Broadway Children's School of Oakland

My three children all attended Broadway Children’s School and it is the most wonderful preschool. My youngest is finishing her last year at Broadway now in the Rainbow Room.  My kids all started at age two. The social emotional learning program is exceptional.  I didn’t fully appreciate it until my oldest graduated from Broadway and started kindergarten.  She and her Broadway peers were particularly well prepared for kindergarten. Broadway really focuses on the whole child and provides a loving, caring space with just the most wonderful, thoughtful, creative and highly experienced teachers. It really shows in the kids.  Not only have these teachers given so much to my kids, but they have taught me so much too. Broadway has a rich community that really brings people together and it’s incredibly enriching and supportive for the entire family. The school has been such a fundamental part of my parenting experience to date, I really can’t imagine not having a child there next year.  Also it’s worth noting that I send my two older kids to private elementary school and my kids were accepted to all the schools we applied to. I think that is a credit to Broadway. Also, Broadway puts on events and leans on its alumni community to help guide people in the kindergarten selection process (public and private).  I found this to be really helpful when trying to navigate the next step in my children’s education. I feel so lucky that I found this amazing preschool on BPN almost a decade ago.  It’s phenomenal. 

I can't say enough good things about Broadway Children's School of Oakland. Unlike most kids, who start there at 2 years old, our kids (twin boys) enrolled in the MWF program when they were 4.5. Before Broadway, the kids were in a preschool that emphasized hard academics (math, writing using a 3 point grip, coloring within the lines, etc.) to the detriment of other important skills (socialization, cooperation with other children, and playing outside.) After asking around for recommendations, a member of our twin club suggested that we check out Broadway. 

What I love most about Broadway is its supportive environment and the school's emphasis on academics through play. The boys had no problem integrating with the current crop of kids. And it's been a delight to see the boys look forward to going to school again. For anyone who is looking for a preschool providing a safe, enriching, and stimulating environment for their children, I highly recommend Broadway. 

Broadway is a phenomenal place. I can say without hesitation that it is one of only a few preschools in the broader East Bay region that truly puts a child's needs above all (and the only other candidates are co-ops, that basically require every parent to work for 20+hrs/month until a child turns 5). Their philosophy is wholly play-based, part-time, and with strong parent/primary caregiver involvement. In retrospect, this seems so clearly aligned with my son's development, and it is no surprise that the school has been around for 60+ years doing things in this same way. Yet it is such a rarity nowadays due to a number of reasons: it's certainly difficult for working parents to spare the time (and cover childcare for the other days of the week), it requires an extraordinarily dedicated staff and low student:teacher ratio, and the radical benefits of this approach are sadly minimized in our modern day and age.

On the final note, I am happy to note that childhood research is slowly catching up with what has seemed obvious to the best teachers basically forever: little kids thrive amidst structured free play, strong and safe relationships, and individualized attention. (For more on these topics, I'd strongly recommend the book "Brain Rules for Baby".) It's also becoming clearer that these factors have an especially dramatic impact on the very young - 1 to 3 yrs old, in particular - and the influence of a child's experience in these precious years can actually be measured even decades later. I didn't know all of this upfront - my wife and I both work, and like many parents, I was initially hoping some magical full-time program would be great for my son - but there is no doubt in my mind that the sacrifices we've made are 100% worth it, though I'm not sure we could have done it without the unique wisdom and community provided via Broadway.

We began our experience with the school with the PACT program for 2-3yr olds, which runs 2x/week from 9:30-11:30, and every day there are three parent volunteers in addition to two teachers. On Thursdays, all the parents stay, half of which they spend in a parent education meeting where we explore topics like boundary-setting, positive discipline, the nature of childhood friendships, and more. Initially, I had all the same questions you probably have (e..g, what do you do on Mon/Wed/Fri? Why is it only 2 hours long?) In due course, both my role as a parent and the nature of my son's development became clearer to me, and I began to see that the structure was set-up with clear intent. In the first few months, the parents are encouraged to stay in the classroom even when they aren't required to, so as to give the child space to develop comfort and because separation anxiety hits all children differently. We never had the experience of my son crying all day or saying he was scared or didn't want to go to daycare - instead, we experienced a seamless transition as his comfort and independence grew, and even better, I got to witness his incredible journey! Amidst this, I also started noticing so much more about what the children were experiencing. Being around 14 other kids for 2 hours is really hard work for a 2yr old! They are navigating new rules of socialization, absorbing such an enormous amount of new information, and experiencing big and new emotions on a daily basis. They are really exhausted by the end, and are so grateful to have some one-on-one time for a while afterwards. There's no doubt that kids *can* adjust to a full-time daycare schedule, and *can* learn to live with minimal involvement from their parents, but if your primary question is figuring out what's ideal, a structure like Broadway's is so much more naturally aligned with the child.

It would be my pleasure to share my experience and recommendation further with anyone interested - feel free to reach out to me!

I am a forever fan of Broadway Children’s School. My 2yo just went through the PACT program and I can’t say enough good things about what this past school year has meant for my child and for me as a parent. Upon starting PACT, we entered a lovely and loving community of families, educators, and fellow parents. BCSO is nothing fancy, and I mean that in the best way. It’s a humble little neighborhood school housed in a little yellow house, and many of its classroom toys are literally from the time BCSO opened in the early 1960s—like, indestructible solid wooden blocks and trucks, indestructible metal jack-in-the-boxes, handpainted vintage rubber animal figures... you get the idea. And guess what? The kids love those toys in 2019 exactly the way kids loved them 50 years ago. The teachers and staff take turns making homemade batches of this legendary classroom playdough that has perfect playdough consistency. It’s also worth noting that many, many of the teachers and staff have been at BCSO for decades, and continue to volunteer or sub even after they retire. 

I originally found BCSO after much research into options for affordable, part-time school programs for an almost-2yo; I was especially interested in a co-op because they tend to be so much more affordable, and because I wanted to participate in the classroom and school community. BCSO was the only local option out there that fit the bill, since Skytown is closed! I’m writing this review for other parents who might be looking for something similar. BCSO has been a perfect environment for my kid to feel supported and nurtured in her entrance into the sometimes fraught world of school. I feel so grateful to have found this sweet school community.

My daughter is just wrapping up the PACT program for 2 and 3 year olds and she has loved it! She gets so excited to go to school. It is a fantastic play-based program that is very supportive of the whole family. The PACT (parents and children together) program is perfect if there is one parent (or caregiver) who is home with the kid Tues / Thurs and who is interested in making friends with other parents while learning about child development and parenting skills. I feel lucky to have a close-knit community of parents now to support each other and even babysit for each other. The teachers and administrators truly care about the students, families and school and stay for many years. We are staying next year. Highly recommend!

Broadway is a warm and engaging place for both preschoolers and parents; we really love it and can't say enough good things about the teachers and the programs! My daughter is in her second year, and my son (now in 1st grade at Glenview) attended for two years as well. They are so different, but they have both benefitted greatly from the school's dynamic, play-based approach and loving staff. Diana, the director, is awesome. The teachers compliment one another and make fantastic teaching teams. They seem to genuinely respect and honor the uniqueness of each kid and family. The outdoor space is lovely, the themes and projects inspire the kids, and we have made so many friends with other Broadway families. There are ample opportunities to get involved, without feeling too much pressure to contribute in ways that don't work for our family. Tuition is relatively affordable. We are very grateful to have found this school!