Preschool Programs for Two-Year-Olds
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Feb 2012
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good part time (2-4 mornings a week)
pre school in Alameda that takes two year olds? I'd love a school that is
either exclusively part time or has a good number of students who leave at
lunch so that my daughter isn't the only one being pulled away. Any
leads/sharing of experiences at these schools would be much appreciated!
anon
I think your options include ABC preschool [owner/teacher Karen is great,
but the other teacher wasn't our style], rising star Montessori (cottage
campus) - which people rave about but even though we could walk to it
(huge plus) we gave the main campus on high street a try for 2 weeks and
moved on - many different issues from not enough teacher communication
for us, to basics like helping kids open lunch box containers - but, as I
said, many people love it. I think Child Unique Montessori also takes 2
yr olds. Son light preschool also is half day. No matter what, please
call licensing about any preschool you may consider sending your child to
- I was very surprised by what I learned.
-Good luck
Feb 2012
My daughter will be 2 in June and I am looking for the right preschool program
for her to begin in the Fall. She is quite bright, outgoing, and curious
about people and the world. She tends to jump in very quickly to new
situations and really, really enjoys interacting with other children. She
loves/needs big open spaces and she is very physically active. We are hoping
to stay within Oakland where we live, and we need a full-time or 4-day
program.
I am particularly stuck on this question of larger center vs. smaller
home-based setting, and wondering what would be the best fit for her. I
really see the advantages to both; and we've got so many great places around
here to choose from... I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed!
Any ideas or recommendations will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Skyline preschool would be good, but I believe they (and many preschools)
only take kids from 2 yr 9 mos. You could call to check. Great outdoor
area, multi-age, 1 classroom for around 34 kids. I would consider going
with the larger school for a kid that is very social and loves
interactions with others. That way there are more kids and more teachers
to interact with, and also there may be more special activities with
visiting people (like dance teacher etc). The other thing is after a few
years at a school your child may get bored with the other kids,
especially when she is the oldest level of kids, because the younger kids
are fascinated by the older kids, but the older kids aren't that
interested by the younger kids. Anyway, you are lucky to have a social
kid, it will make preschool easier to adjust to, whereever you go.
anon
Dec 2011
Does anyone know of preschools taking 2-year olds in the Oakland/Berkeley
area? I know that there are many taking kids closer to 3.
Any recommendations would be great. Thanks for your help!
East Bay Mom
Many preschools start at two. A few examples:
Small Size School (Bari Nelson's) in No. Berkeley
and Rockridge Little School, Mills College, and Happy Together in Oakland.
Our daughter goes to Temple Sinai Preschool
in Oakland at 28th and Broadway.
Children need to be 2 to start, and don't need to be potty trained. We love it
there, the teachers are fantastic and it's a wonderful community.
Kia
I would recommend Wee Two Toddler House
run by Sharon, near MLK & Cedar in
Berkeley. She is a very sweet, caring grandmotherly figure who has up to 5 kids
between 2-3 yrs old. It is perfect for a 2-yr old just starting out in an
situation larger than individualized care, but perhaps still too young for
full-fledged preschool. Kids have outside and inside time. She does lots of
painting, rotates toys, has a small slide inside, has a medium-sized back yard
with toys, swings, garden, etc.
Happy Parent!
Happy Together Preschool
in Piedmont is enrolling 2-year olds. You can check
their website for details (www.happytogetherpreschool.com). Their curriculum is
AMAZING. I HIGHLY recommend them!
(another East Bay Mom)
Our 2.5 year old goes to Boulevard Little People's Academy, off Grand Ave.
in Oakland. We love it there! It has the advantages of both a daycare and
a preschool, with kids of lots of different ages. They go on field trips,
they have a great outdoor space, they do art projects almost every day, and
she's even beginning to learn how to write her letters! Deltrina, the
director, has been doing this for 35 years and she's amazing. Here's their
website: http://www.blvdacademy.com/
Love Boulevard!
