Can you imagine going to school every day in a children’s museum?  For our little thinkers, that is their reality! Little Thinkers have access to all Thinkery’s STEAM exhibits, outdoor play areas, and a dedicated outdoor classroom just for the Preschool.  

Museum Mondays  

LTP takes over the museum on Mondays when it is closed to the public! Each class has facilitated time with our trained museum experience team in the galleries with special activations, has fun doing messy play, and participates in story time.  

Outdoor Play Time 

Outdoor play is a critical time of the day for children! Each class will spend up to an hour in the morning during the regular Preschool Day outdoors. Children in extended care will spend an additional hour in the afternoons.  

LTP has its own dedicated outdoor classroom which features equipment and activities that encourage gross motor play while promoting exploration, social skill building, and calculated risk-taking. When the museum is not open to the general public, LTP also uses Thinkery’s outdoor gallery spaces

LTP’s educational approach is rooted in our belief that play-based, hands-on, STEAM learning experiences are a powerful way for children to become confident, creative thinkers and cultivate a lifelong love of learning.     

Learning experiences at LTP are:

• Child-led: Children are introduced to concepts as they show readiness, and all activities are designed with the child’s individual needs in mind. 
• Culturally responsive:  Learners see themselves and their culture reflected in their experience. 
• Inquiry-rich: Curiosity is key to deep, engaging learning experiences. Educators and learners ask questions and seek answers together. 
• Socially-emotionally engaged: Experiences offer opportunities for self-reflection and regulation, acknowledging that learning is a social act. 
• Joyful: Play is fun. Learning experiences at LTP offer opportunities for surprise, silliness, and laughter.   

This educational approach is informed by Thinkery’s STEAM Learning Institute. The Institute and LTP partners to ensure that each student benefits from play-based STEAM early learning best practices to enhance kindergarten readiness

A Model Preschool Environment and Research 

In partnership with Thinkery’s STEAM Learning Institute, Little Thinkers Preschool will conduct research on the impact of early STEAM and inquiry-based learning in the form of student assessments administered by Preschool staff, as well as observation sessions performed by researchers in the classroom. Data collected in assessments and observations will be used only for research purposes and for adapting and enhancing Preschool curriculum to meet the needs of studentss. 

Curriculum 

Through a multi-sensory, hands-on approach, children are introduced to language development, pre-reading concepts, early science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) concepts, developmentally appropriate social studies units, pre-writing and fine motor activities, large muscle activities, music, and social-emotional development.  

The curriculum is designed by LTP educators and is guided by the Texas Pre-Kindergarten guidelines. Educators take these learning objectives and tailor them to meet the needs and interests of each class.  

Daily Schedule

A typical day in Preschool consists of learning centers, snack, group time, AM activities, outdoor play, lunch, nap, PM activities, and afternoon snack. Extended care will be a continuation of the Preschool day’s learning but will reflect the young children’s physical and emotional needs as they begin to tire later in the day. The afternoon curriculum will include planned activities such as art, story time, outside play, and free play in centers and/or Thinkery’s galleries

Little Thinkers Preschool works to provide a nurturing learning environment that not only prepares learners to succeed in kindergarten and beyond but puts them on the path to cultivating a lifelong love of learning. Our talented educators and administrative staff are the core of what makes that possible!  You can learn more about them here.  

We know that children learn best alongside caring adults. To best support our early learners, we have small classroom sizes and create a flexible, relationship-driven learning environment. PreK-3 classrooms have a 2:15 student-to-teacher ratio and our PreK-4 classrooms have a 2:16 ratio. Each classroom had a lead teacher and a co-teacher.

School-wide celebrations and special events are a big part of what makes our community so special. Caregivers may be asked to volunteer or assist with these celebrations in some way. Here are just a few of the events and celebrations that we have held in the past:

• Fall Festival  
• Halloween in-office Trick or Treat
• End-of-Semester Performance  
• Lunar New Year Celebration
• End of Year Spirit Week
• LTP Graduation  

Communications

The Preschool and individual classrooms use a variety of methods for communicating with caregivers, including face-to-face conversation, email, phone calls, and digital platforms Jovial and Seesaw. Jovial is a digital platform used for enrollment, processing, and tracking all forms, required documents, and billing. Via Seesaw, we share consistent updates on what students are experiencing via messages and photos directly to caregivers

Families will receive a monthly Little Thinkers Preschool Newsletter which will provide important announcements, upcoming dates, and staff highlights, and will feature photos of our students and their work.  

Throughout the school year, the Site Director also hosts caregiver coffees that serve as an opportunity for caregivers to connect and get in-depth information on preparing your learner for kindergarten, registering for Thinkery summer camp, and more

Family Conferences  

Families will be invited to two in-person family conferences during the school year. The first conference will be held during the last week of the first semester and the second will be in May during the final week of the second semester. A “Glows & Grows” report will be reviewed by the Teachers during this meeting, and the report is for families to keep.

Caregiver Involvement and Special Events 

The Preschool welcomes caregiver involvement. There are different ways in which caregivers can become involved in Preschool activities, including:  

• Little Thinkers Caregivers (LTC) group
• Teacher Appreciation Week  
• Caregiver Socials and Family Picnics  
• Holiday Celebrations  
• Graduation Celebration  
• Classroom visits with read-alouds