Early Childhood

The primary purpose of the PK3 program is to nurture children as they learn to function independently within a classroom setting. The importance of play is the highlight of the program.

The environment is prepared for children to explore and manipulate through learning materials, media, and equipment. Play experiences encourage problem-solving and the development of attention span and organizational skills.

The days are bursting with art, music, movement, science, and math. Kids plunge into language arts, PE, library, and more. Friendship building is also a key component of development and is supported and advanced throughout the year.

Please note that PK3 applicants must be age 3 by September 1 and toilet trained to attend WES. The PK3 and PK4 programs start at 8:30 a.m. but students may be dropped off as early as 7:45 a.m.

Language Arts (daily)

Oral Language is practiced daily by speaking in circle time; participating in show and tell; singing songs and listening to stories, poems, and music; practicing auditory discrimination and memory activities; naming objects, colors, days of the week, and seasons; describing pictures and events; retelling stories; finding likenesses and differences; and identifying rhyming words, building vocabulary, and matching names and sounds of letters.

Students begin their study of written language through a variety of hands-on and interactive read-aloud and by being able to recognize and spell their first name. Children study the letters in the alphabet through multi-sensory play, direct instruction, and creating their very own alphabet journals. Children begin to develop their handwriting skills by strengthening their fine motor abilities. Through practice and repetition, children begin to gradually make the transition to grasping paintbrushes, markers, and crayons.

Mathematics (daily)

Children use objects such as blocks, pegs, various counters, and the calendar to learn the meaning of numbers and addition and subtraction concepts. They learn patterns through grouping and sorting by size and length, matching and ordering objects, and color patterns. Students learn to measure by experimenting during cooking projects and finding the length, height, and weight of various objects. Problem-solving is emphasized through work on individual and large-group games and puzzles.

Social Studies (daily)

PK3 students explore theme-based units with a focus on self, family, and celebrations. This includes respecting each other and caring for others in the community.

Art (2x/week)

We emphasize the wonder of creating, exploring, problem-solving, and discovery through some of the fundamentals of art: drawing, painting, color mixing, collaging, and building with clay, wood, and cardboard. Subjects taught in the classroom are reinforced, such as seasons, holidays, life cycles, and hibernation. Students are introduced to two famous artists: Jackson Pollock and Vincent van Gogh. After learning about these artists, the students try their hand at action painting and using their observation skills to paint sunflowers.

Music (2x/week)

Children experience and learn music through singing, movement, dance, and playing instruments. Through musical games and activities children learn to keep a steady beat, recognize patterns, and begin to imitate musical patterns.

PE (3x/week)

The PE curriculum strengthens gross motor development through a variety of games and activities that incorporate balance, running, jumping, kicking, throwing, and core strength. Children engage in activities that require planning and executing movements to improve motor planning skills.

Science (2x/week)

Students learn to take risks and gain confidence as they begin to explore different textures, colors, smells, and sounds. They study magnetism, buoyancy, plant life, meteorology, geology, volcanoes, dinosaurs, and more! Through a variety of hands-on activities and projects, children are  encouraged to develop their curiosity by making observations and making connections between what they know and want to know.

Library (1x/week)

WES’s library program hopes to inspire a lifelong love of reading. Children enjoy a weekly storytime, where they are exposed to a wide range of genres and authors. They are encouraged to explore titles according to their personal interests and they may check out one book a week.

Chapel (1x/week)

All Early Childhood students gather weekly to sing, dance, and hear simple stories drawn from the Bible about God’s love for creation and humanity. Students also learn and think about ways to apply the virtues that are emphasized each month into their daily activities.

Wellness (1x/week)

Books, videos, puppets, and other tools are used to encourage students’ social-emotional development. Topics include: promoting personal safety as well as the safety of others, recognizing feelings, practicing empathy and kindness, making and keeping friends, problem solving, using mindfulness techniques, and having a growth mindset.

