Pre-Kindergarten | Almaden Country Day School

Our Pre-Kindergarten program (for four- and five-year-olds) focuses on each child as an individual who is accepted and valued, while encouraging their development in small- and large-group learning activities.

Families choose ACDS’s Pre-K program so their students can take advantage of our play-responsive program and access the wide-ranging enrichments and opportunities that a Pre-Kindergarten - 8th grade school community offers.

Our Reggio Emilia-inspired environments earned an "Exceptional" rating from the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).

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A young girl in a red jacket is sitting on the floor, intently focused on writing or drawing in a notebook.

Two young children, a boy and a girl, are sitting on the grass in a playground, surrounded by colorful play equipment and structures in the background.

Theater Arts

Attend elementary and middle school performances

Outdoor Spaces

Access to outdoor spaces like our edible garden

Transition Support

In the move from Pre-K to Kindergarten for students and parents

Big Buddies

Pairing younger students with older ones as role models

Library

Weekly visits for reading and fun with our staff librarian

Our Pre-K program is for children turning 4 or 5 by December 31.

Program Options:

Monday through Friday
5 Half Days
Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
3 Half Days & 2 Full Days
Mon, Weds, Fri, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. & Tues, Thurs, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
3 Full Days & 2 Half Days
Mon, Weds, Fri, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. & Tues, Thurs, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
5 Full Day Days
Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

View sample Pre-K half-day and full-day schedules below.

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Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum

The curriculum for this multi-age program is developmental, play-responsive, child-centered, and Reggio Emilia-inspired. Our highly experienced teachers present and scaffold academic concepts and skills sequentially to support progress at each child’s individual pace. The overall goal of the one- or two-year Pre-Kindergarten experience is to develop the whole child, with an emphasis on social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth in preparation for Kindergarten.

In other words, our students get to experience the joy and wonder of childhood while learning valuable skills at their own pace to get them ready for life beyond Pre-Kindergarten.

Our early childhood education (ECE) teachers are specialists in the field who guide the students using a hands-on multi-sensory approach -- we hear, we see, we say, we do. Children’s play is their work. By building letters with clay, counting plates and napkins for snack, singing songs about friendship and community, building indoor and outdoor structures with various materials, exploring nature, and more, students are actively engaged in learning through play. They share and work with peers, developing interpersonal skills such as negotiation, compromise, and confidence through a variety of engaging, stimulating, and fun classroom experiences.

Multi-Age Program

Multi-age grouping is considered a best practice in early childhood education, serving as the foundation of some well-known models such as the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, Reggio Emilia, and Montessori approaches.

What are the benefits of a multi-age arrangement in Early Childhood?

Modeling and mentoring - Younger children learn from older children; older children slow down, express empathy and test their knowledge by teaching others.
Social play - Children have a more varied group of friends with whom to play and to build social skills, which mimics real-life circumstances.
Intentional teaching - Projects and assignments are highly individualized and tailored to the needs and interests of the children as individuals. Children learn at their own pace, with peers at their same level, regardless of chronological age.
Less labeling - There is a range of development; where one child may be advanced, another may struggle, even at the same chronological age. Multi-age classrooms minimize any stigma associated with typical developmental differences and ability gaps.
Strengthened relationships with children and their families - A strong parent-teacher relationship is formed if the child stays in the same classroom for a second year.
Reduced transition anxiety - Students have less anxiety about “moving up” or “staying behind” when both are the norm.

Pre-K Morning Sample Schedule (for half-day students)

Pre-K Sample Morning Schedule (All sample schedules are subject to change)
8:00	Arrival - greetings, handwashing, safekeeper box
8:15	Morning Meeting - Class commitments, Bridges Math Number Corner, songs, conflict resolution role-plays, and stories
8:30	Discovery Time - Morning invitations to play, creative expression, dramatic play, sensory play explorations, cooking, Bridges Math games, and work jobs
9:45	Snack
10:00	Discovery Time - Outside playtime, work jobs, creative expression, sensory play explorations, enrichments*, Learning Without Tears, provocations, and project work
11:30	Closing Meeting - reflections of the day, compliments, kindness recording, stories, goodbye wishes
12:00	Dismissal for half-day students
*Enrichments include Big Buddies, Library, Music, Spanish Culture

Pre-K Sample Full-Day Schedule

Pre-K Sample Full-Day Schedule (All sample schedules are subject to change)
8:00	Arrival - greetings, handwashing, safekeeper box
8:15	Morning Meeting - Class commitments, Bridges Math Number Corner, conflict resolution role-plays, songs, and stories
8:30	Discovery Time - Morning invitations to play, creative expression, dramatic play, sensory play explorations, cooking, Bridges Math games, and work jobs
9:45	Snack
10:00	Discovery Time - Outside playtime, work jobs, creative expression, sensory play explorations, enrichments*, Learning Without Tears, provocations, and project work
11:30	Closing Meeting - reflections of the day, compliments, kindness recording, stories, goodbye wishes
11:45	Lunch
12:30	Relax time with books, rest time begins
1:00	Quiet activities for non-napping students
1:30	Outside time for non-napping students
2:30	Snack
2:50	Stories and Goodbye Wishes
3:00	Dismissal (or The Orchard: Extended Day Program until 5:30 p.m. - registration required)
*Enrichments include Big Buddies, Library, Music, and Spanish Culture

Building A Strong Foundation for Kindergarten

Additionally, our Pre-K experience provides a strong foundation for future academic and social growth, introducing children to the stimulating, positive learning environment at ACDS with a focus on social emotional development in preparation for Kindergarten and beyond.

Kindergarten Readiness

To learn more about our Pre-Kindergarten program, please contact ACDS Admissions or complete an inquiry form.

Extended Care Programs

We offer complimentary supervised before-school care for children enrolled in grades Kindergarten through 8th Grade. ACDS also offers a fee-based after-school program, The Orchard, staffed by teachers for Pre-Kindergarten students.

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