Ages 18 months to 6 years
A First School Experience Built Around Curiosity
At Stamford American International School, Early Years gives children strong foundations while leaving room to explore, question and discover.
Children are encouraged to express ideas, make choices and become increasingly confident in what they can do. As they grow, learning develops with them, building the academic, social and personal foundations they will carry into Elementary School.
Little Learners, Big Discoveries Every Day
Discover a nurturing Early Years environment where children learn through play, grow in confidence, and develop the curiosity and skills that prepare them for the next stage of learning.
Our Teaching Philosophy
Stamford’s Early Years approach is inspired by Reggio Emilia, where children are seen as capable learners and the environment plays an active role in how they explore and understand the world.
Learning is play-based, student-centered, concept-based, inquiry-driven and hands-on. Stamford also draws on American educational standards, The Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies GOLD, with development considered across social-emotional, physical, cognitive and language learning.
From Pre-Kindergarten, children learn within the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), which gives them opportunities to investigate ideas, make connections and begin taking greater ownership of their learning.
Early Years at Stamford
The Early Years program develops progressively from a child’s first experiences at school, with learning becoming more structured and independent as they grow.
Pre-Nursery and Nursery
For children aged 18 months to 3 years, learning begins through relationships, routines, movement and sensory exploration. Children develop early communication, social and physical skills through stories, music, imaginative play, creative experiences and time spent exploring indoors and outdoors.
Pre-Kindergarten
For children aged 3 to 4 years, the IB Primary Years Programme begins. Play remains central while children begin exploring ideas through more structured inquiry and making greater choices in their learning.
Kindergarten 1
For children aged 4 to 5 years, literacy, numeracy and inquiry become more established. Children begin making deeper connections across their learning while gaining greater confidence working independently and with others.
Kindergarten 2
For children aged 5 to 6 years, KG2 introduces greater academic challenge and independence. Students strengthen literacy, numeracy, scientific thinking and collaboration as they build the foundations for Grade 1.
Academic Life
Early Years learning includes languages and specialist experiences that give children different ways to communicate, move, create and investigate.
Stamford offers daily Mandarin or Spanish from 18 months, taught by specialist language educators. Families looking for greater Mandarin immersion can choose the English-Mandarin Bilingual Program from Pre-Kindergarten, while English as an Additional Language support is available from KG2.
Specialist learning develops as children grow and includes areas such as music, physical education, art and design, and library learning. Stamford’s Suzuki-inspired music program introduces violin from Pre-Kindergarten and cello from KG2.
STEAMInn learning is woven into PYP Units of Inquiry, bringing together science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and innovation through age-appropriate exploration and making.
The Early Learning Village
Early Years students learn at Stamford’s Early Learning Village, a purpose-built campus for children from 18 months to 6 years.
Indoor and outdoor spaces are designed around the way young children move and learn. The campus includes discovery spaces, playgrounds, specialist rooms, a covered swimming pool and The Hive, an indoor air-conditioned gymnasium.
These different environments give children space to create, move, investigate and become more confident navigating school for themselves.
Preparing for Elementary School
Early Years is designed to give children the foundations they need for what comes next.
The IB Primary Years Programme continues into Elementary School, giving students continuity in the way they inquire, make connections and approach learning. In KG2, greater structure and academic challenge help children prepare for their move to Grade 1 at Stamford’s Woodleigh Campus.
Early Years FAQs
Find answers to some of the most common questions families ask about Early Years at Stamford.
Children can join Pre-Nursery from 18 months old and must reach the minimum age by their first day of school. Nursery begins from age 2, Pre-Kindergarten from age 3, Kindergarten 1 from age 4 and Kindergarten 2 from age 5.
Each level is designed for a particular age range, from Pre-Nursery at 18 months through to KG2 at age 5. If you are unsure about your child’s placement, the Admissions Team can help you understand the appropriate level and arrange a visit.
Children need to reach the minimum age for their level by the first day of school. Families with children close to an age cutoff can refer to Stamford’s Grade Listings or speak with the Admissions Team about placement.
Early Years students receive daily instruction in either Mandarin or Spanish as part of the curriculum. An optional English-Mandarin Bilingual Program is also available from Pre-Kindergarten for families looking for greater Mandarin immersion.
KG1 and KG2 follow the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), with learning organized around connected units of inquiry. The curriculum also draws on frameworks including NGSS for science, UFLI for phonics, Teaching Strategies GOLD and Second Step for social-emotional learning. Pre-Nursery and Nursery use The Creative Curriculum, while the PYP begins in Pre-Kindergarten.
Yes. From Pre-Nursery through KG1, families can choose three, four or five days per week, with half-day and full-day options available. KG2 follows a five-day, full-day schedule.
KG2 introduces greater structure as children prepare for Grade 1. Students develop early literacy, numeracy, scientific thinking and social-emotional skills, while KG2 and Grade 1 teachers coordinate transition planning.
The IB Primary Years Programme organizes learning around inquiry and connections between subjects. Rather than learning each area in isolation, children explore units that bring together areas such as science, mathematics, language and social studies.
Fees depend on your child’s level, number of attendance days and whether they attend half-day or full-day. Current tuition and joining fees are available on the School Fees page.
Start Your Child’s Stamford Journey
Walk the spaces, meet our educators and get a feel for where your child could spend their days learning, exploring and discovering what interests them.