we are looking into sending our child to EB, but worry that it would be more traditional than developmental. we would love to hear from present/past families. and if you did find it too traditional for you, where did you send your child and how did you address the french language education of your child? hesitant parents

My younger daughter is now in first grade, and has a strong nonconformist streak. But her teachers have always recognized this and given her room for it. They strike a good balance between setting expectations but allowing her some leeway about what she does and when. I think this has been very beneficial for her, and she is certainly happy and thriving at the school.

My older daughter is now in fourth grade, and doesn't have the same nonconformist streak, but she does have some mild learning issues, and her teachers have been very accommodating and supportive. She has really benefited from the structure, and is developing very good work habits that help her compensate for her issues. Also, one of the schoolwide priorities this year is differentiated learning, i.e. training teachers to support the vide variety of ability levels and learning styles in any classroom.

To answer your other question about supporting French language education: I don't think my kids would be bilingual if they weren't at EB. Their dad is French, and I'm a fluent speaker, but before my daughters started at EB they could understand French but barely speak it. The influence of English is so strong around them, and it only gets stronger as kids get older. And although I'm sure that they could have learned spoken French just through travel, if they don't also learn to read and write in it then they won't be able to take full advantage of their dual nationality. And neither their dad nor I would have the time or the skills to teach them that. Thanks to EB, my daughters will have the possibility of continuing their education in France or working there as adults.

So overall EB has been a very good fit. The curriculum is great (where else do fourth graders study the Middle Ages as well as the Gold Rush?), the community is incredible, and my kids love it. Happy EB Parent

What else can I say? We really, really love EB. We do not speak French but are planning to take French classes. We listen to French music at home, French flashcards, books, cartoons, etc. to help all of us learn. Our son is picking it up so quickly! It's just amazing!

His classroom is full of the most amazing, diverse children! The parents are very involved. The teachers are very caring. There is art EVERYWHERE! Today as I was walking down the hallway I thought, ''am I in an enchanted forest?'' It's just amazing! We want International children. That is why we put our son in EB and have committed our daughter to summer school and Kindergarten there.

I have no complaints. I highly recommend EB to anyone!! flycorey

For anyone who sent their English speaking child to the French American School, how difficult was the language acquisition at the kindergarten level? I am strongly considering this school for my daughter who is happily enrolled in another preschool. I could let her finish the preschool (she's three now) and start Ecole Bilingue in kindergarten but I'm concerned that waiting another year would make things more difficult for her and put her behind the other students. We do not speak French at home so she's already somewhat disadvantaged though I understand that half of the students speak no French at home. Any thoughts? Thanks.

One last thing – Remember that Ecole Bilingue is the “French American” school, not just the French school. Your child will also have plenty of English speaking classmates and teachers. I find more people at EB tend to speak English on the play yard than French, and beginning in 3rd grade, the curriculum is 50/50 French/ English. I hope this helps! Feel free to email me if you want to chat more. Anne

The Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley (East Bay French American School) has been an excellent experience for my daughter (now in 8th grade), and for our family. She loves her school,has received an excellent education and has real breadth from her experience.

One reason we selected EB for her in kindergarten was to give her the chance to become fluent in another language at a young age and learn more about a non-US culture. My husband and I both have French ancestry but neither of us really spoke French. The students at EB become fluent in French and English, reading, writing and speaking both with ease and without accents. Watching them switch back and forth between languages as if turning a light switch still amazes me. But more than that is the global perspective which they have learned - that there is more than one way to do things, that art and literature and politics and history are a function of culture, and even why the French and American ways of doing math are different (yet both still reach the right answer!). World history is rather different in the American and the French curriculum, for example, and provides an opportunity to challenge one's preconceptions and develop critical thinking skills. And I was also impressed with the difference in the approach in the early years - kindergarten there is very nurturing and playful, not quite so academic and yet by third grade they can read in two languages.

The families at EB are wonderful, and we've made many good friends there, and even children who leave the school often stay in close friendships with their buddies. Because there are many international students at EB, we've also had the chance to build relationships with families overseas, and the children's 5th grade exchange with France is a wonderful experience. The student body is relatively diverse (compared with other independent schools) in terms of ethnicity, language, economics, religion and family structure. The school follows both the California curriculum and the French curriculum, and after three years of immersion in French (one hour a day in English) they spend about half the day in English and half in French.

