4 – 5 years
Pre-K
Pre-K is the year that decides whether kindergarten feels easy or hard. We work on the specific things a Texas kindergarten teacher will look for in September, at one teacher to fourteen children.
Waitlist — Waitlist — three families ahead. Places usually open in August.
Kindergarten in Texas expects a five-year-old to sit for fifteen minutes, follow a two-step instruction, hold a pencil and separate from their adult without a scene. None of that is academic and all of it is learned. We work on it deliberately, every day, from January onward.
The academic side is letter sounds and number sense, taught in short bursts. Twenty minutes twice a day is more than most four-year-olds get anywhere, and it is about as much as they can use.
If your child is going to a school with a bilingual or dual-language track, tell us in the autumn and we will make sure the Spanish side of their day is strong enough that they walk in ready for it.
In May, every Pre-K family gets a written summary of where their child is. It is plain language, it names what is going well and what is not, and it is yours to take to your school.
What is included
- Writing their own first and last name
- Letter sounds, rhyme and syllable clapping in both languages
- Counting to thirty, and what numbers mean, not just the order
- Scissors, glue, buttons, zips and lunchbox lids — the motor skills nobody lists but everyone needs
- A written kindergarten-readiness summary in May that you can take to your school
A day in this room
- 6:00 amDoors open.
- 7:30 amBreakfast.
- 8:15 amOutside.
- 9:15 amMorning meeting and jobs.
- 9:40 amLiteracy block — letter sounds, name writing, shared reading.
- 10:30 amCentres.
- 11:30 amLunch.
- 12:15 pmRest or quiet reading.
- 1:45 pmMaths block — counting, sorting, patterns, measuring.
- 2:30 pmSnack and outside.
- 4:00 pmProjects and open play until pick-up.
- 6:30 pmDoors close.
Schedules and weekly cost
| Schedule | What it means | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| Five days a week | Monday to Friday, any hours between 6:00 am and 6:30 pm. | $195 |
| Three days a week | Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Wed/Thu. Chosen at enrolment and fixed for the term. | $136 |
| Two days a week | Two fixed days. Subject to space in the room on those days. | $104 |
Plus a one-off $75 registration fee per child, per year. Sibling discount 10%.
Questions about this room
What are your staff-to-child ratios?
We staff at or better than the Texas minimum in every room: 1:4 with infants, 1:7 with toddlers, 1:11 in preschool, 1:14 in Pre-K and 1:18 with school-age children. Texas would allow 1:9 for eighteen-month-olds and 1:18 for four-year-olds. The full state table, alongside ours, is on the safety and licensing page — and you can check any Texas centre’s standards and inspection history yourself at the state’s public search.
How does the waitlist work?
The waitlist is by date of request, per room, and it is free to join. Siblings of currently enrolled children move ahead of new families, and that is the only exception. We call in order, we tell you your position when you ask, and we do not take a deposit to hold a place on the list.
Is the centre really bilingual?
Yes. Every classroom has at least one teacher who speaks Spanish natively, circle time and story time alternate between the two languages, and our forms, daily sheets, menus and notices are written in both. You can enrol, ask a question, raise a complaint and read your child’s progress note entirely in Spanish.
Can I visit before I decide?
Yes, and you should. Come during the day when the rooms are full rather than at 5:30 pm when they are half empty. You do not need an appointment, though calling first means the director will be free to walk you round. Ask to see the room your child would actually be in, and ask what the ratio is in that room right now.
Come and see the room your child would be in.
No appointment needed. Come during the day when the rooms are full, ask what the ratio is right now, and take the answer with you.