Learning

Early Childhood Program

Curiosity, collaboration, and play drive learning.
Preschool is such a precious time in your child’s development, and their first introduction to school is so important. At CDS, we cherish this amazing stage of childhood, honoring the way your little one learns best with our program that prioritizes play, curiosity, and community in a brand new building designed just for them. Our Early Childhood Center, aka the Treehouse, features preschool & TK classrooms, a makerspace and art studio, a courtyard for outdoor and messy play, and a rooftop playground just for our youngest learners.

Play-based learning is at the heart of our early childhood program because it’s how young children naturally explore and make sense of the world. Whether your child is engaging in exploratory play—where they test ideas and solve problems—or dramatic play—where they develop social and executive function skills—each experience helps them grow. Our classrooms are structured with intentional learning areas to encourage curiosity and discovery, ensuring that your child’s learning is joyful, meaningful, and deeply connected to their development. 
"Play has a threefold relationship to children's learning. When playing, children are developing their ability to communicate, think, and generalize in relationship to others. Moreover, play experiences build children's language, and the acquisition of language sets up children's abilities to control their thinking and their feelings. What this means is that play experiences are understood to be essential to children's later academic achievement and emotional well-being."

- David Whitebread, "The Importance of Play"

A Preschool Day at CDS


Our preschool program offers full-day care, from 8am-6pm, included in tuition. The school day begins at 8:30am and ends at 2:15pm, then preschoolers have a special afterschool program.

Explore Our Preschool & TK Program

List of 7 frequently asked questions.

  • Incredible Teachers

    Preschool and TK classes have an 8:1 student-teacher ratio. Every preschool classroom has three teachers, and our TK classroom has two. Our preschool teachers average 21 years of experience in the field of early childhood education and 15 years teaching preschool at Children’s Day School. The experience, professionalism, and dedication of our preschool teachers make our program truly unique!

  • Inquiry-Based Learning

    At CDS, we value learning through inquiry and investigating with curiosity. We see learning as a process of construction, building on prior learning through investigation, analysis, and reflection. Our preschool and TK teachers have a deep respect for the questions that young children have and design units that empower children to ask questions, explore or experiment, and reflect, whether they’re studying pollinators or crafting prototypes.

  • Anti-Bias Curriculum

    We use an anti-bias curriculum to help young children develop a strong identity, value and understand difference and diversity, recognize unfairness, and take action. We intentionally discuss our similarities and differences through family shares, books, and activities and look for opportunities for students to make a difference in their learning community.

  • Early Literacy

    Students create the foundation for literacy by developing story awareness, telling stories with illustrations, and author studies. Books are a prominent part of our day and are used to enhance different areas of the children’s work. For example, a book about shapes or colors might be brought to the Art Table to help a child with their drawing, or a book about hummingbirds might be in the Science Area as children study and learn about pollinators. Each day, children participate in large and small group story times.

  • Early Math

    Concrete experiences and activities in math are most important for our youngest learners, and our teachers make sure it’s playful, too! We use Erikson math to help students explore number sense, counting, sets, shapes, and patterns, helping them build the vocabulary for mathematical concepts through hands-on experiences and games.

  • Spanish

    At CDS, Spanish is a natural part of every preschooler's day. Each preschool class has at least one Spanish-speaking teacher who integrates common Spanish expressions into the day, including during routines, reading, songs, and work time. TK students have Spanish class with our Lower School Spanish teacher twice a week.

  • Farm & Garden, Art & Music

    Children create artwork, make music, and engage in movement with our dedicated specialist teacher for Preschool and TK, using an art studio designed just for them and our courtyard! Students also work in the Farm and Garden with our environmental education teachers, feeding chickens, watering plants, making art, exploring our worm bin, and looking for bugs. They engage in hands-on farm and garden inquiries, too, such as learning how seeds grow.
Learn more about the CDS Early Childhood Program. Visit CDS! Join us for an upcoming tour or attend our Preschool-Grade 4 Open House. Register on Ravenna.
CDS preschoolers must be three years old by September 1 and able to use the bathroom on their own before they begin the school year.

Children's Day School

Preschool-Grade 8
333 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 861-5432
Children's Day School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.  Learn More
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