At Presidio Knolls we make every effort to nurture the infinite capacities of children, and consistently emphasize basic respect for the individual child. At our school, teachers are students, students are teachers, and parents are partners in a collective learning environment. At this stage in their lives, young children are striving for understanding, independence and self-control. Children learn by exploring, experimenting, testing the limits of their environment and experiencing the consequences of their behavior. In this way they can create meaning from play, and begin to understand how the world works and their own limits. At PKS children learn in a relaxed, positive atmosphere. One central element in our approach is the emphasis on a child’s symbolic language such as drawing, dramatic play and writing. Our children have opportunities to learn math through music, acquire language through art, develop their abilities to relate to one another through play, and solve problems together in the playground. The curriculum emphasizes five main components that are key to the learning experience:

• Importance of the classroom environment: aesthetic features such as a conscious use of color, natural light, and space to foster creative learning.
• Value of parental involvement: parents are strongly encouraged to work with teachers to tailor lesson plans to each child's specific needs.
• Teachers as learners: teachers are dedicated to understanding the child's needs by using his/her interests to build and guide the curriculum.
• Long-term projects as vehicles for learning: a child's creative thinking is channeled through involvement in long-term projects (such as growing plants from seedlings), giving them a better understanding of the learning process.
• Multiple forms of self-expression: children are encouraged to express their understanding of the world through symbolic languages such as drawing, sculpture, dramatic play and writing.
• These five core values have a key presence at Presidio Knolls, especially in our curriculum, but also in the relationships we strive to cultivate with our students, parents and faculty.