Ya Ya Chinese School

Our family absolutely loves Ya Ya Chinese School! We have three children who have all attended the school over the past few years and all have really enjoyed their time there. I have often been scolded by my kids for picking them up too early (um...is 5:15 early?) because they're having so much fun.

The teachers - He LaoShi, Hu LaoShi, and Li LaoShi - are amazing. They're patient, kind, creative, and loving. They treat the kids so well and want to see them thrive. They take pictures of activities "in action" during the day so parents can get updates of what the kids have been up to. And the teachers are always ready with a full report of how the kids have done over the day - the good, the bad, and the ugly. They celebrate each child's wins and provide support for each where they need it. And they teach so much! This is more than a daycare, they're learning preschool and life skills. The kids have learned Chinese songs, calligraphy, standard handwriting, art, kung fu, math, cooking, and more. The art projects that they come home with each week are honestly so cool and imaginative. The teachers also keep the place clean and teach the kids to pick up after themselves. There's a fenced-in outdoor area that the kids love to play and learn in, and a great indoor set up for playing and learning.

Although they have a schedule that the children follow each day for learning, naps, snacks, free play, etc., they change things up over the week so the kids are always engaged. Each day of the week, the children who are a little older get to be a teacher's helper, leading and choosing songs and helping to pass out snacks and lunch to the other children. I have seen the impact that it's had on our kids' manners at home - they are more helpful and generous to their siblings and other friends now that they've been at Ya Ya's for a few years.

Our youngest child has attended for about a year now and picked up Chinese as her first language. We speak English and Spanish in addition to Chinese at home, so they don't get 100% immersion, which means the environment at Ya Ya's has clearly made a huge impact. I will also say that she bonded with Li LaoShi when she first started at the school. She was young and had separation anxiety, and He LaoShi made sure that she had a go-to "support teacher," which we are so grateful for. She now often runs in without looking back to say goodbye. Our oldest has only gone to the after-school program but speaks and understands very well, and his characters are pretty solid. Our middle child can't read much English yet, but he can read and understand at least a hundred Chinese characters, and write most of them. He can also code switch without a problem and speaks the language quite well.

The teachers have taken the children on a couple of mini field trips to the farmers market or Trader Joe's and have come home excited about their fruit, veggie, and snack haul. Our 4-year-old came home after one of these mini adventures excited about eating plain cauliflower. That's right, cauliflower.

I could go on about how awesome the school is and how much fun the kids have. But bottom line is, we trust all the teachers, our kids feel safe, supported, and loved, and they're learning a ton. I highly recommend this school to anyone who is looking for a preschool or after-school program for their child!

(I wrote this review of Ya Ya Chinese Childcare for Yelp, but I am reposting it here for the Berkeley Parents Network. Short version: This daycare is wonderful!)

Our son attended Ya Ya Chinese Childcare for two wonderful years, from 2 to 4 years old. The school is run by He Laoshi ("teacher He," i.e. Mrs. He) from her home in Albany, near El Cerrito Plaza. He Laoshi has decades of experience with children in China and the USA. She previously taught at Shu Ren in Berkeley before she decided to found a home-based school of her own.

It's hard to do justice to just how great this daycare is in a relatively short review, but I'll try. First of all, all instruction is in Chinese. My son is completely bilingual, to the extent that I now learn Chinese words from him, and he even corrects me, when I mispronounce something in Chinese. He Laoshi has taught several children from completely non-Chinese backgrounds to speak fluently, and many of them stay on with her for her after school program, once they graduate to kindergarten and beyond.

He Laoshi keeps the children engaged in activities throughout the day, while making ample time for playing outside. Almost every day, our son would bring home something he had made, drawings, paintings, and other crafts. He Laoshi has the children help in a small vegetable garden she keeps in the back. She also has pets they can play with: Max the dog and a bunny rabbit. The kids can play outside behind her house, where she converted into a small playground, and she often takes the children on short excursions to the local park and high school fields.

He Laoshi teaches the children stories and songs, and even how to perform kung fu. Our son often came home singing Chinese songs that I eventually figured out. Every year, He Laoshi has a wonderful school show for Chinese New Year. She teaches the kids to perform songs and dances for the show. I was totally blown away. My son participated in his first one as a two-year-old, and I just couldn't believe how much he had learned.

He Laoshi simply loves children. She seems to know exactly what to do. She is gentle but firm, and teaches the children good, respectful behavior. He Laoshi also provides healthy lunches for the children, and sometimes teaches them how to cook Chinese foods, like turnip cakes. Our son never had anything negative to say, and really I don't either.

If we had not moved out of state a year, our son would still be enrolled. He Laoshi's school is a treasure. If you're interested in a real Chinese immersion daycare that also provides a stimulating, nourishing environment for your child, I can't recommend He Laoshi highly enough. Finding her daycare and enrolling my son there was probably the single best decision I made while we lived in Berkeley. We are so sad to leave.

John and JanJan