Preschool

I Can Do It

About our 3-Year-Olds Preschool in Vancouver, WA

At Kiddie Academy®, we foster your 3-year-old’s creativity in an environment that encourages curiosity and exploration. 

Through our I Can Do It program, our teachers guide your child using language, music, dramatic play, outdoor activities and more to make learning a fun and fruitful experience.

Contact us to learn more.


Strict health and safety procedures will be followed

While your preschooler is at our Academy, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that they’re in a healthy and safe environment thanks to Health Essentials, our enhanced health and cleaning initiative based on CDC guidelines to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Day in the Life of Preschoolers at Kiddie Academy

Find out what a day at Kiddie Academy looks like for your preschooler.

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Language Arts & Literacy

Focus: Making connections between letters, words and sounds.

Our teachers use age-appropriate books as your child listens to and retells stories, asks questions and shares ideas. Language development is also strengthened through individual and small-group activities in our Dramatic Play and Library learning centers.

3-Year-Old Activities

  • Singing to learn the Spanish words for parts of the body.
  • Practicing writing letters of our names outside with sidewalk chalk.
  • Exploring unfamiliar vocabulary.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” to learn the Spanish words for parts of the body.
  • Have your child practice writing the letters of their name outside with sidewalk chalk.
  • Read “Where the Wild Things Are” and talk about unfamiliar words, like “gnashed,” “tamed” and “rumpus.”

Mathematics

Focus: Identifying similarities and differences within a group of objects.

Our teachers guide your 3-year-old through creating sets and counting beads and blocks. This helps them build a foundation for math and solve simple problems.

3-Year-Old Activities

  • Making a graph of our favorite colors.
  • Building towers in the Blocks and Transportation learning center and counting the number of blocks used.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Help your child build a tower from blocks, then count the number of blocks used.
  • Have your child count how many items they can find that are red, blue and green, then make a graph to show the results for each color.

Science

Focus: Investigating the world around us through observation and problem-solving.

We put your 3-year-old’s natural sense of wonder to work, teaching them about people, plants, animals and our environment through hands-on activities.

3-Year-Old Activities

  • Reading “Sunflower House” then planting our own sunflower seeds and talking about what we see as we watch them grow.
  • Using clay and aluminum foil to explore what sinks and floats in our water sensory table.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Write the letters that start your child’s first and last names so that they become familiar with the shapes and can practice the sounds those letters make.
  • Do the finger play “Where is Thumbkin?” and have your child mimic the actions to learn the names of the fingers.
  • Have your child draw a picture of a face, then practice the Spanish words for eyes (los ojos) and mouth (la boca).

Social & Emotional Development

Focus: Providing an ideal community atmosphere for learning, taking turns and sharing with friends.

In our learning centers, our teachers guide your 3-year-old through activities that help develop a sense of self while helping them build and maintain positive relationships.

3-Year-Old Activities

  • Reading to build self-awareness and confidence as a unique individual.
  • Learning about other cultures through storytelling and dances from around the world.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Read “ABC I Like Me” to help your child build self-awareness and confidence.
  • Help your child research stories from other parts of the world to help learn about different cultures.

Gross & Fine Motor Development

Focus: Developing strength, coordination and finesse in large and small muscles.

We provide the environment, activities and materials needed to help your 3-year-old’s muscles grow. Through fun daily activities, our teachers give your child the opportunities, motivation and encouragement to develop new skills.

3-Year-Old Activities

  • Practicing simple yoga stretches and poses outside.
  • Building coordination by fitting pegs in peg boards.
  • Bouncing and catching a ball.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Practice simple yoga stretches and poses.
  • Have your child fit pegs in peg boards to build dexterity.
  • Bounce and catch a ball with your child to help build coordination.

Character EssentialsSM

Focus: Helping your child become a good citizen.

Character education is integrated into everything we do to support the ideas and skills your 3-year-old is already learning. Our teachers guide your child through activities that build upon positive character traits, like responsibility, leadership, empathy and forming healthy relationships.

3-Year-Old Activities

  • Learning about emotions by discussing how events in a story make the characters feel.
  • Learning about cooperation by working together to paint scenery for a puppet show.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Read stories then discuss with your child how events in the story make the characters feel.
  • Have your child help you prepare dinner as a way to help them learn about cooperation.

Want to explore more?

Learn how we help your child develop into a thoughtful, caring, and adaptable individuals using our learning approach that exceeds state standards

How Life Essentials is different

Questions? Answers.

Explore some of the most frequently asked questions from parents of 3-year-olds.

Q. Are children required to be 100% vaccinated?
A. Yes. As an organization responsible for the care and safety of a fragile age group from 6 weeks to 12 years of age, we require all children within our care to maintain and provide documentation for all recommended vaccines as stated by the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics. This is done in accordance with the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) per WAC code 110-300A-7020.
Q. Do you accept State DSHS or Working Connections tuition subsidy?
A. No. We do not participate in the Washington State DSHS subsidy program or Working Connections subsidy program.
Q. What are teacher qualifications?
A. All Kiddie Academy teachers must meet or exceed the state requirements for child care providers and are required to receive ongoing professional training annually. Many of our Lead Teachers have a Bachelor's or Associate's degree in Early Childhood Development (or related field). We also require background checks through local, county, state and/or federal agencies prior to employment.
Q. What is your discipline policy?
A. We do not use physical or verbal punishment under any circumstances. We use positive guidance and re-direction to acknowledge children’s feelings and emotions and provide them with social scripts, problem-solving techniques, self-calming activities and choices and activities geared toward their interests.
Q. What will my child be doing?
A. At this age, children are naturally inquisitive and take pride in doing things on their own. Our teachers encourage your preschooler to take advantage of our center-based learning environment to explore and progress at their own pace. Your child will work on social/emotional development, motor skills and will be introduced to language arts, mathematics and science.
Q. Do you have cameras in the classroom?
A. Yes! We’re one of the few child care centers in the community to provide live, secure streaming video for you to access throughout the day.
Q. Am I permitted to bring food into the school and/or provide my child’s lunch?
A. No. For the health and safety of your child’s classroom, we do not allow outside food into the academy due to food allergies. Infant classrooms are the exception as you are responsible for food while your baby is in the infant room.
A background image of a playground at Kiddie Academy

Find out more about our Academy.

Contact us to learn more about what makes Kiddie Academy stand out among educational child care providers. A member of our team will contact you.

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Kiddie Academy of Vancouver - Salmon Creek

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