Your Four-Year-Old Is Ready to Go Further. So Are We.
The 4's program at Spark Academy is where children move from learning how to be in school to loving what school can do for them. With flexible scheduling, individualized learning paths, and a doctoral-led curriculum built on purposeful play — four is a remarkable year to be a Spark student.
Four Is the Bridge Year — and How You Cross It Matters
Something shifts at four. Children who spent their 3's year learning how to be in school — how to sit, listen, share, and take turns — arrive at four ready to do more with that foundation. Their vocabulary is exploding. They're asking "why" about everything. They're forming real friendships and navigating the complexity of them.
This is the pre-kindergarten year. And at Spark, we take that seriously.
The 4's program builds directly on the Purposeful Play Framework, deepening the academic play, enrichment, and developmental playroom experiences your child already knows. But four-year-olds are developmentally ready for more — more sustained engagement, more complex challenges, more independence — and the 4's program is calibrated for exactly that.
Dr. Peterson's doctoral research in early childhood education isn't a credential we list to look impressive. It's the reason the 4's program is structured the way it is. She knows what four-year-old brains need and what they can handle — and that knowledge is built into every part of the day.
A Day Designed for the Four-Year-Old Brain
The 4's daily schedule follows the same proven rhythm as the 3's program, with the same rich enrichment rotation and the same Developmental Playroom — because consistency matters for young children. What deepens is the complexity of the activities, the expectations for engagement, and the academic scaffolding layered into every session.
Deeper cognitive engagement, early literacy and numeracy, collaborative problem-solving, and independent thinking — all through teacher-guided purposeful play.
Advanced collaboration, creative initiative, and social-emotional development in a monthly-rotating, student-directed environment.
A rotating schedule of Spanish, STEM, Art, Communication, and Music & Movement — deepening each subject at a four-year-old level.
Physical confidence, gross motor development, and peer relationship skills.
Conversation, community, and growing independence in self-care routines.
The Developmental Playroom — A Spark Exclusive
Every day, your child spends 30 minutes in a dedicated, separate environment unlike anything they'll find at another preschool in the area.
The Developmental Playroom changes completely every month, rotating with our nine curriculum themes throughout the year. For four-year-olds, the setups invite more complex collaboration, more ambitious creative projects, and more independence — because at this age, children don't just want to explore. They want to build, lead, and make something they're proud of.
Enrichment at Four — Going Deeper
The daily enrichment rotation doesn't just repeat what your child experienced in the 3's program. The activities, vocabulary, and expectations evolve alongside the children's growing capabilities.
By the end of the 4's year, your child will have experienced hundreds of hours of structured enrichment across five disciplines — a breadth that most elementary schools don't offer until third or fourth grade.
Two Days, Three Days, or Five — Here's How to Think About It
The 4's program offers three scheduling options, and choosing between them is one of the most common questions families bring to their tour. Here's an honest, developmentally grounded way to think through it.
Two Days a Week
Two days is a strong start and a complete program. Your child receives the full Purposeful Play curriculum, the daily enrichment rotation, and the Developmental Playroom experience — just on two days a week. A great option for families with younger siblings at home, families managing complex schedules, or children still building stamina for structured learning environments.
Three Days a Week
Three days is where many families land — the sweet spot between scheduling flexibility and developmental depth. An additional day means more time with peers, more repetitions of the enrichment cycle, and more sustained engagement with curriculum themes. Children who attend three days a week often show noticeably stronger peer relationships by mid-year simply because they have more time to build them.
Five Days a Week
Five days is the fullest experience Spark offers for four-year-olds. It's ideal for children who are energized by school, have demonstrated strong readiness, and whose families are preparing for the routine of daily kindergarten the following year. Five days at Spark is the most natural preparation for a full kindergarten schedule — your child arrives already knowing how to be in school every single day.
There's no wrong choice. Every option represents the full Spark program. If you're unsure, start with two or three days and see how your child responds — it's not uncommon for families to add days mid-year once they see how their child is thriving.
Everything Your Child Builds This Year, They'll Carry Into Kindergarten
The 4's year at Spark isn't separate from kindergarten — it's preparation for it. Every skill built, every friendship formed, every morning of showing up and participating is preparing your child to walk into their kindergarten classroom with confidence.
At Spark, kindergarten readiness isn't a checklist we hand you at the end of the year. It's something we track, support, and communicate about throughout the entire program. Dr. Peterson's individualized assessment approach means your child's teachers know where they are developmentally — not compared to a generic benchmark, but relative to their own growth trajectory.
When your child leaves the 4's program, you'll know exactly where they stand. And so will they.
Turning 5 before November 30th? If your child won't attend public kindergarten next fall, ask us about our Kindergarten Prep program — a more intensive daily option for children who are ready for the full step.
Transparent Pricing. Every Schedule Option Included.
Hours: 8:30–11:30 AM · Age: Must be 4 by the first day of school · Potty Training: Required
Payment Terms: Tuition is billed over 10 months. A 10% discount is available for families who pay the full year's tuition by August 15. A $100 non-refundable deposit holds your enrollment spot.
From Families in the 4's Program
The Best Way to Know Is to Visit
Four is a big year. The preschool you choose for this stage matters — not because it needs to be perfect, but because it needs to be the right fit for your child. We'd love to show you what the 4's program looks like in person. Our tours are informal, about 20–30 minutes, and designed to give you a real picture of what your child's day at Spark would look like.
If you're not quite ready for a tour, that's okay too. Send us a question, and someone from our team will be in touch. Or call 309-291-3292.
Wondering about Kindergarten Prep? Learn more →
Have a Question?
Have a question about scheduling, the 2/3/5-day decision, or anything else? We're here to help.