In a classroom that immerses 4 year old children in the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, Seabury’s Early Learning Center (ELC) is a prekindergarten program designed for children to create, wonder, and discover the complexities of the world around them.
Seabury's preK program provides children opportunities to explore concepts at a level that is appropriately challenging while supporting each child's social/emotional and physical development. Using a "Best of the Best" approach, the ELC combines elements of several of the most effective approaches to early childhood education in a rich, stimulating environment. ELC students are encouraged to ask questions as well as discover answers, and to develop both their academic skills and their creativity. Learning in the preK classroom is a joy-filled experience. One Seabury ELC parent remarked, “My son loves the ELC program because his teacher never underestimates what a 4 year old can do.”
Balance is at the core of Seabury’s program. Seabury School is committed to meeting the needs of the whole child: intellectual, social-emotional, and physical. Play is a central component of the preK program, and while play appears spontaneous, the classroom environment is carefully designed to encourage play in a way that develops skills such as large and small motor, imagination and creativity, curricular concepts and skills, cooperation and collaboration, problem solving, independence and self care. Recognizing that bright preK students can often think about big ideas that are far beyond their ability to write or draw or read, the program’s emphasis on hands-on learning allows students to learn without the limits and to explore ideas in depth. This balanced approach supports all aspects of growth and development for four year olds.
Students may attend the prekindergarten program as half-day (morning only) or full-day students.
The prekindergarten program is designed for children who are 4 years old on or before August 31. Questions regarding early entrance to the program should be directed to:
Seabury’s prekindergaten program features:
- Hands-on learning through exploration and interaction with a var
iety of materials - A supportive, developmentally appropriate setting that encourages growth in skills of independence and preparation for future academic learning
- Individualized instruction that allows each child to explore new concepts as they are ready
- A highly trained teacher and assistant to guide students, with a student / teacher ratio of no more than 8:1.
- PreK students participate in specialist programs at Seabury including French, music, physical education and library, as well as the weekly all-school gathering
Prekindergarten Program Information
Early Learning Center Classroom Blog
Early Learning Integrated Curriculum Overview (Prek/K Themes and Units)
Experiential Learning in Seabury's Early Learning Center