Public Speaking (Daily)

From greeting each other in the morning to speaking confidently on stage, our Early Childhood students speak and perform publicly throughout the year including:

• Early Childhood Christmas Chapel
• Chapel Presentations
• Early Childhood May Day Performance

Additional Highlights

• Three recess periods a day
• Access to Early Childhood Science Lab and the Discovery Room
• Field trips to a local farm and Imagination Stage
• Five-morning core program, with the option of afternoons
• Age-appropriate after-school enrichment; Extended Day until 6 p.m.
• Opportunities to perform in front of the entire school
• Multi-sensory play, which encourages problem-solving and the development of attention span

The PK4 class is designed to further develop the child’s ability to solve meaningful problems individually as well as within groups. A variety of materials and plenty of time are provided for children to explore and learn about their environment. An abundance of meaningful experiences develop basic skills in language and literacy. Foreign language instruction in either French or Spanish is introduced in this year; parents select the language of choice.

The development of fine motor skills continues to be encouraged through the use of a variety of writing tools, hands-on activities, and through sensory play. The children’s social skills are also maturing as they become much more aware of people relevant to their everyday life and the world at large. The following activities, experiences, and interactions are designed to encourage students to make choices that will foster confidence, initiative, and autonomy. Pre-K is for students who are 4 years old.

Language Arts (daily)

Students engage daily in multiple read-aloud, phonemic awareness activities, letter recognition, word building, journaling, and drawing through both large and small groups. The Heggerty Program is used as a primary resource for word studies in phonemic awareness and phonics. The Handwriting Without Tears® Program is used to promote the correct formation of letters and penmanship.

Mathematics (daily)

Social Studies (daily)

Students explore theme-based units with a focus on identity within the WES community and outside of it. Children learn to respect each other and their differences through sharing, actively listening, and caring for one another in our community.

PE (3x/week)

The PE curriculum strengthens gross motor development through a variety of games and activities that incorporate balance, running, jumping, kicking, throwing, and core strength. Children engage in activities that require planning and executing movements to improve motor planning skills. Working as a team, respecting others, and learning about safety are practiced weekly.

Art (2x/week)

Students take great joy in using their imaginations to discover, explore, learn, and problem-solve with each art challenge. A wide variety of materials are introduced as students continue to learn the fundamentals of art: drawing, painting, printing, and collaging. Students will also employ their three dimensional spatial and manipulative skills through working with ceramics and paper maché. Classroom learning is reinforced through cross-curricular efforts, including a hibernation collage and paper maché of rainforest creatures. Several well-known and some lesser-known artists are introduced, such as Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, and Charly Palmer. Students will learn about the artists as they try their hand at practicing the artist’s style.

French or Spanish (2x/week)

Languages are taught using an immersion method where the children hear almost exclusively French or Spanish during class time. They are encouraged to respond in French or Spanish as much as possible. The emphasis is on learning while having fun by means of songs, rhymes, games, puppets, stories, and hands-on activities.

Music (2x/week)

Children experience and learn music through singing games, echoing sounds, body percussion, and choral participation. Basic musical concepts such as rhythm and beat dynamics are explored through guided listening and songs. Students use pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments to enhance stories and songs. Students are given many opportunities to express themselves creatively in music class.

Science (2x/week)

Students use their senses to make observations about the world around them and apply their knowledge to ask questions, conduct investigations, classify, and communicate information. Units of exploration include: the five senses, seasons, human growth, animals, nutrition, plant life, sea life, insects, ecology, environmental stewardship, balances and weight, magnets, electricity, and the rock cycle.

Chapel (1x/week)

All Early Childhood students gather weekly to sing, dance, and hear simple stories drawn from the Bible about God’s love for creation and humanity. Students also learn and think about ways to apply the virtues that are emphasized each month into their daily activities.

Library (1x/week)

WES’s library program hopes to inspire a lifelong love of reading. Children enjoy a weekly storytime, where they are exposed to a wide range of genres and authors. They are encouraged to explore titles according to their personal interests and they may check out one book a week.

Wellness (1x/week)

Books, videos, puppets, and other tools are used to encourage students’ social-emotional development. Topics include: promoting personal safety as well as the safety of others, recognizing feelings, practicing empathy and kindness, making and keeping friends, problem solving, using mindfulness techniques, and having a growth mindset.

Public Speaking (Daily)

From greeting each other in the morning to speaking confidently on stage, our Early Childhood students speak and perform publicly throughout the year including:

• Early Childhood Christmas Chapel
• Chapel Presentations
• Early Childhood May Day Performance

Other Highlights

• Three recess periods a day
• Field trips to Green Meadows Farm and Petting Zoo, Brookside Gardens, and the National Zoo
• World Language instruction: French or Spanish
• Five-day, full-day program to 3:30 p.m.
• Small class sizes

Kindergarten is an exciting year, where children learn a variety of foundational skills and concepts that are important for their overall development. At a more accelerated pace, the children continue to experiment with oral and written language to solve problems. An understanding of basic mathematical concepts is developed to aid in everyday life.

