Our Philosophy
At the Richard E. Rudolph, Jr. Preschool, our curriculum is as unique as our community. We have developed our own homegrown curriculum, Shorashim, the Hebrew word for “roots.” Just as roots provide strength, nourishment, and connection, our curriculum helps children develop a strong foundation for learning, relationships, identity, and personal growth.
Shorashim is built around three simple but powerful principles that guide everything we do:
Be Good to Each Other.
We teach children the importance of kindness, empathy, inclusion, friendship, and respect. Through daily interactions, cooperative play, and community-building experiences, children learn how to care for and support one another.
Be Good to Yourself.
We help children develop confidence, resilience, independence, and self-awareness. By honoring each child’s unique strengths and encouraging healthy risk-taking, we foster strong self-esteem and a lifelong love of learning.
Be Good to the World.
Inspired by the Jewish values of Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) and Chesed (Loving Kindness), children learn that they have the power to make a positive difference. Whether caring for our gardens, helping a friend, participating in community service projects, or celebrating the beauty of nature, children discover their role as caring members of a larger community.
Through Shorashim, children explore the world through this Jewish lens of compassion, responsibility, curiosity, and community. Rather than teaching values as isolated lessons, we weave them into everyday experiences, helping children understand how these principles apply to their lives both in and outside of school.
Our approach to learning is play-based, hands-on, and experiential. We believe that young children learn best by doing, exploring, questioning, creating, and engaging with the world around them. Whether they are building in the block area, conducting a science experiment, planting seeds in the garden, creating artwork, acting out stories, or celebrating a Jewish holiday, children are actively constructing knowledge through meaningful experiences.
The Richard E. Rudolph, Jr. Preschool follows the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards while also incorporating key components of The Creative Curriculum, one of the nation’s most respected early childhood educational frameworks. This combination allows us to provide a rich, comprehensive educational experience that supports children’s development across all domains while maintaining the flexibility to follow children’s interests and natural curiosity.
Learning at KI is active, engaging, and filled with discovery. Through play-based and experiential learning opportunities, children explore literacy, mathematics, science, art, music, movement, gardening, cooking, STEM, yoga, sports, dramatic play, Jewish traditions, and so much more. Every day is designed to spark curiosity, encourage creativity, build friendships, and foster a genuine love of learning. Our teachers carefully design experiences that are developmentally appropriate, engaging, and responsive to the individual needs of each child
Most importantly, our curriculum recognizes that childhood is a precious time. We believe children deserve opportunities to wonder, imagine, create, play, and discover. By combining strong educational practices with Jewish values and a nurturing community, we create an environment where children feel loved, confident, capable, and excited to learn.
At KI, we are not simply preparing children for kindergarten—we are helping them develop the roots they need to flourish for a lifetime.