School of Imagination with Happy Talkers

I LOVE this school! My children are in the middle of their first year here and they are so happy here. From the teachers to the therapists to the office staff, SOI has the best people in the business. My children started with the preschool program in September and now, since January, are now also enrolled in the school’s Infant Development Program, speech therapy and occupational therapy programs! In just a couple short months, we have seen amazing changes in the boys’ speech, coordination, and temperament. I owe it all to SOI and everyone there! I trust them implicitly with my children and couldn’t ask for better people to be around my kids every day.
I could not recommend this preschool more. If you’re looking for a safe, fun, clean school for your kids to learn and thrive, this is the place! I highly recommend attending one of their Open Houses — you’ll be sold on your first visit!

Our son just started at this school. We were on a waiting list and we were so excited when our son was accepted. He loves going to this school. He literally runs in this place with a huge smile. The sweet teacher gives him a sticker on his hand at the end of each class. He loves this. He keeps it on all day. We love seeing him blossom everyday at this amazing school. The staff are all nice and encouraging. Thank you SOI

This school is amazing. My son has tried several pre-​school which were highly rated. He had a lot of separation anxiety. This is the only school that addressed it with so much attention and CARE. By the second week he was so happy to be in school while at other schools he cried for weeks… the teachers always said. it’s a phase he’ll get out of it eventually… but he never did until he came to this place.
He started out twice a week and now he attends 5 days a week. The teachers are amazing and LOVING. This is the school you want!

Where do i begin to write a review for SOI!!! We started at SOI in the summer of 2014 in Step 1– Ms. Becca’s class. My daughter was 26 months. My daughter was meeting all expectations at her 24 month appointment, and by her 2.5 year appointment she was speaking and passing 3.5 year old expectations. The dr was impressed with her sentence structure, ability to interchange pronouns, use of adjectives etc. She knew her alphabet, counted backwards, and all colors. He was blown away by her progress. What makes this school so special is that they incorporate the importance of play into learning. That was the most important thing for us. We want our daughter to be 2, but still be stimulated enough. We have never used any of the therapy services, so I can’t speak to that program. I feel so lucky to have found SOI.

My oldest got kicked out of 2 preschools. School of Imagination luckily had a rare opening and I went to interview them. My oldest is ADHD and has sensory processing disorder which we didnt’ know at the time. They excepted Mike with open arms and handled him effortlessly. When we got his diagnosis, they were able to set him up with occupational therapy at their Happy Talkers program. I also kept my son there for the transitional Kinder class because he was still too wiggly for public school. But now that he is 10 he is an exceptional student and has no problems at school.
My youngest was later diagnosed with Autism at the same time his sister was ready for preschool so I just enrolled both of them at SOI. They have an infant development program there for kids on the spectrum and they worked great with him until he transferred into a public school special education program. He is now getting ready to be mainstreamed.
Since my daughter was also old enough to attend preschool, I sent her there as well. Bekah is typically developing so the teacher would often use her as a peer role model. She is also academically on target and has compassion for those that struggle.
Best place to send your kids.

We couldn’t be happier with this school. The teachers, clinicians, directors and staff are fantastic. Everyone is so caring, thoughtful and professional. My three kids have made so many wonderful friends and my older two kids still keep in touch with their previous teachers. SOI, for short will always have a special place in my heart.

