Creative Spanish Program in Oakland for kindergartener?
Hi there,
I am considering Creative Spanish so that my kindergartner can have a spanish-immersion experience after school. Is anyone familiar with this program - either the after care or the summer camps? (I believe the owners also run the Colibri Preschool next door)? If so, what are your thoughts, experiences, reviews or would be you be able to connect me others who might have perspective? I am particularly interested in safety, nurturing, diversity and whether or not you see an improvement in your child's Spanish conversation skills.
Thank you!
Nov 11, 2022
Parent Replies
My kids have all gone to Colibri (one of the owners also runs Creative Spanish and many families just move from one program to the other) the oldest did a few weeks of Creative Spanish summer camp. Juliana, the owner, is awesome. She loves encouraging kids' exploration of Latin culture and fluency in Spanish. She does a good job of positively but firmly encouraging the time to be Spanish speaking. I think the kids have a lot of fun and grow as Spanish speakers.
We had a rough experience with summer camp because my kid was so stressed out and disregulated from Covid closures and disruptions that it ended up being a really tough time for him. Juliana worked so hard to make it work though (she had been one of his preschool teachers and cares for him very much). She worked well with him and us to try to support his behavior and regulation. But their indoor space is pretty small so he didnt really have the room he needed and when they went to the park he couldn't stay with the group. All this is to say, I still recommend Creative Spanish but it wasn't for my kid at that time despite them trying so hard. I felt very supported as a parent through all that as we tried to figure things out for which I'm very grateful.