How Do You Say 'Preschool' in French?

I took French in college. I thought perhaps it would come in handy. I would imagine a dinner party where no one else could speak French but me, and I could wow them by talking to the patisserie chef about his buttery croissants. French would flow like beurre. (It's one of the few French words I have retained since college, and only because it's used so frequently at restaurants.)

In short, in retrospect, and aside from the crepe, Spanish or Mandarin would have proven to be more useful in my life.

• Previously: How Do You Pick the Right Preschool?

Naturally, I want my son to be better than me at everything, so I wanted to find a school that teaches toddlers a foreign language. No, not a frou frou French-only preschool that would have Smith wearing a sweater around his shoulders and asking us to summer in Nice.

I once took Smith to one Mommy and Me Spanish class when he was a year old, and he wasn't ready to yet. I had such high hopes for him. I also thought I could potty train him as an infant, but I gave that up with cloth diapers when Smith had colic for 5 months.  

But learning to speak fluent Spanish by age 4 is an attainable goal, no? 

I know the benefits of foreign language immersion for preschoolers, so I was thrilled to be contacted by the delightful Joelle Petit Adkins, the director and program leader for the in Redondo Beach.

Upon entering Adkins' office, I felt instantly at ease. She is very passionate about her program, and it's not hard to see why after visiting a class. There were four students and one teacher, and they were all quietly sitting in a semi-circle. Zoila, their Peruvian teacher, was holding up different objects while the class recited the objects names in Spanish. Zoila spoke to the children in Spanish; she did not use a lick of English, even when reminding them to come sit back down.

I had no idea what she was saying, but I could tell, by her body language. The children, however, knew what she was saying, and I eyeballed the little girl who corrected me for calling their pecera a fishbowl. I was impressed and intimidated at the same time.  

The class is very structured, and if I were to put it in any particular category, I would say it's closest to Waldorf. But European-style immersion schools should be in a category of their own. There is not an outdoor area for them to play, but there is a gym. The parents say that the class wears their children out more than going to the park.

I only spent 20 minutes in the class so I didn't disrupt, but I wanted to stay for the rest of the time, as I was excited about learning something new. The teacher presents new ideas and words in class and incorporates them into various aspects of the children's day. The children soak up the usage and pronunciation in a matter of minutes, whereas it may take us feeble-minded adults a bit longer.

Savoir Faire's program is top notch, and I am hopeful I can enroll Smith after he turns 3 for at least for one day a week. It means I, too, will have to take a Spanish class. Fortunately, the school offers a 10 percent discount if you have more than one family member enrolled at Savoir Faire. And my husband already speaks Spanish (he didn't care about dinner parties in college).

It's not necessary to know the language your child is taking at Savoir Faire. Selfishly, I've been wanting to learn Spanish for years, and this gives me the perfect excuse.  

Savoir Faire's program grows with your child. You can start them as young as a year old, and they can go to the Mommy and Me class with you until they are 3. At 3 years old, they go to preschool, and then on to kindergarden. When they start grade school, Savoir Faire offers an after-school immersion program that is an amazing opportunity for your child to utilize their other language on field trips and in the classroom. Basically, the school has you covered from 1 year to 100 years old.

A bientot, Redondo Beach.