We are so sad we couldn't follow this daycare to their new location. That really does say it all. Our son was just genuinely happy there. He'd come home talking about his teachers, Ms Laura and Ms Diana, and how much he loved going, which as a parent is truly the best thing you can hope for. The project-based learning kept him excited and engaged, and the Spanish immersion program has been such a gift. Watching him pick up the language so naturally has been incredible to witness. The community they built also meant a lot to us. They were intentional about bringing families together through school events, and it made the whole experience feel really special. You felt connected, not just like a family dropping their kid off. We're so grateful our son got to spend time there and would wholeheartedly recommend them to any family in their area. read more

Our daughter spent just over a year at A Step Ahead, and we saw her social skills, Spanish comprehension, and ability to focus flourish under Ms. Laura and Ms. Diana's care. It was clear that each day was filled with both learning and fun. As parents, we also appreciated their prompt communication, frequent photos, and reasonable prices for full time care. The facility was always tidy and clean, and they must do a great job getting the kids to wash their hands, as we had far fewer illnesses than at our prior in-home daycare. The community of families was also wonderful, and we made many new friends that we've continued meeting up with. We'd highly recommend A Step Ahead for anyone looking for a high quality Spanish and/or Montessori preschool in a small, close-knit setting. read more

We have loved our time at A Step Ahead, our son often says after school "I had a great day!" which is really all a parent wants to hear! Ms. Laura and Ms. Diana are wonderful teachers and caretakers, they are kind, professional, and have helped our son become more independent and confident. We also love that he is learning Spanish and he even helps us to translate things at home when he is listening to his Spanish songs and stories on his Yoto. We would highly recommend A Step Ahead to any family looking for a high quality preschool. read more

I can't speak highly enough about A Step Ahead. Ms. Laura and Ms. Diana have been wonderful to our son, helping him build independence, confidence, and self-advocacy. Not to mention, they have successfully potty trained him. A Step Ahead is the perfect small environment for nurturing confidence and essential skills. We are so grateful for their dedication and care. read more

My older daughter attended A Step Ahead for 3 years, leaving only because she started kindergarten. Her younger sister is there now. I cannot speak highly enough of the TLC, intellectual stimulation, and support that Ms. Laura and Ms. Diana provide for our children. We are a bilingual family so it was important for us to find a Spanish-speaking preschool. The Montessori style really worked for our older daughter, who thrives with calm, organization, enrichment activities. They also give the kids lots of outdoor time and circle time with singing and dancing so they have plenty of opportunities to get their energy out. Ms. Laura and Ms. Diana have been there to help us through potty training, pacifier weaning, COVID chaos, big life transitions, and all the rest. I am incredibly grateful for this place and feel completely safe and at ease having my kids spend their days at A Step Ahead. read more

We are so grateful to Ms. Julia's program. Our daughter thrived and loved her days here. The kids and parents in the program were also wonderful and we made many lifelong friendships. Ms Julia invest in her training as a Montessori teacher, and runs a very tight program. She follows the Montessori approach pretty closely. She also asks that children arrive before 9am to start their day well. (So note that if your day and schedule is unusual or unpredictable, this part might not work for you). read more

This is a great little school (day care) for kids! Especially if you want your kid(s) to learn Spanish or improve on it, from an early start. At my house I speak Spanish & my wife speaks English. A Step Ahead has dramatically improved my child's ability to count, know colors, identify letters / words, and sing in Spanish. But that's not it, the little ones also have the opportunity to play / learn independently with the many academic toys they have there. My older kid - who just graduated from A Step Ahead after almost three years - would come home raving about her teachers (Ms. Laura and Ms. Diana) and the many activities she'd do there. She would draw and study the planets, learn about the life-cycle of a butterfly, plant and bean and see it grow into a little plant (which my wife and I had to care for at the end :-) . She loved reading books and being read too. She would also play on the backyard with her little amigitos y amigitas. Sometimes, when the weather is too hot - like today - , they do water-splash play. We just dress them with a swim suit and bring a change of clothes. Now, my younger daughter (2.5 yrs old) is also attending A Step Ahead. She is thriving there! Everyday she comes home with drawings that she's colored or cutouts that she's glued on with other pieces of paper. She has learned to focus (even if it's for 5 minutes or so) on playing with an academic toy and to share with classmates. Also, she has learned to pickup her toys or clean after herself - at home she knows she has mami and papi :-(. Anyway, my little one is very happy there and her Spanish comprehension is betting better every day. The place is very clean and the kids bring their own lunch - which is great because I can see what my little kid eats or not (veggies are still not her favorites, but we are working on it!). My oldest child started A Step Ahead fully potty trained, but my younger one was not fully potty trained. Within a week of being enrolled at A Step Ahead, she was able to go on her own - with an occasional assistance. It helps that at A Step Ahead she is able to see older kids go to the bathroom on their own and that the little bowl where kids sit is designed for kids - as adults sometimes we forget how hard it can be for a kid learning to sit on a potty or a W.C.! There is even a little step for them to reach the sink to wash their hands. Anyway, hope this helps you in your search for a safe and bilingual place for your little kid(s). read more

