Our Toddler and Early Preschool programs are a stepping stone for language immersion. Primary engagement takes place in English, with Spanish and Mandarin exposure depending upon the campus model. As children become comfortable in a dual-language classroom and their comprehension and oral vocabulary expands, they begin to confidently engage in their non-primary language.

IMA’s early childhood classrooms engage in lessons designed to promote physical and emotional independence. In a calm and peaceful classroom environment, children learn practical life and self-care skills and use concrete materials to practice early math and language concepts. Monthly project-based themed units provide a structure for integrating all content areas. Lessons are sequenced to meet students’ individual needs and developmental milestones. In students' Pre-K year, parents are invited to select a focused language model that best fits with their child's needs and language acquisition goals. To prepare for kindergarten success, students spend the morning engaging with multidisciplinary units of inquiry, focusing on Pre-K learning standards and practicing fine motor development.

Similar to our preschool programming, parents select the language model of choice that best fits language acquisition goals for the child’s AM learning block. Pre-K students spend the morning engaging with our multidisciplinary units of inquiry, focusing on Pre-K learning standards and fine motor development as they become early writers and readers! In the afternoon, children attend a 90-mintue block of programming in English where they begin the Pre-K curriculum sequence for Language Arts and Mathematics. This afternoon, single-age, classroom continues with Sound of the Week engagements and phonics and literacy development utilizing our Explode the Code curriculum as a resource. Pre-K students start the Jump Math curriculum sequence, leveling up to use the Kindergarten leveled materials as their first year of formal math instruction.

Exclusive to our West Bellevue campus, IMA is introducing a new, dual language Mandarin Immersion kindergarten program for the 2022-23 academic year. In this kindergarten-only classroom, children learn and engage in lessons that solidify necessary academic targets in English, while fostering Mandarin language development. Inquire to learn more!