Preschool

Preschoolers can hold onto an idea for days, so projects stretch out. A castle gets built Monday and defended Thursday. A drawing of a rocket turns into a week on planets because the solar system is already on the wall.

Printing, letter sounds, counting, and scissors get worked on directly, in short bursts, usually at the table after lunch while the little ones sleep. Nobody is drilled.

By the time they leave for kindergarten, most children here can write their name, manage their own zipper and boots, sit through a story, and tell an adult what they need. Schools care about that last set more than they care about the alphabet.