Seeking Feedback on Spanish/Persian Preschools in East Bay
Hi BPN community,
We are searching for a Spanish immersion preschool for our daughter and would love to hear from other parents about their experiences. We live in Orinda and are considering several options in Oakland and Berkeley, including:
- EBI (Escuela Bilingüe Internacional) – Oakland
- The Renaissance School – Oakland
- Colibri – Oakland
- Academia de Mi Abuela – Piedmont
- KSS – Walnut Creek & Oakland
- Open Minds Early School – Piedmont
Our daughter is growing up in a trilingual environment—her nanny speaks Spanish with her, her dad speaks Persian, and we speak English as a family. Since she is already becoming fluent in Spanish and Persian, we want a full Spanish immersion preschool to help reinforce her Spanish skills (rather than bilingual instruction). We’re also looking for a school that encourages creativity, independence, and social-emotional development.
We also are looking at Golestan in El Cerrito, which we love, but we’re concerned about the commute. If your child has attended one of these schools—or another great full Spanish immersion preschool in the area—we’d love to hear your insights!
How do the teachers engage with the kids? How has your child’s Spanish progressed? Are the programs play-based or more structured? Any recommendations or things we should consider?
Additionally, we are considering Borna Cultural Center for Persian language classes on Saturdays once our daughter turns three. If anyone has experience with their Persian programs, we’d appreciate insights on that as well!
Looking forward to hearing your recommendations—thank you!
Parent Replies
Our son started at Colibri last year and we have been very happy with our experience so far. The school is very well-run and I like how a majority of the teachers have either been there since the beginning or for more than a few years. Our older child went to a different (bilingual) preschool and there was a lot of teacher turnover. The teachers are very engaged with the students, and they’re also very attentive, warm, and loving. My son has picked up Spanish in such a short amount of time—it’s pretty amazing! The curriculum is play-based but there’s also more structure than the school my eldest went to. They also incorporate a bunch of special activities that are funded by the parent’s board—soccer classes, capoeira, dance, etc. Because class sizes are small I would definitely contact them if you are interested in a spot for this coming Fall. You may be put on a waitlist. If it’s for the following year, you should be fine!
I love Colibri. Three of my kids have gone there and my fourth will go in the fall. They are truly Spanish immersion, with most of the 4s class ohear easily talking to each other and the teachers in Spanish. It is a very nurturing place with excellent teachers and great admin. We went through Covid with them and was so impressed. They are good communicators and have the best interest of the kids at heart. My kids are energetic and have some challenges but they did well welcoming and accommodating them.
Our first child joined EBI at 4 years old, and we loved it so much that we started our son even earlier, at age 3. Both kids were totally fluent within 6 months. The teachers are warm, loving, and experts in their field who have spent their careers teaching. Because the preschool is part of a PK-8 institution, it runs much more smoothly than the many other preschools we tried, but because the kids are at a campus that has only 3-7 year olds, it feels very cozy and sweet. Everyone who works there seems to love it, and so do our kids. And if it turns out you want to stay, your kids can continue on!
We absolutely love EBI! Watching our child grow and thrive in their caring and engaging environment has been such a joy. From the very first day, we were struck by how warm, attentive, and genuinely dedicated the teachers are. They've created a nurturing space where learning feels like an exciting adventure every day.
Our daughter started at EBI right when she turned three, and now, in her second year of preschool (TK), she is incredibly well-prepared for kindergarten. We plan to keep her at EBI because we've been consistently impressed by the nurturing environment and thoughtful, engaging academics.
We especially appreciate the International Baccalaureate framework at EBI and the thoughtfully designed units of inquiry that truly set it apart from other Spanish immersion schools. These units encourage curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the world, providing our child with an exceptional foundation for future learning. Our daughter loves exploring new concepts, building towers, creating colorful masterpieces, and enthusiastically singing songs in Spanish.
EBI has also built an incredible sense of community, and we genuinely enjoy the opportunities for parent involvement. The Spanish immersion aspect of the preschool has been particularly impressive. Since the teachers are native Spanish speakers, our daughter gets exposure to diverse Spanish accents, enriching her language development. She started the year without knowing any Spanish, and by January, she was already understanding and responding to her teachers’ questions in Spanish. Seeing her language skills blossom so quickly has been truly wonderful!