Where Learning Begins with Joy and Purpose
At Antonine International School – Dekwaneh (AIS-D), the Preschool Program is where every child’s educational journey begins. It offers a nurturing and inspiring environment where curiosity, creativity, and confidence grow hand in hand. Designed for children aged 3 to 5 (K-1 to K-3), the program lays the foundation for lifelong learning through play, exploration, and purposeful teaching that encourages independence, empathy, and imagination.
Learning Through the 5Es: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate
The Preschool curriculum follows the internationally recognized 5E learning model, ensuring that each learning experience is engaging, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate.
- Engage: capturing children’s curiosity through stories, sensory play, and creative inquiry.
- Explore: encouraging hands-on discovery and experimentation.
- Explain: helping children express their understanding and use new vocabulary in context.
- Elaborate: connecting ideas to real-life situations through guided application.
- Evaluate: fostering reflection and self-assessment through discussion and play.
STEAM Learning from the Start
AIS-D introduces children to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) through age-appropriate exploration. Learning by designing, experimenting, and observing helps children develop reasoning, creativity, and collaboration skills. Activities such as building structures, mixing colors, exploring nature, or recognizing patterns promote logical thinking and imagination simultaneously.
STEAM learning is woven into daily life at preschool. It teaches children how to ask questions, test ideas, and find joy in discovery, setting a strong foundation for innovative and analytical thinking.
The Golden Triangle: Child, Teacher, and Parent
At AIS-D, education flourishes within the Golden Triangle of collaboration between the child, the teacher, and the parent.
- The child is an active learner, exploring and expressing ideas with confidence.
- The teacher guides, observes, and nurtures learning with care and intention.
- The parent supports and reinforces learning at home, ensuring continuity and growth.
This close partnership creates a circle of trust and consistency around every learner, allowing each child to feel secure, supported, and celebrated.
Play with Purpose
Play is the foundation of the Preschool experience. Every activity, whether guided or free, is intentionally designed to promote learning. Through play, children develop motor coordination, communication, creativity, and perseverance. Purposeful play ensures that learning remains joyful, authentic, and deeply engaging, turning each moment into a meaningful learning opportunity.
A Holistic and Inclusive Approach
The Preschool Program embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity. Teachers adapt lessons to each child’s pace and style, ensuring that all learners feel valued and supported. Every classroom is a safe, inclusive space where children develop academically, socially, and emotionally, preparing them for the next stages of their education.
Trilingual Beginnings and Global Awareness
From the earliest years, children at AIS-D are immersed in English, French, and Arabic, building a strong linguistic foundation in all three languages. English and French are introduced naturally through storytelling, songs, and creative play, while Arabic — their native language — is taught with equal care to preserve cultural identity and strengthen communication skills.
This trilingual approach enriches cognitive development and fosters open-mindedness, cultural appreciation, and confidence in expressing ideas across languages. Children begin to see themselves as part of a global community while remaining deeply rooted in their Lebanese and Arab heritage.
Strong Family Partnership
Parents are active partners in their child’s preschool journey. Through open communication, regular updates, and collaborative events, families remain fully engaged in their child’s learning and development. Together, the school and families build a strong bridge between home and classroom that promotes trust, consistency, and shared celebration of growth.
A Joyful Start to a Lifelong Journey
The Preschool Program at AIS-D is where learning begins with purpose and heart. Grounded in the 5Es, strengthened by the Golden Triangle, and enriched through STEAM learning, global skills, wellbeing, and trilingual education, it cultivates children who are curious, confident, compassionate, and ready to embrace the world with open minds and kind hearts.