This preschool is PHENOMENAL. The teachers are nothing short of exceptional.
Our daughter attended preschool here for both Step 2 and Step 3, from 2012 – 2014. She started off as an extremely shy child yet one who couldn’t sit still for circle time. Literally within 2 days, we started seeing a change in her. She blossomed into an outgoing, generous, loving child who can concentrate, listen and follow directions. Her speech at 2 & 3 & 4 yrs old is amazing. She knew her alphabet at 2 and was writing her name & other words at only 3.
I toured about 10 preschools in the area before choosing SOI. One of the biggest selling points for me was that in all other preschools, I saw chaos. Kids running around crazy, teenage teachers at some of them, many seemed more like a day care than a preschool. At SOI, I NEVER saw chaos or craziness. I saw groups of kids gathered around 1 of 3 teachers in the classroom, always engaged, learning something new in a small environment. Circle time is led by 1 – 3 teachers. The student teacher ratio is perfect here (3:1 or 4:1). No 22 kids to one class with one teacher.
My daughter had sensory & texture issues for a long time, and the teachers at SOI really worked with her to overcome the issues. I was not able to do this myself at home, nor were 2 therapists we took her to see prior to enrolling her at SOI, but somehow, they had a way. The teachers are all highly educated and loving. I don’t know how Charlene finds them, but she does.
I was very sad when my daughter graduated Step 3 at SOI and we had to move her to TK at a public school in Dublin. The TK teacher at the public school does not compare to the exceptional preschool teachers at SOI. Unfortunately, we cannot afford the full time tuition for Kindergarten at SOI, or we would move her back.
If you have the chance to send your child here, you cannot go wrong. They are an engaging, loving, friendly environment, and no child is given up on.
You cannot go wrong with SOI. We loved them!

We enrolled our daughter into School of Imagination in March 2013 in the Step 2 program. Last week, she graduated from their bridge Kindergarten program. Before we enrolled her, she couldn’t count past thirteen and was having issues writing with her left hand. Socially, she couldn’t share and couldn’t sit still. Now at the age of 5, she is reading chapter books, writing sentences and is socially, academically and emotionally ready for first grade. We love the teachers, therapists, administration staff and of course, Charlene, Mitch and Hope (the dog).
We will miss everything about this school, but know they have given our daughter the most wonderful gift — a foundation for learning. And that, is priceless.

I can’t believe this school has only 6 reviews! It is AMAZING! I love it and my son loves it! The teachers and all the staff are wonderful. I HIGHLY recommend this school and I can’t say enough good things about it. My son has been here for a year and a half and I am very happy with the school and the attention they have shown my son!

My son started the infant development program here in November. He seems to like it a lot after a period of adjustment. My husband and I really like this pre-​school because the staff seems to really enjoy what they are doing and seems to be very equipped in handling all types of kids. The ratio of staff to student is great. Since our son is special needs, we feel very comforted that he gets the support he needs while at the same time is exposed to more typical kids. We hope that our son continues to thrive here. P

This is a wonderful preschool for children developing at a normal pace as well as for children requiring other therapies. It is a school that helps ALL kids reach new potential.
I can only echo the remarks in the reviews below. These teachers are so engaged and interested in the children. It is a warm, caring and comfortable atmosphere for the kids and parents alike. The small class sizes and student-​teacher ratio is exactly what toddlers need to exceed, feel included and grow. I interviewed several preschools in San Ramon and Pleasanton in addition to SOI and this won hands-​down.
I can’t comment on any of the occupational, speech or other therapies that they provide, but the regular «Step» classes are nothing short of exactly what this parent expected preschool to be.
The founders Charlene and Mitch are hard working and involved. Five stars for them, their staff and great facility.

My 4 year old son had a really bad experience at his previous school. My husband and I have been lucky enough to transfer him to the School of Imagination. My son’s fears of going to school and teachers only took 2 days to subside once he started attending this school. The teachers are actually like the teachers every parent dreams of having for their child. The staff is like family amongst themselves and you can see that they communicate really well with each other about every single child there; They are all on the same page:)
What really matters is how my son responds to his new environment and what he says about school. He asked us the other morning if it was a school day. When he would ask us the same question when attending the other school, he would throw a fit and not want to go. But this time his answer was, «Oh good!»
I can just see how much he loves his 4:1 ratio classroom. He gets the attention he needs and all the positive reinforcement to help him succeed. Every child I see there has a big smile on their face and so does the staff. «Imagine» that! Thank you School of Imagination for opening your doors to us and for all your hard work. You guys are the best role models for every school out there. Keep up the fantastic work!