Whittier Kids Preschool
Enrollment InformationWhittier Kids Preschool is…
- A single classroom, mixed-age preschool for children 3-5 years old
- A school year program onsite at Whittier Elementary, Sept. – June, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm. Scheduling options: Monday-Friday, Mon/Wed/Fri, or Tues/Thurs.
- Licensed by the Department of Children, Youth and Families
- A Level Four Participant of Washington State’s Early Achievers
Program Highlights:
- Play-oriented, research-based curriculum and interest centers adapted weekly to meet children’s emerging interests and learning goals
- Ongoing individual observations and assessments
- Opportunities to experience “Big School” through participating in Reading Buddies with an elementary student, attending school assemblies, and riding a school bus to field trips*
- Family involvement through parent/teacher conferences, celebrations and classroom visits*
- Field trips and special guests*
*activities currently on-hold or limited in compliance with COVID mitigation recommendations
Our Philosophy
Whittier Kids Preschool believes that play is the most effectual way for young children to gain usable knowledge and social confidence. This learning is most likely to happen in a warm, welcoming environment with teachers providing intentional play experiences and meaningful interactions.
Research-based tools we use to guide our curriculum, environments, and teaching practices include:
- Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) is an observation-based assessment tool used with young children.
- Creative Curriculum for Preschool & Pre-K offers a series of hands-on investigations aka”studies” that encourage critical thinking, creativity and teamwork. The studies directly align with TSG objectives and the Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines.
- The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale ensures that our interest centers contain play materials that are open-ended, allow for experimentation, and support each child’s learning goals.
- The Classroom Assessment Scoring System guides our teachers in providing emotional and instructional support through positive and intentional interactions