Early Childhood Education

The Azusa Unified School District's California State Preschool Program (CSPP) is dedicated to nurturing the intellectual, social-emotional, and creative development of our youngest learners, setting them on the path to becoming lifelong learners. Our approach promotes cognitive development and social-emotional growth through exploration, creativity, and hands-on experiences, all within high-quality early care and education learning environments. We are proud to be a Tier-5 Quality Start Los Angeles (QSLA) participant.

• Ages Served: 2-5 years old (must be 3 by December 1st, 2025)
• Program Options:
  • Part-Day 
    • Traditional School Year
    •  8:00 AM - 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Full-Day
    • Year-Round, 244 days
    • 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Comprehensive Support
  • High-Quality Learning Opportunities
  • Meals and Snacks
  • Parent Education
  • Referrals to Health and Social Services

• Open to All: Our preschool serves Azusa residents and families from surrounding communities, with no interdistrict transfer required for preschool enrollment.
• Experienced and Trained Teaching Staff: Teachers maintain a Child Development Permit
• Convenient Locations: Serving all AUSD elementary school sites, including Dalton, Hodge (Opening Fall 2025), Lee, Longfellow, Magnolia, Murray, Paramount, and Valleydale.

To learn more or enroll, please contact Theresa Ramirez at 626-815-4724 or email tramirez@azusa.org.

The Azusa Unified School District is proud to offer enriching Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in both Mandarin (Dalton) and Spanish (Hodge & Valledale), extending from our Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs through to the elementary grades. Our DLI Preschool and TK programs mirror the primary focuses, age requirements, and program hours of our other early childhood offerings, but with the added transformative benefit of bilingual education.

These innovative programs are designed to provide young learners with a profound advantage, fostering not only academic excellence but also cognitive flexibility and global citizenship. Our Dual Immersion programs follow a 50/50 model, where students are immersed predominantly in Spanish or Mandarin during the early years, with English systematically introduced and increased over time. This research-based approach is highly effective in developing true bilingualism and biliteracy.

The benefits of enrolling your child in AUSD's Dual Language Immersion program:

• Early Bilingualism and Biliteracy: Students begin their journey towards fluency in a second language from a young age, developing strong listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Mandarin or Spanish and English. This early exposure capitalizes on a child's natural capacity for language acquisition.

• Enhanced Cognitive Development: Research consistently shows that learning a second language boosts cognitive abilities, including problem-solving skills, critical thinking, memory, and multitasking. Students in DLI programs often exhibit greater mental flexibility and creativity.

• Academic Achievement: DLI students frequently outperform their monolingual peers on standardized tests in both languages, demonstrating a deeper understanding of academic content across the curriculum. Our specialized curriculum prepares students for successful progression through K-12th grades in the dual immersion pathway.

• Cultural Awareness and Global Competence: Immersion in another language naturally leads to a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures. Students develop a broader worldview, empathy, and the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected global society.

• Future Opportunities: Bilingualism opens doors to a wealth of future opportunities, both academically and professionally. Graduates of dual immersion programs are highly sought after in a wide range of fields, giving them a competitive edge in higher education and the workforce.

• Strong Foundational Skills: While the focus is on dual language acquisition, our DLI Preschool and TK programs maintain the same commitment to developmentally appropriate practices, ensuring students gain essential social-emotional skills, classroom readiness, and core academic concepts, just like in our traditional programs.

By choosing AUSD's Dual Language Immersion program, you are investing in an unparalleled educational experience that equips your child with invaluable linguistic, cognitive, and cultural assets for a successful and globally aware future.

In the Azusa Unified School District, our full-day Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program serves as a vital bridge between preschool and traditional Kindergarten, specifically designed for students who turn four on or before September 1st of the current school year. This unique program provides a nurturing and academically stimulating environment that prepares our youngest learners for the rigors and expectations of Kindergarten, ensuring they start their elementary journey with confidence and a strong foundation.

