Berkeley Parents Network
Google Custom Search
Home Members Post a Msg Reviews Advice Subscribe Help/FAQ What's New

Pre-K and Bridge Programs

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Preschools > Pre-K and Bridge Programs

Questions about Pre-K and Bridge Programs Schools with Recommendations

Pre-K programs with shorter day

July 2009

We're looking for a pre-K program for our son for the 2010-11 school year (he will be 5 in the Fall of 2010). We don't need a 6 hour long program which is what most of them seem to offer. We would love to find a 9-1 program at an affordable price. Any recommendations?

Growing Light Montessori school (with campuses in Oakland and Kensington) has a 1/2 day option. It is a wonderful Montessori with well trained teachers, and a warm, caring environment. Both my children went there, and we highly recommend it. A happy parent
I can highly recommend New House Day School, on the corner of Hopkins and Alameda in N.Berkeley as a fabulous preschool with a shorter day and 3 to 5 day a week options, M-F from 8:30 to 3:30. We currently have our 3.5 year old there. She loves it and is excited to go to ''school'' where they strike a lovely balance between free play, structured play, and learning. My now 7 year old just the other day said that his time at New House was ''the best time of his life so far''. There is a sun- filled yard with swings and playhouses and a veggie garden and apple tree, loads of art projects inside, a whole two rooms devoted to play and dress-up, and teachers who are loving and fun. Dance and music classes weekly, and walks to library for story time there. My older kids were extremely well prepared for Kindergarten, both academically and socially. The director is Mabel Perez, 524-3465. Rebecca

Looking for Bridge K programs in the East Bay

May 2009

We moved here last month, and I am looking for a placement for my 4 1/2 year old son in Berkeley, Oakland, or Alameda (live in Berkeley, work in San Leandro. I would love to get input on ideas of the best place for him. Because he is a fall birthday (11/1/04 bday) and doesn't seem ready for kindergarten, I have been looking at Bridge K programs for him. It would be ideal though, to find a Pre- K/Kindergarten combo class. Do these exist anymore? He is extremely tall for his age and likes playing with older kids, so I like the idea of him being mixed with Kindergarten students.

As for Bridge K programs, I have had my eye on Step One (waitlisted), Park Day (nice but $$), Hearts Leap (full), Grand Lake Montessori (full), JCC of the East Bay(will visit), Home Sweet Home in Alameda (will visit). Am I missing anyplace? It is not easy to find an opening this time of year. Would love to send him to the same place for the summer as well, if possible. Thank you for your ideas! gm

We live in Alameda and send our son to Bright Horizons at Garner Learning Center. http://centers.brighthorizons.com/garner/ We absolutely love it there - the faculty and the facilities are wonderful. They have a bridge-K program as well as a private kindergarten. Depending on your child and their skill set, I'm sure that one of them would be a great fit prior to public kindergarten. Another Mom of a Fall Birthday Boy
We looked at pre K programs last year for our son who was turning 5 in December. We ended up at Berkeley Montessori and have been very happy with the school. You can check to see if they still have any spots for next year. It's a great school, and our son has thrived there. You can look online at http://www.bmsonline.org/index.php

Looking 4 preschool for 4 yr twins w/kindergarten

April 2009

We are considering a move to Berkeley from NY - my primary concern is finding a preschool for our 4 year old boy/girl twins that can still take them. To give them a bit of stability we want to consider a preschool that offers a kindergarten program as well.(though it's not essential) We come from a coop preschool the demands on the parents are pretty minimal, so anything that requires a weekly all day visit from parents is not something of interest. Oh one more thing, because we have not settled on a town I am guessing Berkeley/Albany/poss oakland. Thanks for your help. Newcomer from NY

Check out Growing Light Montessori, which has campuses in Kensington (10 min. drive from Berkeley, 5 min. from Albany), and in Oakland. The school goes from toddler classroom through kindergarten. There's no parent participation requirement. More over, it is an authentic Montessori school, a warm community with well trained staff members and teachers who have a remarkably low turn-over, and also, it has a low teacher/student ratio. My older daughter graduated from there last year, and the younger one is still happily thriving there. The school works wonders. Katrine
I'll put in another good word for Lakeshore Children's Center in Oakland. It is a play-based, full-time preschool geared toward working parents. The kids are divided into two houses of about 24 kids each (the 2's & 3's and the 4's & 5's), but both groups have ample play time together They have a bridge K program. Not a co-op; they ask for 12 hours of volunteer effort per family per year. And perhaps most importantly, the last two years, since my daughter has been there, they have had openings well into the fall. A happy LCC parent
Try Hummingbird Montessori Preschool, Albany. We love it! Home-based of 10-12 kids with 2 teachers who are kind, disciplined, and care about their students. My 2 daughters (almost 3 and 5yr old) are there. My older one started since she was 2.5 yr old. For the past 2 years, the kids have had really gymnastic class and swimming class. They are looking for more 4 yr old since some of the bigger students will be moving on to K. I have had good experience with the school. Worth checking out. The number is 510.524.8007 Jeanne Devin
Albany mother of 2
If you are not already a member, I would suggest joining Twins by the Bay (www.twinsbythebay.org), which is a great support group in the East Bay for families with multiples. They have a listserve like this one to which you could post this question. Best, Daria (mom of twins and member of TBB)

Daughter will be ready for K, but is too young

Nov 2008

There's plenty of discussion and advice in the archives about whether to send a kid with a December birthday to K or to hold them back. I'm gathering that there's not a lot I can do about my daughter who will be ready to go to kindergarten, but because of a mid-December b'day won't be eligible until 2010.

