Kindergarten & First Grade Learning

Building Skills Through Exploration, Discovery, and Hands-On Learning

At Elm Hill School, learning in Kindergarten and first grade is active, engaging, and full of opportunities to explore. Young children make sense of the world around them by asking questions, trying new things, working with materials, and learning alongside their classmates and teachers.

Through hands-on activities, purposeful play, observation, and collaboration, students build important academic and social skills. These experiences encourage curiosity, creativity, independence, problem-solving, and confidence while helping children develop a strong foundation for future learning.

Learning Environments That Inspire Discovery

The classroom environment plays an important role in how young children learn. At Elm Hill, thoughtfully arranged indoor and outdoor spaces give students opportunities to explore, create, practice new skills, and make choices about their learning.

Classrooms may include dedicated spaces for reading, building and blocks, dramatic play, art, sensory exploration, music, and movement. These learning areas encourage students to use their imaginations, work together, solve problems, and explore ideas in different ways.

Outdoor experiences and opportunities for movement also support children's development, giving them space to explore, build physical skills, and learn through interaction with the world around them.

Growing Together as Learners

Learning alongside teachers and classmates helps children develop communication, cooperation, and confidence. As students share ideas, make decisions, work through challenges, and discover new interests, they build skills that support success in school and beyond.

Vermont's Early Learning Standards

Elm Hill's approach to early learning is informed by Vermont's Early Learning Standards, which describe important areas of children's development and learning. Explore the flyer below to learn more. View Vermont's Early Learning Standards