Home / Preschool / Kindergarten

Our kindergarten will continue to instill the values and philosophy of our Nature Preschool. In addition, we will combine components of the following to build a day based in exploration, discovery, and community building:

Emergent Curriculum

Using an Emergent curriculum means that the studies of the class are derived from the interests of the children. The themes that we study are always relevant to the concrete lives of the students and the immediate world around us (i.e. the study of weather, insects, trees, etc.).

Inquiry Based Learning

The emergent curriculum is carried out using Inquiry based learning techniques. This method starts by posing questions, problems or scenarios rather than simply presenting established facts. Teachers become research partners with the children; working to answer questions together and supporting them to ask more questions and delve deeper into a certain topic. The process is facilitated by the teacher with the goal of building internal motivation and long-term love of learning. We want children to ask questions and learn critical thinking skills.

Academic Skill Development

Literacy, writing, math, science, and social studies skills are strategically integrated into each emergent theme. Certain activities are intentionally planned in scheduled chunks of the morning, while others happen organically during "teachable moments" throughout the day. The classroom set up is also meant to provide open exploration in various learning centers and the outdoor classroom naturally facilities endless learning opportunities.

Life Skills Development

These activities or "Specials" are designed to add enrichment to the school experience while introducing and exposing the students to a variety of skills. They may depend on the interest of the students, relevance to learning topics, or skills of the teacher, parents, or other community members. Possible enrichment activities could include, but are not limited to, woodworking, sewing/weaving, meditation/yoga, survival techniques, theater, Spanish, cooking, musical instruments, a variety of art techniques, and of course- naturalist knowledge!