August 2011
I'm looking for a small preschool in the North Oakland/South Berkeley
area for my two year old daughter. She is young to start a preschool, I
know, but she's eager for the whole classroom and peer experience and we
think she's ready for it, especially if it's a small setting. We worry
that with a day care, attention naturally is focused more on the
infants, but most preschools I have looked at won't take her until she
is at least two and a half. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Dad looking for preschool
Check out Little Village
in Albany. Both my kids started right around 2,
and had great experiences there. I actually appreciate it more now, in
retrospect, knowing how well my kids transitioned into their Berkeley
public elementary school. Small, cost-friendly, mixed-ages pre-school
with flexible, caring and experienced teachers. Doesn't necessarily show
well - it's an older facility - but definitely pulls through on the
things that count.
Happy Little Village alum
Check the Model School. They have a toddler class.
maguilo
The New School
at BFUU, Cedar and Bonita in North Berkeley is awesome! They start
at 2 yrs old. My stepdaughter has been there for years now, and is now ''a Four''
(the group of 4 year olds). Creative program, a lot of fun, really great staff.
Good luck! I'm pretty sure kids can start any time.
Azzia
I would recommend looking at
Happy Together Preschool. My three-year old son
is enrolled there and has classmates who have just turned two. The directors
of the school are able to give focused attention to every single child and
actually plan their curriculum according to the children's interests. They
helped us with an easy transition from home-care to school setting, including
potty training support. Since starting, my son has learned to play
cooperatively with his peers, recognize and express his feelings, draw shapes,
sing, and appreciate science and nature. The best part is that my son
genuinely enjoys going to school. It's wonderful & I highly recommend it.
Orinda mom.
April 2010
I'd like to find a warm, play-based preschool for my 2-year-old
daughter in the fall. I live in Central Berkeley, and work in West Berkeley,
and I'm hoping to find somewhere close by. But if you love a school that's a
little farther away, I'd be interested to hear about it, too. My daughter has
been with her grandmother and a babysitter until now, so this would be her
first transition to a larger group of kids. Thanks so much!
Please consider Skytown, a parent cooperative preschool in Kensington. Cozy
and fun certainly describe this play-based cooperative preschool! I have been
very pleased with the warm and supportive atmosphere and it was a wonderful
transition for my son who had been home full time up to the time we started.
Check out the website www.skytown.org and call to schedule a tour if interested.
There are still summer and fall openings.
Amy
Children's Garden Montessori
is in El Cerrito and based on my experience
from 2001-2008 I recommend it highly. All three of my children went there.
When I first started looking it ended up being the only place I looked! My
initial feel of the place just said, ''YES.'' It is not ''state-of-the-art'' and is
totally NOT fancy. It is run out of the home of one of the kindest, gentlest
people you could ever hope to cross paths with... Alaina Benner.
All of the kids are happy. When we were there the teachers were so loving
and nurturing. Whenever someone needed to be held there were open arms
ready to hold him or her. It is loosely based on Montessori principles. There
is a great outside space for the kids to play and have lunch.. big bunny pen,
great play structure, ride-on toys, sand for digging. Lots of fun ''works'' for
the kids to experiment with and learn from inside.
Do check it out... worth the drive. We initially were commuting from Point
Richmond and then moved. For my third child we were commuting to
Children's Garden in El Cerrito from Rockridge! When my fourth is old
enough, she will attend as well.
Alaina's number is 510 232-3089. (oh, and I just checked... a few recent
good recs on BPN!)
Marjorie
Sunshine Play School
Great school, a nice number of kids in the age range you
are looking for (2-3 yo along with some older-they take up
to 5), really attuned to the needs of the little ones-
always have fun activities/themes for the month along with
field trips. Rates and other info on website
www.sunshineplayschool.org...It is about 6-7 miles from N.
