As Spanish Immersion schools gain in popularity, many parents are eager to enroll their students as quickly as possible. Studies show that the earlier a child is enrolled in an immersion program, the more benefits they are likely to reap.
With dozens of potential schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, it can be a challenge to find the best one for your child’s needs, so we’ve scoured reviews across the web to help point you in the right direction.
These schools have 4 out of 5 or higher ratings with glowing reviews from parents and students alike.
Rising Sun Montessori Preschool
As a Montessori school, Rising Sun’s mission is to cultivate new skills and self-confidence in your child. Their “Spanish Exchange” program is built into the every-day curriculum in order to foster the development of a second language, as well as an appreciation for diversity and other cultures.
The Spanish Exchange program aims to introduce the basics of Spanish to your child through shapes, colors, singing, and playing games. As your student progresses, it is expected that they will develop basic fluency.
Unlike a traditional school, Montessori schools are known for a more “free-range” approach to education, although Rising Sun does a remarkable job at instilling a routine and sense of productivity within these guidelines.
Take a look at a typical morning at Rising Sun that your child would experience below.
- 8:00 – School Begins / Washing Hands/Daily Greeting / Free Choice Play
- 9:00 – Teacher Directed Activities – Montessori Activities / Art Projects
- 9:45 – Diaper Change / Toileting – Wash Hands
- 10:00 – Healthy Snack & Hydration
- 10:20 – Wash Hands – Circle Story Time & Spanish Exchange
- 10:50 – Outside Play/ Washing Hands
- 11:50 – Toileting & Hand Washing
- 12:00 – Lunchtime
- 12:30 – Clean Up/Washing Hands/ Story Time
Source – risingsunmontessoripreschool.com
You can view a full day’s schedule for all programs on Rising Sun’s website.
Gwiggles Preschool
Gwiggles Preschool in Mission Bay is run by Tessa Williams, who takes a more holistic approach to her curriculum. Tessa has worked with children for over a decade, and early in her career, was a Registered Senior Behavior Therapist, working to provide therapy for children with special needs.
Spanish is taught to the children through their curriculum throughout the day, and students are encouraged to develop their language skills to basic fluency.
Gwiggles emphasizes developing social and personal skills and is based on the Reggio Emilia Teaching Philosophy, which centers on children being given the autonomy to construct their own learning, as well as being allowed to express themselves in healthy communicative ways.
Gwiggles also makes an effort to incorporate the interests of individual students into the curriculum, so your child will always be learning something new, from dinosaurs, to how the solar system works.
Primeros Pasos
If you’re looking for a more full immersion experience for your child, Primeros Pasos aims to communicate in Spanish at all times, within reason.
Primeros Pasos adopts a play-based philosophy, allowing their students to engage in playful learning at their own pace.
Their core values include “bilingualism as a crucial source of brain development and cultural diversity” with an emphasis on a healthy diet and exposing their students to a wide array of multicultural dishes and cultures.
Primeros Pasos uses a professional, hands-on curriculum developed by Mother Goose Time. This extensive philosophy will enable your child to build essential skills in a plethora of topics such as science, early literacy, art, and music – all while maintaining their fluency in Spanish.
Primeros Pasos also utilizes Mother Goose Time’s assessment guidelines, which ensures your child is meeting their milestones at their own pace through guided observations.
The school has also implemented a binder system so that parents will always be in the loop on their child’s progress and any areas they may need to support in the home.
Sonrisas Spanish Immersion Program
This school offers a 100% authentic experience with native Spanish speaking teachers.
Sonrisas is a full immersion school with a heavy emphasis on the Spanish language and the many cultures of the Spanish speaking world.
While this program does provide the standard curriculum found in most schools, teaching the basics of math, science, and reading, they also have unique extracurriculars such as yoga and self-defense.
In order to give your children even further specialized attention, this school actually boasts two sites depending on your child’s age. The Holland site is for ages 2-3 years old, and the Newbridge site is for ages 4-5 years old, with after-school and summer programs for students up to age 8.
There are varied class schedules at Sonrisas in order to fit your family’s needs. The school offers half days, full days, after school care, and even a summer camp.
Academia de Mi Abuela
Academia de Mi Abuela (AMA) is a Spanish and English immersion sanctuary school that prides itself on accepting all students regardless of any type of background or orientation.
AMA offers monthly curriculum themes in various studies to further enrich students with hands-on experiences.
AMA is a school, but it is also a community with firm roots in social justice reform and a progressive curriculum. AMA has made it their personal mission to enrich the lives of their students through Spanish and shared cultural experiences using dance, the arts, and meals indicative of the Spanish region they are known for.
