Our purpose is to provide an approach for the development of academic skills by focusing on the whole child, which means taking into account each of their personalized needs. The TK program is five days a week from 8:45 a.m.– 2:45 p.m. for children ages 4.9 – 5.2 (four years and nine months to five years and two months) who may be in a transitional year between preschool and kindergarten.
In the tradition of education implemented in the Little Dolphins By the Sea preschool program, the TK program offers a multicultural curriculum with a hands-on approach, designed to develop each child’s multiple intelligences. Our comprehensive educational program includes: language arts, math, science, computers, music, art, drama, physical education, and movement. We strongly encourage parents of our students to become involved in every aspect of school life to make the student's educational experience that much more meaningful.
We take a constructivist approach when it comes to our math and science curriculum, knowing that our students already have a substantial knowledge of the natural world. So when we teach math and science, the emphasis is that it is done through a hands-on exploration of art and play, which is a teaching methodology that is commonplace in the Maker’s Space community.
It is in the early childhood classroom where this kind of experience with the natural world must take place, allowing children to build experiences in investigation and problem solving and the foundation for understanding basic science concepts. This early science exploration can be a rich context in which children can use and develop other important skills including working with one another, basic large and small motor-controls, language learning, innovative thinking, and early mathematical understanding. Stimulating a child’s existing curiosity about the world they live in, is a dynamic way to introduce new methodologies and encouraging that very curiosity that will make them an avid learner in the future.
THROUGH DIVERSITY, CURIOSITY, AND PLAY
• Academic program in a creative, developmental environment
• Strong emphasis on Literature, the Arts, Music and Dance
• Hands-on approach
• Experiential Learning
• Constructivist and Project-based learning
• Interpersonal communication skills
• Emphasis on self-awareness and the Theories
of Social Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence
• Nurturing environment
• Strong community involvement
• Environmental programs
• Character development
• Student/teacher ratio of 8:1
• Outstanding teachers
• Team teaching with instruction in small groups
• Humanistic education emphasizing interpersonal relationships
• Team building games
• Cooperative games as opposed to competitive games
• Movement to Music
• Movement and Play
At Little Dolphins, the transition between TK to Kindergarten is built into each child’s final year at the school. Little Dolphins is involved in the entire kindergarten application process, helping every individual family from start to finish. Our goal is to educate our parents so that they can find the elementary school that is the best fit for their family.
Our Executive Director and Preschool Director have close relationships with the admissions heads at all of the independent schools in West LA, in addition to being well versed in the local LAUSD and SMMUSD public schools. We pride ourselves on sending our Little Dolphins to schools such as Seven Arrows Elementary, Crossroads School, The Willows Community School, John Thomas Dye, Carlthorp School, Brentwood School, PS1, Wildwood, Curtis, Mirman, New Roads, Village School, Brawerman, and Westside Neighborhood School, Canyon Charter, SMMUSD schools, and LAUSD schools.