We're so happy with the caring, loving, sweet environment of A Step Ahead. Miss Julia and her staff of support teachers create a very kind, warm, safe space for the kids, and our 2 y/o loves going to school there. We looked at a ton of different preschools, not initially even knowing what we were searching for. When we came across A Step Ahead, it just felt right. The small class size (12 max), the clean and neat in home environment, the attentiveness of the teachers, and structure of the program were all selling points. But also, when visiting a few times before we signed on, the warmth and sweetness of the other children was really remarkable. I could tell they were connected to one another and that the school really fostered that. In visiting other preschools, i didn't ever notice how inclusive and curious the other children were about my daughter. At A Step Ahead they were so sweet and inviting of my daughter, and they still are. Our kiddo is on the shy side, and does really well w focused activities, so the Montessori style of learning fits her really well. Ms Julia and the other teachers do a great job making the kids feel safe and comfortable. Potty training is totally a bonus of this program. The Spanish immersion aspect is great, I couldn't believe my daughter could understand Spanish so quickly once she started. I highly recommend A Step Ahead - it's a hidden gem. read more

our daughter attended for about a year! she started before she even turned 2! they potty trained her and taught her countless life skills! she just started at her new school and she still talks about ms. laura and ms. diana! she was so happy there! ms. laura communicates amazing and they send photos daily! we can't wait to send our youngest daughter there when she turns 2! read more

We can't speak highly enough about A Step Ahead preschool and the teachers Ms. Laura and Ms. Diana. We moved to Oakland this past summer and Ms. Laura worked with us to get our daughter in right away and helped provide stability during a big transition period in our lives. We used Spanish occasionally at home but neither of us our native speakers. Within the past 4.5 months, our 3 yo kiddo is now using Spanish words in daily conversation and understands practically all instructions in Spanish. We get daily pictures of her activities and she is so proud to bring home new artwork throughout the week. They have monthly themes and really tailor each activity to the child's age and skill level. We feel like we made the right choice sending our daughter here as we know is well care for and looked after. Ms. Diana even braids her hair at the end of the day and it's so sweet. She comes home talking about the teachers with so much love and admiration. We hope she continues to grow here as they help get her ready for TK. read more

We have had our son at A Step Ahead Preschool for nearly one year. Within that time he (now 2.5 yrs old) has shown improved fine motor skills, Spanish and English counting/number recognition, social play skills, and much more. Ms. Julia guided us through the potty training process which took less than a week once our son decided he wanted to go on the potty at just past two years old. The structure of the Montessori inspired curriculum has fostered our son's love of learning and exploring while instilling a responsibility to the equipment and organization. He loves the outside play area in the back which has a sandbox, rubberized play area with jungle gym, a play house, water table and more. We highly recommend this program to any parent/guardian who is considering an in-home daycare. Also, the neighborhood is more Maxwell Park than East Oakland. read more

My son has been at A Step Ahead preschool for almost 2 years. We have been very pleased with the school. The school offers a warm and loving space for my child to learn and grow. I have watched as he has gone form be a shy little one to a confident four-year-old at the school. Ms. Julia and her staff are greatly in tuned to each child's needs and she worked diligently for my child's benefit over the years. A Step Ahead provides lots of feedback about the children and actively communicates and works with parents to make sure each child is developing well. The environment at the school is very comfortable and the children seem to adjust quickly into the Montessori learning environment including full Spanish immersion. The school is safe and clean and the children really seem to enjoy being there while at the same time learning and developing educationally. A Step Ahead offers well-maintained, cozy, yet very comfortable outdoor space that the children use to play. Its not huge but it's big enough for kids in the age range the school caters too. Additionally, Ms. Julia is great about creating flexible scheduling and pick-up arrangements for families with various needs and challenges. She is a real believer in creating a community environment and that goes a long way in making sure each child feels comfortable and loved. Lastly, A Step Ahead offers competitive pricing programs for such a high quality environment. read more

