Preschool & Pre-Kinder Communities
Our preschool and pre-kinder communities are provided for children three to five years of age with their future success in mind. The classroom environment is designed to engage preschoolers’ creative processing, problem solving, art, science, math and reasoning skills, as well as to promote language development. As we implement methods from the Reggio Emilia Approach, we are steadfast in the belief that each child is exposed to a variety of real world sights, sounds and experiences. Our classrooms are designed in a way to provoke interest and curiosity in all learning areas.
Kindergarten readiness is emphasized by integrating state learning standards throughout ongoing educational experiences based on the 10 learning domains found in the Texas Pre-Kindergarten guidelines. Throughout our curriculum, we embrace the natural curiosity of the children, and nurture a natural love of learning in our classrooms.
Inquiry Areas
Social & Emotional Development
These skills allow children to build a sense of who they are and what they can do, and enables them to participate effectively in the classroom, assert independence in appropriate ways, and accomplish tasks without infringing on the rights of others.
Fine Motor & Writing
Initially, children engage in drawing as a way to communicate. This is the earliest stage of writing. Development of writing skills begins with “pretend writing” as children imitate adults.
Fine Arts
Students delight in exploring a wide variety of materials and making discoveries about color, shape, texture, and sound through art and music experiences. These explorations help children begin to gain control of fine‐motor muscles and practice hand‐eye coordination.
Physical Development
Physical activity not only promotes cognition but can also enhance children’s social skills and self‐esteem through group participation. Free, unstructured outdoor play as a means of developing gross motor, fine motor and sensory skills is extremely valuable to our students' overall well-being.
Language & Communication
Authentic, child‐initiated oral language opportunities have a tremendous impact upon reading and writing success, and our students are provided constant opportunities throughout the day for verbal exploration.
Mathematics
Children’s mathematical understandings are built on informal knowledge about quantity that they develop before any instruction. Early math instruction is not limited to a specific period or time of day in preschool; instead, it is a natural part of any quality learning environment.
Dramatic Expression
Creative drama involves young children in expressive and spontaneous productions. Children’s ability to communicate more effectively and engage in cooperative activity with others is developed as they participate in pretend play opportunities.
Enrichment Classes
We provide wonderful enrichment classes for all of our children three to six years of age every day of the week. Our enrichment classes focus on growing and developing the “whole child” by encouraging music appreciation, hand-eye coordination, fine arts, and the development of language skills.
Reading & Storytelling
Awareness of the sounds in language, or phonological awareness, is one of the key predictors of later reading success. Our curriculum takes into account research that provides insight into the order in which children acquire this awareness.
Science & Sensory
Children are naturally intrigued by the properties of the world around them, and use these characteristics to classify and sort objects, make observations and predictions, problem‐solve, compare, and question.
Social Studies
Children are eager to gain an understanding of the many aspects of their world, beginning with their family, and then moving to the world around them. Through social studies, children begin to develop the self‐understanding that will serve as a foundation for learning about others and the world.
The Hundred Languages of Children
Children in a Reggio Emilia environment are thought to express themselves through "one hundred languages;" these inquiry areas are only a few of the ways are students learn, but there are so many more that happen every day.