CURRICULUM & GOALS

Language-immersion preschools give young children the opportunity to learn a new language in one of the most natural ways possible: through play, relationships, songs, stories, routines, and meaningful everyday experiences. At this age, children are especially receptive to new sounds and vocabulary. In our classroom, Euskara is not simply a subject children study; it is the language they hear and experience throughout their day.

At Boiseko Ikastola, our curriculum combines educational guidance from the Basque Country with developmentally appropriate U.S. early childhood standards. Our goal is to support the whole child while creating a strong connection to Euskara and Basque culture.

Our approach is play-based, project-based, and centered on children's natural curiosity. Throughout the year, classroom projects become the starting point for stories, art, music, movement, nature, early literacy and numeracy, sensory experiences, and imaginative play. Rather than experiencing these areas as isolated subjects, children explore them through meaningful connections.

An important part of our classroom organization is our ikasguneak, or learning stations. These thoughtfully prepared spaces invite children to explore, create, build, investigate, communicate, and make choices with increasing independence. Teachers observe how children interact with the environment and one another, using their questions, discoveries, interests, and developmental needs to guide what comes next.

Because children ages 3–5 learn by doing, our days include plenty of opportunities to move, experiment, get messy, ask questions, solve problems, create, imagine, and learn alongside others. Teachers provide guidance and intentional learning opportunities while allowing children's ideas and interests to help shape the learning process.

Euskara and Basque culture are woven naturally throughout these experiences. Songs, stories, traditions, vocabulary, conversations, celebrations, and everyday routines create an immersive environment where children begin to understand and use Euskara through meaningful interactions.

Each year, our visiting teachers also bring their own expertise, creativity, and experiences from the Basque Country, continually enriching our program and strengthening the connection between Boise and Euskal Herria.

The result is a warm, dynamic learning environment where children develop confidence, independence, creativity, curiosity, language skills, and meaningful relationships while building a lifelong connection to Euskara and Basque culture.