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San Francisco, CA
The Little School

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

Review this preschool

neighborhood: Pacific Heights ·  Telephone: (415) 567-0430  · Website: www.littleschool.org

• 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:

Director's Comments

Pieces of all of the above fit our program. We do believe children learn best through their own inquiry and exploration. Children are able to choose the activities they want to engage in for a good part of their day. But there is also valuable learning to be gained from teacher-planned, teacher-directed times, and some children feel most comfortable and most able to learn during these structured times. We absolutely believe that children's development varies during early childhood and we support children's varying pace and style. We do not have a formal structure to our curriculum in the sense of rigid developmental milestones. At the same time, development occurs through a combination of maturation and experience. Using our in-depth knowledge of child development, we plan and provide a rich, stimulating environment to support that experience. As with any good curriculum, ours allows for a responsive, individualized approach that meets and supports each child wherever they are.

Social Skills & Work Habits

OVERALL RATING (5.0)
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	Our school has a very strong emphasis on social and emotional development. Helping children learn skills for coping with emotions, separation, conflict and other social encounters is central to our curriculum. We have also thought carefully about how to include values, character building and issues such as how to be a friend and how to be a member of a community as part of our embedded and explicit curriculum.

source:

Director's Comments

Again, one size does not fit all. Teachers are available to read to children during open choice. Teachers may also read a story to the whole class. There are always art materials available during open choice. For older children, there also may be an time when the entire class works on an art project together so that children who might not normally choose this activity can enjoy and experience art as well. Teachers look for teachable moments during open choice for scientific reasoning, and then may bring the activity to a meeting time so that all of the children can apply their thinking and reasoning skills. Each child's needs and interests affect what happens in a class.

Parents' Comments

Parent #1
The program is play based. In the last year, my daughter's interest in writing and numbers was supported, but not forced. The class had a 'letter of the week' show and tell, and learned the calendar in a group setting.

Parent #2
A developmental approach. Play based.

Parent #3
There is very little that I would call 'teacher-led instruction', but the free play is more than 'with some structure'. Play that looks free is actually well thought through and guided by the teachers in ways that empower and encourage the children.

Parent #4
In the transitional kindergarden program there is more of a theme than in other classes. The program is arts-based with several weeks spent on each type of art. Each section includes teacher provided information and free exploration.

Parent #5
gross motor play has both a teacher led instruction element and a free play element in most kid's days.

Parent #6
I have had three children go through the school. The Little School supports the development of academic and pre-academic skills, but is not an academic program by nature. The focus is more on building a strong foundation in the developmental sense, i.e. communication skills.

Parent #7
The curriculum is incredibly well-balanced, and relies mostly on the ideas of the child, with encouragement to pursue different activities, and primarily to learn how to be social with peers.

Parent #8
our son is in transitional kindergarten. the focus is a combination of the arts. the teachers are incorporating all the basics with creativity as well.

Parent #9
By carefully observing the children and assessing their particular needs and interests, the teachers create 'stations' in the classroom that are most likely to draw the children in and help them learn what they are most ready to tackle and master.

Parent #10
Little School doesn't have a set "curriculum," but each activity and even each teacher-child interaction are incredibly well thought out. Kids can progress at their own rate.