My question is, where do they go in the intervening year? We are at a great play-based preschool right now, but I can't really see her spending another year there, especially since most, if not all, of her classmates will be in K next year. (If the other kids weren't going, I'd be happy to keep her there.) Being the only 5 year old with a bunch of 3-4 year olds is not going to cut it.

So what programs did you choose for your kid and why? She loves school so I want her to be challenged and around similarly aged kids. And I think that she's ready to do more - although I'd consider a play-based program if it had enough older kids.

I'm looking for advice and recommendations. Many thanks! claire

I would suggest the Berkeley Montessori School for your daughter. They will be starting a blended K-1st grade class at their university campus in the fall. My daughter, a late September baby, is in her 3rd year at the Early childhood campus. We chose this school precisely because they didn't arbitrarily place children in grades according to their age. When touring many of the private schools we were often faced with the Sept.1st cut-off. BMS doesn't use this system and opts instead to blend children into age groups that are socially and academically beneficial. My daughter loves the school and is very excited to attend the Upper elementary campus next year. Give them a call to schedule a tour. Good Luck. Happy BMS parent
At Ecole Bilingue (the French-American school in Berkeley), the cut-off is December... I don't think there is a specific day in December. In my children's classes, there have been children who had late December birthdays and so were quite young compared to some of their classmates. You don't say if exploring private schools is an option, but here is one that will let younger kids (December birthdate) do kindergarten if they are ready. Good luck to you and your daughter. eb parent
Have you looked at any Montessori preschools near you? Not sure where you live but I have one child currently enrolled at Keystone Montessori in El Cerrito and because of the mixed age environment, there are plenty of kids who are 5. Some are there because they miss the cut-off and others actually choose to stay for kindergarten. The school is well established, has fantastic caring teachers and a great program. My first went there as well and was well prepared for kindergarten. Most importantly, we learned that being ready for kindergarten meant emotional and social readiness more than academic readiness and I think Keystone does a great job in that area. Good luck with your search and if El Cerrito is doable, I'd highly recomment checking Keystone Montessori out. Happy Keystone Parent

Are there any pre K programs left?

Feb 2008

My boy will be 5 in July and yes, old enough for a regular K class, but it's not looking like he'll be mature enough for one, especially if we want to go public. He needs another year, and we are looking for programs in the Oakland area that fill the gap between preschool and K. He's reading, and starting to write, so I want him to continue to move forward academically at his pace, while getting a little more time to develop socially and emotionally.

I've looked at the preK recs (Beacon, Lakeshore Learning, etc.) and then when I go to their websites, see no mention of preK anywhere! We are looking for a one year program with kids who are all his similar age. If we wanted, we could keep him at his old preschool, but we were looking for the next level. He might be okay at his preschool for about half the year, but I think the second half will be hard for him.

So, do Pre K (or even developmental K) programs exist anymore? any recommendations? I would appreciate any leads. I may even be able to go to Berkeley if that's the only option. -Mama of a boy who needs more time

Check into Linda Beach Preschool. My son attended their pre-k program for a year and had a great year there. The hours are short (12-2:45), but he got the extra year he needed to get ready for kindergarten. It is truly a pre-k. The program is three years old now. There are families from Oakland and Piedmont at the school. The school is located in the Piedmont Community church on Highland Ave.. Children from Linda Beach go on to Oakland public, Piedmont public and independent schools. Happy former pre-k parent
I believe that Lakeshore Children's Center on Lakeshore Ave offers pre-K. My neighbor has a daughter who went there last year (she has a Feb birthday, so went from 4.5 to 5.5) and was very happy with her progress there. Website: http://www.lakeshorechildrencenter.org/index.html a Neighbor
The Piedmont Rec Dept offers a pre-K program Monday-Friday from 12:30-3:30. You don't have to be Piedmont residents--many kids in the rec dept programs aren't. Our kids have not done pre-K (it's new as of last year) but have done preschool through the rec dept and we have nothing but great things to say about the programs and teachers. Check it out at: http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/recreation/pre-k.shtml

Preschools w/ accredited Kindergarten

Nov 2007

We'll be sending our daughter to preschool at 3yrs 9 mos next fall. She is precocious and has a late December birthdate. Does anyone have a recommendation for a preschool with an accredited Kindergarten program that might put her into K despite her late Dec birthday? Giving her options

