonese. Children go on weekly field trips to the library and occasional field trips to the California Academy of Sciences, The Botanical garden in Golden Gate Park and Zeum at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Apply early (I recommend when your child is two years old) to increase your chances your child will get a spot at this top-notch San Francisco preschool. Especially with California having moved back the kindergarten deadline for children whose birthdays fall on or before September 1st, it seems there are fewer spots at all the city's preschools. And, tuition at non-profit Wah Mei Preschool is a fraction of what you'll pay at other preschools in the city. The school opens as early as 7:30 and closes as late as 6pm. Breakfast (until 8:30am), a hot and nutritious lunch and snacks are inclusive. Don't miss the opportunity to send your child to Wah Mei Preschool.

This review has been a long time coming! My son graduated from Creative Montessori back in July…read more2016, and I still look back with so much appreciation for everything he learned there. My husband actually found the school through a friend, and I remember thinking, how could a 2 1/2-year-old possibly be independent or follow structure? But to my surprise, my son adapted so quickly -- it was amazing to see! In less than a month, he was fully potty trained, eating on his own with real utensils and dishes, putting things away, and following routines with confidence. The teachers were so loving, patient, and kind, and truly knew how to bring out the best in each child. The foundation he got at Creative Montessori carried through the years. He went on to do incredibly well in elementary and middle school, graduating at the top of his class with five awards, and now he's a freshman in high school taking four honors classes. I truly believe that his Montessori start gave him confidence, independence, and a lifelong love for learning. Another thing that stood out was how much care they put into the meals -- freshly cooked hot lunches with healthy servings of fruit every day. It felt like such a nurturing environment, not just academically but emotionally too. We also made lifelong friendships with other families during our time there, and it still warms my heart to think about those early years. If you're looking for a preschool that truly builds a strong foundation for both learning and character, I can't recommend Creative Montessori enough. The loving teachers, thoughtful structure, and caring environment gave my son such a beautiful start and for that, I'll always be grateful.

Ms Priscilla is such a truly wonderful teacher--patient, thoughtful, and incredibly supportive."read more