Young 5's

Curiosity & Exploration

• Naturally curious - they love to explore their environment
• Engaged with hands-on activities and sensory play
• Confident with new settings
• Asking questions to spark wonder

Social & Emotional Development

• Learning to share and take turns
• Expressing feelings with words
• Developing friendships with peers
• Able to self-soothe
• Practicing self-control and getting along with others
• Demonstrating self-confidence
• Engaging in social and academic conversations

Language & Communication

• Expanding vocabulary through stories and songs
• Follow simple 2-3 step directions
• Engaging in simple conversations
• Learning to listen and follow directions
• Using words to express needs and wants
• Enjoying pretend play and storytelling

Physical Development

• Improving fine motor skills (drawing, cutting)
• Developing gross motor skills (running, jumping)
• Learning to dress themselves
• Practicing personal hygiene (hand washing) and potty trained
• Participating in active play and movement activities
• Learning personal responsibilities - cleaning up after oneself

Early Learning Skills

• Recognizing shapes and colors
• Counting and understanding basic numbers
• Singing the alphabet and identifying some letters
• Drawing to express ideas
• Showing interest in books and “reading” pictures
• Practicing skills - what a learner looks like and sounds like in various school settings
• Demonstrates a span of attention that is equal to the length of a children's book

From Our Parents

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for the Young Fives program and its lasting impact on my son. Having a later birthday and being an only child, we felt it was important to give him the extra time to develop emotionally, and I can confidently say that decision was priceless. When we initially enrolled him, I was the parent who thought, “My child is smart, he’ll excel”—after all, that’s what daycare had always told us. However, I quickly learned that being smart and thriving in a classroom setting are two different things. I was nervous yet hopeful, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. —WT

From Our Students

It felt really good to be a Y5 because we did fun things. And I wanted to go to school just like my sister. I didn’t know all the words, but now I know them and that is why I am really good at my work. —BP

I liked being a Y5. I like to be at school and I like to do all those fun things with my teacher. My teacher taught me how to be a kindergartner. —JJ

From Our Teachers

A Young 5 student came in with a strong foundation and has taken off quickly in Kindergarten. She is a leader in my
classroom, and her confidence shows through in whole group and independent work time. The routines and expectations and “how to do school” are much stronger because she was in Y5 last year. —AF

As both a kindergarten teacher and a mother of a child who attended Young Fives, I’ve had the unique opportunity to see its benefits up close. In the classroom, I notice a clear difference in students who come from Young Fives. These children enter kindergarten familiar with the routines, structure, and expectations of school life, which gives them a big head start. They arrive socially and emotionally ready, able to manage group interactions, follow instructions, and handle challenges with more resilience. Academically, they often begin the year with a strong foundation that helps them engage more confidently and independently. —AJ