Kindergarten

Birchwood School of Hawken kindergarten teachers have created a curriculum which taps into the inner drive for understanding as well as the deep need for creativity and meaningful social engagement. Our program flows from our mission to address the unique potential and growth pace of individual children. Teachers deftly employ time-tested pedagogies which will meet the needs of particular children at different times.

Children engage in reading and math instruction at the level and pace that fits them. They may go as far as they have interest and capacity. The goal is the children’s thorough enjoyment, which arises when they feel competent about their growth and the worlds they are coming to understand. Children tell stories through art, conversation, and their burgeoning ability to write.

Curiosity and exploration units tap children’s interest and/or introduce them to fields as yet unknown to them. The guiding principle of these long-term projects is that they have open-ended components and are driven by children’s insight and questions. Additionally, throughout each week, children spend extended periods in free play both indoors and outdoors. A hallmark of the kindergarten year is a carefully tailored character program that embraces the daily challenges and opportunities for inspiration which naturally arise out of the experiences of children at this age.