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Early Childhood pre-k for 2-year olds through kindergarten

At Seven Hills, whether they're just starting out or about to finish, students will be celebrated for the things that make them stand out. Through an open, high trust environment—with teachers to guide them through every chapter of their story—students become well-rounded people with emotional and intellectual depth.

From the moment their feet step into their classrooms, children’s worlds get smaller and their imaginations bigger. They think, they build, they conquer.

Curious and Exploring

Our Philosophy

We believe early childhood education is the foundation of an important journey for children. That’s why we focus on what makes each individual special. Our teachers are experts in this age group, and work to foster each child’s unique academic abilities, as well as their social and emotional development. By participating in a lively classroom environment that balances personal attention and independence, our students eagerly learn as they ask questions, explore new interests, and happily work together. With our holistic approach to education, students feel loved and cared for in a safe environment where they are free to discover how fun and fulfilling learning can be.

Tracy Murch, Head of Doherty
Susan Miller, Head of Lotspeich

Our Approach

Our unique, student-centered Early Childhood Program is continually evolving and allows us to meet each child’s learning style and potential. Based on the most current educational research and best practices, our expert faculty have designed a curriculum that combines their years of experience with a variety of proven methods from a wide spectrum of early childhood philosophies to create a truly differentiating program. This flexible model allows us to meet a range of readiness and abilities, assuring every student has what they need to develop at this critical age.

With a natural and ongoing assessment process that occurs in formal and informal settings through observation and interaction, our teachers use their expert knowledge of early childhood developmental milestones to help guide and encourage each student. Our teachers have a goal to create a family-like environment that makes children feel at home while they’re at school. The success of every child is our faculty’s greatest reward, and they feel privileged to share this journey with children and their families.

Best Regards,

Tracy Murch, Head of Doherty Lower School
Susan Miller, Head of Lotspeich Lower School

 


Our Early Childhood Domains

During the years of early childhood, the following domains are the areas of development that are most important to the growth and success of a healthy, well-rounded child. Our curriculum is built around these five domains and supported by our Seven Hills values to help ensure the successful development of every child.

The Social/Emotional Domain is the foundation that provides self-awareness and self-regulation. Woven throughout our curriculum, this domain comes to life in daily exercises and interactions that give students the opportunity to grow as individuals and practice being part of a group. This positive growth is the crucial foundation for successful learning throughout each child’s life.

The Language Domain addresses verbal, auditory, and written communication. Each student develops at their own pace, and is challenged appropriately. In a learning environment rich in print and language resources, students improve their listening skills, acquire phonetic awareness, and develop skills to write with a purpose.

The Cognitive Domain encompasses a child’s academic skills. Students develop their knowledge in areas like math, science, and social studies everyday through hands-on and meaningful learning opportunities and experiences. They begin to develop problem-solving skills, and become more aware of the world around them and their special place in it. 

The Sensory/Motor Domain covers sensory integration such as fine motor and gross motor skills as they relate to body awareness. Our indoor and outdoor classrooms are specially designed to offer continuous opportunities for physical activities that promote healthy brain development. Students begin to use their senses to describe and interact with the world around them while also practicing their coordination and establishing hand dominance.

The Creative Domain allows for learning through curiosity and imagination. Students have the time and space to explore the arts in classrooms where they are encouraged to experiment with self-expression and creativity. By experimenting with a variety of art materials and exploring open-ended projects and plays, students learn to communicate ideas in new and unique ways.  

Early Childhood Curriculum

Language Arts

Children develop language in a number of ways, such as journaling, blending sounds, and public speaking. Our language arts curriculum helps students begin to master these skills with engaging activities.

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Math

Measuring and counting, sorting and building—these math lessons foster our students’ curiosity about the numbers, shapes, and patterns they see in the world around them. By touching and manipulating a rich array of objects, children learn all the quantitative concepts they will need for future problem-solving.

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Social Studies

Who am I? Where do I belong? How are we alike? How do we differ? Early social studies lessons help students know themselves, their families, and their role in their classroom and our school community. Over time, they glimpse the rich, diverse world we share.

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Science

In science, students explore their natural curiosities and discover a sense of wonder. Both in and outside the classroom, a stimulating environment inspires curiosity, hones the impulse to observe, question, and experiment, and helps children construct a richer understanding of the natural world.

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Social and Emotional Learning

Learning is a lifetime pursuit, and so much depends on a child’s emotional and social readiness to learn. In these critical years, we nurture those emotional dispositions most conducive to effective learning: self-control, responsibility, communication skills, problem-solving, and respect for others.

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Specials

Our children’s stimulating daily experience is enriched by a rotation of specials classes, taught by subject specialists, that plant seeds for future growth in social, artistic, and physical skills.

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SIGNATURE PROGRAMS

Woven throughout our entire curriculum, our Signature Programs represent a distinctive and innovative approach to education that engages and motivates students through unique learning opportunities and experiences. In Early Childhood, the programs are focused on the five domains of early childhood development: social and emotional, language, cogitative, sensory and motor, and creative skills. Through carefully curated experiences, your child gains understanding and abilities in a way that makes learning joyful and stimulating.

Click the link below to see how our Signature Programs come to life in Early Childhood

OUR SIGNATURE PROGRAMS