"Play, Laugh, Learn" - Our Philosophy

Kids With An Edge offers truly unique and powerful early learning programs.

Research has repeatedly shown that the preschool and kindergarten years critically impact the rest of a child’s life socially, emotionally, and intellectually.  When my children were young, I made the decision to leave working as an engineer and start a preschool where I could be sure my children received a strong foundation.   

I carefully crafted a curriculum for early learning, keeping in mind that I wanted my children to always be happy, compassionate, creative, and curious learners who would be attracted to exploring new concepts and taking on new challenges.

All kids are incredible and they have these innate “superpowers” that allow them to view the world with a purity, a wonder, and an undaunted “let me try, my turn now” spirit.  It is our job to make sure they grow up with confidence and never stop using these superpowers. 

The first five years have so much to do with how the remaining 80 turn out.

—Bill Gates, Sr., in reference to education

The early years are all about learning through play and playing to learn.  At Kids With An Edge, our classroom learning is through play with a purpose.  Children learn while “chugging” around the room picking up different numbers of passengers. They learn by drawing “Mama A” and connecting her with “Baby a”.  They learn while singing, “5 little ducks went out to play…”  or by becoming the “3 little monkeys jumping on the bed…”  We play with cards, we play board games and we play hopscotch – all with a purpose.

Children feel empowered when the world comes alive to them in a new way… when they can read a STOP sign, when they know where to EXIT from, and when books become interesting stories instead of a collection of pictures. 

Words are letters arranged in a pattern. Math is numbers dictated by patterns. Here is an interesting article from the Seattle Times: It’s just math: Preschoolers can do more than we might think.

Our classes are the perfect complement to your child’s preschool/kindergarten class. Really small class sizes allow us to meet each child exactly where they are in their journey and we are able to stay attuned to their unique interests and learning style.    

Every aspect of a child’s development is essential – a happy heart, a healthy body and a strong mind.  

Children have so much potential. At Kids With and Edge, we believe it is truly a privilege to team with parents to provide their children with every opportunity to discover and uncover that potential. 

Children are social beings by nature and each child should feel confident in expressing their curiosity and creativity and in sharing the joy of their discoveries. 

The more they laugh, the more they learn and develop a lifelong love of learning!

Thrive Washington

“About 85 percent of the human brain develops in the first three years of life. During this crucial developmental time, young children form the “wiring” needed to think, communicate, move and form attachments with those around them. Children who have nurturing, healthy and supportive experiences in their early years are much better prepared to succeed in school and life.” Thrive Washington 

President Obama

“In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children…studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own. We know this works. So let’s do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind.” – Emphasizing the need for high-quality preschools, State of the Union, February 12, 2013

Seattle City Council

“DESPITE our best efforts, too many of our city’s children are not thriving in school. If we invest in our kids early, well before kindergarten, we can change this gloomy reality. Several long-term evaluations show that children who attend high-quality preschools are better prepared to enter kindergarten and learn.” 
-Tim Burgess, The Seattle Times

Our 5-yo twins have been doing reading tutoring with Anu for the last 2 months and we are so impressed with their progress! I was floored when at the end of their second class, they both read a mini book to me, correctly sounding out all the words. I had never seen them do anything like that before. They have now read several little books, each one getting progressively more difficult. The biggest sign of success for us is that these normally shy girls seem very empowered by the experience – they have been telling everyone that they are learning how to read and are really proud of themselves. They also adore Anu and constantly ask when the next reading class is. We’re hoping the confidence boost they are getting from this tutoring experience will help ease the big Kindergarten transition coming in September. Thank you, Anu!

—Google Review: Katy Potter, Global Health Consultant

What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.

—Alfred Mercier