Bright Minds
Begin Here
From toddlers to budding students, our programs plant the seeds for a lifetime of success in academics and beyond.
We offer a 5- day program from 9 AM to 4 PM for all age groups—toddlers (2’s), preschoolers (3’s), and pre-k (4’s). We also provide optional before care from 7:00 to 9:00 AM and after care from 4:00 to 6:30 PM.
Toddlers
(2.5 - 3 years)
The love of learning begins young.
That’s why Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool proudly offers play-based educational programs for little learners as young as 2.5 to 3 years old. Our toddler program is the perfect way to ignite your child’s imagination and find high-quality educational resources that ignite creativity and foster compassion.
Inside The Curriculum: Foundation of Independence & Social Awareness
At this stage, children begin to develop a sense of self and basic independence by refining gross and fine motor skills, learning to follow simple routines, and beginning social interactions through parallel play. Our curriculum provides rich sensory experiences, encourages self-help skills (such as washing hands and tidying up), and fosters early language and emotional expression through music, movement, and hands-on activities.
Minimal Transitions
We’ve built our toddler program around small attention spans, offering minimal daily transitions to improve autonomy and reduce disruptions.
Circle Time
We focus on developing interpersonal connections to engage our students’ minds and create better learning outcomes.
Education Through the Arts
This curriculum focuses on introducing early math and language concepts through the magic of music, movement, and art.
Sensory-Based Activities
We give students the chance to make their own discoveries with hands-on exploration and sensory-based enrichment activities.
Pre-School
(3 - 4 Years)
Great foundations start with great love.
Our pre-school program is carefully designed to inspire independent learning activities and expand on the concepts that challenge young minds the most by focusing on real-world critical thinking strategies and lessons tailored to key developmental milestones.
Inside The Curriculum: Expanding Language & Social Skills
As children become more verbal, engaging in longer conversations and expressing thoughts more clearly, learning important social skills like sharing, turn-taking, and empathy are essential. Our curriculum at this stage includes theme-based learning in both Mandarin and English, guided exploration, and early literacy and math exposure, all embedded within hands-on, play-based activities.
Minimal Transitions
We’ve fostered a distraction-free learning environment by minimizing daily transitions and creating more room for growth.
Group Discussions
This program cultivates a greater sense of community by expanding on circle time with group discussions and team-based activities.
Skill Development
Our teacher-led learning sessions seek to develop foundational skills for math, writing, and more, ensuring our students are prepared for their next academic chapter.
Independent Learning
We strive to ignite a lifelong love of learning by providing more opportunities for independent exploration and self-directed studying.
Pre-K
(4 - 5 years)
Your child’s academic future is born here.
As the first official chapter in each child’s school life, our approach to pre-k offers a revolutionary 50/50 Mandarin and English curriculum that challenges the mind and embraces cultural diversity, leading to well-rounded thinkers.
Inside The Curriculum: Readiness for Structured Learning & Deeper Thinking
This stage is crucial for developing critical thinking, longer attention spans, and higher-level problem-solving, especially as children start to grasp early math operations, scientific reasoning, and literacy concepts, preparing them for kindergarten. The 50/50 bilingual immersion model ensures that students think and express themselves naturally in both Mandarin and English, supporting cognitive flexibility and cultural awareness.
Kindergarten Readiness
Our pre-k program is designed to give your child the best start to their academic journey. We focus on kindergarten readiness by increasing group activity time and introducing more transitions into their daily routines.
Play With Structure
We believe in playing hard and learning hard. Our holistic approach offers creative, play-based lessons within a structured, teacher-directed system. Together, these strategies lead to better retention and enhanced student engagement.
Bilingual Lessons
Our pre-k lessons are divided evenly between Mandarin and English. This includes foundation reading, writing, and math skills that give little minds the skills they need to learn on a globally diverse scale.
Social-Emotional Development
Our mission is to help students learn by doing good. We support healthy social-emotional development by offering life-based skills and introducing character education topics that foster integrity and respect for all.
Toddlers (2.5 - 3 years)
The love of learning begins young.
That’s why Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool proudly offers play-based educational programs for little learners as young as 2.5 to 3 years old. Our toddler program is the perfect way to ignite your child’s imagination and find high-quality educational resources that ignite creativity and foster compassion.
Preschool (3 - 4 years)
Great foundations start with great love.
Our pre-school program is carefully designed to inspire independent learning activities and expand on the concepts that challenge young minds the most by focusing on real-world critical thinking strategies and lessons tailored to key developmental milestones.
Pre-K (4 - 5 years)
Your child’s academic future is born here.
As the first official chapter in each child’s school life, our approach to pre-k offers a revolutionary 50/50 Mandarin and English curriculum that challenges the mind and embraces cultural diversity, leading to well-rounded thinkers.
FAQ
What is character education?
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool is on a mission to create good students and good people. Our program includes character-building lessons promoting kindness, empathy, honesty, and integrity in every aspect of life. We teach these values to develop practical life skills and help children understand how their actions affect others. In doing so, children naturally become inclined to be responsible, upstanding individuals.
How is your curriculum different?
Our program immerses children in both Mandarin and English throughout the day – with one teacher speaking Mandarin and the other speaking English – to strengthen natural language development and foster true bilingual fluency. Additionally, our curriculum includes structured, theme-based learning and opportunities for children to explore their own interests. Through meaningful experiences like learning to care for plants, intentional collaboration on specially designed group projects, and environmental stewardship activities, we truly believe students get far more out of classes here at Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool than anywhere else.
Why do you only offer a full-day program?
We believe that learning happens throughout the day—not just during structured activities. Our full-day program is carefully structured to provide a balance of guided learning, creative exploration, rest, and free play, making sure that children remain engaged and energized throughout the day. So, children can revisit complex topics, build meaningful connections, and strengthen their skills in a safe, supportive environment.
Why do you serve only vegetarian meals?
Our vegetarian meals are wholesome, balanced, and filled with fresh, natural ingredients to support growing minds and bodies. Most importantly, our meals are carefully selected to reflect the values taught in our program, like practicing empathy for all living creatures, promoting sustainability, and nourishing the body with wholesome ingredients.
Is your program only for bilingual families?
No! Our school was founded by the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, an international nonprofit organization that supports communities around the globe, and we welcome families from across Long Island and Syosset.