At CDS, preschoolers learn through play. Play is children's work; it is the way that young children discover, interpret and come to understand the world. Through both cooperative and independent play, children explore, test ideas, acquire information and draw their own conclusions. For example, imagine a group of children building a block structure. During that activity, students are simultaneously learning fractions, cooperation, taking turns, the properties of wood, making plans, disappointment, acting as a leader or follower and the excitement of completing a project.

Children need an environment with opportunities for active exploration and involvement. We provide this through our use of developmental learning centers. Both indoors and outdoors - in our rich playground and farm and garden areas - teachers create learning centers designed for different developmental activities. These centers allow children to pursue their interests at their own pace and engage in meaningful activities that lead them to learning in a natural, yet directed manner. Classrooms have specific areas for art, music, sensory exploration, reading, listening, building and using manipulatives. Spoken and written Spanish is routinely infused into the program. The children's interaction with these materials, with each other and with their teachers in thoughtful, directed play nurtures the development of the whole child and ultimately fosters growth of early reading, writing, math and science skills, laying the groundwork for successful future learning.

See what a typical preschool day looks like.

Learn about diversity and inclusion in the preschool curriculum.

Download our Preschool Curriculum