Mi Mundo Preschool Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
To see Department of Social Services records on this facility, click on its DSS Facility License # below.
- See also Mi Mundo Preschool El Cerrito
Mi Mundo is an art and play-based Spanish immersion school for children two and half to five years of age.
Our curriculum is based in science, geography, history, community and more. And all is taught in Spanish!
We have two school's location: Berkeley and El Cerrito. Both schools have the same curriculum and the ratio is 1 teacher to 7 children. Our teachers are from native Spanish speaking countries and our classrooms are design for children's to learn, create and play.
Children do not need to come from a Spanish speaking family. They just need to be ready for preschool.
For more information, tours and open houses schedules check our website: www.mimundopreschool.com
Hasta Pronto
Director & Founder: Lina Lopez
Parent Q&A
Parent Reviews
Parents, please Sign in to post a review on this page.We are not native Spanish-speakers but I speak pretty well and have lived in Latin America, and I wanted our kids to learn Spanish. We sent our older son to Mi Mundo and although most kids speak English at home it is truly immersion - teachers only speak Spanish, including if the kids say something to the teachers in English, the teachers translate it back to them in Spanish. The kids speak English to each other but Spanish to the teachers, and our son was speaking it really well after two years. Our younger son is at Via Nova, which calls itself bilingual but it is definitely less than half in Spanish (we love it for other reasons, but this is a big downside).
If I were you I would do everything you can to keep up the Spanish until the TWI assessment - once your kid is into Sylvia Mendez, she'll get so much Spanish reinforcement, but if she doesn't test into the Spanish-speaking lottery it's very hard. My son tested in for TK, but then the pandemic hit and we couldn't find a way to keep it up and he didn't test in for K and we are really really sad about it - obviously our experience is different because we aren't reinforcing it well enough at home, but just wanted to reiterate how brutal the TWI lottery is!
We sent out son to Mi Mundo Preschool (S Berkeley, though they've since opened in El Cerrito) for 3 years and cannot recommend it enough. It's Spanish-immersion and art-based, and though art isn't exactly James' wheelhouse he loved it and thrived. It is really well run and all the staff are great, and such great families too - a real community. The kids do need to be potty-trained to attend. Don't hesitate to reach out directly with further questions, and if you contact Lina (La Directora), feel free mention our names.
Our wonderful Spanish immersion preschool, Mi Mundo, has openings and requires masks! My son attended when they reopened over the summer and I felt like their protocols were good - masks for all (kids could take them off if they were spaced out and outside), temp checks, lots of hand washing, etc. We were there for two years and loved it - my son made amazing art projects and learned Spanish and still talks about how much he misses it.
I recommend Mi Mundo on Alcatraz in Berkeley. The two teachers who run it are native Spanish speakers. They are also kind and nurturing. I would not hesitate to entrust my kids to them again.
I cannot recommend Mi Mundo Preschool enough. It is a small Spanish, art focused preschool on Alcatraz. The teachers are kind and loving and teach the kids how to make incredible art projects. My daughter's transition to a Spanish Kindergarten was seamless and her teacher was impressed with how fluent she was (we don't speak Spanish at home). I will be very sad when my son leaves Mi Mundo at the end of this year. It is like family to us.
We live near San Pablo Park as well. My son who is 4 goes to Mi Mundo Preschool, which he loves! and about a mile from the park My younger one (11month) is scheduled to attend Aquatic Park Preschool coming fall and that is less than 10 minutes walk from the park.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Oct 2015
RE: Suggestions for part-time preschool near campus
You might want to check out Mi Mundo preschool, located on Alcatraz in South Berkeley (not super close to campus, but not too far either). It's a small, sweet Spanish play-based preschool. Feels like a family. So many incredible art projects each week and my son is learning great social-emotional skills as well. It's also affordable and has part time options. mi mundo rocks
March 2015
RE: Seeking Spanish Immersion Preschool
My son goes to Mi Mundo Preschool on Alcatraz near Adeline on the Berkeley/Oakland border and we've been really happy there. Our son frequently asks to stay till 5 (when I could pick him up earlier!). Lots of super creative art projects, play-based with some structure (daily story time and songs, plus dance class weekly). Full immersion in Spanish- my son is speaking more Spanish than ever after being there. The teachers make a point to help the kids speak in Spanish to respond to them as well, which is what has made the difference for my son's speaking abilities I think. Sometimes he has to ask me what the English word is for something he learned at school! The director is highly organized and a great administrator. She has hired wonderful teachers for the two small classrooms. My son's teacher is especially warm and loving and friendly and we couldn't be happier with her. The outdoor area is not huge, but well-used space with a play area and a garden and a covered area with tables. They are outdoors a LOT. They eat outside and are outside to play for several hours each day.
