A curriculum built on play.
Play isn't a break from learning — for young children, it IS learning. Every room at Meadowlark is built around that truth, from the infant room's treasure baskets to Pre-K's month-long bug museum.
Emergent, child-led, teacher-shaped
Our teachers watch what your child is curious about this week — worms, big trucks, why the moon follows the car — and build the room around it. The letters, numbers, and science sneak in through projects children actually chose, which is why they stick.
Underneath the play sits a real scope and sequence: early literacy, numeracy, motor skills, and social-emotional milestones tracked for every child, every season. You'll see the map at conferences twice a year — and any time you ask.
Nature is half the classroom
Rain or shine (or snow — this is Denver), every class is outside at least an hour a day. We garden, we compost, we hatch butterflies, we get gloriously muddy. Children who learn outdoors sleep better, focus longer, and worry less — and they track sand into your car, which we consider a feature.
- Daily outdoor blocks on our shaded natural playground
- A four-season children's garden — planting, tending, harvesting, eating
- Weekly nature walks for preschool and Pre-K
- Mud kitchen. Yes, we wash them off before pickup. Mostly.
Language, music, and a second language
Every classroom sings, drums, and moves daily — rhythm is pre-reading in disguise. And because little brains soak up language effortlessly, Spanish is woven playfully through every room, every day, from the infant room up. No flashcards, no drills; just songs, games, and a teacher who switches languages mid-story.
Kindergarten readiness, without the worksheets
By the end of Pre-K, Meadowlark children walk into kindergarten recognizing letters and sounds, counting past twenty, writing their names, solving friend-problems with words, and — the part teachers notice first — believing they are readers, scientists, and good friends. That confidence is the real curriculum.