Our TK program focuses on:

• Academic Readiness: We gently introduce foundational academic concepts, laying the groundwork for future success in Kindergarten. This includes:

  • Early Literacy Skills: Developing pre-reading skills such as letter recognition, phonological awareness (the sounds of language), rhyming, and an introduction to print concepts through engaging stories, songs, and interactive activities.

  • Pre-Mathematics Concepts: Exploring numbers, counting, patterns, shapes, and basic measurement through hands-on play and guided exploration, building early number sense and problem-solving abilities.

  • Cognitive Development: Fostering critical thinking, observation skills, and curiosity through inquiry-based learning and exposure to science and social studies themes appropriate for this age group.
     

• Social-Emotional Preparation: A key component of TK is developing the social and emotional skills necessary for a successful school experience. We focus on:

  • Classroom Routines and Expectations: Helping children adapt to the structure of a school day, including following directions, participating in group activities, and managing transitions.

  • Peer Interaction: Encouraging positive social skills such as sharing, turn-taking, cooperation, conflict resolution, and empathy through collaborative play and guided discussions.

  • Self-Regulation: Supporting children in developing independence, self-control, and the ability to express their emotions in healthy ways, which are crucial for learning in a group setting.
     

• Developmentally Appropriate Learning: Our highly qualified educators utilize a play-based, hands-on, and interactive approach that acknowledges the unique developmental stage of four-year-olds. We balance structured learning with ample opportunities for discovery, creative expression, and active exploration, ensuring learning is engaging and meaningful.

• Smooth Transition: The TK program is specifically designed to ease the transition from a less structured preschool environment to the more formalized setting of Kindergarten. Students gain familiarity with the school environment, build relationships with teachers and peers, and develop the independence and confidence needed to thrive in their subsequent academic years.

Through our comprehensive TK program, students gain not only essential academic skills but also the crucial social and emotional readiness that sets them on a positive and successful trajectory for Kindergarten and beyond.

To learn more, contact your school of residence. Ready to enroll? Click the button at the top of the page.

AUSD's full-day Kindergarten program is designed to provide an exceptional foundation for children turning five on or before September 1st of the current year. We understand the pivotal role this year plays in a child's educational journey, and our program is crafted to ensure a strong academic start while nurturing their overall development, setting them firmly on the path to becoming joyful, confident, and lifelong learners.

Our Kindergarten program focuses on:

• Core Academic Foundations: We deliver a robust curriculum aligned with California's rigorous academic standards, establishing essential skills in:

  • Literacy: Fostering early reading skills through phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and engaging story comprehension. Students will begin to recognize letters and their sounds, build foundational sight words, and develop an understanding of how stories work.

  • Mathematics: Introducing fundamental mathematical concepts such as number sense, counting, basic addition and subtraction, geometry (shapes and spatial reasoning), and measurement through hands-on activities and problem-solving.

  • Science and Social Studies: Encouraging curiosity and critical thinking through exploration of the natural world and an introduction to community, history, and diverse cultures.
     

• Developmentally Appropriate Instruction: Our experienced educators employ teaching methods that are tailored to the unique cognitive and social-emotional needs of five-year-olds. We balance structured learning with interactive play, discovery, and collaborative activities, recognizing that young children learn best through engagement and exploration.

• Social-Emotional Growth: We cultivate a supportive and nurturing classroom environment where children develop crucial social-emotional skills, including cooperation, communication, problem-solving, self-regulation, and empathy. These skills are integral to academic success and future well-being.

• Individualized Support: Our teachers are adept at identifying individual learning styles and needs, providing differentiated instruction and support to ensure every child is challenged and supported at their own pace, maximizing their potential.

• Pathway to Lifelong Learning: Beyond specific subjects, our Kindergarten instills a love for learning, encouraging curiosity, resilience, and a positive attitude toward school. We empower students to ask questions, explore new ideas, and build the confidence necessary for a successful transition to elementary grades and beyond.

To learn more, contact your school of residence. Ready to enroll? Click the button at the top of the page.