Preschool for Curious Thinkers
Preschool, three to five: hands-on projects, growing independence and a confident start in kindergarten.
Our Adventurers and Amphibians classrooms are designed for children from three to five. The preschool day runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and care before and after is available from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Projects that connect it all
Preschoolers learn best when math, science, reading and teamwork come together in one project. Our teachers plan units where children ask questions, make predictions, test ideas, record what they find and put what they learned to use. Along the way, children practice counting and comparing, pick up new vocabulary and learn to work as a team.
Stories in their own words
One of our classes learned The Three Little Pigs, then wrote their own version, built stick puppets and costumes and performed it for their families. Retelling and reinventing stories is a regular part of our preschool classrooms. It builds memory, sequencing and imagination, and it gives children practice speaking in front of a group.
The Nature Year
Our preschool classes head outdoors for hands-on units, studying the natural world up close and turning what they find into science, vocabulary and art. This year began with All About Trees.
A day in preschool
Arrival and interest areas, where children choose their activity
Breakfast
Large group: a song, a feelings check-in, the weather, classroom jobs and the letter and sound of the week
Small group: science, art, writing or math
Interest areas
Music and movement
Outdoor play
Lunch
Story time and rest
Afternoon snack
Large group: question of the day, shared writing and a read-aloud
Outdoor play
Interest areas and pickup
Ready for kindergarten
By the end of pre-K, our children get along well with others and think through problems with growing independence. They use a rich vocabulary to share their ideas and feelings, and they know their alphabet well enough to recall letters in order and out of order.
They have also practiced the everyday skills kindergarten asks for: listening to others, working alongside classmates, caring for materials, moving through routines, asking for help and taking on more responsibility.
Graduation
Every year, our pre-K class celebrates graduation with a performance for their families, showing what they have learned in their own words.
See our preschool classrooms for yourself
Spend twenty minutes in our Adventurers and Amphibians classrooms. See the children at work on their projects, meet the teachers and hear what the class is exploring this week.
