Full Day Preschool Program

 

In 2025, the Berlin Borough received Preschool Expansion Aid (PEA) funding to provide a high-quality, full-day preschool program for three- and four-year-old children.

Our preschool classrooms are designed to be inclusive and developmentally appropriate, with certified teachers, classroom aides, and small class sizes that support the needs of all learners, including children with special needs.

The program follows The Creative Curriculum, a research-based framework, along with its companion assessment tool, Teaching Strategies GOLD. Classrooms are equipped with materials that encourage exploration, creativity, and critical thinking. Teachers use differentiated instruction to meet the needs of each child and participate in ongoing professional development to ensure high-quality teaching practices. Families are also supported through engagement opportunities and partnerships with Berlin Community School that help extend learning beyond the classroom.

Alongside these curricula, the district implements the Pyramid Model, an evidence-based approach that promotes young children’s social and emotional growth. Backed by over a decade of research, the Pyramid Model provides a strong foundation for building positive relationships, self-regulation, and emotional well-being.

A typical full-day preschool schedule includes morning meetings, small and large group activities, shared reading and writing, learning centers, structured play, gross motor experiences, rest time, and lunch/snack.

Instruction focuses on ten key areas of development that support school readiness:

Social and emotional development
Physical development and health
Language
Cognitive development
Literacy
Mathematics
Creative arts
Science and technology
Social studies
English language acquisition

Children learn in a language-rich, play-based environment, exploring their world through hands-on literacy and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) experiences.

 

Age Requirements:

Children entering the program must be 3 years old by October 1.