A Cutting-Edge Preschool Program
The Educare program implements the latest science, research, and evidenced-based practices to ensure that low-income infants, toddlers, and pre-school children build the skills they need to arrive at kindergarten safe, healthy, eager to learn, and ready for school.
Cognitive and Social Skills Development
Educare teachers emphasize the equal importance of developing children’s pre-literacy and STEAM alongside their social-emotional skills.
- Pre-literacy – Recognize letters, interact verbally, be motivated to read.
- STEAM – Explore science, technology, engineering, arts, and early math through hands‑on activities, problem‑solving and critical thinking.
- Social-Emotional – Focus on a task, persist, self-regulate, control impulses, cooperate with peers.
Integrated STEAM Learning
Educare AZ integrates intentional STEAM experiences throughout the learning environment, ensuring children build early foundational skills in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics through developmentally appropriate, hands-on exploration.
Classrooms are equipped with open-ended materials that promote problem-solving and teachers implement evidence-based instructional strategies to scaffold children’s curiosity, language development, and critical thinking.
To extend learning beyond the classroom, families receive STEAM kits designed to support home-based exploration and strengthen parent–child engagement in early science and math concepts. These kits include simple experiments, guided prompts, and everyday materials that allow children to apply classroom learning in real-life contexts.
The Educare AZ approach ensures that all children have access to high-quality STEAM learning that builds a strong foundation for kindergarten readiness, problem-solving skills, and future learning in the rapidly evolving fields of science and technology.
Family Involvement
We involve families in their children’s development. Activities and interactions aim to strengthen parents’ ability to serve as champions for their child’s learning after they leave Educare and enter primary and secondary schools.
Continuity of Care
A unique component of the Educare model is practicing “continuity of care,” meaning each child stays with the same team of teachers from birth to age three. Children then move into a preschool classroom for students three to five years of age with a different team of teachers who stay with them until they’re ready to enter kindergarten. This continuity creates close bonds among children, teachers, and parents, reinforcing the stable relationships essential to learning.
Small Class Size and Low Teacher-Child Ratios
We keep class sizes small and teacher-child ratios low to ensure individualized care and instruction for every child who attends our school.
- Nine infant-toddler classrooms serve 8 children per class or 72 infant-toddlers total
- Seven preschool classrooms serve 17 children per class or 119 preschool children total
Quality Classroom Teachers and Support Specialists
- Every classroom has three teachers.
- Lead teachers hold a bachelor’s degree.
- Teachers holding a master’s degree supervise every four classrooms and work as coaches for other teachers.
- Full-time family support specialists and consultants (speech pathologists, behavioral specialists, and others) provide additional support to each child’s family.