3 years
Preschool
Three-year-olds are ready for a real routine. This room runs a predictable day with letters, counting, stories and a lot of outdoor time, at one teacher to eleven children in a group of twenty — Texas would allow 1:15 and a group of thirty.
Open — Places open now.
At three, the useful things are: recognising your own name in writing, counting objects you can touch, saying what you need instead of grabbing, and sitting through a story. That is what this room works on, every day, in a routine that does not change much from week to week.
The day is genuinely bilingual. Circle, songs and story time alternate between English and Spanish, and both teachers speak both languages. Children who arrive with only one language leave with a working start on the other — and children who arrive with two keep both, which is the part most centres in this city get wrong.
We do not do worksheets. We do writing on easels, counting at the snack table, and letters in the sand tray, because a three-year-old learns with their hands.
What is included
- Breakfast, lunch and two snacks, included
- A bilingual day: story time and circle happen in both English and Spanish
- Early literacy and number work, twenty minutes at a time, twice a day
- A written progress note twice a year and a conference whenever you want one
- Rest time — a cot and quiet for children who still need it, books for those who do not
A day in this room
- 6:00 amDoors open, quiet tables.
- 7:30 amBreakfast.
- 8:15 amOutside.
- 9:15 amCircle — calendar, weather, song, in both languages.
- 9:40 amSmall groups: letters, counting, fine motor.
- 10:20 amChoice time: blocks, dramatic play, art, library.
- 11:30 amLunch.
- 12:15 pmRest.
- 2:15 pmSnack, then outside.
- 3:30 pmStory, then 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. | $205 |
| Three days a week | Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Wed/Thu. Chosen at enrolment and fixed for the term. | $142 |
| Two days a week | Two fixed days. Subject to space in the room on those days. | $108 |
Plus a one-off $75 registration fee per child, per year. Sibling discount 10%.
Questions about this room
How much does it cost?
Weekly tuition at Bright Start runs from $58 for before-school care to $255 for full-time infant care, and every rate is published on the schedules and tuition page. Meals, snacks, materials and school-holiday cover are included. The only extra charges are a $75 registration fee once a year, optional nappies at $12 a week, and late pick-up.
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.
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.