Emotional security
A child needs to feel safe before learning. We build bonds, routine, and trust: the emotional base of all future formation.
Level 01 · Early childhood
Ages 3 to 4
Learning to belong. Learning to love learning.
Before any formal demand, the child discovers that school is a good place. Pre-K is the first encounter with community, order, and the joy of learning — in two languages, from day one.
Formative goals
At age three you don't teach in a hurry. You sow.
Pre-K does not try to push content forward. It forms the child as a person: attention span, emotional security, language, and a taste for discovery. Everything else is built on that foundation.
We do it through intentional play — not play as filler, but as the proper method of this age — and through natural bilingual immersion: English and Spanish live in the classroom as two familiar voices, with no language classes and no translation.
The goal of a good Pre-K is not for the child to know more. It is for the child to want to know, and to feel capable and loved while doing so.
Language in two voices
Vocabulary, songs, stories, and conversation in Spanish and English. The bilingual ear forms at this age effortlessly.
Sensory discovery
Textures, colors, shapes, sounds. A young child's concrete thinking is nourished by real experience, not screens.
Fine and gross motor skills
Holding a pencil, cutting, threading, running, climbing. The body is the first instrument of learning.
Habits and order
Putting away, waiting for a turn, tidying up, following a routine. Small habits that order the mind and the will.
Wonder and prayer
A first look of gratitude and wonder at the world. The spiritual dimension is introduced with simplicity and tenderness.
The academic day
What a day in Pre-K looks like.
A gentle rhythm that alternates Spanish and English, movement and calm, group and individual. Times are matched to the real energy of a three-year-old.
In Spanish In English Bilingual / shared
- 7:30
Arrival & morning circle
Bilingual / sharedGreeting, calendar, simple prayer, and the song of the day.
- 8:15
Language & story in Spanish
In SpanishVocabulary, rhymes, and narration with visual support.
- 9:00
Sensory play & motor skills
Bilingual / sharedTexture, building, and art stations.
- 9:45
Snack & rest
Bilingual / sharedTable habits and a moment of calm.
- 10:15
English circle & story time
In EnglishSongs, rhymes, and picture books — full English immersion.
- 11:00
Outdoor play
Bilingual / sharedGross motor skills, supervised free play.
- 11:45
Numbers & shapes (concrete)
In SpanishCounting, sorting, and patterns with manipulatives.
- 12:30
Lunch
Bilingual / sharedAutonomy, fellowship, and giving thanks for food.
- 13:15
Nap / guided rest
Bilingual / sharedRespecting the physiological rhythm of the age.
- 14:15
Art, music & closing
In EnglishCreative play in English and review of the day.
- 15:00
Dismissal
Bilingual / sharedAn orderly goodbye with family.
The schedule is illustrative. In Pre-K, flexibility is part of the method: the rhythm adapts to the real energy and needs of the group.
Subjects by language
What is worked on, and in which language.
At this age, "subjects" are domains of experience more than school subjects. Half the day is spent in each language.
Subjects in Spanish
- Language & communication
- Concrete mathematical thinking
- Exploring the environment
- Affective & social formation
- First prayers & catechesis
Subjects in English
- English language & vocabulary
- Songs, rhymes & phonological play
- Sensory & motor activities
- Art & creative expression
- Outdoor & movement
Readings & works
The first stories.
Before reading alone, a child learns to listen. We read aloud stories, fables, and rhymes that form the ear, vocabulary, and imagination — in both languages.
Aesop's Fables
Classical tradition
Short tales with a clear lesson: the first way of thinking about good and bad.
Tales of the Brothers Grimm
Selection
Classical narrative that structures imagination and language.
Nursery Rhymes
Mother Goose
The traditional English rhymes that form the phonological ear.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Bill Martin Jr. / Eric Carle
Repetition and color: a classic of early English immersion.
Spanish rhymes & songs
Traditional canon
Verses, lullabies, and wordplay of the mother tongue.
Gospel stories for children
Adaptation
First stories of the faith, told with simplicity and tenderness.
Works are chosen for their edition and illustration quality. In Pre-K, reading is always shared and read aloud.
Level milestones
What to expect by the end of Pre-K.
Not performance targets, but signs of a healthy formation underway.
01
Separates with confidence and belongs to the group
The child arrives happy, recognizes the routine, and knows they are part of a community. The emotional foundation is set.
02
Understands simple instructions in both languages
Responds to basic prompts in Spanish and English without needing translation. The bilingual ear is active.
03
Expands active vocabulary in both languages
Names objects, colors, animals, and actions; sings and repeats rhymes in Spanish and English.
04
Gains control of body and pencil
Holds a pencil, cuts with scissors, threads, and draws with intention: fine motor skills mature.
05
Shares, waits, and gets along
Begins to regulate impulses, take turns, and care for shared materials: the first habits of the will.
Frequently asked questions
About Pre-K.
The most common questions from families considering starting at age 3.
Isn't my 3-year-old too young for a bilingual school?
Quite the opposite: it is the best age. Before age 7 the brain acquires languages without conscious effort. Starting at 3 takes advantage of an irreplaceable window. And in Pre-K, English is not "studied": it is lived through play, songs, and stories, just like Spanish.
Does my child need to know any English to enroll?
No. Most children enter with no English background and that is completely normal. Immersion is designed precisely for that: the child acquires the language naturally through daily exposure, without pressure.
My child is still toilet-training — is that a problem?
We discuss it case by case during admissions. We accompany this stage of development closely and keep in close communication with the family. What matters is that both the child and the parents receive the right support.
How much screen time is used in class?
Practically none. At this age thinking is concrete: the child learns by touching, moving, and talking with real people. We favor manipulatives, nature, art, and play over any device.
Is there a nap, and what is the full day like?
Yes. The day runs from 7:30 to 3:00 PM and includes a guided rest/nap time after lunch, respecting the physiological rhythm of the age. The day alternates activity and calm, Spanish and English, group and individual.
Start early
The best age to begin is now.
Every year counts in bilingual and affective formation. Schedule a tour and see the Pre-K classroom, its rhythm, and the teachers who will accompany your child's first steps.