There are no words to express how grateful I am for A Step Ahead's program and the teachers that nurtured my child Ms. Laura, Ms. Julia and Ms. Carmen. This is the most important work and I felt that they really did their job well and this review is long overdue. First, we are a mixed-race, same-gender-loving family. My wife and I had very different philosophies on education. Me play/nature-based, unschooling feels right to trusting child's innate wisdom and timing to learn. My wife is more traditional than me and feels if we're sending our child to school then academics are important. Montessori felt like a perfect mix of having a prepared environment with stimulating learning activities and allowing children to choose, even be in movement or stillness physically, and have lessons as needed and appropriate for unique development level. Also was important to us as a monolingual family and understanding of brain development was Spanish language immersion. In our exploration of schools, we looked at all the center-based language immersion Montessori programs in the Bay Area. The program we liked and was accepted to first needed a full-time commitment although half time was better for us because I wanted to the opportunity to go on nature excursions with my child daily and spend quality time. The other school also didn't allow parent visits. time commitment and didn't allow any parent visits or volunteering. I was planning on making visits but given this was the first time having a child in another person's care, it was nice to have the option and thankful for this small caring environment that ASA provided. It's not that one is better but the flexibility that ASA provided felt really respectful of unique family situations and culture/histories. Teachers were receptive to sharing our culture around indigenous people's day and doing in for my child's bday to witness him doing the traditional Montessori walk around the sun. My child made some great friends, felt card for and was learned. There was also paints and play dough available as a choice during the work activities which my child and I appreciated. Their system of documenting my child's work throughout the day and sending was really special to see growth and have conversations with him about the activities. We did decide to stop attending at the start of the pandemic because I did have the ability to homeschool but if we had to continue schooling outside of home, ASA would be our choice again. I felt ASA staff was professional during the pandemic transition and I have most important I always felt my child was safe there. My child does continue Spanish through tutoring online and sees different teachers and they always comment on how good his pronunciation is so I credit ASA because they were his main exposure. I welcome anyone to reach out if you'd like to hear more of my experience. If there are openings, I highly recommend it. read more

This is a wonderful in home Spanish language Montessori program style preschool. I can't speak more highly of the teachers and the care they take for all of the children. They have an easy way to communicate w the parents and send pictures during the day. They are COVID proactive and require masks and the teachers were vaccinated early on. My daughter loved going to this school. The school is based on Montessori principles, so the kids have an hour or so of "works" in the mornings w some singing and dancing, all in Spanish. The school is inclusive and provided exceptional care. We sadly moved to another part of the Bay Area, but I still think of the school and miss them all. read more

This is a wonderful home based, Montessori based preschool. Ms. Julia & Ms. Laura provide the children with a well-structured / balanced learning environment of activities, including full Spanish immersion. Our daughter (now almost 4) spent nearly 2 years in the program. We believe this program played a large part in helping her flourish; developing strong social skills and nurturing her curious, growing mind. We recently moved to Southern California and started looking for a new Montessori program - A Step Ahead truly set the bar high! As an added note, we really appreciated that they use Brightwheel - an app that notifies you during the day with pictures of your child and any incidents/issues (which are bound to happen from time to time). read more

I was very picky about where my boy would go to preschoo, and fully endorse Julia and A Step Ahead. My son has been attending there for a year. He's a slow-to-warm, hesitant in new situations type, and Ms. Julia has created a strong bond with him. She's very warm and loving, and does a great job of creating a safe, educational and fun environment for the kids. read more

Julia must be an angel...that 's the only explanation I have for how amazing she has been to both my daughter and myself. I am extremely selective with who I choose to leave my daughter with and from the moment I spoke with Julia on the phone, her genuine spirit and knowledge of Montessori based curriculum and child development led me to schedule a visit with her. My daughter loved her immediately and she is a choosy one too! I was very hesitant to place my daughter in a home-based preschool because I always envisioned someone sitting her in front of a TV and "babysitting" her until It was time to pick her up. Not this place! Julia let me know from the beginning that television is not a part of her daily curriculum at all and that she hides hers during the day. How lovely is that! She knows that these early years are important and that education is and should be a part of their everyday lives. I feel great knowing that my daughter is learning something new every day that she is in Julia's care. In addition to the Montessori based curriculum, she is also bilingual and actively teaches the children Spanish as a part of their daily structure. Julia's home is clean and set up in a way that is conducive to a positive learning environment. My daughter doesn't look back AT ALL when I drop her off..."Bye mommy, see you later!" What could feel better as a parent than knowing your child is being loved and cared for by her their childcare provider?!? I could go on an on but you might not read it all. If you are looking for a Bilingual, Montessori education based preschool program for your little one, this is definitely the place hands down! read more