If you’re looking for a more family-oriented, intimate setting for your child, ABA strives to put care and emotion first and foremost. They want your child to feel as if they are at their “Abuela’s or Tia’s” home.
Welcome Amigos
Welcome Amigos is very education-focused with small class sizes to ensure your child gets the individual support they need.
Welcome Amigos requires all their teachers to be enrolled in continued education themselves, with an 18-hour requirement each year so that your child is always given the most up to date and essential tools for learning.
Their preschool program aims to provide students with a stimulating and safe environment in which they can learn at their own pace and gain confidence in both their native language and Spanish.
Welcome Amigos’ main goal is to create confidence, structure, and a love of learning while your child is young so that they can maintain those traits as they move up in their schooling.
The classrooms are fully child-centered to allow their students to grow and play academically and socially, through both individual sessions and group sessions with their peers.
Mi Casita de Español Preschool
Mi Casita de Español Preschool has some amazing reviews! One mother was blown away that after only 2 and a half months, her child was already speaking Spanish regularly and eager to continue learning.
Mi Casita provides a play-based and nature-focused curriculum and fosters their student’s language skills through natural interaction both with their peers and their native Spanish-speaking teachers and staff.
This school does offer a half-day option for preschoolers, but parents should keep in mind that this is a 100% outdoor classroom where they have a yoga class every Friday and a wonderful music class on Wednesdays.
Their full-day preschool program is for ages 2.5-5 years old and does offer two indoor classrooms, an art and science room, and field trips every two weeks.
Escuela Bilingüe Internacional
The learning model that Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (EBI) uses in their preschool classes is based on the Primary Years Programme (PYP). With this system, students are encouraged to explore their self-identity in order to foster a healthy learning environment for themselves and for their peers.
In the preschool program, teachers only speak Spanish in the classroom and use a variety of other methods to communicate with English-only speaking students like gestures, drawings, or facial expressions to facilitate a deeper understanding of the language.
Teachers will seldom speak English unless it is absolutely necessary to do so, as in the case of an emergency, so if you’re wanting to send your child to a fully immersive Spanish environment, Escuela will most likely be a good match for you.
In addition to Spanish, students will also, of course, learn the basic fundamentals of any preschool course, such as sharing, fine motor skills, and independent social skills.
Pac Heights Kidz
As an in-home music and language-based immersion preschool and daycare, Pac Heights Kidz in San Francisco aims to guide free-learning through music and art.
Their preschool program offers a beginners immersion into Spanish where children are encouraged to speak the language through interactions with their Spanish teacher and participate in culturally rich activities.
Also included in the curriculum are project-based experiences through STEM, giving the students real-life experience in math, science, technology, and engineering.
Some additional fun activities that may draw you to this school are
- Yoga classes
- Cooking classes
- Theater
- Soccer class weekly with the Super Soccer Star Coaches
Mi Escuelita en Español Forest School
Mi Escuelita is a nature-based, Waldorf inspired forest school. Parents are advised to bring changes of clothes for their children as they do spend at least half the day outdoors.
Unlike traditional outdoor education, forest schools place their focus on letting the children creatively explore their surroundings. Lessons are guided by the students rather than focusing on science-specific ideas.
The play-based curriculum is entirely in Spanish. Student’s fluency is encouraged through repetitive games, nursery rhymes, and a myriad of activities designed to implement language learning in a fluid way.
As with many forest schools, Mi Escuelita places emphasis on rhythm and routine to bolster a sense of self and confidence in their students.
Take a look at what a typical “rhythm of the day” would look like for students.
- 8:30 am – Students Arrive/ health check & hand washing / Opening Circle & announcements.
- 9:20 am – Open space for Playtime for at least 30 minutes.
- 10:00 am – Hand-washing/ snack time & drink water.
- 10:30 am – Hike Explore Play/ Art project.
- 12:00 pm – Bathroom break, wash hands, and lunch.
- 12.30 pm – Nap time will be enjoying napping in an amazing environment!
- 2:00 pm – End of program, pick up
Source – wonderschool.com
Mi Second Casa Preschool and Daycare
Mi Second Casa Preschool and Daycare doesn’t have a website, but you can find their perfect 5-star reviews on Yelp.
According to reviews, the teachers cook fresh food for the students every day, and the general consensus from parents is that this daycare is quite literally like a second home for their children, and even consider the staff to be like family.
