Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, The Early School is taking the necessary steps to keep our staff, students, and community safe. We are currently operating at normal hours and applications for the 2020-2021 school year are still being accepted.
The Early School is a private, nonprofit, independent school that has been providing quality early childhood education since 1973.
At The Early School, we offer a rich, indoor-outdoor environment, with a hands-on emergent curriculum shaped by students’ own interests. Blessed with one of the largest shaded outdoor preschool play areas in Honolulu, The Early School emphasizes real-world experiences, long-term projects and investigations, field trips, and outdoor play. In our classrooms, pre-reading, reading and numeracy skills emerge naturally through daily routines, group projects, song, art, play, and movement.
At the core of our curriculum is a research-backed emphasis on building social and emotional intelligence and confidence. We believe that learning to make mistakes and try again, to feel empathy for others, to solve problems with patience and resilience, to share thoughts and ideas, and to navigate many different relationships are crucial aspects of lifelong success. And we know that a child who has learned to take care of themselves, others, and their environment is someone who will make a positive difference to the world.
Hear From Our Parents
Growing Individuals
At The Early School, we believe that every child has something unique to offer the world, and we have dedicated ourselves to creating and sustaining a school where those gifts can shine. Our low student-faculty ratios and emergent curriculum mean that teachers can build strong bonds of trust and respect; get to know each student’s individual learning styles, personalities, strengths, and challenges; and then make sure that individualized learning opportunities happen throughout the day.
Whole-Child, Whole Community
Following educational best practices for early childhood, TES takes a whole-community and whole-child approach to learning. Teachers take into consideration families’ ideas and knowledge to help create a positive community for every TES student. We rely on strong and mutually supportive communication between teachers and families, and we pay close attention to all aspects of learning: physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual.