Looking for Spanish pre-school for this coming Fall
Dear parents,
I have been looking for pre-school for my toddler and unfortunately I have not gotten any spot. I already applied for two good ones, and one of them I didn't get it. I have been applying since last August with no news so far. Could you please recommend me a nice environment pre-school where my little one can enjoy and also be exposed to the Spanish language all the time. We also looking for affordable ones. We live in South Berkeley. Thank you! Any suggestions will be very appreciated!
Mar 10, 2025
Parent Replies
Check out Escuela Bilingue Internacional-- both my kids went there and my son is now a sophomore at Bentley and was very well prepared and took Spanish 4 honors his freshman year. My daughter is an 8th graded and we are sad that our time at EBI is ending. We are of asian decent with no spanish background and our kids are very fluent and at the end of your time at EBI they also get a DELE certificate from the consulate of Spain to certify their fluency. Don't let the price tag scare you- they have tuition assistance. We paid full tuition in the beginning just to get our kids in but you become prioritized as your kids go through the kids and their financial aid was very generous and I cant say enough good things about the teachers/staff and the overall school community. Happy to chat if you have more questions. Good luck!
My daughter went to Kidsland Channing and absolutely loved it. It is small, I believe around 10-12 kids, and is run by a lovely family who have operated it out of their home for many years. It is 100% Spanish immersion. They frequently take the kids on field trips in a big van and also take them to various activities in the community like martial arts lessons, yoga, and swimming for the older kids. If they have openings I highly recommend it. As for affordability, I think it's pretty comparable with other full-time childcare in this area. You can contact Erika at daycarekchanning [at] att.net
La Plazita! Though not sure how convenient that would be for you all, but it's a great environment and Spanish immersion. We have really enjoyed it for our little ones, and all the Maestras are very loving!
It's been a while since my child went, but there are two that I can recommend. However, at the time both required that at least one parent already speak Spanish at home, as it was not intended to teach Spanish as a second language. Both in Oakland. La Familia and Las Semillitas.
I'm not sure what age your kiddo is, and how far you're willing to travel, but I can't recommend Wawasi Children's Center highly enough. It's a small school in Albany. The owner, Roxy, and all the teachers are incredibly caring and supportive, and foster a really lovely community of kids and parents. It's not technically Spanish immersion but they do speak Spanish with the kids a lot (especially if you request that they do so, as our family did), and teach them about many different cultures. They engage in a range of activities, including music class, arts and crafts, meditation, and neighborhood walks. There's also a nice big backyard for them to play in. And they feed the kids healthy, organic lunches and snacks every day. As for price, we found it more affordable than the Montessori schools we looked at, especially if you consider that they serve lunch every day.
Feel free to message me for more info, tambien hablo espanol. Buena suerte!
Have you looked at Escuela Bilingue Internacional? Their preschool-1st grade campus is on Alcatraz in Rockridge. https://ebinternacional.org/
My kids have been in school there and have had really wonderful experiences from pre-K through elementary school so far.
Hola.
I want to balance the discussion on EBI a bit. My child attended EBI pre-school for one year and we decided to change pre-schools the following year for various reasons. We never thought that in EBI the main contingent consists of families that want to learn Spanish as a second language. While this is fantastic for some, my child was already fluent in Spanish so it proved to be very boring for them as all of the other children were in a steep learning curve. The second aspect is that the school was not a good match in terms of personality and style, it was more rigid and strict, expecting three year olds to sit still at end of day circle. It has proven to be a good decision for us to find a school with a better alignment on personality and for us to make sure that we keep up Spanish at home.
We have heard great things of Centro Vida which is 100% in Spanish with a high attendance of native Spanish speakers.
Good luck in your search.
Our son is currently at Centro Vida and loves it there; he literally asked to go to school this morning! It is very affordable and a loving environment, all in Spanish. They tend to have a long waitlist, but are expanding enrollment by some starting this fall. https://www.bahiainc.com/