Language Arts (daily)

Students begin to develop their reading and writing skills. They learn letter recognition, phonics, and basic sight words. They start to form simple words and sentences and they engage in activities that promote listening, speaking, and comprehension skills. The Heggerty Program and Reading Horizons are used as primary resources for word studies in phonemic awareness and phonics.

Mathematics (daily)

Classes use the Bridges in Mathematics Program, designed to develop a deep understanding of math concepts while working toward proficiency in key skills. The program helps students build more flexible and efficient ways to solve problems through a variety of tasks.

Social Studies (daily)

Kindergarten students explore theme-based units with a focus on the following: self-growth and change, past and present, and chronological awareness.

PE (3x/week)

The PE curriculum strengthens gross motor development through a variety of games and activities that incorporate balance, running, jumping, kicking, throwing, and core strength. Children engage in activities that require planning and executing movements to improve motor planning skills. Working as a team, respecting others, and learning about safety are practiced weekly. In PE, we emphasizes the benefits of personal fitness and laying the foundation for lifelong wellness.

Art (2x/week)

Kindergarten students will continue their joyful exploration of various art materials and styles. Students are exposed to a wide variety of supplies as we draw, paint, print, collage, and build with clay and cardboard together. Kindergarten artists will learn to identify “still life,” “landscape,” and “portrait” as they view various well known and lesser known artists’ work. They will then try their hand at creating light and shadow from a simple “still life” set-up. We will focus on artists Faith Ringgold and Wassily Kandinsky. Art class reinforces the student’s classroom learning in several cross-curricular units.

French or Spanish (2x/week)

Languages are taught using an immersion method where the children hear almost exclusively French or Spanish during class time. Students expand their vocabulary in the target language and build upon concepts in a fun and interactive way. The emphasis is on repetition through songs, games, puppets, stories, and hands-on activities.

Music (2x/week)

Our goal is to create lifelong lovers of music who, from the youngest of ages, are musically literate, active audience members, or accomplished performers. In Kindergarten, children experience and learn music through singing games, folk dances, and playing of instruments. We continue to build upon our musical skills from Pre-K in addition to learning to read simple musical notation. Students are given many opportunities to express themselves creatively in music class.

Science (2x/week)

Students engage in hands-on activities that integrate science, technology, engineering, and math. These activities promote problem solving, reasoning, and critical thinking. They engage in a variety of experiments where they learn about electrical safety, identify the parts of a light bulb, learn how to draw a circuit diagram, and build a circuit using a light bulb, a bulb socket, a battery, battery holder, and wires. Students are introduced to Earth’s magnetic field, and learn to distinguish between things that are magnetic and things that are not. While studying floating and sinking, they design their own aluminum foil boats to learn about buoyancy. These units will further their skills in making predictions, collaborating, being creative, and applying the scientific method.

Chapel (1x/week)

All Early Childhood students gather weekly to sing, dance, and hear simple stories drawn from the Bible about God’s love for creation and humanity. Students also learn and think about ways to apply the virtues that are emphasized each month into their daily activities.

Library (1x/week)

WES’s library program hopes to inspire a lifelong love of reading. Children enjoy a weekly storytime, where they are exposed to a wide range of genres and authors. They are encouraged to explore titles according to their personal interests and they may check out one book a week.

Wellness (1x/week)

Books, videos, puppets, and other tools are used to encourage students’ social-emotional development. Topics include: promoting personal safety as well as the safety of others, recognizing feelings, practicing empathy and kindness, making and keeping friends, problem solving, using mindfulness techniques, and having a growth mindset.

Public Speaking (daily)

From greeting each other in the morning to speaking confidently on stage, our Early Childhood students speak and perform publicly throughout the year including:

• Early Childhood Christmas Chapel
• All-School Chapels 
• Early Childhood May Day Performance
• Kindergarten Class Play

Other Highlights

• Spring field trip to a Maryland pond to explore native wildlife and plants
• Grade 5 Reading Buddies
• Kindergarten play, performed for the entire school

Grade 1 students are now the leaders of Early Childhood, with a new found sense of independence and confidence. The children continue to build upon the foundational skills and concepts they learned in Kindergarten. The curriculum becomes more structured and formalized, focusing on further development in various areas. Children become active participants in their learning as they become readers, writers, and mathematicians.

