Through an integrated, project-based learning model, our youngest students explore subjects of interest as they expand their language, literacy, scientific, mathematical, and social knowledge. Teachers challenge, inspire, and encourage new thinking by all students; small group activities foster collaboration and help build social skills as students learn to work side-by-side with their peers.

Our pre-kindergarten students have time every day for exploration and free play. They also spend part of each day with focused project-based curriculum incorporating Story Workshop and DU's Connections For Learning (C4L). These approaches draw upon a combination of play and children's love for hands-on activities to integrate science, math, literacy, and social-emotional learning. Examples of interdisciplinary projects include "Our Environment," "How Structures Are Built," and "Growing our Garden," where students practice thinking processes such as cooperation, comparing and contrasting, close observation, and problem-solving.

Kindergarten bridges our play-based early childhood approach and elementary school. As such, students in our all-day program continue with daily exploration through free play, and hands-on projects. while adding direct instruction in mathematics and literacy. Pursuing emergent projects with children actively constructing the scope and direction of the inquiry, project work takes on an increasingly focused and in-depth pursuit, as children define their questions and means for making meaning. We use Story Workshop as a means for integrating the arts, play and literacy, Bridges to Mathematics and the Workshop model for reading and writing instruction. Students have the opportunity to accelerate through this curriculum as guided by ability and interest.