EB is about the mid-range among private schools in terms of tuition, but in many ways I feel that we really received something quite a bit extra - fluency in two languages, appreciation for two cultures, and a global perspective. These days more than ever that has real value to me. Theresa

We're considering sending our child to Ecole Bilingue, to start their pre-K program. The one recent review is quite negative, and I wonder whether other parents have anything to add, positive or negative, about their childrens' recent experiences at the school. I also wonder what parents' thoughts are about starting children at 3 vs. 4 vs. 5?

As you may know, kindergarten is divided into three parts PK, MK and K. Our dughter started in MK and is now in K. We are very satisfied thus far with the experiences in both classes. She started out speaking no French and is now almost fully fluent. We speak three other languages besides French in our home and she understands all four and is open to many other languages and cultures. We credit a lot of this openness to her experiences at EB as well as our attitude to cultures at home.

I have heard of negative information received by other parents contemplating EB for their children and just about all of them have been erroneous. For example one parent told me that she heard that children are made to wear dunce caps in a certain grade if they do not understand what is being taught. I have inquired into this claim through other parents, students and teachers and none of them have heard of or experienced such practices. It is true that the curriculum becomes much more challenging after approximately second grade, and is more so if neither parent speaks French. However you mentioned in your post that both you and your spouse are French speakers so this should not be a problem.

One thing that I would like to see improved at the school is their level of diversity, both racial and economic, but that is being addressed and hopefully will improve in the next few years.

My views regarding the appropriate age to start your child are that it definitely depends on your child's temperament and maturity level. Our almost 3 year old will be starting PK in September and we believe that she is mature enough to start. However, we have friends whose older children are also in the school who have an almost four year old who could begin MK in September, but they believe that he is not mature enough to start and will wait until K to start him. It is a full day program and whether your child can handle a full day bilingual immersion program mostly depends on his/her ability to cope with such a program.

You should attend one of the information nights and try to meet with some parents of kids who currently attend to get a realistic and honest sense of their experiences at EB.

Best of luck in your school search.

I waited to think about EB until my oldest was ready for kindergarten, so they started at 3 and 5. They both did fine, but as far as language aquisition went, I noticed a difference. They both picked up comprehension rapidly but with the 3 year old it was more unconcious, and with the 5 year old you could already see the mental wheels turning as she worked out what was said and what it meant.

This is their 3rd year there, so my youngest is now in kindergarten and my oldest in 2nd grade.

I know that some of the pre-K kids have some issues with the program at first; I think especially if they have not been in another pre-school situation. My 3-year old had already had a year in pre-school before going to EB, and the pre-K school day was not too long at all for her. She was a big napper, so the day was generally the morning routine, lunch, then she slept until it was almost time to go home at 3. It was a great pre- school experience for her. satisfied mom of EB pre-schooler

I pulled both my sons out of French American last year after four years. We tried to make it work, but found the social environment too damaging.

A couple of many specifics: One of my sons was teased, so we told him to tell a teacher. The next day, he said, the kids chased him and threw his hat over a fence, and when he told a teacher, he was told to run faster. Another time one of my sons knocked out a kid's loose tooth. The kid bled, washed himself, and walked around untreated. The school found out when we told them about it the next day. My son said once when he fidgeted in his chair, he had to work bent over at his desk for five minutes.

The education was mixed -- the math was good, the English weak. There are positives, particuarly a diverse multicultural student/parent body. There is a new headmaster, and some of the problems may be addressed -- I wish them well. But parents looking at French American should remember that the school depends on a very rote curriculum. Generally girls, and boys who like to sit still, will do better. Bear in mind that there are far more early-grade students than there are older kids, owing to the high attrition rate -- something the school both expects and may need, because of a cap on the number of students at the facility. At least one of my kids would likely have been told to leave, had we not pulled them out ourselves, owing to his eventual refusal to participate. Quentin

I have looked at the website already and most of the posts are very positive regarding this school (most are from 1998). I am interested in hearing from any parents who do not speak French and have sent their children to this school. We are considering sending our child to the mid-K program next Fall (he will be four), but are concerned that he might not be able to keep up with the French immersion program if we don't speak the language at home. If anyone can share their experience on this specific topic, that would be helpful. Thank you. Susan

We have two kids at Ecole Bilingue: a daughter in 1st grade and a son in Pre-K. It's their second year; both started out knowing no French. They have done extremely well, and the fact that 80% of their day is in French has been no problem. I believe 60% of the children at the school speak no French at home. I do speak some French (though my husband doesn't); that has been helpful since my daughter started having homework (that is, since she started first grade). But the teachers are well trained to deal with these issues.