Come visit Beatie Street in Oakland off of Park. There are only 15 kids and instruction is differentiated to support both preschoolers and kindergardeners. There are two instructional circle times per day with all kids participating at their developmental level and then there is individualized instruction for kids who have shown reading readiness (most of these are of Kindergarten age). Many students graduate and move into first grade while others, though most can already read, go into kindergarten. The program is both Montessori and play-based, a unique combination that seems to work great for the kids. Beatie Street's director, Judy Kahn is a passionate and committed teacher and is a wonderful person. The school is committed to creating a strong community, having diversity (in all senses of the word), and also offers sliding scale tuition. Full time only and commitment through kindergarten is preferred. Marielle

Pre-K Programs for December Birthday

Oct 2005

I am looking for a Pre-K program for Sept '06 for my son who was born in December. He will miss the cut-off for Kindergarten at Hillcrest next year and will already have attended two years of a Montessori preschool. Ideally, I am looking for a program that would seperate kids his age from the younger preschoolers and from the true kindergarteners. We live in Oakland but are willing to travel. Any suggestions? Thanks! Natasha
Recommended:

  • Beacon Day School
  • Hearts Leap Pre-K Program
  • Linda Beach Cooperative Preschool

    Pre-K Programs for two 4-year-old boys

    June 2005

    We are looking for a pre-k program for our 4 yr old sons. I would love to hear your recommendations on schools; hints on what to look for and any other information you think might be useful. Thank you! ajg

    I am looking for a school with pre-kindergarten openings for this Fall. My son is 4 years old and his current school advises me he will thrive in an environment with play and some structure. He is coming from Treehouse (First Covenant) and the director informs me provides they provide ''too much structure'' for my child. I am looking for an alternative for this summer and fall, because they will only provide coverage from 9-12pm because of the situation. We live in Glenview in Oakland. Any advice or help is greatly appreciated. Thank you. tyche Recommended:
  • Linda Beach Cooperative Preschool
  • Step One School Pre-K program

    Preschool for 4.5 year old's year before Kindergarten

    Feb 2004

    I've checked the archives but didn't find answers specific to my question...Our daughter has a January birthday and won't start kindergarten until she is 5 1/2, in Fall 2005. She has never been in preschool, but is ready, and will go this fall, for the year before kindergarten. Does anyone have any recommendations for a North Berkeley preschool that is well-suited to 4.5 year olds? Larger, more structured, like a ''real'' school, (as opposed to a small, unstructured, homebased one)? She is a bright, sociable girl who gets along well with peers as well as adults. Thanks much. a Berkeley mom

    Dear Berkeley mom:

    I suggest that you consider some of the Montessori style preschools. The Montessori preschools are usually designed to be a three-year program ending with a kindergarten year. Thus, they are often ideal for children who are older but not quite old enough for private and public school enrollment. My particular favorite is Berkeley Montessori...which has the added advantage of a separate K-8 program. (It is a school at a very exciting time in its institutional evolution. The K-8 program is moving to brand new digs at University and Acton in February.) Their Pre-School program is located in a wonderfully cozy nook at Shattuck and Francisco. (The climbing tree there is just awesome!) Call 843-9374 and talk with Diane Johnson, the Director of Admission.

    Another good Montessori program is Growing Light Montessori. It has a Pre K/Kindergarten class at both of their locations - one of which is in Kensington. Their Kindergarten teacher, Deborah Carr, is the best! Call Maggie Scheving at 527-1278.

    Another North Berkeley pre-school is Step One on Spruce. I was the Director of Admission at Bentley School, evaluating children for kindergarten admission from a wide variety of preschools. Step One's kids were very well prepared for the accelerated curriculum...again because of the availability of a kindergarten bridge year. They also have a very organized parent outreach and education program. Call Sue Britson at 527-9021.

    Wanda Stewart

    Try Gay Austin School on Hopkins in North Berkeley. My daughter is there now and we love it. They may have openings in the fall for the 4s program. Andrea

    Elementary Schools with Pre-K Programs

    May 2003

    I have been scouring the website while researching possible schools for my children when we move to the East Bay area. There was one topic I did not see mentioned. My boys will at the time of our move be 4 going on 5 (in Dec). I do not want them to be young kindergarteners as this can be hard on boys so I am very interested in knowing if there are any good schools (public and/or private) that offer a junior kindergarten or pre- kindergarten program that would lead into regular kindergarten the following year. This would give my guys a little more stability since they will already have changed schools twice by the time we move and will be adjusting to our re-location as well. Much thanks, CB

    Recommendations received:

  • Beacon Day School preschool program
  • Duck's Nest Preschool Pre-K program
  • Seven Hills School in Walnut Creek preschool program
  • Step One School Pre-K program
  • White Pony Preschool 3 years of preschool
    Home   |   Reviews   |   Advice   |   Members   |   Post a Message
    Join BPN   |   Help   |   What's New   |   Search   |   Contact Us

    Last updated: Aug 31, 2009
    Copyright © 1996-2009 Berkeley Parents Network

    The opinions and statements expressed on this website are those of parents who subscribe to the Berkeley Parents Network.
    Please see Disclaimer & Usage for information about using content on this website.