The Pre-K Years
Ready for the Next Chapter
Pre-K is the bridge year—when children transition from "little kids" to "big kids" ready for kindergarten and beyond. Three, four and five-year-olds are capable of sophisticated thinking, sustained focus, collaborative problem-solving, and genuine leadership.
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Our Pre-K program prepares children for academic success while never losing sight of what matters most: curiosity, confidence, creativity, and kindness. We introduce reading and writing, mathematical thinking, and scientific inquiry—all through hands-on exploration and play-based learning that builds deep understanding and love of learning.
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Beyond academics, we focus intensely on executive function skills—planning, flexibility, self-control, working memory—which research shows are the strongest predictors of school and life success. Our Pre-K children leave as confident problem-solvers who can work independently, collaborate effectively, persist through challenges, and approach new situations with curiosity rather than anxiety.
Our Pre-K Approach
Executive Function Development
Intentional focus on planning, flexible thinking, self-control, and working memory through games, projects, and daily routines that build these critical life skills.
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Emergent Literacy & Writing
Letter-sound relationships, phonemic awareness, writing their own stories, reading simple books. Building a foundation for reading success through meaningful, joyful experiences.
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Mathematical Reasoning
Number sense, addition/subtraction concepts, measurement, patterns, shapes, graphing. Math embedded in cooking, building, games, and real-world problem-solving.
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Scientific Inquiry
Forming hypotheses, conducting experiments, documenting observations, drawing conclusions. Children learn to think like scientists through hands-on investigation.
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Leadership & Responsibility
Pre-K children are classroom leaders—helping younger children, leading projects, teaching peers new skills. Building confidence and sense of community contribution.
A Typical Pre-K Day
Our Pre-K schedule balances teacher-guided instruction with child-led exploration, providing the structure of school readiness while honoring the play-based approach that develops deep learning.
7:30 – 8:30 AM
Arrival & Independent Work
Morning greetings, breakfast. Children engage in sustained independent activities—reading, writing in journals, continuing projects from previous days.
8:30-9:00 AM
Morning Meeting
Group time with calendar math, weather graphing, daily schedule review, sharing time. Building community, practicing presentation skills, and starting the day together.
9:00-10:30 AM
Literacy & Math Workshop
Small group instruction rotating through reading, writing, and math activities. Individualized skill-building while others engage in related center work. Differentiated by ability.
10:30-11:30 AM
Outdoor Exploration & Science
Nature walks with scientific observation, park experiments, gross motor challenges, collaborative outdoor games. Connecting learning to the natural world.
11:30 AM-12:15 PM
Lunch & Social Skills
Family-style lunch with conversation practice. Learning table manners, taking responsibility for cleanup, engaging in complex discussions with peers and teachers.
12:15 – 1:30 PM
Quiet Time & Rest
Read-alouds, quiet individual reading, rest for those who need it. Non-nappers engage in sustained quiet activities—puzzles, drawing, writing.
1:30 – 2:00 PM
Snack & Read-Aloud
Afternoon snack with chapter book read-aloud. Building listening comprehension, vocabulary, and love of longer narratives.
2:00 – 4:00 PM
Project Work & Choice Time
Extended time for complex projects—building cities, creating plays, art installations, science experiments. Children plan, execute, document, and present their work.
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Second Outdoor Time & Pickup
Weather permitting, second outdoor session. Calmer activities as friends leave. Reflection on learning. Daily summaries sent to families via Tadpoles.
Kindergarten Readiness Skills
Literacy Foundations
Problem-solving through puzzles and building. Cause-and-effect understanding. Early sorting, matching, counting. Memory and attention span development.
Mathematical Concepts
Number sense to 20+, addition/subtraction concepts, patterns and sequences, measurement, basic geometry. Understanding math in daily contexts like cooking and building.
Executive Function
Planning multi-step projects, shifting between tasks flexibly, controlling impulses, remembering instructions. The cognitive skills that enable all future learning.
Scientific Thinking
Parallel play evolving into cooperative play. Empathy emerging. Beginning to share and take turns. Identifying and expressing feelings with support.
Social Competence
Collaborating on complex projects, resolving conflicts independently, showing empathy, taking leadership roles. Entering kindergarten with strong social skills.
Learning Dispositions
Curiosity, persistence, confidence, flexibility, creativity. The habits of mind that make children successful learners for life.
Pre-K Learning Environment
Kindergarten-Ready Classroom
Literacy-Rich Environment: Extensive classroom library, writing center with publishing materials, word walls, labels everywhere
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Math Manipulatives: Pattern blocks, base-10 blocks, fraction pieces, measurement tools, number lines, math games
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Science Table: Microscope, magnifying glasses, specimens to observe, experiment station, documentation materials
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Construction Zone: Complex building materials—wooden blocks, Legos, K'Nex, cardboard, tape, tools for creating elaborate structures
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Art Area: plentiful materials for painting, drawing, collage. Space for messy, process-oriented art exploration
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Dramatic Play: Props that change based on children's interests—restaurant, post office, veterinary clinic, spaceship
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Meeting Area: Large rug for group lessons, presentations, and community discussions
Teachers Preparing Tomorrow's Leaders
Pre-K teaching requires balancing kindergarten preparation with honoring childhood. Our teachers introduce academic skills while maintaining the play-based, joyful approach that creates lifelong learners.
Highly Educated
Bachelor's or Master's degrees. Deep expertise in child development, literacy instruction, and kindergarten readiness.
Skilled Differentiators
Meet each child where they are—extending learning for advanced students while supporting those who need more practice, all within the same classroom.
Kindergarten Partners
Work closely with families to ensure smooth transitions. Know exactly what kindergarten teachers expect and prepare children accordingly.
Relationship-Focused
Build deep connections with children and families over the year. Celebrate growth, document achievements, and send children off to kindergarten with confidence.
Staying Connected Through Tadpoles
As a working parent, you want to feel connected to your child even when you can't be there. The Tadpoles app makes that possible with daily updates.
Academic Progress Updates
Photos of your child reading, writing stories, solving math problems. See concrete evidence of literacy and numeracy development.
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Project Documentation
Multi-day projects documented from start to finish. See planning, execution, problem-solving, and final presentations.
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​Leadership Moments
Captured moments of your child helping younger students, teaching peers, taking responsibility—becoming the "big kid" they're meant to be.
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Reading buddy time photo
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Math: Solved word problems
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Science project documentation Leadership moment captured
Pre-K Program FAQs
"Our daughter entered kindergarten reading, confident, and excited about learning. Her teacher said she was one of the most prepared students she'd had in years—not just academically, but socially and emotionally. For Your Child's Pre-K program gave her the foundation she needed to thrive."
Jennifer & Alex
Pre-K Parents, Lincoln Park