The Children’s Garden offers PK5, Kindergarten, and First Grade together in the Bluebirds class as components of our Primary School Program for children ages 5-7. Students should be 5 years old by September 30th to enroll in PK5 or Kindergarten and 6 years old by September 30th to enroll in First Grade. All students in the Bluebirds class attend 5 days/week. Families with children in PK5 can opt for half-day (9 am-12 noon) or full-day (9 am-3 pm) schedules. Kindergarten and First Grade are both full-day programs. Our child-centered PK5, Kindergarten, and First Grade curriculum is designed by our experienced teachers to meet and exceed the Virginia Standards of Learning while also encouraging active exploration and cultivating a child’s natural sense of wonder.
Each child in the Bluebirds class receives individualized reading instruction with fun and systematic lessons based on The Science of Reading. Building upon his/her existing knowledge and engaging in multisensory experiences with letters and words, children build a strong foundation of phonological awareness, instant recognition of sight words, increased vocabulary, keen perception of spelling patterns, and superior reading comprehension.
Bluebird students develop a deep, yet playful relationship with math. They build a strong number sense and gain profound mental math skills beyond their years through calendar study, number building activities, math games, and songs. When children finish with the Bluebirds class, they confidently see math as an exciting puzzle or mystery to solve.
Science, geography, and history are explored through themed units based on picture books and chapter books the Bluebirds read together during the school year. We dive into the science we can see through experiments or relate to in everyday life. In geography, we are able to get a sense of our place in this great big world. We focus on the good parts of history, like events or heroes who have changed the world for the better. We have discovered inventors, scientists, artists, presidents, and even animals who inspire us to use our ideas to help others.
We strive to present an abundance of opportunities for the children to learn through immersion in their own experience. Our approach encourages children to make connections and to appreciate the unique yet related aspects of our world. One recent study, for instance, was designed around a student’s question: “I wonder where the garbage goes?” During this two week unit, the students engaged in such activities as:
Language Arts: explaining the definitions of key terms, discussing and retelling stories and poems such as Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Barbara Cooney’s Miss Rumphius, and Shel Silverstein’s “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout”
Math: estimating the rates at which certain materials decompose, graphing the actual rates of decomposition, and using symbols to convey concepts such as addition, subtraction, greater than, and less than
Science: building a model landfill, a worm composting bin, and conducting decomposition experiments by varying conditions within the model
Social Studies: collecting litter on the school grounds and separating recyclable materials from waste; talking with a guest speaker from the Solid Waste Authority
Art: constructing a garden built entirely from recyclables and discarded materials
Music: writing a class song about waste and recycling that incorporates elements of rhyme and meter
Drama: acting out physical processes such as decomposition and recycling; using our bodies to form letters and spell key terms
Physical Education: completing a theme based obstacle course designed from recycled items
Self-awareness: describing ways in which our choices influence each other and our local and global communities
What do parents say about the Bluebirds class?
“We are forever grateful for the nurturing environment created by the teachers at The Children’s Garden. After a year of homeschooling, we decided our son needed the social/emotional experience with a classroom of same-aged peers. The Bluebirds classroom was a safe space to learn and grow. Each child was worked with at their own level, both academically and socially/emotionally. I am not exaggerating when I say that Anna, the Bluebirds teacher, is the epitome of unruffled. Her steady, caring, zen-like demeanor is something to aspire to as a way of being as a parent. We have often asked at home, ‘What would Anna do?’ 🙂 Our son made such sweet connections with his classmates and grew so much in ways we knew he needed. As we walked to the car on the last day of school he turned to me and said, ‘Mama, I wish I had more time at The Children’s Garden.'” – Richele H.
“My son had a great experience here for one year in the Bluebirds room for PK5. The one-on-one attention he got was unmatched, and he is much more confident and prepared now to start kindergarten this year! The teachers are loving and understanding while also maintaining a structured environment. They do a great job of embracing kid’s personalities and interests (mine is very high energy!) and meeting kids where they are developmentally. I also loved how much they played outside/in nature throughout the day. We are very thankful we got to spend one year at CG!” – Andrea M.
“We’re entering our fourth consecutive year at The Children’s Garden. My son joined in 2021 and stayed through Kindergarten, afterwards making the transition to 1st Grade at our local public school with ease (although he dearly missed, as a big 1st Grader, all the outdoor time). We started my daughter in 2022, and she will also stay through Kindergarten. Even though it would be easier on us for her to start K at our local school, we believe strongly enough in the love, attention, and preparation from Children’s Garden to keep her there one more year. The school emphasizes social and emotional growth, with a wonderful sprinking of art, creativity, and outdoor time. The teachers are truly educators – even the youngest children will be exposed to thoughtful curriculum. Teachers are kind, patient (truly! I wish I could be that patient!) and passionate about early childhood education. We recommend the school to everyone we know!” – Roger S. and Maggie C.
