Early Childhood (Junior Pre-K, Pre-K, and Kindergarten)
The Topeka Collegiate Early Childhood Program is for children from Junior Pre-K (age three) through Kindergarten.
We believe children learn best when they are at play. Our early childhood program philosophy is constructivist: we believe children can be active makers of meaning in their world, with guidance from well-prepared, observant, and nurturing teachers. In our Junior Pre-K, Pre-K, and Kindergarten classrooms, students learn social skills as they develop relationships with their teachers and peers, as relationships are the context for learning. Curiosity and creativity bloom in classroom environments that are colorful, print-filled, and full of tactile expression. Each year students learn new academic skills and content in early literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies. They also explore visual art, music, Spanish, physical education, and computers. Our program enables young children to develop their individual potential and sense of self, happy to learn on their own and with others.
Students explore the world through hands-on experiences and become enthusiastic life-long learners. Students engage in a variety of experiential learning activities, from re-enacting life in a one-room schoolhouse to re-creating the Amazonian rainforest. In every grade level they design, script, and perform class assemblies before the entire school every year. The Lower School nurtures learners who are confident, curious, and joyful.