In-Depth Preschool Ratings and Reviews for:

• All Cities
• Austin Preschools
• Berkeley & Oakland Preschools
• Boston Preschools
• Chicago Preschools
• Dallas Area Preschools
• Los Angeles (West LA) Preschools
• Los Angeles (San Gabriel Valley) Preschools
• NYC & Brooklyn Preschools
• San Diego North County Preschools
• San Francisco Preschools
• San Jose Preschools
• Seattle Preschools

San Francisco, CA
Little Bear School

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

Review this preschool

neighborhood: Mission ·  Telephone: (415) 239-2220  · Website: www.littlebearschool.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 (3.4)
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	-	-	-	-	n/a
Nursery rhymes, poems, songs	-	-		-	n/a
Storybook reading	-		-	-	n/a
Emerging literacy skills	-	-		-	n/a
Cognitive Development					n/a
Math and number sense	-	-		-	Yes
Time & space	-		-	-	Yes
Sci. reasoning/physical world	-	-		-	Yes
Music	-		-	-	Yes
Visual arts	-		-	-	Yes
Physical activity	-	-		-	Yes
Other subjects taught	We have a lovely 'pre-math' program that uses small wooden blocks ever more complex patterns, also counting manipulatives utilizing sets and visualizing addition and subtraction.				n/a

source:

Director's Comments

Art materials (paper, pens, scissors, glue and fun things to glue, etc.) are always out but we also have teacher led projects. Music is an integral part of circle time and all classes. Books are always out, there's often a teacher or parent reding to kids, and we also have group story time and story dramatization with 'on the fly' props and costumes. We have a huge yard with bikes and climbing structures but also classes in dance, yoga and floor gymnastics.

Parents' Comments

Parent #1
In all curriculum areas, there is a balance between teacher-led instruction and structured free play. Kids learn songs, perform simple plays, do yoga and tumbling, have science, math, reading, art. All of it is project-based, play-based, and individualized.

Parent #2
Little Bear has an individualized academic approach. This means most of the day is spent in free play at various stations (largely unsupervised by teachers) while a teacher sits down with 2-3 students to do a teacher-directed activity (pattern blocks, copying a picture etc) I was very unimpressed by the academic activities chosen by the school to do during this individual academic moments.