About Us

Program Philosophy

The East Providence Pre-K Program is a safe and nurturing learning environment that promotes the academic, social, emotional and physical growth of all students.  Our program philosophy is a belief in the uniqueness and intrinsic value of each child, family, and staff member.  Our curriculum is guided by the child’s natural curiosity and desire to learn.  We believe that children learn best through play-when they are given the opportunity to explore, investigate and actively participate in hands-on learning experiences with their peers. “Play contains in a concentrated form, as in the focus of a magnifying glass, all developmental tendencies.” (Lev Vygotsky)

Our classrooms are structured to accommodate all children, including English language learners as well as children with varying needs and abilities promoting inclusive practice.  Our classrooms (inclusive of all students) are constantly evolving to meet the ever changing needs of each individual student. We think and act in a way that allows each child to feel accepted, valued and safe while in our care.  “The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has been to treat all students as if they were variants of the same individual and thus to feel justified in teaching them all the same subjects the same way.” (Howard Gardner) Collaboration among key stakeholders including families, practitioners, specialists, and administrators is a cornerstone for implementing high quality early childhood inclusion and resources within our program. Children with developmental delays and disabilities, mental health diagnosis and behavioral challenges are able to be successful in our program with modifications created in collaboration with OT, PT, speech teacher and resource.  Social stories, picture schedules and visual timer are some of the ways children’s different needs are met.  Specialists and service personnel work in the classroom with the children.  In this manner, they are able to provide immediate feedback, model appropriate behavior and instruct through the child’s natural learning environment. 

Rhode Island Early Learning Standards

The 2023 Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards (RIELDS) articulate shared expectations for what young children should know and be able to do from birth to five years of age. Our program implements a quality curriculum that is aligned with the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards.   An embedded child assessment system is critical to the development of learning opportunities that meets the needs of each child, and aligns with the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards: Physical Health and Motor Development, Social and Emotional Development, Literacy, Language Development, Cognitive Development, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Creative Arts.