Berkeley-off the Arlington or if you take 80 E- it would
be the Solano exit. It is really worth checking out! Good
luck:)
anon
We've been very happy with Heart's Leap North, on Cedar
Street between Oxford and Spruce, in Berkeley. Our son, now
3.5, started when this new campus opened in Fall 2008. The
school is cozy - only two classrooms, each with 18-22
students, depending on the ages, with 3 teachers in each
room. The days are very playful, fun, and exciting. The
teachers are wonderful professionals, very warm, and highly
skilled in encouraging the children's interests and teaching
important social skills, like how to enter into play with
others, and how to speak kindly to each other. The children
and teachers all refer to each other as ''friends'', and it
really is true. Our shy son has made wonderful friends
there. The school is open 8:30am-5:30pm, but there are a
variety of options for pick-up times (12:30 for 2-year-olds
only, 2:30pm, 4pm, or 5:30pm), an option for 2 emergency
early drop-offs a month at an additional charge, and 4 days
a week is also an option. The school provides healthy
snacks, and parents provide lunches. Naptime is well
managed - my son who refuses naps at home still naps at
school almost every day. If you have other questions, feel
free to contact me. There are just a couple of spots left,
in the younger classroom. Good luck with your search.
daria
Nov 2009
I'm interested in putting my son into a part time preschool program in the fall for
socialization, he will be two in July. My 4 year old daughter attends a preschool full
time which starts at 2.9 mos. I am open to either a drop off or parent accompanied
program, preferably in the mornings. Is there anything like this out there? We are
located in Montclair/Oakland.
Check out Broadway Children's School ''PACT'' program. We did this
with both our children and feel like it was one of the best
things we did (both times!). The website is:
broadwaychildrensschool.org
heidi
August 2009
We are looking for a culturally diverse pre school for our almost 2-year-old
son.
Most of the ones we have heard of don't allow you to sign up for part time.
Ideally it
would be a place where he could go 3-4 hours a day a few days a week. Any
ideas?
D
You should check out Skytown Preschool. It's in the region of
the El Cerrito hills. They have a toddler (2's) room and it is a
fantastic school...my son went there and loved it! It is a coop,
but you can buy out of whatever you don't want to do...
http://skytown.org/
Happy Skytown Mama
For a culturally diverse, loving and nurturing environment, I
am happy to recommend
Rising Sun Montessori on the El
Cerrito/Albany border near Memorial Park. My son enjoyed his
two years there very much, meeting friends from India, Brazil
and Venezuela. His teachers, Carolina and Reina, also
incorporated Spanish words and phrases into their daily
routine.
My son attended school three days per week for a full day,
though many children came for shorter times - until 12:30 and
some until 3:00pm. Rising Sun is a very happy place and the
children really enjoy the very large yard with a log cabin
playhouse, swingset, sandbox and veggie garden. Their number is
510-528-6041.
Happy Rising Sun parent
May 2003
My daughter is not even one but I expect I should get her on
the wait list for some good two year old programs soon... I'll
need care 2 -3 full days per week. We live in Temescal so
Rockridge, North Oakland, Montclair, Piedmont, South
Berkeley are preferable. If you can wholeheartedly
recommend a place please let us know! Thanks
Recommendations received:
Montclair Community Play Center
Toddler Family
Parent/child programs for 2-year-olds?
Feb 2003
I'm looking for a program which my 2-year old and I can attend
together in order to have fun and make social contacts. My son
isn't yet in preschool, so we have been making the rounds of
Gymboree, MusicTogether, Kindergym and KinderMusik. Although we
have enjoyed these classes, I think my son is ready for a
program that is longer in duration than these classes and will
offer him a greater variety of activities. Any recommendations
would be appreciated!
Mom of a Bored Toddler
Recommendations received:
Toddler Family (3)
October 2001
I am looking for a preschool for my daughter to start in September,
2002. I would like her to attend 3-4 morning per week, in Oakland.
She will 2 yrs. 6 mos. old in September and many of the schools
require 2 yrs. 9 mos, or are full day programs. I would love a
year-round school but that is not a necessity. I am looking for
developmental schools only and am not interested in Montessori schools.
I looked on the website and did not find exactly what I am looking for.
Recommendations received:
Chatham School
Duck's Nest
Hearts Leap
The Snuggery
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