Your child is going to learn a lot no matter where they attend preschool. They’ll learn fine motor skills, how to take turns, and the basics of reading, writing, and math. But in the Saddle River Day School PreK program, your child will learn two lessons that are far more valuable than any of these. They will learn to love school, and they will learn to love learning.
The educators in the PreK program at Saddle River Day School know that a strong foundation is important in order for their students to succeed in any challenging academic program. They prepare their preschoolers, ages 3-5, for success as they enter kindergarten and beyond, by focusing on meeting the social, emotional, and academic needs of each child as an individual.
SRDS educators know that their PreK-3 and PreK-4 students arrive in the classroom with a range of academic and life experience. Some might be old pros at spending a day away from their parents but for others, this is their first experience of being away from home for any length of time. Some students arrive ready to read, others need an introduction to literacy before they take that step. Some are adept at social interactions, others require guidance as they practice communication and decision-making. At Saddle River Day School, each child is met exactly where they are by caring teachers who create “wonderful, warm, engaging classrooms” in which the children thrive with active, hands-on, multi-sensory, and project-based learning modules.
Embedded in the Saddle River Day School PreK curriculum are special classes including music, lab science, studio art, and technology. But in each school day, plenty of time is left for SRDS kids to be kids with free play, imaginative play, and collaborative projects that make education so fun, they almost don’t know they’re learning. SRDS PreK students are also encouraged to move their bodies in order to keep their minds in tip top shape, so yoga and meditation are weekly features.
The ultimate goal of each SRDS PreK educator is to send their students to elementary school with the tools to be successful students and scholars. Their priority is a strong foundation in reading, writing, and math, and a familiarity with elementary school routines, skills, and structures. But it also includes instilling in these nascent students a confidence in their ability to solve problems, the courage to take risks, the resilience to try again, and the comfort of feeling as though they are part of a community that supports them. This, in the end, is the true value of the Saddle River Day School PreK program, setting students up for being lifelong learners and thought leaders.
For more information about the Saddle River Day School PreK-3 or PreK-4 programs, or to arrange a visit, please contact Kristine Sweeny in the Office of Admissions: ksweeny@saddleriverday.org or visit them on the web saddleriverday.org/today
Saddle River Day School
147 Chestnut Ridge Road
Saddle River, NJ 07458
