Pear Tree Preschool

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Jan 2014

My son will be 3 this coming fall and we are interested in The Pear Tree preschool. Does anyone have a review or experience with them? Thanks! oaktownmama

Our 3 y.o. daughter was one of The Pear Tree Preschool's first students. We moved to San Ramon from Oakland because of the schools and just assumed that preschool would be part of that acclaimed school system. Boy were we wrong. We found nothing in San Ramon that fit what we were looking for in a preschool. We were looking for specifically for Montessori and play-based schools for our daughter. The Pear Tree opened and we were left impressed from our open house visit. The directors and teachers and teacher aide are nurturing, caring, and amazing instructors. My wife and I were especially moved by the multi-cultural learning and social justice component of instruction as well. It's beautiful to hear my daughter transition from the Spanish she just learned to describing MLK and how ''he helped people get on the bus'' when she tells us what she learned at school today. The school recently had a holiday performance where they showcased items from winter holidays across the world and sang songs from those representative cultures. Yesterday was a Chinese New Year parade in dragon costumes made of paper bags. Communication is superb. Emails, newsletters and parent events are frequent. In fact, the school is about to implement a backend to the website that allows parents to communicate through a private forum and receive reports, videos, and pictures of their children privately and securely. The kids get along very well. Play dates have been had and my wife and I have made new friends in the process. We are now moving back to Oakland from San Ramon because of the Pear Tree. K.

Jan 2014

Re: Pre-school w/ current opening for 3.5 yr old
An early welcome to Oakland to you. I really would recommend visiting The Pear Tree Preschool for your son. Our daughter has been attending the school for a little over 6 months. She is also a bit shy and had to adjust from parent/grandmother care to full time preschool. The transition went better than we expected. The two teachers are very loving and the school is small enough that she got the extra attention she needed those first months. She is now engaged, happy, and learning a ton. We could not be happier. In fact, we live in San Ramon and could not find a preschool we liked in this area. I work in Oakland and drop our daughter off on the way to work. We are now looking to move to Oakland to save on the commute time. Good luck with the search. We lucked out with this school. Kedar

Jan 2014

The Pear Tree Preschool: 8:00AM - 5:30PM
Monday - Friday
Nature and Play-based Montessori

My almost 3 year old daughter started at the Pear Tree Preschool as one of its first students. We needed to know that she was going to be in a safe environment and one that would be able to work with a girl who had not yet found her voice. Literally. Our daughter had a severe stuttering problem. And she didn't start walking till she was 1 1/2.

Flash forward 6 months. My daughter no longer stutters. She talked to me about the stages of the butterfly and referred to a ''chrysalis''. I didn't even know what that was. She knows all her letters and sounds. She knows her numbers. She knows basic addition now. And she has mastered the slide.

The school is a super cute converted cottage with a Montessori Room, Play Room with a ballet bar, and a Practical Room. The two teachers have given the students the freedom to try new things while still maintaining structure and instilling the virtues of manners. Last month my daughter came back explaining the meaning of the Star of David, Hannukah, Diwali, and the Kwaanza kinara. It seems so counterintuitive, but we are leaving San Ramon for Oakland to have our daughter go to a better school.

The Pear Tree helped my daughter find her voice.

Jan 2014

Re: Preschool in Oakland?
My daughter attends The Pear Tree Preschool in Oakland. We love it!! The teachers, students, parents and program are wonderful. There is a good mix of educational learning and emotional development. The way they teach makes my daughter want to learn-it is fun and exciting. She is learning the foundation for math, reading, science, geography, and more. I was very stressed about finding the right preschool for my daughter and I am thankful that I found The Pear Tree. It is a small and loving environment and the program is very carefully planned out-with a mix of Montessori, play based and nature based learning. You can call Michelle Hamilton to schedule an observation at 510-915-1070. Diana

Dec 2013

The Pear Tree Preschool and Kindergarten has been a real game changer for our family. They teach my daughter social emotional skills like taking deep breaths when she is upset, or thinking of a solution to a problem, like asking for help, using words instead of sounds, and taking turns with friends. Play dates away from school have taken on a new meaning, and require much less parent involvement in managing arguments and disputes between kids as my little one puts her self management skills to use. Aside from these amazing skill sets that have made my life so much easier, my daughter is also reading, doing basic math, and making up stories with a beginning, middle, and end. She cannot wait to go to school, adores her teachers Ms. Nana & Ms. Dara, and is growing every day! It's also really small, only 14 kids, so it's the best of all worlds... small and nurturing, great teacher to student ratio, and a beautiful environment.
Aari