The owner, Graciela Tejada, has worked in education with children for 20 years and has owned Mi Second Casa for the last nine.
She has a Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education from San Francisco State University and three grown children of her own. Her mission is to provide children with a safe, nurturing space to cultivate their love of learning and Spanish and hopes to provide that for as many children as possible.
Vivan Los Niños Preschool Childcare
Nestled in the Fruitvale District of Oakland, Vivan Los Niños is located in a private home that was built specifically to be a preschool and daycare.
Within walking distance to Hacienda Peralta Park and Recreation, you can be sure that your children will get plenty of supervised outdoor time and the freedom to play and explore.
Students are provided fresh home-cooked meals every day as well as healthy snacks and are provided ample time to rest or nap.
If your little one can be sensitive, you won’t need to worry about harsh words or punishments here, as Vivan Los Niños places full emphasis on positive redirection as a discipline philosophy.
Vivan Los Niños understands and accepts that no one child will interact with or understand something in the same way, and their philosophy fully embraces this through the use of praise and encouragement.
Their mission is to help children understand that they are entitled to their own feelings, and are allowed to own them.
Mountain Boulevard Montessori School
Mountain Boulevard is a Montessori School based on the principle of children having “absorbent minds” and that they need to absorb social, cognitive, and emotional skills through, first and foremost, their environment.
Both Spanish and Mandarin are offered as enrichment programs at this preschool and are taught through the use of vocabulary and songs, and students are encouraged to partake in conversational practice with their teachers.
Additional cultural subjects your child will be focused on include Science, Zoology – where they will also learn about how to care for animals, Geography & Culture, and botany.
Mountain Boulevard is a standard preschool despite their Spanish Enrichment program, so during the duration of your child’s enrollment; you can expect them to excel in:
- Tracing and writing their own name
- Writing and staying in the lines (fine motor development)
- Will be able to associate all letters and their sounds
- Will be able to read three-letter words
Source: mtnblvd.com
Mi Mundo Preschool
Next on our list is an art school taught entirely in Spanish. Mi Mundo Preschool provides a hands-on play-based interactive space to cultivate independence and growth in their students.
Mi Mundo, through play-based learning, propagates your child’s creative energy and keeps learning fun so as to ensure a positive introduction to a schooling atmosphere.
A typical morning at Mi Mundo includes outdoor play, sensory tables to help with fine motor skills, and plenty of Spanish learning with a song and dance circle and either an art or science project, also in Spanish.
A hand-written log is available every day for parents to see which chronicles activities for the day and each child’s progress.
Mi Mundo understands that children learn best through play, so the curriculum is heavily influenced by what the children want to do each day; developing confidence and self-esteem in their students is part of their mission statement, and giving children the autonomy to choose their own lessons is a great way to do so.
Mi Mundo does have two separate locations in both Berkeley and El Cerrito, so keep that in mind when you’re scheduling your tour.
A Step Ahead Preschool
With a tiny class size ratio of 6:1, your child is sure to get as much 1-1 time with their teacher as they need. A Step Ahead Preschool specializes in the physical, emotional, and cognitive development of their students in order to nurture “the whole child.”
This school implements a Montessori based Spanish Bilingual program and strives to have your child “school ready” by the time they enter kindergarten.
Both Spanish and English are spoken in this school, and students have the opportunity to learn both through the use of songs and games from both English/American and Hispanic cultures.
This home-based school is set up in a way that nurtures children’s need to explore, and they are encouraged to choose whatever activity they want to do that day and can complete tasks on their own with the help of Montessori based materials.
Parent Involvement & Student Individuality
A Step Ahead promotes as much parental involvement as wanted or needed, and they strongly encourage parents to join in when time allows providing their own expert advice and knowledge for the children, sort of like a “career day,” but whenever you want.
The Montessori method sees the role of the teacher as one to provide help to the student in order for the student to act, will, and think for themselves. This method plays into how A Step Ahead approaches discipline in that students are gently redirected, not punished.
At the beginning of the year, students enjoy a class on grace and courtesy to help transition them into taking responsibility for their own behavior, and A Step Ahead believes stressing problem-solving and leading with a culture of respect towards others is the best way to lay the foundation of kindness early on.
Little Robles Bilingual School
Little Robles is a Wonderschool program, which is incredibly convenient as you will have access to the WS app in order to make payments and easily communicate with staff.
Speaking of communicating with staff, Little Robles makes it clear that although not required, parents are more than welcome to volunteer for field trips or even organize celebrations for the classroom. They have complete transparency in their curriculum and encourage parents to drop by to hang out with their children at any time.
