Prekindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade
Structured Freedom
Early childhood students at Nueva thrive in structured freedom. We focus on play as the primary learning vehicle for young children, encouraging them to develop confidence, create, and explore in depth. Given the opportunity to suggest activities and determine classroom themes, students learn to be active participants in their own educations at an early age. Key building blocks of our Early Childhood program are regular culmination celebrations, that foster continued growth and honor accomplishments.
In the half-day pre-kindergarten program we work to develop social skills while providing opportunities to expand horizons through hands-on exploration both in and out of the classroom. Prekindergarten students engage in various forms of play, using dress-up, sand, water, clay, blocks, tools, paint, and other materials. Children develop gross motor skills as they navigate daily outdoor and indoor activities.
In kindergarten, students are encouraged to take an active role in selecting a theme of study by gathering suggestions, discussing ideas, debating pros and cons, voting, and coming to consensus. Once a theme is chosen, children immerse themselves in all aspects of the topic. For example, if the theme is "animal study," all activities in class center around this theme. An integrated math/science activity could involve students sorting animals by characteristics, such as vertebrate/invertebrate. As their knowledge grows, students might turn the classroom into a particular habitat using various materials, design and construct imaginary animals based on information gathered about the physical and behavioral traits of real animals, or write and perform plays. Teachers schedule field trips and expert speakers to further enrich the thematic model.
As students enter first grade and devote more time to developing reading, spelling, and math skills, Nueva's structure allows them to work at their own pace, whether at grade level or beyond. This flexibility is crucial for gifted children, who often have areas of significant strength and other areas that are still developing. We nurture individual strengths and areas for continued growth by tapping into the passions and interests of our students. While the teacher guides the coursework and covers skills, children take charge of their learning processes and challenge themselves to go as far as they can. For example, the first grade theme of "Community" involved a yearlong study of both Nueva and the greater community. Students began by mapping the campus, learning the history of the school, and interviewing staff about their roles at the school. The first graders chose to extend their experience of community and participated in a service learning project at a local convalescent home where they developed relationships with elder buddies.
The collaborative process between students and teachers encourages children to utilize their knowledge to solve problems. They are given the freedom to design both independent and group projects, and become experts at brainstorming, discussion, and analysis. Through the structured freedom of gathering resources and asking questions, students invest themselves in their own educations, and begin the lifelong process of learning how to learn.
