We have been blown away by the caring nature of the staff and educators, the quality and diversity of the educational opportunities they afford the children, the incredible art program, and the loving francophone community we have been welcomed into.
Manhattan French Immersion Preschool
Our Program
L’Alliance New York’s Preschool curriculum is taught entirely in French to create a fully immersive learning environment, establish the foundation for true bilingualism, and open your child’s mind to a broader understanding of the world.
Our curriculum focus includes:
- Strengthening socialization skills and fostering social and emotional development
- Learning the language in all its dimensions
- Developing creativity through artistic activities
- Broadening children’s knowledge of the world through exploration and experimentation
- Acquiring the first mathematical tools
- Developing motor skills through movement, games, crafts, and more
Daily classes are built around various weekly or bi-weekly themes that students explore in every aspect of our curriculum: language, arts, math and sciences, and motor skills through engaging activities and projects conducted in groups to foster socialization or individually to promote independence. This structure provides appropriate levels of interactivity and flexibility to match each child’s ideal pace and learning modality.
Class Structure/Timing
Classes By Age
Junior Class
For toddlers 2½ years old
12 students maxPre-K
For children 3 years and older
15 students max
Some knowledge of French desired
Schedule Options (all ages)
Half-Day Schedule
Monday-Friday,
8:30–11:30 amFull-Day Schedule
Monday-Friday,
8:30 am–4:30 pmExtended day option available until 6 pm
Afterschool Enrichment Program
An afterschool enrichment program (Mon–Fri, 4:30–6 pm), with activities including art, cooking, games, science, and theater, is available for an additional fee.
Our Team
Our native French-speaking teachers specialize in early childhood education and have extensive experience teaching young children in the context of French immersion. They all share a passion for nurturing the development of young learners. Each preschool class has an assistant teacher and is supported by our bilingual administration.
Deborah Bellec
Director of the Preschool and Youth Programs
Deborah holds a double bachelor’s degree in philosophy and two master’s degrees in corporate law from la Sorbonne University. Déborah realized that law wasn’t the career path that she was passionate about and switched to childhood education many year’s ago. Déborah joined L’Alliance New York in 2023 as the Director of the Program and the Youth Program.
Tina Taleb
Assistant Teacher – Pre-K
Tina has five years of teaching experience and prides herself on encompassing a dynamic and engaging teaching style that creates a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Tina recently joined the L’Alliance New York teaching team and looks forward to meeting all the students.
Salomé Benchimol
Junior Head Teacher
Salomé holds a master’s degree in teaching, education, and training. She is also certified as a teacher by the French Ministry of Education. Salome has taught children from kindergarten to fourth grade. Her nurturing and positive approach helps children build confidence and flourish.
Anna Le Gourieres
Junior Assistant Teacher
Anna has a master’s degree in French as a foreign language. Previously, she held different positions in financial institutions and during her career break while raising her two children, she decided to switch to education. Anna believes in creating a positive and happy environment for children.
Celine Poupin
Prek Head Teacher
Celine holds a double master’s degree and has taught in French AEFE schools abroad as well as in France. She has over 20 years of education experience, and in addition to teaching at schools in France, she has also taught in Morocco, Bangkok, Washington DC, and Panama, to name a few.
Testimonials
How French Immersion Works
Raising a bilingual child has been proven to nurture life-long skills in planning, problem-solving, and staying focused. Learn more about the benefits of bilingualism at the bottom of the page.
Our teaching methods integrate non-French-speaking children and those with a connection to French at home. Various individual and group activities meet children at their own learning pace and, more importantly, forge a lasting cognitive connection between learning and having fun in a community setting.
Early immersion in a foreign language lays the groundwork for bilingualism and primes young minds for a broader understanding of the world. L’Alliance New York’s Preschool provides the foundation for your child to be conversational in French after two to three years of enrollment.
In the first year, children will begin to absorb and understand the language through embodied and visual cues, such as daily routines and gestures. When a child speaks in English or another language, teachers respond by rephrasing the question in French. Children might not say much in class at this early stage, but at home, they’ll sing the songs and use the words they’ve learned.
Studies have shown that children are more likely to speak a language spoken by their peers. For children with French-speaking parents or family members, the Preschool at L’Alliance New York provides a supportive social setting that is vital to encouraging your child to understand the French spoken at home and to verbalize it themselves.
Whether part of a French-speaking home or not, children in the Preschool will quickly master a broader vocabulary that allows them to speak in French and begin forming simple sentences and become conversational after two years. Whether they go on to an American, French, or French immersion elementary school, these preschool years offer a pivotal foundation for your child’s mastery of the language and a lifelong love of French.
L’Alliance Preschool:
Manhattan Campus
22 East 60th Street,
Between Park and Madison Avenues,
New York, NY 10022