We provide a nutritious snack each day. There is a rhythm to the week, meaning the same snack is served every Monday, every Tuesday, etc. This repetition gives the children a chance to feel brave enough to try and grow accustomed to a new food.

Children are involved in the work of the classroom. Chopping vegetables, sewing, woodworking, gardening, and more. This work supports gross & fine motor skills, math & science concepts, sensory integration, and the child’s growing self-confidence.

A sense of predictability and a healthy rhythm allow children to feel safe in the world, which makes it possible for them to settle fully into their play and learning. At Swallowtail we have a balance of quiet, focused time and child-led free play.

At both our farm and main campus, children spend much of their day outside regardless of the weather. Studies continue to show the importance of time for free play outside, in all areas of child development.

Circle time features songs, movement games, poems, and stories. As children get older, stories increase in length and complexity, stretching the child’s capacity to maintain focus and to form imaginative pictures of the spoken word.

In the Early Childhood, art is about the experience of the materials. We encourage care and focus, but the children are allowed to create whatever they would like, or to simply watch the paint as it flows across the page, with no thought to creation at all.

We focus on two aspects of early literacy: phonemic awareness (essential for decoding) and forming imaginative pictures (linked to comprehension). We do not practice letters until first grade. Early letter recognition is actually less important to later reading success.

We intentionally hold space for magic in the Early Childhood, inspiring the imagination with beautifully crafted classrooms and outdoor spaces. We offer slow, gentle transitions and a calm, quiet atmosphere so children can fully settle into the world of play.

Sensory play is essential to the healthy development of a young child. It supports language, cognition, social skills, problem solving, fine and gross motor skills, and the proprioceptive and vestibular systems. Sensory play can also help a dysregulated child self-calm.

Fine motor skills and the ability to maintain focus are honed through a variety of classroom crafts and activities. Children might sew a pouch, carve a sword with a pocket knife, model a snail from beeswax, string beads, or finger knit a leash for a pretend puppy.

We support science and math in the Early Childhood by allowing a child’s curiosity to flourish through unfettered access to the natural world. It also means not providing concrete answers, instead leaving space for them to imagine and problem solve on their own.

Our teachers model empathy and care for the children, and gradually scaffold their ability to express their own needs, resolve conflicts with care and kindness, and make amends when they have hurt someone. Classes share strong social bonds and a culture of care.