Early Years

The Early Years program at JAIS is committed to the school's vision of learning, community, and character. We believe that all children deserve a quality education that will prepare them for success in the 21st century. We are committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where all children can learn and grow.

The Jerusalem American International School Early Years program for three and four-year-olds provides a safe, enriching, and nurturing environment where children can learn and grow through play.

The day is structured to provide a comprehensive early childhood education that is developmentally appropriate for each child. The program uses an integrated thematic approach, which means that all areas of learning are connected to a central theme. This helps children make connections between different concepts and makes learning more meaningful.

The program focuses on the following areas of development:

• Academic: Children learn pre-reading, math, language, and cognitive skills through a variety of hands-on activities, such as play, music, and outdoor learning. Each child’s curiosity, imagination, and love for learning are encouraged, whereby teachers respect each child’s needs and individuality.  Children will develop at their own pace while being guided to achieve new milestones.  Days in school are a carefully crafted combination of teacher-led activities and indoor and outdoor free play.
• Social: Children learn to interact with others in a positive way and develop their social skills through group activities, such as games and circle time. With a mix-aged grouping of three and four-year-olds, children have many unique social learning opportunities.  The older children are encouraged to fulfill leadership roles while helping others learn new skills and achieve tasks and the younger children have role models to follow.  Through these relationships, children learn from each other in a natural, non-competitive, and highly cooperative environment, becoming increasingly independent and confident.
• Emotional: Children learn to manage their emotions and develop a positive self-image through activities that promote self-awareness and self-confidence.
• Physical: Children develop their gross motor skills through outdoor play and their fine motor skills through activities such as arts and crafts.

The program is staffed by experienced teachers who are committed to providing each child with a positive and supportive learning environment. Teachers use a variety of methods to assess each child's progress and individualize instruction to meet their needs. Children are assessed on the objectives of Teaching Strategies GOLD which is an authentic, ongoing observational system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten. It helps teachers to observe children in the context of everyday experiences, which is an effective way to learn what they know and can do.

In addition to the regular preschool program, JAIS also offers a variety of enrichment activities, such as physical education, swimming, community service, and field trips. These activities help children develop their skills and interests in a variety of areas.

JAIS is committed to creating a strong partnership with families. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child's education and participate in classroom activities. 

If you are interested in learning more about the preschool program at JAIS, please contact the school office.

COMMUNITY

Our PreSchool community draws its strength from relationships between children, teachers, parents, and the entire JAIS community. 

LEARNING

Our program is supported by the objectives of Teaching Strategies GOLD which is an authentic, ongoing observational system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten.

Review here for an overview of what our Early Years students will be learning.

CHARACTER

The view a child has of themselves as a learner is the foundation for learning and growth in the Preschool Program.  We view every child as unique, capable, and competent.  Our program nurtures the attributes of the Profile of a Learner within our youngest learners!