Explorers
Kindergarten & First Grade — where curiosity leads and every question is worth asking.
Learning about themselves and their world
In kindergarten and first grade, children spend time learning about themselves and their natural environment through a balance of purposeful play and direct and project-based instruction. The balance is weighed toward open-ended exploration in kindergarten, shifting to more structured learning time in first grade.
Play in both programs is largely inspired by the open-ended, ungendered "loose parts" provided by nature. This approach allows children to explore elements of social studies, science, literacy, mathematics, and art in integrated, real-world contexts. The curricular focus is on asking questions, exploring answers, and thinking about oneself as a learner — all while practicing "student behaviors."
Foundational aspects of literacy and math like phonemic awareness, letter recognition and formation, and number sense are playfully introduced and explored in kindergarten. Our first-grade program then builds upon these foundations, while maintaining the experiential and engaging components that make learning meaningful and fun.
Your student may enter kindergarten a ready reader, or never having written their name. Our program joyfully supports and challenges all levels.
Three threads woven through every day
Purposeful Play
Open-ended "loose parts" from nature spark imagination, collaboration, and self-directed discovery. Play isn't a break from learning — it is the learning.
Foundational Literacy
Phonemic awareness, letter formation, and a genuine love of stories — introduced joyfully and at every child's own pace, whether they arrive a ready reader or just learning their name.
Math Through Exploration
Number sense, comparisons, and early mathematical thinking come alive through hands-on materials and real-world contexts — not worksheets.
A glimpse of the Explorers day
"My daughter walked in nervous on her first day, and by the end of the week she was begging to go back. The teachers made her feel like she belonged there immediately."JESSICA, PARENT OF A KINDERGARTNER
Explore all three pods
Students grow through each level. See where the journey continues.