Spanish Schools for Kids in Pleasanton, California
California is one of the states with more Hispanics. You’ll find many people that speak Spanish as their first language. This makes it a great place to raise bilingual kids. If you live specifically in Pleasanton, you have many Spanish schools’ options. And that might make it hard for you to choose the best one for your kids. Don’t worry, though. That’s why we’re here. TruFluency Kids has created this guide for schools with Spanish programs in Pleasanton, California. Check it out, and choose the one that fits your and your children’s needs and goals the best.
About This Resource
Before we dive into the schools, we want to tell you what you’ll find in this guide.
You’ll notice that many of the schools offer Spanish immersion classes. That means that the environment of the classroom is completely in Spanish, and the teacher barely talks in English. We know from experience that this method will help your kids truly acquire the language and become fluent.
First, we will show schools from Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) (see map). Because it has a dual language immersion program for Spanish-English learning. And it is the second-best district in Alameda County, according to Niche. It’s also the 2022 17th best school district in California, and the 2022 22nd district with the best teachers in California. And it’s the 2022 46th best place to teach in California. So, your kids are up for a successful learning experience.
We will also show you some private Spanish schools, preschools and after-schools because we know that every family has different budgets and locations.
We’d love to hear from you! All the information here is accurate at the moment of publication, but if you see anything that’s been outdated, contact us. This way we can update it and offer the best information possible. Or if you have any Spanish school recommendations, let us know too. Your opinions help us create the best guide for schools that teach Spanish.
Pleasanton USD Dual Language Immersion Program
Pleasanton USD dual language immersion program has the goal of developing bilingual and biliterate kids. They’ll teach students how to read, write, speak, listen and think in English and Spanish.
The program is made for students that want to learn both English and Spanish. So, it’s targeted to English learners (EL) and English only (EO) students that want to gain English and Spanish proficiency. They study the academic Common Core State Standards in these two languages. So kids don’t only learn the languages, but also learn their common subjects. This program also wants children to develop cultural proficiency.
In order to achieve all the program’s goals, the dual language teachers have a BCLAD authorization.
The dual language program is only taught in three Pleasanton USD’s schools. It starts in Valley View Elementary; it continues at Pleasanton Middle School, and ends at Foothill High School. So, kids start in the program at a young age and they continue in it as they grow up. Keep in mind that it is at least a six-year commitment, from K to 5th grade.
If your kids are English speakers, they can enter either in kindergarten or first grade. If they’re Spanish speakers, they can enter either in kindergarten, first grade or second grade. But if they’re bilingual, they can enter at any grade, depending on their literacy level in both Spanish and English.
Pleasanton USD Schools for Spanish Learning
Valley View Elementary
Valley View ES dual language immersion program‘s goals are to make students develop proficiency in their first and second languages. As well as help them “perform at or above grade level in both languages”.
Spanish is the main language of instruction during the primary grades. And, little by little, they start introducing English into their curriculum. So, from kindergarten to 2nd grade, all subjects are in Spanish. In kindergarten and 1st grade only 10% of the time is instructed in English. And in 2nd grade, the English instruction time increases to 20%.
In 3rd grade, they teach English language arts, and there’s 30% of English instruction. And in 4th to 5th grade, they teach equally in Spanish and English.
They encourage parent involvement in their dual language program. This can be made by volunteering in the classrooms, or simply by helping your kids do the homework from their dual language classes.
According to Niche, Valley View ES is the 2022 430th best public elementary school in California. And the 2022 759th most diverse public elementary school in California. And according to U.S. News & World Report, they have 59.4% of minority enrollment, of which 36.8% is Hispanic/Latino. Out of their student population, 61% is proficient in reading and math.
The school is rated 3.8/5 on GreatSchools and 4.2/5 on Google.
Pleasanton Middle School
At Pleasanton MS they have an elective course that offers Spanish language arts and reading skills. It’s a Spanish dual language immersion for kids that passed the elementary dual language immersion program. It’s also for native Spanish speakers with good literacy skills. This elective course is for students at 6th, 7th, and 8th grade levels.
If you finish the dual language immersion program up until the end of high school, you can earn a Seal of Biliteracy. Which means that you’ve mastered both languages. And it could help you with college admissions. So, if you’ve finished this program in Valley View ES, you should really consider continuing it at Pleasanton MS. And once you finish middle school, continue it at high school.
