Spring is where that love became a place.
Watching a child pursue an idea that is entirely their own — that is what drew me to this work, and what has driven me to keep learning ever since. I earned a B.A. and M.A. in early childhood at SFSU while teaching in licensed classrooms across the Bay Area — including play-based, Reggio-inspired, and Mandarin bilingual programs. That combination shaped how I think about children, environments, and learning. As a native Mandarin speaker, I had seen firsthand what language acquisition looks like when it is woven into a child's daily life — not something they study, but something they live.
What kept me going were the children — and the parents who, sometimes at pickup, sometimes in a quiet message, would share how their child had changed at home. A child who started asking questions at dinner. One who finally felt safe enough to try. Those moments belong to the families — but they stay with me too. They also made something clear: this kind of education was worth building a home for.
When my daughter was born in 2020, all of it came into focus — not as a new idea, but as a reminder of why it mattered. The knowledge was there. The practice was there. The sense of what this kind of program should look like was there. Spring became the place where all of it could finally take shape — built from that experience, and offered to every family who believes the same.
of the environment, of the rhythm of the day,
and of the way every child is known.
We believe children learn by living — not by being taught.
At Spring, that conviction shapes everything: a Reggio-inspired environment where Mandarin is the living language of inquiry, where children's questions drive the curriculum, and where learning happens through direct encounter with the real world — outdoors, through materials, and across the languages children are building inside themselves.
The Child, the Environment,
and the Hundred Languages
At Spring, we treat every child as a capable thinker whose curiosity is worth following.
Guided by the Reggio approach, we build an environment where Mandarin is the medium — not the subject — where children's questions shape the day, and where STEAM thinking emerges naturally through projects, materials, and direct encounter with the real world. Immersion works because language is absorbed through daily life — the songs, the conversations, the stories, and the routines that make up every morning at Spring.
"The child has a hundred languages, a hundred hands, a hundred thoughts, a hundred ways of thinking, of playing, of speaking."— Loris Malaguzzi, Founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach
How Reggio Emilia Lives at Spring
Reggio Emilia is not a curriculum you follow — it is a stance you take toward children. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Every Child as a Thinker
We start with observation, not instruction. We watch what each child notices, what questions they carry, and what they return to again and again. Then we build from there.
The result: a child who knows how to ask the questions that matter — and isn't afraid to not yet know the answers. The child as co-constructor of knowledgeThe Third Teacher
Our space is intentionally designed — natural light, open-ended materials, and areas that shift with the children's projects — to provoke thought, invite exploration, and reflect the children's work.
The result: a child who knows how to be curious — because the environment has made it unavoidable. Space as the third teacherLearning as a Shared Story
Documentation at Spring is not a report — it is an invitation. Photos, recorded dialogues, and displayed projects open a window into your child's inner process, turning learning into an ongoing conversation between school and home.
The result: you are never on the outside of your child's day — you are woven into it. Families as partners, not observersWhat Families
Ask Us Most
How will I know what my child is actually doing each day?
Documentation is part of the teaching itself, not an add-on. Inspired by the Reggio approach, we use photos, recorded dialogue, and project documentation to make learning visible — so you see not just what your child made, but how they thought through it. You also have direct access to us — not a front desk, not an app notification.
My child needs more individual attention than a large class can give. Can Spring accommodate that?
Spring is licensed for a maximum of 8 children, with a 1:4 teacher-child ratio. In practice, this means your child is genuinely known — their patterns, their triggers, their particular way of approaching something new. Not managed. Known.
We've seen "Mandarin programs" that are just 30 minutes a week. What makes Spring genuinely different?
At Spring, Mandarin is the primary language of instruction and daily life. It is the language your child hears when they arrive, when they play, when they eat, when they transition between activities. They are not learning Mandarin as a subject — they are living inside it as a medium.
Families who don't speak Mandarin at home are not at a disadvantage — immersion works through daily exposure, not parental fluency.
I've heard home-based daycares sometimes use screens to manage children. What is Spring's policy?
Spring is a screen-free environment. No television, no tablets, no devices — at any point in the day. Transitions are supported through Mandarin songs, storytelling, natural materials, and independent exploration. Our environment is DSS licensed and subject to unannounced inspections.
What are the actual qualifications of the person teaching my child?
Spring's Founder and Director earned a B.A. and M.A. in early childhood at SFSU, with a specialization in inclusive practice. She has spent eight years teaching in licensed play-based, Reggio-inspired, and Mandarin bilingual classrooms across the Bay Area.
When you have a question about your child's development, you have direct access to someone with both the academic training and the classroom experience to give you an informed answer.
We both work full-time. Do your hours actually work for working families?
Spring is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM — ten and a half hours of coverage, designed around the reality of a working family's day. We follow the Albany Unified School District calendar for major holidays, but remain open on AUSD professional development days — days that working families often struggle to cover.
Part-time options are also available: 3-day or 2-day schedules for families who need flexibility.
Safe, licensed, and accountable.
Spring is a state-licensed family child care home. Here is the groundwork that keeps your child safe every day.
State-licensed family child care home (DSS #013424115), and we carry liability insurance covering the operation of our home.
Our caregivers hold current CPR and First Aid certification.
Every caregiver is a mandated reporter under California law (CANRA).
Written fire, earthquake, and evacuation plans, with drills at least twice a year.
Staff trained in allergy response and EpiPen administration; photographic allergy lists in every room.
DSS-licensed and subject to unannounced inspections; our license is publicly viewable on the California CCLD site.