Rainbow Door Preschool
379 Lisbon St, San Francisco 94112
We are a child directed, play based program. Our philosophy is based on the idea that children develop best when provided with a variety of interesting choices, and then are allowed to linger and play with what they are interested in. We designed our classroom using the open structured nursery school model. In this curriculum structure, there is a block area, a playhouse area, a puzzle area, a book area, an art area, and a messy area with paints, play dough and other sensory activities. The children are free to wander from area to area, exploring and playing wherever they choose and staying there until they feel a sense of completion. We have optional projects always available. We mold our curriculum topics to the children’s interests by allowing them to help choose the themes that we explore. We tailor activities and projects to the individual developmental needs of each child. We also believe that nature is a secondary classroom, where children can develop fine and large motor skills by exploring, digging and climbing. Therefore we incorporate plenty of outdoor time, in the garden, at the park, and on regular field trips.
At a glance
What this means
Play-based means children learn through free and guided play — social skills, problem-solving, and early academics emerge through play rather than direct teaching.
This school teaches primarily in English.
Good questions to ask on a tour
- 1What does a typical day look like, and how much of it is child-chosen play vs. teacher-led?
- 2What are the exact drop-off and pickup times, and is there any flexibility?
- 3What is the current monthly tuition, and are there different rates for different days-per-week schedules?
- 4How do you handle the transition for children starting mid-year or moving up from a younger classroom?
- 5What is your potty-training policy, and how do you support children who are still learning?
- 6How do you handle discipline, conflict between children, and big feelings?
- 7What is your application timeline, and when do families typically hear back?
- 8How large is each class, and what is the teacher-to-child ratio?
- 9What does parent communication look like — updates, conferences, opportunities to be involved?