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San Francisco, CA
Alta Plaza Preschool

Parents at this school would recommend this school to other parents.

Review this preschool

neighborhood: Pacific Heights ·  Telephone: (415) 928-6483  · Website: www.altaplazapreschool.com

• Summary
• General Info
• School Philosophy
  & Day-in-the-Life
• Curriculum &
  Teaching Approach
• Quality of
  Teaching
• Home/School
  Connection
• Discipline,
  Health & Safety
• Ages, Schedule
  & Tuition
• Application &
  Admissions
• Kindergarten
  Placement&Tips

General Approach to Learning

	Play-based
	Play-based with some structure
	Predominantly teacher-led instruction
	Montessori
	Waldorf
	Co-op
	Reggio-Emilia

source:

Social Skills & Work Habits

OVERALL RATING (4.2)
This school has increased my child's:
Ability to listen and follow directions
Ability to sit still for longer periods of time
Ability to be a part of a group of children
Self-sufficiency and independence
Awareness of others’ feelings
Cooperation with other children

source:

Curriculum and Teaching Approach

	PLAY-BASED	PLAY-BASED WITH SOME STRUCTURE	MOSTLY TEACHER LED	NOT FORMALLY IN CURRICULUM	CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT
Language					Yes
Oral language	-	-		-
Nursery rhymes, poems, songs	-		-	-
Storybook reading	-	-		-
Emerging literacy skills	-	-		-
Cognitive Development
Math and number sense	-	-		-	Yes
Time & space	-		-	-	Yes
Sci. reasoning/physical world	-	-		-	Yes
Music	-		-	-	Yes
Visual arts	-		-	-	Yes
Physical activity	-	-		-	Yes
Other subjects taught

source:

Parents' Comments

Parent #1
I would have liked to have answered both teacher led and free play with some structure as both are a part of the curriculum and structure. They day is broken up between the two leaning styles.

Parent #2
APP provides outside instruction in Yoga, Dance, Music.

Parent #3
I think Alta Plaza has a nice blend of play-based and teacher-led learning.

Parent #4
Books read to kids are almost entirely on tape and the teacher just holds the book and turns the pages. Circle time is when the kids do any narrating, describing, express p.o.v., etc. which is teacher led. (The children get asked about the story that was read or what did they do over the weekend, etc.) Music is singing at circle time. There is not a sand box, there is a water table. There is no yard, so the kids are taken across the street to APP Park up to 2x's in one full day. In the afternoon and sometimes in the morning, they go only to a grassy area to play and do not go to the playground in the park. There is a minor area indoors that has pads and a small climbing structure.....they allow about 4 kids in there at a time. It is better than nothing, but is not a suitable indoor playground for rainy days.

Parent #5
it's a play-based school, but it is really a hybrid - circle time in a.m., resource teachers come in regularly (e.g., yoga on Mondays, dance on Tuesdays, gymnastics on Wednesdays, music every other Wednesday, a storyteller comes 1x/month, etc.)