Program Overivew
Join the Tinker Preschool Family!
At Tinker Preschool, we are committed to creating a foundation for lifelong learning, instilling a love for exploration, and supporting the holistic development of every child. If you are seeking a preschool program that nurtures creativity, imagination, and a thirst for knowledge, we invite you to join our Tinker Preschool family. Together, let's unlock endless possibilities in the young minds of tomorrow!
Contact us today to schedule a visit and see firsthand the wonders of our preschool program. `
Unlock the wonders of learning, as your child embarks on a journey of discovery. Explore the rich tapestry of experiences and witness their growth and development unfold. It all starts here.
Individualized Attention and Support
We recognize that every child has unique strengths, interests, and learning styles. To ensure the best possible learning experience, we maintain small class sizes, allowing our dedicated teachers to provide personalized attention and support to each child. By understanding and addressing the individual needs of our students, we create a supportive environment where every child can thrive and reach their full potential.
Hours:
8:00am - 5:30pm
Lunch:
Daily organic hot lunches provided
A Welcoming Environment
Discover the wonders of your child's imagination and creativity, as they explore and learn in a child-centric and innovative environment.
Nurturing Curiosity
Unleash the power of curiosity in your child. Encourage them to explore, question, and discover their own unique path to knowledge.
Fostering Independence
Watch your child grow into an independent learner, empowered to take ownership of their education and shape their own future.
Noe Valley Infant and Toddler Program
6 months - 36 months
Learning and development for infants and toddlers is an integrated process that includes social-emotional, perceptual-motor, cognitive, and language development as young children actively strive to make sense of their world. The process of “play” provides the child the groundwork of forming developmental layers they can use as a guide throughout their education.
Infants and toddlers need opportunities to learn about the world by engaging in meaningful learning experiences. As a child begins to develop their senses and motor skills, teachers have the opportunity to facilitate learning that will focus on developing tools for self-regulation and independence. We are able to provide more individualized attention due to our high student to teacher ratio.
Preschool Programs
2 years - 5.9 years
Daily outdoor nature learning:
Exploration in a woodland environment is highly beneficial for developing skills in problem solving, social interaction, risk-taking, and emotional intelligence. By implementing an outdoor or forest school component, we aim to develop each child physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally.
Each day, our students venture out into Mountain Lake Park/Golden Gate Park (Inner Richmond), Golden Gate Park (Cole Valley), or Noe Valley Courts (Noe Valley) to dig for worms after the rain, identify and learn different types of leaves, learn the different sounds of nature, and so much more!
Our Inner Richmond program offers the most daily outdoor nature learning with a 50% outdoor forest program. Our teachers are passionate about ecology and local wildlife and are excited to share the experience with our children.
S.T.E.A.M Education
S.T.E.A.M. (Science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) learning has proven to be in more demand than ever for our new generations. We want our children to be prepared for the technical landscape of their future, and we want to make learning fun. As educators, we know that young children love learning how to be critical and creative thinkers through S.T.E.A.M. topics and projects. Not only is the content exciting but it teaches children to apply important knowledge in meaningful ways.
In addition, we heavily emphasize the “A” in S.T.E.A.M.! Every year, we have local artists come into our classrooms to exhibit their work, expand our children's exposure to studio art, and participate on hands-on art projects that introduce them to different mediums and processes. Some artists we've welcomed in the past include Renee DeCarlo Johnson, Elizabeth McClellan, San Francisco street artist FNNCH, The Oakland Symphony, and more!
"We don't need every child to grow up to be a scientist, engineer, or designer...but we need everyone to grow up knowing how to think like one" -Dr. Helen Soule
We understand the importance of language learning in Early Childhood Education. With exposure to different languages, young children receive significant benefits to brain development, and it also allows students to become rich with cultural understanding. We are fortunate to be located in a diverse community with rich resources, therefore we use language learning to prepare our kids for this ever-changing, multicultural society.
Multicultural and Language Learning
Inner Richmond
The Inner Richmond campus is multilingual, using English, Spanish, and Mandarin.
At Tinker Preschool, we believe in the importance of exposing young children to different languages and cultures. In addition to English, we integrate Spanish and Mandarin into our lessons and activities to provide our students with a diverse and enriching learning experience.
Through music, games, and projects, we aim to help children develop language skills while fostering an appreciation for various cultures.
Noe Valley
Noe Valley campus offers bilingual English-Mandarin learning.
Our infants benefit from a Mandarin immersion program, allowing them to be fully immersed in the language from an early age.
As children progress into the preschool program, they receive instruction primarily in English while also enjoying additional exposure to the Mandarin language throughout their lessons.
Cole Valley
Cole Valley campus is a Mandarin Immersion program.
Our curriculum integrates language learning with age-appropriate activities, music, and stories. Children are immersed in the Mandarin language throughout the day, helping them to naturally absorb vocabulary and language patterns.
Our experienced teachers provide a supportive and encouraging environment for children to develop their language skills at their own pace.