When young learners see education as a place to experiment, create, construct, and connect, they develop a more expansive mindset about what school can offer them. They experience education as a path of discovery, understanding, wonder, and joy.
These ideas are grounded in the Reggio Emilia inspired, project-based teaching and learning practiced at King School, a private school for early childhood education. We encourage our PreKindergarten (starting at age 3) and Kindergarten learners to collaboratively explore intentionally created vibrant classroom spaces where children are actively engaged in the process of learning from the earliest ages.
King uses a project-based teaching and learning approach in our PreKindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms to support the developmental range of our students as part of our private early childhood education program.
King’s teachers carefully design learning opportunities by listening to students’ ideas and questions and then creating the corresponding curriculum that allows young students to ask questions, gather data, make models, develop hypotheses, and teach others about their learning.
Academic emphasis areas include language, early literacy development, math, and science. Our teaching teams carefully curate the materials used in our classrooms. Children are encouraged to express their understanding of the world through a multitude of resources, including art supplies, building blocks, pencil and paper, and the tools of a scientist.
“We believe that curiosity is a natural ability that children bring to their learning – we encourage students to ask questions, make discoveries, think critically, analyze and solve problems, be good listeners, and have fun being involved in the dynamic process of learning. We value every child and build strong, safe classroom communities where exploration and discovery leads to mastery. ”
— Dr. Sandy Lizaire-Duff, Head of Lower School
When our youngest learners enter King classrooms at age three or four, they arrive as naturally curious and full of wonder and joy.
As they learn about problems and topics of interest to them, students interact with primary sources and share their knowledge through culminating projects and demonstration. They develop a deeper understanding of the value of learning, the importance of asking questions, and the value of research and inquiry to learn more about the world and about themselves.
Kindergarten students and their teachers take research in project work to new heights, as they look across the King campus to understand more about themselves and their school community.
Project studies include problems and topics of interest to children; students interact with primary sources and share their knowledge through culminating projects and demonstration.
Through project work, children are encouraged to be academic risk takers in a safe, secure environment. Within the context of a familiar, accepting classroom, they also try new activities such as acting in a play or standing in front of a group to perform a song. They learn that making a mistake is acceptable and part of the learning process. Children gain an awareness and appreciation of other people, both within our classroom and in the larger school community.
The child-centric approach is evident in the setup of the classroom itself. In the shadow of the forest construction, children have access to activities that serve as vehicles for skill development including a watercolor station, a sewing machine corner, a light laboratory, and a cozy library nook. The setting allows children to practice fine and gross motor skills through creative expression.
As part of King's global education initiative, grade 5 students have been exploring Morocco. Students were introduced to various resources such as books, articles, videos, and photos to begin developing an understanding of the North African country's rich cultural heritage.
Prekindergarten students are budding entrepreneurs at King School. As part of imagining and creating a restaurant, they researched their questions: "What kinds of restaurants are there?, Where do they get their food?, and Who works at a restaurant?"
"What I like most is that we can pick a topic that we want to learn more about," says Alivia Posta. "When our class started studying ancient China, the first thing that came to mind was their art. I made a connection because I love art and Chinese civilization was one of the first places to make art and pottery," she reports.
Guided by their teacher, Ellen Eagleton, grade 3 students are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about and empathetic to social issues in the world. Adom Bedu-Addo is inspired by César Chávez because "people would still be treated like slaves on farms" without Chávez's advocacy on behalf of farmworkers. "People can now have freedom, though there is more work to be done to have people treated equally," Adom adds.
How do I express who I am through art? King students in grades 4 and 5 confront this challenge, developing self-expression as well as technical drawing skills. Art and Design Faculty Debbie DePouli reflects that "with the turmoil and uncertainty of our current times, the art studio is a place for students to hone their creativity, while having a safe outlet to process their experiences and emotions."
Curious to learn about nutrition and making good food choices, grade 1 students researched to become familiar with terms such as proteins and carbohydrates and to understand the difference between a fruit and a vegetable. "Eating broccoli and green beans gives you vitamins and eating chicken gives you protein," reported Tyler Oudsema.
"I've been looking forward to being a part of this since pre-K," states grade 5 student Eden Weisel. "We are learning about ancient civilizations. It has been amazing to be able to act out Greek myths and bring these stories to life." Eden plays Demeter, daughter of Persephone. "It is a story about the power of a mother's love for her child," she adds.
Grade 4 student Nikita Gusinski appreciates the camaraderie that takes place in his music class. Lower School students partner with their performing arts teacher Cara Grimaldi to create a new classroom contract each year that supports an inclusive classroom culture.
Students in the Lower School Martial Arts Club learn basic hand strikes, blocks, and kicks as well as the proper stances to perform these techniques. Joey Lener, 4th dan black belt, takes pride in sharing his knowledge with "a new generation of martial artists."
Hands-on learning and technology come together in the after-school STEM classes. Students in grades 1-3 tinker with legos and motors to create simple machines. Students in grades 3-5 learn how to create stop motion movie shorts with animation.