Welcome to Portsmouth Nursery School
At Portsmouth Nursery School, we believe children learn best through play. Our goal is to provide a nurturing, engaging environment where children build confidence, develop independence, and create a positive foundation for elementary school.
Learning Through Play
Every day is filled with opportunities for exploration, creativity, and cognitive growth. Through hands-on experiences, children learn to share, take turns, use kind manners, express themselves with words, and build meaningful relationships with both peers and teachers.
Our Classroom
Our bright and cheerful classroom is thoughtfully divided into learning centers that encourage curiosity and imagination, including:
Dramatic play
Art projects and crafts
Writing and coloring
S.T.E.M. activities
Puzzles and games
Reading nook
Building and construction
Sensory experiences
Rug toys and open-ended play
To keep learning fresh and exciting, our toys and themes change regularly throughout the year.
Creativity & Art
Art is a highlight of every day at PNS! Projects often connect to the books we read and our weekly themes. We focus on the creative process rather than the final product, encouraging children to explore, experiment, and take pride in their ideas.
Outdoor Play & Movement
We believe movement is essential to learning and development. Children enjoy outdoor play every day, weather permitting, on our large playground featuring swings, a sandbox, and climbing structures.
When we can't go outside, our spacious classroom comes alive with music, marching band activities, parachutes, scarves, and other movement-based experiences that keep children active and engaged.
Partnering with Families
At Portsmouth Nursery School, we value strong partnerships with families. We communicate regularly and work together to support the needs of the whole child. Parents are always welcome in our classroom and are encouraged to share their special talents, interests, and experiences with our students.
Our Programs
Two-Day Program (3-Year-Olds)
Our two-day program provides a warm introduction to school through hands-on learning experiences that promote independence and foundational skills. Through stories, songs, games, and center activities, children are introduced to one letter of the alphabet each week and begin developing pre-reading and pre-writing skills through activities such as cutting, tracing, painting, and gluing.
Three-Day Program (4-Year-Olds)
Our three-day program builds upon previously acquired skills through a theme-based curriculum that integrates literacy, math, science, and social studies. Children participate in small-group learning experiences that encourage them to:
Recognize letters and beginning sounds
Sort, graph, compare, and create patterns
Measure and recognize numbers
Observe, predict, investigate, and build
Strengthen early literacy and pre-kindergarten readiness skills
Our Commitment
Portsmouth Nursery School's curriculum aligns with the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards, and we are fully licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Human Services. We are passionate about creating a joyful, play-based learning environment where children are encouraged to explore, grow, and develop a lifelong love of learning.
