The NAISNY Early Years Advantage: Where Curiosity Builds Confidence

At Nord Anglia International School New York (NAISNY), our Early Years program offers a world-class start to learning—combining the British EYFS curriculum with the personalized, inquiry-driven approach expected in a leading NYC independent school. This is where your child feels known, supported, and empowered from the very beginning.

A Warm, Nurturing Community

Children thrive in small classes where every voice is heard and celebrated. Our teachers focus on the whole child—emotional well-being, communication, and independence—because these are the foundations for lifelong success. Through play, exploration, and high-quality interactions, children develop curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning that extends well beyond the classroom.

Strong Foundations for Future Learning

Our curriculum emphasizes the Prime Areas of Learning:

• Communication & Language – building listening, understanding, and expressive vocabulary.
• Physical Development – promoting coordination, balance, and fine-motor skills for writing and spatial reasoning.
• Personal, Social & Emotional Development – fostering self-regulation, resilience, and positive relationships.

As one Reception teacher explains:

“Strong development in the Prime Areas leads to academic confidence. Children use language to reason, explain their thinking, and problem-solve in mathematics through discussion and collaboration.”

Learning Through Curiosity

From the Caterpillars and Butterflies (2s), where toddlers gain confidence and expressive language, to Nursery (3s), where children collaborate on shared projects, and Reception, where they apply phonics and reasoning with independence—every stage builds toward Lower School readiness.

Our teachers follow children’s interests to inspire authentic learning moments. One Nursery teacher shares:

“When a child brings an idea or object from home, we follow their curiosity. One morning a ladybird inspired an entire day of learning—from reading nonfiction books to counting the spots on its wings.”

Building a Love of Reading from the Start

A hallmark of the NAISNY Early Years experience is our Phonics and Love of Reading program, where early literacy grows through joyful discovery and systematic progression:

• 2s (Caterpillars & Butterflies), children build pre-phonological awareness through daily songs, rhymes, and storytelling. They recall familiar characters, name everyday objects, and connect images to words, laying the earliest foundation for sound recognition and vocabulary growth.
• In the 3s (Nursery), children begin sequencing simple stories and expanding their vocabulary—especially descriptive and action verbs—while developing awareness of rhyme, syllables, and alliteration. These early listening and language skills prepare them for blending and segmenting words orally.
• In Reception, phonics becomes fully connected to comprehension and writing. Children learn graphemes, digraphs, and trigraphs, retell stories in sequence, predict events, and discuss characters. By the end of the year, they confidently read and write simple words and sentences, and many begin creating their own stories inspired by shared class books.

This approach ensures literacy develops from understanding and enjoyment, not memorization—helping children become confident readers, imaginative storytellers, and effective communicators.

Partnership with Families

Families are valued partners at every stage. They are welcomed to join students for exit points and whole section assemblies. Through ClassDojo teachers share magic moments, learning letters, and classroom participation, so NAISNY parents stay connected to daily experiences. As one teacher notes:

“Watching the youngest children grow from quietly pointing to confidently sharing stories in front of friends shows how powerful early communication can be.”

What Parents Say

“The Early Years curriculum is well-structured and academically strong—especially in math and foundational skills. Learning is hands-on, engaging, and thoughtfully introduced, and we’ve been impressed with the progress.

Because the school community is compact, everyone truly knows one another. Older children often greet and look out for younger ones, which creates a warm, family-like atmosphere. Teachers across grades know the students by name, and parents are welcoming and easy to connect with.

We are grateful for the supportive environment, strong academics, and genuine sense of community here. NAISNY has been a wonderful place for our child to grow and thrive.”

— NAISNY Early Years Parent, 2025

Preparing Children for Life

At NAISNY, we don’t just prepare children for school—we prepare them for life. Our Early Years learners grow into curious, articulate, and resilient thinkers who approach every challenge with joy and confidence.

Why NAISNY Early Years?

• Balanced, world-class start: British EYFS curriculum + NYC independent school approach.
• Small, nurturing classes: Every child is known and celebrated.
• Whole-child development: Emotional well-being, communication, independence.
• Academic readiness through play: Mastery in Prime Areas leads to meaningful learning.
• Phonics and Love of Reading: Systematic phonics integrated with rich literature.
• Authentic learning through curiosity: Teachers follow children’s interests for cross-curricular exploration.
• Strong home–school partnership: Families are collaborators in learning.
• Lifelong skills: Children transition ready for Lower School as confident, resilient learners