Hello. We went to see Monte Tavor and were thrilled with their program, however the price was far beyond what we are able to pay. It would have worked out to be over 2000 a month for part time! Is this a normal amount for part time? I am wondering because we may need to change our ideas about what we can afford for the girls and go with a home daycare. Alexis

Our 3-yr old has been attending Monte Tavor in Okland for amost 6 months now. We wrestled with the decision to send her to a top-rated Montessori preschool or to MT, which is a play-based program. We were concerned that she would not get enough mental stimulation in a non-Montessori setting. We eventually chose MT for three reasons - the first was frankly that it was closer to our home (never underestimate the importance of a convenient commute). The second reason we chose it was for the bilingual aspect. We felt strongly that the benefit of acquiring a second language naturally far outweighed anything she would be exposed to at Montessori school and we have no cause to regret our decision. She gets plenty of learning through physical activity, singing, storytime, art and social interaction, AND all in Spanish which she already speaks better than I do. The teachers are loving and observant and she has made some great friends among the extremely diverse group of kids, and the diversity was the third reason we chose MT. It was important to us as a biracial family to have our daughter (and us) meet and interact with people of different ethnicities and cultures. In short, I can highly recommend MT if your values are similar to ours in any way. Mom of an MT preschooler

I'm looking for recent feedback on Monte Tavor, a Spanish immersion preschool in Oakland's Dimond district. The reviews in the archives are a few years old, and I am having a difficult time locating any other information about this school. Thanks
Trixie

Overall, I would not hesitate to reccomend Monte Tavor as a pre school. The Howell family, who run the place, know what kids need to thrive. They were an extremely positive influence in our son's early life and we will be forever grateful to them.
bhaswell

The director and staff have also gone out of their way to work on issues that we were concerned about such as when my son needed to start wearing glasses before age three. At the time we mentioned it to the director, Yeira, and she said she would try to make it special and fun for him. So while my son was waiting for his glasses to be ready, his entire group at Monte Tavor read books about children getting glasses and talked about his getting glasses and by the time his glasses were ready, most of the other children wanted glasses too. So Yeira went out and got play glasses for all of them to wear. By the time my son's real glasses arrived he was so excited. Anyway, my point is that Monte Tavor went out of their way to work on this and make it successful for my son and it really made a difference. Monte Tavor was also amazing when my son was ready to potty train and helped a whole group of children who were ready to potty train together.

Because the staff at Monte Tavor speak almost entirely in Spanish to the children, all of the children are bilingual -- even when little or no Spanish is spoken at home. My son is completely bilingual and even my 21-month old is starting to impress us with her Spanish vocabulary.

Lastly, we have been very happy with what our children are learning at Monte Tavor -- both socially and academically. We are very confident they will be in great shape for kindergarten when the time comes. Feel free to contact me off-list if you have other specific questions.
A Very Happy Monte Tavor Parent
whitney

Salutations! Seeking Spanish Bilingual Preschool for my 2year old daughter in Oakland Anyone with experience with their child at Monte Tavor Preschool please let me know how it went..or if you have other recomendations I'd love to hear of others. Contact: heidi

Recently my toddler needed to start wearing glasses and we were worried about his accepting this change. We spoke to the director, Yeira, about it and she said she would make it special and fun for him. So while my son was waiting for his glasses to be ready, his entire group at Monte Tavor read books about children getting glasses and talked about his getting glasses and by the time his glasses were ready, most of the other children wanted glasses too. So Yeira went out and got play glasses for all of them to wear as well! My son now LOVES his glasses! And he loves to talk about his friends and teachers at Monte Tavor.

Because the staff at Monte Tavor speak almost entirely in Spanish to the children, all the children are bilingual -- even when little or no Spanish is spoken at home. My son is completely bilingual and even my 14-month-old is already shaking or nodding her head in response to questions in Spanish and is starting to sing along to songs in Spanish that we play at home. We speak very little Spanish at home, but are learning more words from our son daily.

Lastly, while our son is not yet officially in the preschool, we know from how much he has learned already – and from our parent-teacher conferences – that in the pre-school program he will be well-prepared for kindergarten both academically and socially. Monte Tavor puts equal emphasis on both aspects of preparation.

Feel free to contact me off-list if you have other specific questions.
Very Happy Monte Tavor Parent
Whitney

Besides a 2003 review of Monte Tavor, does anybody have anything to say about this bilingual program? I have a 21 month old for whom I am seeking a bilingual daycare, and/or preschool. Thanks, Jessie

The teachers at MT care for and value each child with the diginity they deserve. The children receive so much individual attention, sometimes you'd swear your child was the only one there.

They honor each child's learning style, and create an environment in which each child's strengths are respected. When my son was a toddler, if the preschoolers were studying a topic which would interest yet challenge him, he was always invited to participate. My son has come home hav ing learned things I never would've even thought of teaching him myself. And he's completely fluent in both Spanish and English. Teresa

Re: preschool openings
Monte Tavor is a wonderful bilingual preschool located in Oakland off of Fruitvale ave. They have a loving, stimulating, healthy environment. My son is thriving there. I don't think they have a waiting list. They can be reached at 510-336-1789 Susan, a happy Monte Tavor Mother

In addition to the one 2001 posting, does anyone have positive or negative experiences with Monte Tavor Childcare Center and Preschool to share? We are actively considering it for our 14 month-old son. Thanks very much. Avi

This is in response to the parent looking for bilingual day care at Monte Tavor:

We adopted about six months ago and, after three months, needed to find some child care. A friend from our adoption class recommended checking out Monte Tavor, which was very close to our house and seemed convenient.

We were both sold on the school right away. The children in daycare become a part of the family at Monte Tavor. It feels like I'm dropping my son off at my mom's house instead of a licensed daycare site. It is an incredibly loving and nurturing environment for the kids - where the kids get plenty of outdoor play, stimulation when they need it, and a time to be reflective when they don't.

We knew that our son had been bounced around a bit in the system and would need a loving environment. Since he started attending daycare, we've seen him flourish and become more and more comfortable intereacting with other adults and children.

Although we both speak Spanish, we knew that our accents and lack of coloquial Spanish would be a hinderance in our son's development of two languages, so we were thrilled that they conduct most activities in Spanish. Although our son is still not speaking, he responds now to their commands in Spanish as well as ours in English. All of the staff is bilingual, although the director primarily speaks Spanish.

Finally, as a gay couple, we thought we might have some problems with the staff or with the other parents. It turns out, Monte Tavor is a microcosm of the Bay Area, with an abundance of racial and orientation diversity. If you're looking for a very loving and accepting bilingual daycare setting, definetly check out Monte Tavor. If you have any questions, please drop me a line. David

Re: Spanish Language Pre-school?
My two daughters went to a small bilingual preschool called Monte Tavor in Oakland (Diamond District on Laguna Avenue off of MacArthur - close to Hiway 580, Fruitvale Ave exit). It is run by a family originally from Nicaragua. You can reach Monte Tavor at 510-336-9629. Ask for Yeira (pronounced Jada) Carol

I am thinking of sending my 6 month old to Monte Tavor family daycare (there is also a pre-school next door) in Oakland and am wondering if anyone has experience there and can give me any feedback. P.Chatterton/M.McMichael