For Pleasanton MS is so important that their kids become bilingual that they’ve even hosted a Bilingual Career Fair in the past. There, students of the Spanish Immersion program and the English Language Development classes could hear professionals talk about how being bilingual helped them succeed.
According to Niche, Pleasanton MS is the 2022 50th best public middle school in California. And it’s the 2022 6th best public middle school in Alameda County. As well as being in the 91st spot in the 2022 Middle Schools with the Best Teachers in California list. And 69% of their student population is proficient in math, and 75% is proficient in reading.
The school is rated 2.7/5 on GreatSchools, 2.4/5 on Niche and 3.5/5 on Google.
Foothill High School
According to the Pleasanton USD dual language immersion program, at Foothill High School all the chosen core classes will be taught in Spanish.
In grade 9th kids will take Spanish Language Arts Immersion class. In grade 10th they will learn AP Spanish Language and Culture. And in grade 11th, they will take AP Spanish Literature and Culture, as you can see in this course catalog.
According to Niche, Foothill HS is the 2022 2nd best public high school in Alameda County. And the 2022 30th best public high school in California. It’s also the 2022 35th best college prep public high school in California. And according to U.S. News & World Report, it is the 51st best California high school. And the 9th best San Francisco, CA metro area high school. It also ranked at the 401st spot in the National Rankings. With 69% of their student population being proficient in math, 85% being proficient in reading, and 60% being proficient in science.
Private Schools, Preschool, and After-School Programs for Spanish Learning in the Pleasanton Area
La Escuelita
La Escuelita is a bilingual learning center that offers different bilingual tutoring programs.
They have the “Tutorías K-12″ (Tutoring K-12), where they help children learn Math, Spanish, Writing, or Reading in both English and Spanish. All teachers are bilingual. They’re located in the Tri-Valley area, so the focus of their program is based on the curriculums of the Pleasanton, Livermore and Dublin districts. So, your kids could take classes on “La Escuelita” if they go to any of these districts. Because “La Escuelita” is familiarized with what these kids are learning at their school districts.
They also have a “Español como segundo idioma” (Spanish as a second language) immersion program. This is for students of any age. They want students to learn how to speak, read and write in Spanish. They first teach some basic words and grammar, and they increase the level depending on the student’s understanding and knowledge. They teach young children through images and games. And for older students, they teach useful conversations, so they can actually talk to a native.
And if you are looking for a summer camp, they also offer that program in both Spanish and English. This means that they have dual language immersion classes. Kids learn math, arts, science, and history. Some of the lessons are in the park, and they also have field trips to museums and more. The summer camp is for kids from pre-K to 8th grade.
They offer many other programs too, including “Comprensión de Lectura” (reading comprehension), and English classes for adults.
It’s rated 5/5 on Facebook and on Google.
Yang Fan Academy
Yang Fan Academy offers after-school care, preschool and summer camps. Their programs have rigorous curriculums based on the common core standards. They also have STEM activities. And they offer language classes for learning Hindi, Chinese and Spanish.
Their after-school program is for children in kindergarten up to 5th grade. The Spanish classes in this program are for kids from 1st to 5th grade levels. Their summer camp also offers Spanish lessons, among many other activities. According to their 2021 spring program guide and 2021 summer camp program guide, all Spanish classes are divided into beginners, intermediate and advanced levels. And aim to develop listening, reading comprehension, oral and written skills, as well as learn vocabulary and expressions in Spanish.
It’s rated 4.3/5 on Google.
TruFluency Kids Spanish Immersion Program
Our teachers are native Spanish speakers and besides having years of experience, they are also specially trained in our own Bellieu Method, which strives for complete immersion in the language. Our programs are full of fun and very engaging for children of any age.
Also, we provide a lot of free resources and websites in case you want to keep practicing with your children during class time. At TruFluency Kids, we have lots of activities that will make your children crave their Spanish class.
Here’s a testimonial from one of our parents:
“Both of my girls are doing your classes, we live in the South of England. Best language classes ever!! Within a few weeks or a month my daughter – who is always hard on herself and thinks she’s bad at Spanish – could understand Spanish as well as I do. I took Spanish as a third language in French schools for 8 years.”
Try a class now, and see the magic happen!
Try a Class!
Ready for the next step in helping your child learn Spanish in a natural and conversation-based atmosphere? Join a small online LIVE session at TruFluency Kids Spanish today!