Prekindergarten

We cultivate confidence and independence by encouraging students to be risk-takers and decision-makers, while strengthening problem-solving through collaborative work. This integrated approach builds a strong foundation in literacy and math, preparing students for Kindergarten while fostering a deep sense of community and care for the world.

Essential questions are open-ended, thought-provoking questions that are revisited again and again. Throughout their years in the Early Childhood School, Laurel students explore these essential questions, and we witness their responses to and dialogue around these questions grow in complexity as the students get older.

✓She recognizes many uppercase letters  ✓She is beginning to match letters and sounds  ✓She recognizes and makes rhymes  ✓She can do a simple retell of a story—beginning, middle, end  ✓She can write her name using uppercase or lowercase letters

✓She recognizes most numbers 0-10  ✓She recognizes and names basic shapes  ✓She can count objects  ✓She can recognize simple patterns

 ✓She can follow simple directions  ✓She can hold and use scissors and writing tools  ✓She can work or play independently for short periods of time  ✓She takes risks and participates in group discussions  ✓She can sit still and pay attention when someone else is speaking  ✓She shares materials with others  ✓She takes turns and cooperates with her peers  ✓She is able to name her emotions  ✓She shares ideas and feelings with others  ✓She recognizes that she has choices in how to respond to situations  ✓She manages transitions and/or changes in routine  ✓She asks for what she needs in acceptable ways  ✓She demonstrates bodily independence (bathroom use, dressing in outdoor gear, etc.)