Language Arts (daily)

With an emphasis on the development of reading and writing skills, children build upon their phonics knowledge to decode and read simple text. They learn to recognize sight words and develop comprehension strategies. In writing, they learn to form letters and words, write simple sentences, and express their ideas through writing. Interactive writing and small group instruction (guided reading opportunities) are also offered daily. Reading Horizons is used as a primary resource for word studies in phonemic awareness and phonics.

Mathematics (daily)

Social Studies (daily)

Grade 1 students explore building a classroom community by learning about one another and how we can work together. They then focus on their neighborhood as a community, followed by their town or city as a community. We end our year by exploring important landmarks of Washington, D.C.

PE (3x/week)

The PE curriculum strengthens gross motor development through a variety of games and activities that incorporate balance, running, jumping, kicking, throwing, and core strength. Children engage in activities that require planning and executing movements to improve motor planning skills. Working as a team, respecting others, and learning about safety are practiced weekly. In PE, we emphasizes the benefits of personal fitness and laying the foundation for lifelong wellness.

Art (2x/week)

With many of the basic fundamentals of art—such as line drawing, color mixing, scissor skills, and 2D and 3D exploration—underway, Grade 1 artists get right to work creating. Students begin the year with a full body action self-portrait, reviewing many famous artists that portray humans in action, such as William Johnson, Edgar Dégas, Mary Cassatt, and Norman Rockwell. They continue with projects that highlight angles, perspective, lights, and shadows. They will also explore history, social studies, and the natural sciences, as well as develop their observation skills and imagination. They will study Wilson Bentley (photographer), Bisa Butler, Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Sipho Mabona.

French or Spanish (2x/week)

Students will expand and enrich vocabulary by engaging in conversation, expressing feelings and emotions, obtaining and providing simple/basic information, and exchanging opinions in the target language. Through songs, movies, dancing, and games, learning will happen in a joyful manner.

Music (2x/week)

Children experience and learn music through more diverse opportunities. We continue to build upon our musical skills learned in the previous grades, and add concepts of tempo, pitch, rhythmic and melodic reading, and recognizing the stylistic characteristics of music through listening. 1st graders also learn more complicated folk dances and participate in movement as a form of music expression. Students are given many opportunities to express themselves creatively in music class.

Science (2x/week)

In science, children explore topics such as plants, animals, weather, and simple scientific processes. Students  begin to classify various kinds of animals, such as, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and insects. Next they categorize the 6 animal groups to create and present their own 3D creatures using recycled materials. Our young scientists also learn about the life cycle of different plants and animals, explore the rock cycle, make detailed observations while using microscopes, become familiar with the metric system, and understand the function and structure of animal and plant cells. Students complete and present Earth Day projects explaining how they can take care of our planet.

Chapel (1x/week)

All Early Childhood students gather weekly to sing, dance, and hear simple stories drawn from the Bible about God’s love for creation and humanity. Grade 1 students are given the opportunity to serve as Chapel leaders. Chapel leaders are responsible for leading the Early Childhood division in prayer and song. Students also learn and think about ways to apply the virtues that are emphasized each month into their daily activities.

Library (1x/week)

WES’s library program hopes to inspire a lifelong love of reading. Children enjoy a weekly storytime, where they are exposed to a wide range of genres and authors. They are encouraged to explore titles according to their personal interests and they may check out one book a week.

Wellness(1x/week)

Books, videos, puppets, and other tools are used to encourage students’ social-emotional development. Topics include: promoting personal safety as well as the safety of others, recognizing feelings, practicing empathy and kindness, making and keeping friends, problem solving, using mindfulness techniques, and having a growth mindset.

Public Speaking (daily)

From greeting each other in the morning to speaking confidently on stage, our Early Childhood students speak and perform publicly throughout the year including:

• All-School Chapels
• Early Childhood Christmas Chapel
• Chapel Presentations
• Early Childhood May Day Performance
• Grade 1 Class Play

Other Highlights:

• Field trips to the National Building Museum, Imagination Stage, Kennedy Center, and the U.S. Capitol
• Designing and creating a 3-D project in the ceramics studio
• Early Childhood Chapel Leaders