Inquiry is at the heart of the kindergarten curriculum. Students are supported in their open inquiry and independent thinking, an approach that fosters curiosity, openness to differing perspectives, and the desire to keep learning. Teachers provide provocations, or sparks for learning, and students wonder, ask questions, and share their knowledge and ideas with classmates.
The classroom environment is carefully designed to allow for exploration with a variety of materials and mediums for creative expression and storytelling. Teachers design four or five units of study a year around essential questions, such as “What is our relationship with nature?” and “How do we study something?” Small study groups are also formed in response to questions that arise out of the children’s interests, experiences, and explorations.