Curriculum Class Options Schedule
Curriculum
The Wilds is re-imagining preschool and exchanging conformity to embrace the extraordinary!
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This program nurtures the whole child- connecting curious minds, kind hearts, and capable bodies. Early education should illuminate all parts of a child and inspire a lifelong love of learning. True education is rooted when children connect to new concepts in meaningful ways and understand how to apply them to different situations. To this end, all elements of our curriculum are designed to build awareness and connection in ways that
directly relate to a child's world.
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Intentional, Emergent Play-Based Program:
Play is at the heart of our program. Research shows that children learn best when they're free to explore, create, and discover on their own terms. Our classrooms reflect children's emerging interests, as our skilled teachers design environments filled with rich, skill-building opportunities. While play looks free and open, it is deeply purposeful; we are developing language, critical thinking, physical and social skills in foundational ways that feel joyful and natural.
Reggio and Waldorf Inspired:
We draw inspiration from both the Reggio Emilia and Waldorf approaches. From Reggio, we embrace the child as a capable, curious learner and see the environment as the first teacher. Our spaces are filled with natural materials, thoughtful documentation, and opportunities for expression and exploration in art and project work.
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From Waldorf, we bring in rhythm, imagination, and a deep respect for the unfolding of childhood. Seasonal celebrations, storytelling, and connection to nature are woven throughout our days, grounding children in a sense of belonging and wonder.
Together, these influences create a nurturing, creative, and deeply intentional space for children to grow.
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Language and Literacy:
Language is a defining key to school readiness and social success. We create a language-rich environment through daily reading, songs, intentional conversation, and visual print. We model expressive language and help children find their own words for thoughts, feelings, and needs. Our goal is to build strong, age-appropriate foundations that make literacy bloom naturally. We read at least one book together a day (did you know that reading daily can give children up to 300 additional words they are otherwise unlikely to encounter?!), expanding vocabulary and language concepts while walking children through their thought processes offering language along the way.
STEM: Science/ Technology/ Engineering/ Math
This is an exciting and essential part of our program! At the preschool level, these concepts begin with the first part of the scientific process: observation. We question how things behave, interact, and respond in everyday life. We explore cause and effect, experiment with tools, and investigate how technology can make life easier. The Wilds is a testing ground where children ask questions, take risks, and discover answers through hands-on experience. Engineering challenges build resilience through trial and error, while early math skills like categorizing, sequencing, one-to-one correspondence, counting, and understanding values are seamlessly woven into play. When it comes to STEM, the best learning happens when children are fully engaged in doing, questioning, and discovering for themselves.​​
Project Work:
The Reggio concept of Project Work helps build a sense of community and celebrates cooperation as we accomplish new and challenging things together! These are long-term explorations, chosen by the class, to evolve over days, weeks, or even months. Through projects children practice communication, collaboration, planning, and creative problem-solving. Teachers encourage their ideas and support perseverance, ingenuity and safe risk-taking. ​​
Music and Movement:
Music is the language of the heart, and it flows through our day in many ways. During free exploration, soft music sets a calm, welcoming tone in our classroom. We use music to connect with our bodies, express energy, and learn new ways to move all while expanding coordination and gross motor skills. Songs often align with learning goals such as rhyming, science concepts, or vocabulary building, though sometimes they are simply for joy. Movement is essential to learning, and we use it to center attention, reinforce concepts, and give children the freedom to feel, explore, and express themselves. ​​
Structured Teacher Led Experiences:
The Wilds teachers have their own unique talents and passions, which they joyfully share during structured group times. These moments are filled with singing and music, storytelling and books, engaging games, and thoughtful conversations. Time with teachers may happen in whole-group settings or smaller, these focused groups giving children space to connect and stretch their growing skills. Teacher-led experiences offer opportunities to deepen understanding of foundational concepts in a way that is relaxed and meaningful. Some children love to jump in and participate, while others prefer to observe quietly- we honor each approach. Through these opportunities, children are guided to think creatively, and explore their ideas with confidence.
Emotional and Social Growth:
Emotional intelligence is a cornerstone of future success, and preschoolers are at a critical stage in their emotional skills development. Studies show that emotional regulation is one of the best, if not the best, indicator for a child's future success across many domains, not just in education. We teach children how to connect to and understand their emotions, helping them name feelings, navigate conflict, tolerate frustration, and build empathy. Through supportive relationships and consistent modeling, children strengthen their ability to self regulate, problem solve, and apply flexible thinking around these connections.
Independence and Capability:
As advocates for self-empowerment, we know that children are capable! We are 'yes we can!' and 'I can't do that YET' people! With support and encouragement students learn to try new things, solve problems, and care for themselves and their space. Our rule is: you try first and then we can help. We support children find their independence by first modelling skills, walking them through steps, creating opportunities to try the same things in different context then allowing adequate time for trying. This includes skills in: self-help, bathrooms, food service, clean up, personal choices, and social interactions.
Living Our Values:
Being able to identify our personal values is integral to developing our self-image. Values are an abstract concept at this age, but important in raising humans who know who they want to be. Our program provides language for examples of heart-centered values as we model and guide children in recognizing and practicing them through our daily interactions. This will include values such as kindness, gratitude, compassion, helpfulness and like concepts. While this may be quietly present in our program, our values show up everywhere: in how we speak, how we care, and how we grow together.
Class Options
The Wilds offers 4 class options for children ages 3 to 6 years old. While all classes provide the same high quality and excellence in educational foundations, each class is geared toward the specific age, needs, and abilities of its students.
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Classes are filled on a first come, first served basis, according to availability
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Spaces are secured when The Wilds confirms your registration.
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Class composition remains at the discretion of The Wilds
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* 4 year olds eligible for Kindergarten in the coming year welcome
All registration requirements must be fulfilled
to secure enrollment.
Sample of a Daily Schedule
All schedules are flexible based on the flow of any given day.
Teachers may rearrange events based on the class's interest and needs, or for special events.
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8:00am Arrival to Welcome Circle ~ sign in, music and movement, jobs ~
8:15 Free Exploration in Classroom Centers ~ art open~
9:15 Snack Center opens until 9:55 (snacks included)
9:55 Clean Up Centers
10:00 Discovery Circle
~ reading, singing, games, project introduction and discussion ~
10:25 Project work / Invitations / Teacher Led Activity
11:20 Clean Up Centers
11:25 Goodbye Circle ~ wrap up, singing, reading, games ~
11:30 Dismissal
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Schedules include handwashing and bathroom opportunities at every transition: Bathrooms are open at all times and supervised
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Students have open access to their water bottles at all times
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Snack is offered during the Snack Center window- children will be given adequate warning before their snack opportunity closes.
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Birthdays are celebrated at Welcome and Good Bye Circles!
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Outside spaces available will be used regularly within our program
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