Preschool at Stratford
Beginners through Kindergarten
Freedom for Exploration and Joy
At Stratford Academy, Little Eagles Early Learning is designed for infants and toddlers ages 6 weeks to 2 years and provides a developmentally rich foundation for our youngest learners.
Stratford's Preschool cultivates confident learners inspired to explore the world around them. Through play, students develop at their own pace in a nurturing environment that supports each child’s unique learning style—preparing them for a lifetime of learning and success.
Preschool Core Curriculum
Literacy
Building Confident Readers Through Joy and Play
Literacy is woven throughout each child's day through meaningful experiences with books, storytelling, songs, dramatic play, and hands-on exploration. Beginning in our Beginners program, children develop the foundational skills for reading, including oral language, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and print concepts. As students progress through Pre-K and Kindergarten, literacy instruction becomes increasingly explicit, systematic, and multisensory, building strong phonics, decoding, comprehension, and writing skills. Grounded in the principles of the Orton-Gillingham approach and the Science of Reading, our literacy program nurtures confident, capable, and enthusiastic readers.
Writing
From Scribbles to Stories
Our writing program combines sensory-rich activities with Handwriting Without Tears to build letter formation and fine motor skills. Children explore shapes, letters, and storytelling through hands-on play, gradually progressing to short stories and sentences, fostering creativity, confidence, and a lifelong love of writing in a playful, supportive environment.
Social Studies
Exploring Community, Discovering Worlds
Stratford Academy’s Preschool social studies curriculum helps children explore their community, understand roles, and appreciate diversity. From learning about local helpers to discovering continents and cultures, students develop curiosity, empathy, and global awareness. Hands-on activities, stories, and discussions guide children in understanding the world around them and their place within it.
Mathematical Thinking
Math Made Fun
Mathematics is woven throughout each child's day through play, exploration, and hands-on discovery. Beginning in our Beginners program, children build foundational math skills through engaging stories, games, and activities that introduce number recognition, one-to-one correspondence, patterns, shapes, colors, sequencing, sorting, measurement, and early problem-solving. As students progress through Pre-K and Kindergarten, they develop strong number sense, mathematical reasoning, and confidence through increasingly intentional, hands-on instruction that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong appreciation for mathematics.
Social & Emotional Development
Growing Hearts and Minds
Social and Emotional Development is at the heart of everything we do. Through daily interactions, guided play, classroom routines, and intentional lessons, children learn to recognize and express their emotions, build positive relationships, develop empathy, and practice problem-solving skills. Beginning in our Beginners program and continuing through Pre-K and Kindergarten, students develop confidence, self-awareness, self-regulation, and kindness as they learn to navigate friendships and new experiences. Monthly social-emotional lessons provide additional opportunities for children to explore feelings, resolve conflicts, and build the skills needed to thrive in the classroom and beyond.
A Whole-Child Approach
Rooted in Sensory Development
By meeting each student where they are developmentally, our Preschool sensory program supports individual growth and encourages children to challenge themselves at their own pace. As they gain mastery over their bodies, emotions, and learning processes, they develop the confidence and independence they need to thrive both in the classroom and beyond.
Explore Sensory Development at Stratford
Each day begins with sensory activities designed to build crucial skills such as attention, impulse control, and self-regulation — essential abilities for tasks like sitting in a chair, listening to instructions, copying an assignment, or engaging in early literacy and numeracy.
Students engage in a variety of gross motor and fine motor exercises that promote coordination, balance, and strength. Tracing lazy 8s, using tongs, and squeezing resistance tools help develop the muscles and control for handwriting. These hands-on experiences reinforce spatial awareness and body positioning.
Our dedicated sensory program offers children the chance to explore calming or stimulating experiences. By recognizing when they feel overwhelmed or under-stimulated, they begin developing lifelong self-awareness and self-regulation strategies.
Play is a vital way for children to learn and grow. During free play, children have the freedom to explore their interests, make choices, and engage with their peers in meaningful ways. Whether they’re building imaginative worlds, pretending to be superheroes, or creating art, free play encourages creativity, problem-solving, and social skills.
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A Solid Foundation of Enrichment
Meet The Preschool Team