A Step Ahead has provided our little one with a nurturing environment to explore, play, and practice her Spanish language skills. Ms. Julia and Ms. Laura are wonderful, as are all of the teachers. I love getting daily updates and pics of how she's doing through the Brightwheel app, communication is great. We love ASA and can't recommend it enough! read more

We've had our son at A Step Ahead since he turned two-years old and he is now 3 1/2. We've been thrilled to have him attending school there for some of the following reasons: - Montessori learning environment - Full Spanish immersion - Ethnically and culturally diverse families - Based in the quiet/lovely neighborhood of Maxwell Park - Kind and generous staff who love our children - Clean and safe environment where kids learn and have fun! - Financially competitive and they offer much more than other schools! When we chose A Step Ahead, we had come from a very bad experience where the school staff told us they couldn't help him adjust to napping out of a crib and with other children! I called Julia and told her about the trouble he was having and she said she would welcome our son, happy to help him with this transition. She also normalized that this is something many children go through and was astonished the other school - Oakland Garden School - would not help him. All the staff are very kind and loving and supportive with all the big transitions the children go through as toddlers - from potty training to napping. They are also very open to feedback from parents/families. For example, many of our children have special diets and allergies and also have preference for organic foods. Julia and the teachers worked hard to adjust the snack options to accommodate all our needs. At first I was concerned that the play yard wasn't big enough for my son to get exercise - but after a year and a half, he still finds all the options for play in and outdoors fun and works up a sweat on bikes and running around! read more

My husband and I have been very happy with a Step Ahead. We have seen how much our 2.5 year old has thrived and grown. She comes home with new spanish words, and sings educational songs she's learned and seems very happy to be there. She often say "I love Julia" (the preschool teacher). Julia has been instrumental with helping us through the potty training process. It seemed daunting but with her guidance, it's been much easier then expected. We always appreciate how communicative Julia is and she is very direct and clear with how our daughter is doing and steps we may want to take. I also like that she is thoughtful with making sure our daughter has healthy meals and snacks and provides a weekly menu we can review. All and all we have been very happy with A Step Ahead and feel like it's been one of our best parenting decisions we've made for our daughter. I highly recommend this preschool. read more

I have known Julia since she came to the Bay Area and am pleased to be acquainted with her. As a generally cautious and careful parent I have met few people I can say I trust with my now 5 year old. I know that Julia is very knowledgeable about child development and curriculums for young children, but beyond that her personality instills in me a sense of trust that is difficult to find. She not only has a huge heart and love of children, I also know her to exercise proper judgment at all times. In a world of indifference and apathy, Julia is someone I can intrinsically trust with my child. I am very happy to know her, and proud to recommend her facility. read more

My daughter started this preschool when she was 2.5 years old and she went there for four months. We would have definitely stayed longer all the way till school if not our move out of state. Julia, the teacher and the owner, is not just very educated and knowledgeable, but she is also a wonderful person. My daughter never cried of my leaving her there and she would always look forward to going to Ms.Julia's every day. The place is always clean and very organized. The toys are age appropriate and learning. Activities including circle time and show and tell are just what you would expect in learning centers. There is a wonderful outside area as well including a climbing structure, a sand box, a splashing area on hot days, a lawn. You can bring your own lunch or for a little extra a month Ms. Julia can make lunch for kids. She would share the weekly menu via email and my daughter always ate everything there. Another benefit we had is that Ms. Julia speaks native English and fluent Spanish to kids all the time. Even only after four months there, my daughter grasped the language and understood everything Ms.Julia would tell her in Spanish. I also liked communication with Ms.Julia. I really recommend the place. read more

Our daughter has been in this program for about a year now and we cannot be happier. This program has helped her develop immensely. She has learned to say "Please" and "Thank You" here. They taught her the importance of taking turns. At home, she'll say "my turn" or "mommy's turn" or "daddy's turn"; and she definitely picked this concept up at school. And we love the communication. The school is constantly communicating about everything; for example, like letting us know when a new teacher comes on board. Recently, one teacher left and we were all informed well in advance of her departure. There is never any confusion as to who is looking after our daughter. read more