Early Childhood | PreK–Kindergarten
The sparkle of childhood illuminates potential.
Our Early Childhood program draws upon the natural joy, wonder and intellectual energy of young children. Through purposeful play, conversation, movement, creativity and hands-on discovery, students begin developing the academic, social and personal foundations that will shape their years ahead.
A childhood filled with wonder, purpose and possibility.
Young children arrive at school ready to ask questions, test ideas, build relationships and make sense of the world around them.
At Unquowa, Early Childhood is treated as a significant stage of education in its own right. Teachers create experiences that strengthen language, mathematical thinking, self-expression, physical development and social understanding while preserving the imagination and joy that make early learning so powerful.
Our full-day PreK program serves four-year-old students. Kindergarten builds naturally upon that foundation while preparing students for the increasing independence and academic expectations of Lower School.
Purposeful play. Strong foundations. A joyful beginning.
Early Literacy
Children build phonological awareness, vocabulary, listening comprehension, oral language and early reading and writing skills through direct instruction, stories, conversation, dramatic play and authentic classroom experiences.
Mathematical Thinking
Students explore numbers, patterns, measurement, spatial relationships and problem-solving through manipulatives, games, classroom routines and real-world investigation.
Social Growth
Children practice sharing ideas, taking turns, solving problems with words, participating in groups and understanding the perspectives of others.
Movement and Exploration
Young children need to move. Daily physical education, outdoor learning, dance, classroom movement and active play are essential parts of the program.
THE PREK–8 ADVANTAGE
Young children benefit from being part of a larger school community.
Because Early Childhood is fully integrated into a PreK–8 school, our youngest students have access to specialist educators, expansive facilities and relationships across grade levels.
They learn in the visual arts studio, perform music and drama, explore the MakerSpace, study Spanish and Mandarin, move each day in physical education and investigate our garden, woods and brook.
Older students also serve as role models, helpers and learning partners. These cross-grade experiences help younger children feel connected to a community larger than their classroom.
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
- Full-day PreK and Kindergarten
- Early literacy and mathematical foundations
- Purposeful, play-based learning
- Visual arts
- Performing arts
- Spanish and Mandarin
- Daily physical education
- MakerSpace experiences
- Outdoor and environmental exploration
- Farm-to-fork lunch and daily snack
- Regular field experiences
- Limited classroom screen use
How we understand growth
Teachers document student development through close observation, conversation and a range of verbal, drawn, physical and written experiences as children emerge as readers, writers, mathematicians and members of a learning community.
Families receive interim and formal narrative progress reports each trimester. Parent-teacher conferences are held twice each year, with additional conversations scheduled as helpful.
Avoid using the heading “Assessment” as the first framing for Early Childhood. The emphasis should remain on understanding and communicating growth.
Specialist-Led Learning
Visual Arts
Children work with a wide range of materials for individual expression while beginning to engage with the work of established artists.
Performing Arts
Dramatic play, movement, dance, voice and instrumental experiences help students develop confidence, creativity and self-expression.
World Languages
Spanish and Mandarin are taught through listening, speaking, songs, movement and natural conversation. At an age when children remain highly receptive to the sounds of language, students begin developing comfort and confidence communicating in another language.
MakerSpace
Children learn that ideas can become real. From learning to use tools safely to building, testing and revising their creations, students experience the satisfaction of making.
Daily Physical Education
Students strengthen gross motor skills, coordination, fitness habits and early teamwork through developmentally appropriate movement and games.
Outdoor Learning
The garden, woods, brook and outdoor campus become places for observation, investigation, imaginative play and environmental discovery.
Strong foundations. Ready to grow.
By the end of Early Childhood, students have built far more than foundational academic skills. They have learned to ask questions, express their ideas, work alongside others, solve problems, and approach new experiences with growing confidence and independence.
They are ready to carry that foundation into Lower School, where expectations deepen, possibilities expand, and they begin to discover just how much they can do.
See what learning looks like at Unquowa.
The best way to understand our program is to experience it during the school day.