These are minor things but illustrate how the staff cares: they put sunscreen on when they go outdoors for long periods, and always inform me of any tiny injury or little thing that happened to my son during the day. It's these little things that assure me the teachers care for my son well and make me happy to send him to school there. You can check out the website at mimundopreschool.com and get in touch with Lina, the director, to do a tour or come to an open house. Best wishes in your search! Happy Mi Mundo Family
I highly recommend Mi Mundo Preschool on Alcatraz. It is mostly in Spanish, art centered, play based preschool with wonderful teachers. We switched our daughter from a so-so preschool and she is so happy there. Also, she is pretty fluent in Spanish! Mi Mundo Parent
June 2014
I am considering mi mundo preschool for my daughter who just turned 4. I would appreciate hearing of parents experience at the school. My daughter is sweet, smart and a little shy. She has been I preschool since she was 5 months. We are looking for an open, welcoming environment. Thanks!!
If you're still wondering about Mi Mundo, I'd like to recommend it HIGHLY. My kids were some of the first kids there, and they are still so excited to go every day. They do amazing art projects, sing songs, get lots of great outside-time in their beautiful outdoor space, and learn SO much Spanish. I would really encourage anyone to go there - the amount of individual attention my kids get there is fantastic, but they are also learning critical social skills like how to play with kids of different ages. The directors and teachers are also very easy to work with, and the communication is great - they do a daily ''activity log'' where we can read about what they've done, and a weekly video (set to music) showing photos of all the actvities they did. It really makes me feel connected to the school. Yo amo Mi Mundo
Feb 2014
My daughter started at Mi Mundo preschool over a month ago. There are so many wonderful things about this school. They have interesting themes each week...from dinosaurs to planets to lunar new year. They provide children with interesting and creative art projects that are incorporated into the themes (think hand-made jet packs/telescopes, model dinosaurs, volcanoes, etc). The kids have fun while they are learning and creating. My daughter comes home asking questions about Earth and wondering about dinosaurs!
While she's been there, she's gained many independent skills. The school focuses on helping kids learn to do things themselves.
I love that they go outside each day even if it's raining, so the kids can move and breathe the fresh air. I also love the lack of Disney, princess, etc.
I enjoy all the feedback the parents get with weekly photo slide shows and e-mail updates about the school.
Oh...and, I almost forgot. All of the above, while the children learn or continue to develop their Spanish language skills!
The very best part: my daughter loves her school.
Highly recommend Mi Mundo! For more information about openings and tours, please contact Mi Mundo directly.
Jan 2014
I want to write to recommend Mi Mundo Preschool, a new school in the N. Oakland / S. Berkeley area near Shattuck and Alcatraz. This school is, quite frankly, amazing. Why? 1) The sisters who run it are warm and very experienced with children (they came from Rockridge Little School), and are very intuitive about kids' needs but also willing to stretch them. 2) The projects they do - everything from making space helmets to study the planets, to painting old records, to making footprint collages - are incredibly creative and well-planned, matching seasons and holidays. 3) Spanish taught by native Spanish-speakers (and a good mix of Spanish-ability amongst the kids). 4) The parent communication is the best I've found - a daily ''log book'' of activities and a weekly emailed slideshow of everything they've done. 5) The outside space, complete with yard, play structure, garden, and sandbox (they often eat meals outside when it's nice). I could go on and on, but the best recommendation is that my two daughters, ages 2 and 4.5, wake up excited to go to school every day. Mi Mundo es Mi Escuela!
Anne
Our kid is just finishing up two years at the Mi Mundo Berkeley location and we have nothing but good things to say about it -- the arts-based curriculum coupled with the maestras' empathetic teaching style has really given our kid the room he needed to open up and to build some strong relationships to other kids and to the world around him. For what it's worth, I'd say less than half of the kids have a grownup at home who speaks Spanish as a first language (we don't), but the maestras all speak it as a first language.
That said, yes, they are closed for summer, like many schools. Most families send their kids to camp. I hear what you're saying about the transition from preschool-to-camp-to-TK -- at Mi Mundo, the families organized a spreadsheet to track who was going to which camp to make sure the kids would have a friend or two at camp with them, to ease the transition. I'm sure you can use that technique at whatever school you end up at.
It's probably worth emailing or calling Lina, the Mi Mundo director, and asking her these questions; she's very responsive and hands-on in our experience. Best of luck!