Growing through Play and Possibility
The College School offers a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool and Kindergarten program in Webster Groves, Missouri, serving children beginning at age 3. Our youngest learners build strong foundations through play, hands-on exploration, meaningful projects, outdoor learning, and close relationships with teachers.
Children are encouraged to ask questions, investigate ideas, create, collaborate, and make sense of the world around them. With thoughtfully designed classrooms, our Atelier, Greenhouse and gardens, specialist classes, and regular opportunities to learn outdoors, Preschool and Kindergarten at TCS gives children room to grow in curiosity, confidence, creativity, and independence.
Child-Led Project Work
At TCS, even our youngest learners take the lead in their own learning through student-driven project work. Preschooler and Kindergarten students choose topics that spark their curiosity, then dive deep—asking questions, researching, and becoming experts on their subject. The children partner with local professionals to connect their work to the real world and make a meaningful impact.
Past project work has included building a playground obstacle course, designing marble run kits for the community, and creating a camera studio.
Kindergarten Marble Run Project
Kindergarten Marble Run Project
Our Kindergarten class embarked on a hands‑on marble run project inspired by children’s curiosity and guided by Reggio Emilia principles. Using recycled tubes, wooden blocks, and classroom materials, they designed, built, and refined marble runs—discovering physics through play while collaborating as a community.
What They Did:
– Designed and constructed marble tracks using cardboard tubes, wood, and recycled materials
– Tested angles, slopes, and structures to observe gravity, motion, and engineering concepts
– Worked in small teams to share ideas, problem-solve, and refine their designs
– Created instructions and kits as a class project to share their learning with the larger school community
Nature as Teacher
In our Early Childhood program, the natural world is a vital part of each child’s day. Whether digging in the mud kitchen, climbing on logs, or taking a walk through the woods, children learn through movement, exploration, and wonder—both on our main campus and at our 28-acre LaBarque outdoor classroom.
Outdoor experiences help young children:
• Build confidence through safe, age-appropriate risk-taking
• Strengthen sensory and motor development in dynamic, open-ended environments
• Develop resilience and independence as they navigate the world around them
• Foster a deep sense of curiosity, joy, and connection with nature
Creative Expression and Movement
In our Early Childhood program, students visit Specialist teachers each week to explore the many ways they can express themselves and engage with the world. Rooted in the Reggio-inspired belief in the “Hundred Languages of Children,” these experiences invite creativity, movement, and joyful discovery.
Specialist classes include:
• Art – exploring color, texture, and imagination through various materials
• Music – building rhythm, voice, and a love of sound
• Drama – storytelling, role play, and building confidence
• Spanish – early exposure to language through songs and play
• Physical Education – movement, coordination, and teamwork
• Greenhouse – hands-on gardening, observation, and connection to nature
Atelier
Atelier is the French word for art studio. At The College School, our Atelier serves as the artistic hub for children’s experiences in Preschool and Kindergarten. A vital part of every Reggio Emilia program, the Atelier contains a wide range of media and materials that foster creativity and learning through exploration, creation, cognition, and reflection. The College School Atelier is equipped with easels, paints, drawing materials, clay, wire, collage objects, and a multitude of natural and recycled materials.
Preschool FAQs
What ages does The College School Preschool serve?
The College School offers preschool beginning at age 3. Our Early Childhood program includes our Big Bend class for 3- and 4-year-olds and our Newport class for 4- and 5-year-olds, providing a natural progression toward Kindergarten at TCS.
What is a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool?
The Reggio Emilia approach views children as capable, curious learners who build understanding through exploration, relationships, creativity, and meaningful experiences. At TCS, teachers pay close attention to children’s questions and interests and create opportunities for them to investigate ideas, make connections, and express their thinking in many different ways.
What does a typical day in Preschool look like?
Preschool days at TCS include time for play and exploration, project work, outdoor learning, stories and conversation, creative expression, and experiences with specialist teachers. Children have opportunities to make choices and follow their interests while also becoming comfortable with the rhythms and responsibilities of a school day.
How much time do Preschool students spend outdoors?
Outdoor learning is an important part of the Preschool experience at TCS. Children spend time outside each day exploring our Webster Groves campus, gardens, and natural spaces. As they grow, field learning and experiences beyond the classroom become an increasingly important part of how students learn at TCS.
How does The College School prepare children for Kindergarten?
We think Kindergarten readiness is about more than learning a specific set of academic skills. Preschool students build early literacy and mathematical thinking while also learning how to ask questions, communicate ideas, solve problems, work with others, manage increasing independence, and approach new experiences with confidence and curiosity.
Do Preschool students participate in Art, Music, PE, and other specialist classes?
Yes. Even our youngest students benefit from experiences beyond their homeroom classrooms. Preschool students have opportunities to learn with specialist teachers and explore areas such as art, music, physical education, and our Greenhouse and gardens.
Does my child need to have experience in a Reggio Emilia preschool?
Not at all. Families do not need to be familiar with Reggio Emilia before coming to TCS. The best way to understand our approach is to see it in action: children asking questions, teachers listening and guiding, ideas developing over time, and learning taking shape through conversation, play, art, investigation, and hands-on experiences.
Can my child continue at The College School after Preschool?
Yes. One of the distinctive things about TCS is that children can begin with us as young as age 3 and continue through Eighth Grade. Preschool students are already part of the larger school community, giving them opportunities to build relationships with older students and become comfortable throughout the school.
Where is The College School Preschool located?
The College School is located in Webster Groves, Missouri, and serves families from throughout the St. Louis area. Our Preschool program is part of our Preschool–Eighth Grade campus at 7825 Big Bend Boulevard.
The best way to understand Preschool at TCS is to see it in action. Visit our Webster Groves campus, step inside our Early Childhood classrooms, and see how children learn through exploration, play, projects, creativity, and time outdoors.
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