There is an optional after-school study hall for which you can sign up your kids, where French- and English-speaking teachers can help children with their homework. So far the homework has been fairly simple (10-15 minutes on school nights) so my daughter goes to etude only once a week, and that's mainly because her best friend goes. I understand that the homework load increases quite a bit in the higher grades, so that would be a way to solve that problem. I've heard that kids learn to ask their teachers for help with their French homework, rather than their parents.

As far as the instructional philosophy and program, I suppose it is on the more structured end of the spectrum, but the teachers I have known personally have been very warm, talented, kind, and aware of my children's strengths and weaknesses. The school is accredited by the French government, and in order to retain its accreditation must cover the entire curriculum of French schools, as well as meeting the requirements of our school system. I haven't seen any indication that the amount of structure has negatively affected the amount of attention and support or the quality of instruction.

It was hard initially making the adjustment from a cozy 3-room neighborhood Montessori school to a large, urban school with many "big kids," but we have been very happy with our decision to send our kids to the French-American School. Anyone with questions is welcome to e-mail me privately.

I am a founder of Ecole Bilingue, and was the first chair of the board from 1977-79. It is a marvelous place. I sent all three of my children there: the oldest began in 1st grade, the next in kindergarten, and the youngest in pre-kindergarten. All are still bi-lingual, and the oldest actually speaks four languages. In fact, she is the editor of a Spanish language medical magazine, and also puts out editions in Portuguese. (And yes, she still speaks French, though not as often. Her husband is Mexican, and Spanish is their household language.)

Any child entering a bilingual environment will do better the earlier he/she starts. Even though the earliest grades begin with 80% or so of French, that is to compensate for the English surroundings they are in. It is very easy for them to acquire a new language through songs and games and art, and they will also have good accents! Yes, the curriculum is structured; it satisfies for American and French educational requirements. But it is also very loving.

Don't worry about not speaking French yourselves. You will not be able to help acquiring some. But many of the parents don't speak anything but French. We had familiarity with French, but spoke English at home.

One of the reasons we wanted to found a French - American bilingual school, verses German or Spanish or any other world language, is just that French is spoken in so many different cultures around the world. Consequently, it is not just European heritage that is taught. I think this is an enormous plus. The children become very international in their outlook, and the School community is probably more diverse than you will find in any public school.

My stepdaughter attended Ecole Bilingue (EB) through middle school and is now a junior here at UCB. My daughter is currently in 4th grade at EB. We wanted our children to be bilingual and EB has a very successful immersion program. The older daughter is now studying her fourth language (Catalan) in preparation for a year studying abroad. (EB introduced Spanish in 5th grade and she is quite fluent in Spanish, as well.) When we were considering a school for her sister, she recommended EB as a place for her sister to attend.

We are largely happy with the bilingual program and the school. The teachers (even the French teachers) are warm to the children and my daughter has really liked her teachers. All schools have their pros and cons and I don't yet know of any perfect school. The children seem to be happy whenever I visit the school and other parents have commented on this as well. There are specialists which teach subjects such as drama, computer, art, p.e., science, and music. It has also been an education for me in French culture and attitudes. Currently EB is looking for a new head master. The interim head, Sue Maino, is excellent.

My step daughter (now at UCB) went through EBFAS lower and middle school and my daughter is in 5th grade this year at EBFAS. We have been very happy with the school and the results of our daughters being bi- and tri- lingual. (My step daughter began taking Spanish in 6th grade and kept up her French and Spanish through high school and first years of college and is now on a year abroad in Barcelona.) The school does have to keep up with the French curriculum so that any French student can attend the school for a year or two and return to their school in France without skipping a beat. Neither I nor my husband speak French, although we do have second languages that we speak. The school generally makes available French classes for parents if the parents are inclined to learn the language. When the children start school, teachers will speak in English when it is needed. There is also some adjustment, moreso for parents, to learning some of the French ways. There are generally great teachers and an active parents' group.

My niece, who is now in high school, started at Ecole Bilingue in kindergarten. She was later diagnosed with a learning disability which the teachers failed to pick up. Her parents found the teachers very cold and unhelpful, rather on the French model. She was miserable there and moved to another school in the third or fourth grade. She never gained any confidence in her abilities and is still having a hard time. I have also heard people who love it, but I really think that it depends on the child.