This is a pretty common theme in most immersion preschools, but unlike the others, Little Robles is so committed to their parents and fostering family growth, they also provide workshops that strengthen the parent/child relationship and have therapy services available if needed as well.
A typical day for your child will look something like this:
- 8:30 am – Children arrive and settle in/Free playtime
- 9:45 am – Morning circle
- 10:00 am – Morning snack
- 10:15 am – Outdoor play/neighborhood exploration
- 11:15 am – Morning project
- 11:45 am – Personal hygiene/meal prep
- 12:00 pm – Lunch
- 12:30 pm – Quiet time/nap time
- 2:45 pm – Afternoon snack
- 3:00 pm – First Dismissal/Free play for extended care
- 5:00 pm – Final pick up
Source – wonderschool.com
Located in a calm neighborhood in Mount Davidson Manor, Little Robles provides several dedicated spaces to nurture your child’s growth and learning, including
- Dramatic play area
- Quiet reading nook
- Exploration area for sensory learning (shapes and textures)
Each child is also provided with their own cozy cot for naptime.
SF Tikes Academy
SF Tikes Academy was founded in 2014 by Sarah Shimkunas, a mother of three and expert in Early Childhood Development. Sarah envisioned a preschool that fully prepared students for kindergarten with all the skills needed to excel in the classroom.
Children enrolled in this program will be taught self-regulation, how to be their authentic selves and relate to others, and how to successfully be a team player.
SF Tikes provides both an English and a Spanish program. In the Spanish program, your child will be spoken to almost exclusively in Spanish and will become fluent in the language through books and songs in addition to daily conversation.
The goal is to build up your child’s vocabulary and conversational abilities. SF Tikes ensures this program is perfect for both beginners or native Spanish speakers as well.
SF Tikes is a school that seeks to support parents as well through community events and 1-1 session with the teachers to help transition your student into the immersion program, but also you.
While enrolled at SF Tikes, students are expected to learn the 7 Essential Life Skills for Success in School and Life (as laid out by Ellen Galinsky in Mind in the Making).
These skills include:
- Critical Thinking
- Self-directed learning
- Perspective-taking
- Making connections
- Communicating
- Focus and self-control
- Taking on challenges
By the time they reach kindergarten, SF Tikes’ students will have the ability to read and write and will be able to communicate verbally both in English and Spanish. Graduates will also have an appreciation for nature and respect towards their classmates, promoting excellent conflict resolution skills and the ability to ask great questions.
Universe of Colors Preschool
Bringing together art, science, music, and games, Universe of Colors Preschool aims to build Spanish literacy in your child by building on their conversational confidence with their native-speaker teachers.
UCP focuses on building and nurturing your child’s independence while cultivating socialization skills with their peers.
This Spanish immersion program stimulates student’s interest in the basics of reading, writing, math, and science through age-appropriate activities and fun memory games, which are important for language development and success in future classrooms.
Retoños Schoolhouse
Also, a Wonderschool like Little Robles above, you will have access to their fantastic app in order to easily make payments and communicate with your child’s teachers.
Retoños believes that full Spanish immersion is the best way for children to learn the language, so children are engaged in many culturally and diversity rich activities like acting, cooking, dancing, and reading.
Students are able to easily cultivate their fluency because their entire concept of the language is established in everyday experiences.
Located in a single-family home decorated with bright rooms and plenty of natural light, Retoños is full of fun and engaging rooms for your child to explore.
There is a dramatic play area, a loud dance space for your child to practice instruments and dance to Latino music, a comfy nap room, and even a wild STEM room to encourage learning of the sciences.
Outdoor Times & Goals
Supervised outdoor time includes a handmade “kid cottage,” a sandbox, plenty of picnic tables, and too many toys to even be played with.
Retoños focuses on teaching children how to think, not what to think and base their curriculum on the values of kindness, creativity, cooperation, discovery, and honesty.
Another interesting subject in their curriculum is their emphasis on problem-solving and conflict resolution, which for preschoolers, can be a difficult subject to address.
Retoños supports an anti-bias goal for children, where they can learn empathy and respect for their peer’s hopes, goals, and ideas. Students are taught to recognize the effects their actions have on other people and are gently encouraged to self-regulate in order to find solutions to problems they have with each other.
Enrolling your child in a Spanish immersion school, especially as early as preschool, can be a daunting task, but hopefully, with this list, we’ve lessened the headache a bit. All of the above schools are open for tours, either in person or virtually, so take your time and find the right one for you and your child.
