Berkeley Parents Network: Lakeview Preschool (Oakland, CA)

Berkeley Parents Network

Lakeview Preschool (Oakland, CA)

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Preschools > Lakeview Preschool

August 2009

I am looking for advice for a good pre-school in the Grand Lake Area of Oakland. Our wish list is a 3 full day a week program option that is a nice balance of a play and academic environment. We want our child to learn socialization and play skills but also have access to solid academics. He will be three next Fall of 2010 and we have been warned to start our search pronto! He is a bright and physical boy, currently enrolled in part-time day care, and he gets along well with the other children (as well as they do at age 2!). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Feeling a little over my head with options. parent on the pre-school search

Lakeview Preschool sounds like a perfect fit for your requirements. The owner seems to actually prefer to find folks looking for full time school a few days a week (we have been more challenges as we need 5 days a week which doesn't exactly fit with her preferences).

Anyway, my oldest just finished a year there (after 1 year at another local preschool) and it was an amazing experience. He learned an incredible amount. Their ''plan'' for the year is to ''travel'' around the world (and consiquently he knows more about geography than I do)...during their ''travels'' they learn a bit about the current state, history, culture, food, etc. of all of the continents and some of the countries on each. My son's recall is amazing...and he sprinkles little facts in to conversations that blow me away.

In addition to this, his ''small motor skills'' have come quite far from when he started...he is printing all the letters, drawing well and using scissors as needed for K.

Lest you fear that this is an ''academic'' preschool, it really is not. They have a lot of structured time (singing, ''edible art,'' ''group time'' etc.), but they also have a ton of unstructured, play time outside on the playground.

My little son is starting there in a couple of weeks and we are really looking forward to see how he grows and changes since he will have two years with Lakeview instead of the 1 our oldest had.

Website is www.lakeview-preschool.com. Nikki

Jan 2005

I am considering Lakeview preschool in the Lakeshore area and would love some recent feedback from current parents. The posts are somewhat out dated. Thank you! Stephanie

I have a daughter currently in her second year at Lakeview Preschool, and we couldn't be happier. Our son was there for two years as well, and also had an excellent experience. It is a small school, with a fairly structured program, so it may not be the perfect school for a child who has high energy or needs to set their own schedule. But for our children, it's been great. The staff are caring and attentive, and there's lots of art (with a GREAT art teacher) and music (the new male teacher has infused the program with more music than in the past), as well as a fairly strong focus on academic basics. A final bonus is that they prepare lunch for the kids every day! Evan

My then 5 year old son went to Lakeview in the Fall of 2003 for the pre-K program. It is an unbelievable school! The director of the school has been doing it for quite a while and she is incredibly organized and creative. They have specialists (ie storyteller, music) that come in most days, the art teacher Karen is fantastic as is the curriculum. My son thrived there. For him, it was a perfect fit, but he had already been in 3 years of a play based preschool and he was ready for the very structured program. He is doing great in K and was totally prepared academically and socially. I am not sure that it is a right fit for every child given the strong academics and structure, but for us it was incredible. Madeline is also very familiar with the local private schools, so if you are going that route, she is a great resource. I have nothing but great things to say about the school! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. jenn

Feb. 2003

We are looking at Lakeview Preschool for our soon to be three-year-old daughter and would appreciate any feedback folks might have. Thanks in advance for your responses. Beth

My 5-year-old son is in his second year of Lakeview Preschool, and we couldn't be happier. It is an amazing school. The staff is everything you'd want them to be: warm, energetic, creative, and trained experts in their fields (child development, education, art, dance, etc.).

My son LOVES to go to school and my husband and I are thrilled to see how much he is learning about the world. We are also impressed with how adeptly they are introducing him to basic math and reading skills.

When we were trying to decide on a new school for him, my only concern about Lakeview was whether my high energy son would get enough running around time and space. This has not been a problem at all. Although the yard isn't huge, it's well planned and my son has tons of fun. Stephanie

August 2002

Strong recommendation for Lakeview Pre-School in Lakeshore area. My son attended Lakeview preschool for one year and I cannot rave enough of the school. The teachers are all loving, caring, organized and wise. The school site is very clean, brightly lit, and organized. The program is fabulous. It is a well structured curriculum that teaches diversity, tolerance, peace, sharing, geography, cultural history, arts, music, dance, manners, science, cooking, writing and so much more. Frankly many adults could benefit from such a program. My son has learned so much in the past year. When he was assessed for kindergarten I was asked, ''where did he go to preschool?'' I responded Lakeview and I received a positive nod in return. That in itself says a great deal about Lakeview Preschool. My only regrets are that I did not find Lakeview earlier and that I wasn't allowed to quit my job and enroll into the program myself. Madeline and Kathy are strong and caring teachers and administrators. sophia

October 1999

My daughter Francesca (3) has been attending it for a little over a month, and it seems quite good. The staff seem quite capable and have pleasant personalities. The program is somewhat structured but not excessively so. The facility is clean and well organized, although somewhat small. The children, for the little I could observe, seem well behaved and non-aggressive. The school came highly recommended by other parents (although people rarely admit their mistakes). Tuition is $790/month for 5 days. Many of the children attend only 3 or 4 days a week.

Also, I realize that this review may sound lukewarm compared to the typical preschool, review, but I tend to be cautious. For all I know, Lakeview *really* is wonderful, but I doubt I'll ever be able to have that much information about this or other schools. Luigi

March 1999

Our son attends Lakeview Preschool in Oakland, which is off Mandana behind the Grand Lake theater. He has been there for the past 2 years, and graduates to kindergarten this fall. We love it. It is small, with 30 children total, but no more than 24 per day. There is about a 1:5 ratio for teacher:child, which varies slightly depending on the activity. They run a full day program, including meals. The program emphasizes learning about other cultures, and they travel around the world during the school year. They eat foods from other lands (my son now likes sushi), discuss celebrations and ethnic dress, stories, etc. They also learn spanish, and have music, dance and story-telling teachers. We'll be sorry to leave in the fall. Barbara

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