As the back-to-school season approaches, families with preschoolers are evaluating early learning programs that go beyond traditional academics. Increasingly, parents seek environments that build foundational skills supporting lifelong learning. Researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education describe six essential skills—creativity, critical thinking, curiosity, self-regulation, perspective-taking, and early identity—as building blocks for healthy development. These skills are strengthened through enrichment experiences that encourage young children to explore, create, communicate, and solve problems.
The Crème School, a premium provider of early learning programs, addresses this need by building enrichment directly into the daily schedule. Alongside a research-led core curriculum, children ages two through five participate in four daily, 30-minute enrichment experiences in dedicated classrooms covering STEM, Spanish, music, and art. These classes extend classroom learning by giving children additional opportunities to build and apply new skills through engaging, hands-on experiences. Guided by their own research-based curricula, these enrichments reinforce the very skills Harvard researchers say matter most.
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) encourages children to ask questions, investigate, experiment, and solve problems through hands-on exploration, nurturing curiosity and critical thinking. According to research, early inquiry-based experiences lay the foundation for later scientific thinking, problem-solving, and innovation. Music engages children in singing, movement, rhythm, and instrument play, supporting creativity while strengthening memory and attention; it has been linked to improvements in early language skills and executive functioning. Visual arts encourage children to create, experiment, and express themselves through drawing, painting, sculpting, and other open-ended experiences, developing creativity, fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and confidence. Spanish introduces children to a second language during a key developmental window, helping build communication skills. Research suggests that children exposed to multiple languages develop stronger perspective-taking and communication abilities, supporting learning and social development.
“Our enrichment classes do more than expose children to new subjects,” said Stephanie Sturdevant-Ward, vice president of operations for The Crème Schools. “They help develop the habits that support learning throughout life, such as asking questions, working through challenges, collaborating with others and approaching problems with curiosity and confidence.”
As families consider school choices for their young learners, it is worth asking not only what children will learn, but how they will learn it. When enrichment is woven into the daily curriculum, as it is at The Crème School, children have more opportunities to grow curiosity, creativity, and the foundational skills that support future learning and development.
